Recommended reading everyday of your search to ensure you are taking action on the following Smart Steps.
Your next job is out there waiting for you.
“Oh please, tell me where?” I can hear people saying!
Consider, your next job exists, in the mind of your next boss.
Right now, that job may be unclear, a persisting problem that will eventually require a new employee to solve, for example.
It may already have been defined and open right now, perhaps advertised on the company’s website.
In either case, the job you seek must first exist in the mind of a hiring manager before it can be filled by a person.
So, the more you can get the attention of the hiring managers, the more jobs you can be considered.
Here’s the story of one very smart job seeker who did just that. She met more hiring managers and was hired for a great job. A job that seemed like it was created just for her.
Here are some guidelines that Alice used on her successful job search.
Smart Step #1 – Clarity equals power
When Alice, from San Mateo, California found herself in the job market in February 2009, her first step was to decide exactly what she wanted to do in her next job.
“I knew I was looking for a Director of Marketing or a Public Relations position where I could use my skills in public speaking, writing, and sales,” said Alice.
Knowing what she wanted was the most important first step.
Most job seekers I’ve talked with, have only a slight idea of what they want to do and even when have some idea, when they describe it to me, it’s like a moving target.
Smart Step #2 – Shooting for a bulls-eye
Alice then spent a Sunday researching potential employers and made a target list of 20 companies she wanted to work for.
“I hunted online for people who could actually hire me, like a VP of Marketing or Corporate Communications, along with their email, mailing addresses and phone numbers,” she said.
Alice was smart to create a “specific job target list” and highlight the people with the authority to hire her. That is shooting for a bulls-eye.
Smart Step #3 – The Sales Letter versus the Cover letter
A Sales letter, not a cover letter. A sales letter, one that “sells” hiring managers on these important details:
• You know who they are
• You understand their problems
• You can help, with promises backed by specific results. You are the solution to their problem.
Make a list of your skills. Figure out where you were either saving money or increasing revenue. When you think about it, for example, the time you took that extra responsibility and revenues went up almost $100,000. That is a specific result.
Now. You might think you can’t come up with specific numbers or dollars. Yes, you can!
In any job you’ve held for more than a few months, you either contributed to increasing revenue or saved the company money. The numbers are there, if only you’ll look long and hard enough.
Many people think they can’t write a sales letter. Wrong again!
Start with various advertisements and save the sales letters that appeal to you. Do the same tomorrow and the next day. In three days, you’ll have a “swipe file” of examples you can borrow from to write your own sales letter to employers.
Whatever letter you do come up with will be brilliant compared to the average, boring cover letter.
Smart Step #4 – Follow up – yes – by a phone call!
This is essential. You must talk to people. It’s not enough to mail or email.
If you’ve put the time into choosing employers, targeting hiring managers, and writing a relevant sales letter, people should be willing to take your call, if only out of curiosity.
After mailing her 20 letters on a Monday, Alice called and got responses.
She called that Thursday and talked to five people. She was able to set up an interview with four hiring managers.
Smart Step #5 – Get the Offer
When Alice met with her first hiring manager, it was more of a business consulting discussion than an interview. That’s because Alice had positioned herself as the solution to a problem, rather than as a job seeker. She had good rapport from the beginning and shared her ideas and feedback as they discussed the problems she would be solving.
The employer said he was in a tough position because had more business than he’s ever had, and unless he brought in someone like Alice immediately, he had no idea how he was going to manage all of it.
Do you think the hiring manager was excited about Alice? You bet he was!
All businesses have problems, whether times are good or bad. They need help to either make more money or capitalize on the money they are making.
Bottom-line, your job is to research ideal employers, find out what help they need, offer to provide it, and prove you can deliver. That’s what Alice did.
How did all of this turn out?
“I was offered a position at the first company I interviewed with and it was the one I most wanted to work for. The whole thing took only 3 weeks.”
I have seen this type of job search, success story, and I encourage you to follow this very smart way to do a job search.
Again, I recommend you read this everyday of your search to ensure you are taking action on these Smart Steps.
