Though the December unemployment rate from BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) remained unchanged at 10%, there is some hope. For example, last week I met with the VP of Sales & Marketing and Director of Human Resources from one of my clients for a brain storming session. They also agreed to invite one of their top distributors. The main purpose was to further crystallize job specifications for one of their key marketing positions. However, this process also offered a lot of insights into what you as a job seeker can do to further streamline your job-hunting process. Several useful tips are:
1. Network to uncover hidden job opportunities. Companies are starting to recruit again. This position is not listed in the help wanted sections of either newspapers or online job boards. Therefore, you need to either: a) join associations in your field to meet key decision makers or b) leverage social media sites, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, into mass networking opportunities to uncover hidden jobs.
2. You should also utilize social media sites for business intelligence, researching a prospective job lead and uncovering key trends. By determining the hiring company’s precise needs, you can focus on those key accomplishments in your background that would be of most benefit. This can help you stand out versus your competition for a given job.
3. You need to “think outside the box.” If you approach your job search like everyone else, you will be perceived like everyone else. Instead, you need to uncover creative ways to meet a company’s current or future needs. Don’t just focus on what their stated plans and goals are. Be creative and determine what could be need that they may not even have considered. This may lead to them creating a job for you!
4. Adopting an MI-6 approach to interviewing. This means to identify and attack the six most critical tasks every day. The distributor shared that he has codified this into an electronic checklist for his salesmen. This causes them to work more efficiently. This is important to adopt for your employment process because many candidates work very hard, but do not work smart. Instead, by identifying your six most important tasks every day, you will focus on the optimum tasks to land your next job.
In conclusion, the job landscape is still cloudy. However, by being creative and networking, you may be able to create a job for yourself.
