Archive for the ‘Job Finding How-To's’ Category

Idea #1 in the last blog was about you as a new and improved product.   Idea #2  is borrowed from sales; it is scripting.  OK, you might want to throw me out of your network for suggesting this, but hear me out.   The more people I talk to, the more I realize that my biggest challenge in making sales is your  biggest challenge in getting in front of people or having control of a call or interview.   My sales mentor, Eric Lofholhm says using scripts was the biggest boost to his sales than almost anything else.  I reluctantly started using scripts and found I was much more comfortable in presenting my services and asking for business.  Good people – sales scripts are noble, necessary, and are just creative, informative, and focused communication with an agreement and/or money included in it.  A script saves both you and the person you are presenting to time and energy – you have a clear direction.  Here are a few areas you might want to have a script ready to use:

1. When a HR person or recruiter calls you on Friday at 4 PM and you are not in shape to go through an interview
2. When you cold call an HR person,
3. hiring manager,
4. or someone about an informational interview
5. When you are asked a question in an interview that throws you off.  A one line mini script that gives you a moment to collect your thoughts
6. A script for each interview – the questions you’ll ask, the concerns you have
7. At the end of the interview – a powerful completion with what you say if you want the job, if you do not want the job, if you think you’d be better qualified in a different position….etc.

What else?  Write some here in the comments – even some samples.

You can download a free audio on sales from Eric Lofholm here  (https://m269.infusionsoft.com/go/7sec/Nancy) It will have many ideas you can transfer to interviewing, setting up interviews, and organizing yourself around presenting yourself as a service or product rather than an employee.

Get out of the box here, and borrow from other industries to find new approaches to the job search.

New Packaging

Amp Up Idea Number One: As the entrepreneur of your life (you must look after you, the days of the long term corporate job are gone with just a few exceptions) part of your job finding process is to package  yourself.  Most companies put out a new and improved version of their product every few years (or sooner for software!).  What’s the new and improved you?  Amp up with a product overhaul.

What is your core product?  Consider what you love to do, the part of your work that makes your heart sing and the time fly by.  What is that?  Why do you love it so?  Why would an employer be lucky to have you – what benefits will they receive from buying you?  If you were to look at all of your skills, how does a combination of them enhance your core product?  In what new ways can you combine them in order to come out with the new and improved you?

You can take courses to add a new skill.  You can get a group of supportive colleagues and friends, and brainstorm up new job descriptions that combines some of your interests and skills in new and improved ways.   You can take your so-called shortcomings (”too old”, “too young”, “too long out of area”) and flip them into assets (”experienced”, “longevity”, “energetic”, “coachable”, “out getting other experience to bring back to this area”).

OK, let’s hear about some new improved you’s!

What would you do if you lost your job and your industry also disappeared?  I just returned from a Membership Job Search Group in a town here in the San Francisco Bay Area where unemployment is at 11%.   I went because I wanted to  find out why I hadn’t received replies to my inquiries about speaking there.  The upside is that there were lots of people, they were networking, sharing success, creating fundraisers to buy supplies for the club, and helping each other across the river called unemployment.

The downside is there were lots of people with vast talents not able to get paid to use them.  The office personnel and volunteers were too busy processing members to deal with speakers.  They can’t even have guest speakers because of the space crunch.  They  talked about having to limit membership – they have so many people they cannot safely gather in the rooms they have access to.   No new members will be added until several current members are safely in jobs.

Here’s an industry (managing unemployed) that’s growing, but mostly supported by governtment funds that are severely lacking.  Any ideas how to support these folks? They need larger meeting space, supplies, and jobs.  Please leave a comment with ideas and resources.  Thank you!

What to do if you don’t find a spot for you in the group.

1) If you can take advantage of the classes they offer without becoming a member of the group, do that- the classes are invaluable and focus on resumes, interviewing and job finding techiques.

2) Find like-minded people, google “mastermind” and set up your own success or accountability group.  Like-minded means everyone in the group has a similar goal:  get a job in 3 months, figure out a new career, etc.

3) Find a coach.  I have an online, low cost  group for job motivation support

4) Look on the social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn for online support communities.

5) Make a plan, create accountability if you need it, and go!

May your path be short, sweet and lead directly to good work.