The Top 10 Smart Things Job-Seekers Do

Originally Submitted on 12/21/98.

Many current job-hunters use a map to a territory that disappeared decades ago. Smart job-seekers know that the landscape of the U.S. workplace has changed dramatically, and they alter their approaches to fit the new realities. As a career coach and outplacement professional for the past 15 years, let me share with you those things that I see the smart and successful job-seekers do.

1. They develop the information necessary to confirm that the job they're after meets their interests, skills, motivational needs, and environmental preferences.

There are plenty of career counselors around with career assessments they are qualified to administer, interpret, and help them apply the results of.

2. They create a solid career goal that serves as a guidepost for them and as the "objective" line on their resume.

A solid goal has four parts: 1) the role you want to play; 2) the level at which you want to play it; 3) the type of organization you want to work in; and 4) geographic preference (if that's important to you). The written statement becomes your "30-second elevator speech" as well. It lets others know what you want and it helps you stay focused. Example: "I want to contribute to the increased profitability of a small software developer in the Southwestern U.S. by providing leadership in product packaging and distribution."

3. They go about the complex business of networking as a way of GIVING, not simply getting.

Job-finding has always been a matter of who knows them. Networking is a way of meeting people who should know them if they are ever to be in a position of learning about open jobs before they get advertised. If they are frank with themselves, then they have many compelling questions to ask of those people, the answers to which will provide them guidance as they continue their search. For everybody new they meet, they ask themselves: "What can I do for this individual?" Whatever it is, they try to fulfill it. And they NEVER carry resumes on networking calls.

4. They send a "thank you" note within 24 hours of meeting with a new person.

Take it as a standard condition of the American psyche that everyone feels underappreciated. That being so, everybody likes and remembers expressions of gratitude--especially written ones. They include in theirs those particular suggestions or nuggets of wisdom the individual shared with them that they found useful.

5. They make a list of 100 organizations that they'd like to work for.

These are organizations that their research tells them meet their criteria. Their criteria may include 1) SIC (Standard Industrial Classification Code)--available from many different reference works at your local library; 2) annual revenues--available from Standard & Poor's or from Moody's Index; 3) number of employees--from the same sources; 4) markets served by the organization. Information about the company's origins, internal culture, long-term stock performance, social conscience and environmental sensitivity can be gotten from Hoover's Index.

6. After two months of intense networking, they send a "direct interest" letter (or e-mail) to their likely boss in the "100 list" that they haven't been able to network to.

The letter should answer the five things a decision-maker must know if they are to be compelled to pick up the phone and call them (assuming they have an appropriate open spot--this IS a numbers game, after all): 1) what, specifically, they want to do; 2) what outstanding achievement from their past clearly qualifies them to take on the role they're after; 3) why they're available; 4) how much it's going to cost to get them; and 5) where they can be reached (phone/fax/e-mail). That's it. And they don't include a threat to call the decision-maker; if there's interest, the decision-maker will make the call.

7. They spend no more than 20% of their resources (including time) with published help-wanted ads and recruiters.

That equates to one day in a five-day week. They know that ads account for no more than 10% of the actual openings in the U.S. workplace, and recruiters (including top-tier headhunters) hold another 10%. The other four days (80%) are spent meeting face-to-face with decision-makers and others in a position to help them meet decision-makers.

8. They assume that they will learn of their next job without the aid of a resume.

This being said, they still have a solid, convincing resume oriented to what value they can contribute in the future. As a general rule, the more resumes you use in your job search, the longer that search will be. They realize that when they get in the "resume-blitz" frenzy, their marketing position is roughly that of a snowflake in a blizzard.

9. When interviewing for a job that looks like a strong possibility, they have challenging questions for their next boss.

For a list of these questions, check out my website: www.coachme123.com

10. They're as picky with the internet job postings they see as they are with newspaper ads.

First, they ask themselves: is this real? Is this current? Does this meet my stated criteria? How can I become known in that organization through networking rather than answering this ad? (Remember: they're always stronger in person than as a piece of paper.)

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