Jobs Search

In the recent past the hardest part of a job search was choosing from a large number of opportunities. Unfortunately those days are over and the job search is now a chore. The rules have changed - again. No longer can you wear jeans to an interview (business suits are back), no longer can you be haughty (gracious interviewing is back), and rejection letters are now more common. Opportunity still exists, if you know where to look and just what doors to knock on.

Here are some tips for today's job-hunting environment:

1. Don't limit your search to the web. Historically the best sources for lead generation have been (a) your professional network of business associates (don't forget your vendor friends), (b) your personal network including those from your church or other civic organizations, and (c) your feet (yes, it may be time to go door-to-door, resume in hand, dressed for an interview). Whether you were a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond, there may be problems: The small ponds may have dried up and the big ponds may have fish that are not like you. Either way - you're a fish out of water.

2. Rewrite your Resume. Maybe your specific skills were 'just right' for your last position. But today you need to pitch yourself as a generalist. Now your resume needs to be honed to highlight your classic business skills: marketing, operations, finance, and communications. Forget the macho bit and have a professional writer help you. If you start a job even one day earlier, you've paid for the professional resume.

3. Now the interview really matters. Just a short time ago, having basic skills and being a warm body was enough. Not today. If you conduct yourself as if the market has not changed, you will look arrogant at best and like an idiot at worst. Now you need to talk like a person who will fit in. So get together with a friend and practice your interview skills.

4. The hunt will take time. You may find a job within a week, but finding the right position could take months, bad news for those without resources. One key is to play it cool. Tell the person interviewing you that you are not in a rush and you're waiting for the perfect job. Looking or sounding frantic, even if true, can be very expensive.

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