The mantra I deliver to my workshop attendees at the beginning of January is, “This is the year you’ll land your job!” And I believe this. That’s if they don’t lose sight of the prize and stay on course. But even as I’m saying it, I know it won’t be an easy journey.On the bright side, employers are opening their purses in January and beyond. While December is typically slow, it is a month
your networking will pay offwhen positions need to be filled; this is a huge part of penetrating the Hidden Job Market.
If you didn’t reach out to employers in December, all is not lost. Let’s look at ways to improve your job search in the New Year.
1. Forgive yourself
If you haven't already forgiven yourself for being laid off, let go, or forced to quit, it's not too late. Instead you could use the energy you're using for guilt, self-doubt, and anger in a more useful way. When I was out of work, I remember going through the aforementioned feelings. Now I think it was all wasted energy.On the other hand,
own the past. If you were to blame for losing your job, learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them in your next job. One member of a job club I operate suggested this as a part of our mission statement. I think she was right on track.
2. Take a short break
I advise a week off after you've lost your job. You need time to get your head straight. Your emotions will be frazzled. And there's also taking care of your finances, e.g., applying for unemployment.However, if you're newly unemployed, now is not the time to take the three-month vacation you've accumulated during the tenure of your previous job. This will put you behind the eight-ball in terms of getting into the job search and showing a gap on your resume.
3. Let others know you're out of work
As simple as this sounds, plenty of job seekers are reluctant to tell their friends, neighbors, relative, former colleagues, etc. that they're out of work. Not only should you not feel embarrassed, you are missing opportunities to network. (This will be discussed later.)Most people understand that people sometimes lose their job. Many of the aforementioned people have also lost their job. It's a known fact that people want to help you, so let them.
4 . Know thyself
It’s important to possess self-awareness if you want to conduct your job search effectively. This means thinking about your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. What does this spell? SWOT. That’s right, do a
SWOT analysis on yourself .I have my attendees do a partial SWOT analysis in some of my workshops. I tell them to do a complete one on their own. You should write down 10 or more strengths, five weaknesses, three opportunities, and three threats. This will give you a better sense of what you can capitalize on and areas you need to overcome.
5. Take time to think about what you really want to do .
All too often job seekers will settle for the next job that comes along. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn’t. This stage in your life is a great time to reflect on what will make you happy.If it’s a career change, think about how your transferable skills can make the transition easier, despite not having all the job-related skills. One woman I worked with had previously worked for Hewlett Packard in marketing. She joined our career center as a grant writer. Eventually she became the director of our Workforce Investment Board.
6. Research the labor market
Whether you know it or not, you’ve been researching the labor market. For example, you were gathering labor market information (LMI) while working and considering a move to a different company or occupation.Now, you need to gather LMI on job availability, determining which skills are in high demand, and what salaries employers are offering. One site that gives you a broad sense of your value in the labor market is
Salary.com.But the best way to gather LMI is by speaking with people in the know, who might include other job seekers or people who will grant you
networking meetings , better known as informational interviews.Read this article by
Hannah Morgan to
learn more about the labor market .
7. Create a list of companies for which you’d like to work
This is difficult for many people. The sharp job seekers understand the value of keeping a going list of 10 to 15 companies they research. This is also part of your LMR. Your research can tell you which companies are in growth or decline.You also should identify important players in the companies, hiring managers, directors, VP, CEOs, etc. LinkedIn is ideal for identifying key players in your target companies. Networking is even better, providing you have the right connections.
8. Write your résumé and LinkedIn profile
It’s time to write your résumé. When others jump immediately to their résumé and
LinkedIn profile , they’re flying blindly. They haven’t self-reflected, thought about what they want to do, and conducted their LMR.Now you’re ready to address the needs of employers for whom you want to work. You know which accomplishments to highlight. You realize that a one-fits-all résumé won’t do it; it certainly won’t
pass the applicant tracking system (ATS).
Jon Shields of
www.jobscan.co explains the ATS in great detail in
this post .Your LinkedIn profile will be constructed to cover as many of the skills and experiences employers require. It’s generic, unlike your tailored resumes. However, it must show your value, just as your résumé does. Your LinkedIn profile is more of a online networking document that also shows your personality.
9. Networking is still your best method of looking for work
For those of you who have made connections in the fall at your desired companies, your networking efforts will pay dividends when employers ask for referrals to fill their positions.Approach connections who work for your target companies or people who know people who work for your target companies. Many job seekers have great success
using LinkedIn to make connections at desired companies.I strongly encourage my clients to attend professional association events, where they can network with people who are currently working. Those who are working might know of opportunities for you, or at the very least provide you with some sage advice. To find an association, Google your industry/occupation and your location. Here’s
one I found for marketing.
10. Get used to using LinkedIn’s mobile app
More than 50% of LinkedIn members are using the mobile app. This provides you with the convenience of using LinkedIn for research, communicating with recruiters, or searching for jobs. The hiring process is 24x7 and global, so get on board.The app is limited, but there’s still enough functionality to make it worth investing time into it. I believe the LinkedIn mobile app is where the company is dedicating its resources. Read this post on
using LinkedIn’s mobile app .Related:
The Plight of the Long-Term Unemployed and How to Overcome It 11. It’s never too late to volunteer
Look, I’m not trying to sell you out. It’s a proven fact that volunteering is an effective way to land a job. Consider these four reasons:
You improve your skills or gain new ones. For example, you’re a webmaster and volunteer to revamp an organization’s website to learn ColdFusion . It is a great way to network. If you volunteer in the proper organization, you can make connections with vendors, partners, customers, and others in your industry. You’ll feel more productive. It’s far better than sitting at your computer for six hours a day applying online. As I tell my clients, get out of your house! It’s a great way to pad your résumé. Volunteerism is work, so why not include it in your Experience section. 12. Don’t take an interview lightly. This means any interview.
I can’t tell you how many people tell me they weren’t prepared for the
telephone interview . They assumed it would be just a a screening. Guess what, the telephone interview is such an important part of the hiring process—it saves companies time and money—that they be the deciding factor. The face-to-face might be a formality.There are seven phases of the interview you need to consider. Nailing everyone of these phases is important. Begin reading
part one of this series to help you get mentally prepared for the process.
14. Be prepared for the various tools are using to hire talent
Employers are getting creative in the ways their vetting talent. The telephone interview is a mainstay for recruiters but not considered particularly efficient. They are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to separate talent by personality and analytical ability.This makes the hiring process longer than you would like. One of my clients said he was given assessment tools for multiple positions, and these assessments often took up to an hour or more. Read this article to learn more about the
tools employers are using to find talent .
15. Be good to yourself
You’ve heard of work/life balance. I believe there’s also job-search/life balance. In other words,
don’t burn out during your job search. In a recent job club meeting, I asked the members what they did during the Christmas holiday. Many of them talked about
making connectionswith valuable recruiters.But the ones who also impressed me were the ones who said they took some time off to decompress, sprinkled in with some job seeking activities. You must remember that your unemployment is temporary, and during this time there are other important aspects of your life.
