| Most of the time, competition stimulates
| |
| | purposefully hazy (because you are
|
| us, gets our juices flowing, generates
| |
| | looking for several different types of
|
| creativity, a sense of excitement, and
| |
| | work), make sure that your cover letter
|
| motivates us to perform at our best.
| |
| | is focused on the specific position for
|
| Looking for work is another matter! When
| |
| | which you are applying. b) What have you
|
| it comes to financial survival, to
| |
| | done in the past that is relevant to the
|
| regaining independence and self-worth,
| |
| | position you are currently seeking?
|
| competition can be crippling.
| |
| | Again, if your resume shows a smattering
|
| We apply for a job in the fervent hope
| |
| | of skills in seemingly unrelated areas,
|
| that hundreds of others are not also
| |
| | tie it all together in your cover letter
|
| applying. Finding work is too serious an
| |
| | so that it makes sense in the employer's
|
| issue to be considered a game or a sport.
| |
| | mind. c) What can you do, better than
|
| We need to find that position that will
| |
| | anyone else, to make the employer believe
|
| make everything all right, make us
| |
| | that he has to hire YOU? If you have
|
| believe in ourselves again, and help
| |
| | operational skills that the company
|
| rebuild the self-esteem and
| |
| | needs, highlight them and what they could
|
| self-confidence shattered by
| |
| | do to help the employer's business. If
|
| unemployment.
| |
| | your skills are limited or you're
|
| Unless we are very lucky, there will be
| |
| | applying for unskilled or semi-skilled
|
| competition for every position we
| |
| | work, stress personal qualities that
|
| identify. Our remaining option is to set
| |
| | stand out: reliability, courtesy, an
|
| ourselves apart from other hungry
| |
| | ability to work with a variety of
|
| applicants.
| |
| | coworkers and supervisors, flexibility,
|
| How?
| |
| | the desire to work hard to prove
|
| Take a global view and emerge from the
| |
| | yourself, and a willingness to learn as
|
| dank and slimy job search swamp by
| |
| | much as possible to show your value.
|
| utilizing a number of techniques I call
| |
| | Networking contacts are helpful only if
|
| knock-out P-U-N-C-H-E-S, guaranteed to
| |
| | you can quickly and succinctly explain
|
| leave your competitors crying "Uncle" and
| |
| | your predicament, what kind of work you
|
| throwing in the towel.
| |
| | are seeking, and ask directly for help
|
| 1. P is for Persistence.
| |
| | whether for possible positions,
|
| We all hate failure. We don't like being
| |
| | information, advice, or merely
|
| rejected, judged, or found inadequate in
| |
| | additional names to contact.
|
| any way. Trudging on, day after
| |
| | The need for clarity continues in the
|
| disappointing day, requires all of our
| |
| | interview. Answer questions clearly and
|
| reserves of energy, reserves that are
| |
| | directly. Express your hopes and positive
|
| rapidly becoming depleted. From having to
| |
| | outlook without bashfulness or mumbling.
|
| constantly present ourselves as
| |
| | Before you leave, get a clear agreement
|
| enthusiastic and creative, we become
| |
| | on what the next step will be and if you
|
| blue, bummed, and bone-deep exhausted. We
| |
| | can call the employer at the end of the
|
| wonder how much longer we can keep up the
| |
| | week to see if there are any lingering
|
| façade of self-confidence that we
| |
| | questions. After the interview, send a
|
| secretly admit has long ago evaporated.
| |
| | short, personal thank you note for the
|
| How can we present ourselves as
| |
| | interviewer's time and attention.
|
| competent, successful, and eager when in
| |
| | 5. H represents Humility.
|
| our heart-of-hearts we have accepted that
| |
| | This is a two-edged sword. Many of us are
|
| we are a despised failure in a
| |
| | so humble that we find saying anything
|
| success-oriented culture?
| |
| | positive about ourselves almost
|
| The secret is to keep plugging away. No
| |
| | excruciating. We start to mumble when
|
| matter the number of disappointments we
| |
| | expressing our qualities and
|
| have experienced; no matter the number of
| |
| | achievements. Employers and interviewers
|
| rejections we have encountered; no matter
| |
| | are well aware of this. They know that an
|
| the times when our age, our experience,
| |
| | interview is an uncomfortable and
|
| our skills have been found wanting - we
| |
| | unnatural interaction that makes both
|
| have to KEEP GOING. We never know if
| |
| | sides of the desk anxious and overly
|
| "this time" is "the one." We have to
| |
| | formal. Unless the position is in sales,
|
| continue to act, no matter how difficult
| |
| | which often demands a somewhat pushy
|
| or painful it may be, as if this were the
| |
| | self-presentation, you may make a more
|
| one position we have been seeking.
| |
| | favorable impression if you are somewhat
|
| Ask any newly hired worker and they will
| |
| | hesitant in rolling out your skills and
|
| tell you that just as they were about to
| |
| | abilities. The applicant who reports
|
| give up, along came the gold at the end
| |
| | strength in all areas, knows everything,
|
| of the rainbow. Not giving up, no matter
| |
| | and answers every question with "I've
|
| how discouraged you internally feel, is
| |
| | done that before," may be looked upon
|
| the secret weapon in finding a position,
| |
| | with some suspicion. The job seeker who
|
| no matter how long it takes for the right
| |
| | keeps asking the office manager how much
|
| opportunity to appear.
| |
| | longer he will have to wait or taps his
|
| 2. U means Unswerving Focus.
| |
| | fingers impatiently on the desk, is not
|
| There is so much going on in your life:
| |
| | making points with the support staff who
|
| family stresses, financial pressures,
| |
| | may have a significant effect on the
|
| multiple demands on your time and your
| |
| | eventual hiring decision. An employer may
|
| energy. The search for work, although
| |
| | seek an applicant with initiative but he
|
| prioritized for a long time, has moved
| |
| | also fears a loose cannon who ignores
|
| down the "to do" list somewhere below
| |
| | direction and caution. While we admire
|
| Timmy's first tee-ball game and the
| |
| | the "take chances" attitude that propels
|
| in-laws' anniversary party.
| |
| | a Donald Trump or Richard Branson to the
|
| If you have mastered the art of
| |
| | self-made billionaire's club, we don't
|
| multi-tasking (juggling activities around
| |
| | necessarily want that arrogant
|
| as changing deadlines demand), you will
| |
| | risk-taking at our company, especially
|
| have realized that finding work is your
| |
| | when it is our company taking the risk!
|
| overwhelming priority and that nothing
| |
| | 6. E equates to Enthusiasm.
|
| can, or will, interrupt your focus on
| |
| | This is what will wear you out more than
|
| that, no matter what else may be
| |
| | anything else. It is one thing to be
|
| happening in your life. Ignoring
| |
| | enthusiastic about our passions, our
|
| peripherals and always keeping your eye
| |
| | interests, even our jobs. It is something
|
| on the immediate objective, obtaining a
| |
| | else to show enthusiasm over and over,
|
| job, ensures that opportunities are not
| |
| | rejection after rejection, and not crash
|
| missed and that every possible avenue is
| |
| | and burn at some point. The sanest
|
| explored. While there may be time for
| |
| | approach seems to be balance. While your
|
| other things to maintain your balance,
| |
| | search for work is top priority, make
|
| the time allotted for job search must
| |
| | sure that you make time for rest and
|
| remain intact and sacred, no
| |
| | rejuvenation. Since enthusiasm is an
|
| interruptions allowed.
| |
| | absolute requirement in most job
|
| 3. N stands for Networking.
| |
| | interviews, you would be better served to
|
| The often-touted "hidden job market" is
| |
| | limit your actual job hunting personal
|
| merely a term to cover the multiple job
| |
| | and telephone contacts to 20 or 25 hours
|
| openings that always exist but are never
| |
| | per week. Take time to relax: quiet time,
|
| publicized. Literally, millions of
| |
| | exercise, watch a movie, and replenish
|
| positions are filled without classified
| |
| | your energy levels. You will be
|
| advertising, internet postings, or agency
| |
| | healthier, less stressed, and more
|
| listings. Such positions are identified,
| |
| | effective, when you do make contacts than
|
| and obtained, through personal referral:
| |
| | trying to spend 40 hours a week "pounding
|
| a job seeker knows someone who knows
| |
| | the pavement" and ending up presenting as
|
| someone else who has a need for the job
| |
| | tired, flat, and desperate when you reach
|
| seeker's skills and abilities. Networking
| |
| | the interview that could have been "the
|
| is merely a fancy term for using friends
| |
| | one."
|
| and acquaintances to help locate
| |
| | 7. S reflects Self-Belief.
|
| employment. The process requires that
| |
| | Call it faith, call it self-confidence,
|
| when you are in need of work, you make
| |
| | call it a sense of trust, call it
|
| sure that everyone you know is aware of
| |
| | cock-eyed optimism, it is really, in
|
| your situation and that you ask them for
| |
| | psychological terms, self-efficacy. It
|
| information and assistance. Beyond
| |
| | does not directly concern what you think
|
| exploring job leads with your contacts,
| |
| | about yourself, positive or negative. It
|
| it requires the harvesting of names and
| |
| | involves your belief in whether you are
|
| additional contacts through personal
| |
| | able to affect what happens to you. Do
|
| referrals from your first line friends.
| |
| | you believe that your actions and words
|
| Like the ripples of a pebble cast into a
| |
| | can bring about the outcomes you seek? If
|
| lake, your access to unadvertised
| |
| | I don't believe that my efforts will have
|
| positions multiples exponentially as your
| |
| | any effect on results, then the world is
|
| network of contacts, and their contacts,
| |
| | based on illogic, luck-of-the-draw,
|
| expand your chances of being in the right
| |
| | random chance.
|
| place at the right time when that
| |
| | If you look back over your own life, you
|
| long-sought employer connection occurs.
| |
| | will be able to identify actions or
|
| Many workers draw back from the process
| |
| | decisions you took that had certain
|
| after a few attempts, fearful of
| |
| | consequences, good or bad. Analyze and
|
| exploiting family and friends. At its
| |
| | study your own history and you will start
|
| best, this is a mutually beneficial
| |
| | to clearly see that consequences follow
|
| relationship as their self-esteem is
| |
| | every action. Move that into the present
|
| increased by having the opportunity to
| |
| | and future, and it will revitalize your
|
| help you. At some future juncture, you
| |
| | belief in the eventual consequences of
|
| may be able to return the favor.
| |
| | your actions now. If you follow the
|
| 4. C for Communication.
| |
| | myriad job seeking strategies and
|
| A job seeker doesn't necessarily have to
| |
| | techniques identified by experts, and
|
| possess the spiel of a professional
| |
| | repetitively supported by successful
|
| salesman nor the creative presentation of
| |
| | outcomes, you will reach your goal.
|
| a marketing specialist but clear,
| |
| | It is that strong belief that you are "on
|
| unambiguous communication is critical
| |
| | the way" to success that will carry you
|
| throughout the hunt for work.
| |
| | through the long nights of worry, the
|
| Your resume, cover letter, and completed
| |
| | wasted time of disappointing leads, and
|
| application need to be clear in at least
| |
| | the pain of recurrent rejection. It will
|
| three areas.a) What position are you
| |
| | bring you back to the other six areas
|
| applying for? Even if you have become so
| |
| | mentioned by allowing you to focus, reach
|
| desperate that you'll take just about
| |
| | out for support, communicate with
|
| anything, an employer is looking for an
| |
| | humility and clarity, and maintain your
|
| applicant who specifically wants the job
| |
| | job search campaign with unflaggingly
|
| he has available. If your resume is
| |
| | enthusiastic persistence.
|
