mistakes job seekers make series ebook

8/4/2019 Mistakes Job Seekers Make Series eBook

1/12


2/12

Mistakes Job Seekers Make Series:

Failure to Plan

Hun$ng for a job is a tough and lonely business. Youre out there on your own, for the most part, and its

hard to know when youre botching it up. Its always difficult to observe our own behavior andunderstand if there is anything wrong with it. When were working, we do get feedback (although not

always welcome) from the boss when our work is less than stellar, but that is about all we ever get.

When were job hun$ng all we know is that we are not geDng interviews or offers. We know that might

be an indicator of something, but were just not sure what.

My plan with this ar$cle series is to outline the most common mistakes I see Job Seekers make and the

issues that most commonly plague them.

If I were to pick out an almost universal mistake, it is the failure to plan. A lack of a Job Search Strategy is

tantamount to a cross country trip without a GPS. The idea of simply jumping in a car and heading down

the highway doesnt occur to most people, yet we seem to do that with a Job Search. I can iden$fy acouple of reasons why I think this might be:

1. Most people think the most planning should go into a resume and thats all they need to do.

2. A Job Search Strategy is something most people dont think of or arent even aware of.

Now that I have pointed this out, lets look at the whats and whys of a Job Search Strategy.

What is a Strategy?

Strategy wiki defini/on: Strategy refers to a plan of ac$on designed to achieve a par$cular goal.

Example: A player's strategy in a game is a complete plan of ac$on for whatever situa$on might

arise; this fully determines the player's behavior. A player's strategy will determine the ac$on the

player will take at any stage of the game, for every possible history of play up to that stage.

Strategic Plan wiki defini/on: A comprehensive plan for accomplishment in rela$on to stated goals and

objec$ves.

Example: Strategic planning is an organiza$on's process of defining its strategy, or direc$on, and

making decisions on alloca$ng its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and

people.

Example: The process of comprehensive, integra$ve program planning that considers, at a

minimum, the future of current decisions, overall policy, organiza$onal development, and links

to opera$onal plans.

In other words, a Job Search Strategy is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory


3/12

- A comprehensive plan to accomplish the goal of being hired

- Integrates and determines the persons ac$ons in advance

- Unique per individual planning

- Ensures that advanced thought and comprehensive decision making are done

Why have a Job Search Strategy?

- To be as produc$ve as possible, which is equal to:

1. GeDng the most out of the $me spent

2. Achieving your goal of finding a job in the shortest amount of $me possible

3. Ensuring all aspects are considered

4. Following the best tac$cs to ensure a professional appearance

5. Knowing where and how to course correct, when necessary

6. Ins$lling confidence in you that you know what youre doing

7. Avoiding costly mistakes and possible embarrassment

PuDng together a Job Search Strategy is not complicated or difficult. It does require some thought

$me, but well worth the effort in order to ensure you are covering all the bases. Your job search is more

than upda$ng and distribu$ng your resume.

Here is your feedback: If youve been ac$ve in your job search and it hasnt even yielded you

informa$onal interviews, then you need to create your Job Search Plan. You need a roadmap of your

ac$ons and ac$vi$es that will be more effec$ve from this point forward. You always need a plan. A

plan can change, but you always need a plan.


4/12


ClarificaAon & Job Focus

These issues seem so basic that I think they get skipped over, yet, they are oen the central problem

many job seekers have. Clarifica$on is cri$cal in order to provide the necessary focus on the jobs/job$tles you are pursuing.

In order to truly focus your job search strategy and align all of your ac$ons, you need to concentrate on 2

or 3 specific jobs you want to find. Whether you think this number is high or low, the reasons for this

number are:

Too few jobs. If you pursue only one job/job $tle you are probably limi$ng yourself and may

miss great opportuni$es with such a narrow focus. Think of this like the financial planners

statement of diversifying your porolio. The purpose of doing that is to not over-invest in

something that might not turn out in your favor. For the same reason, you need a bit of

diversifica$on with the jobs you are pursuing.

Too many jobs. I have seen job seekers with loads of great work experience cast their job search

in so many direc$ons they had no focus at all. I understand the tempta$on for this type of

person. They may have been successful in all of those various jobs they performed and think

they would s$ll do well in them. I dont disagree they probably would do well. However, the

thinking with this type of job seeker is the idea that the wider you throw the net of job search,

the beer the results will be. Not true. This approach may sound logical on the surface, but it

lacks focus and direc$on. Imagine siDng in front of a prospec$ve employer and telling them 8

possible jobs you could do? Rather than being impressed, they end up thinking you cant do

anything well. This is the same impression you leave throughout your job search. Those who

could help you, cant figure out what youre going aer. You spread yourself too thin.

You do want all of your ac$ons to be impacul and worthwhile, therefore, it is important to be very clear

on the 2 or 3 specific jobs you expect to find. Just like most things we do when we have focused on a

specific outcome, we tend to be much more successful.

ClarificaAon not only means the number and types of jobs you are pursuing at any given $me, but also

clarity around how each job and your personal brand match up. You need to be clear on the

requirements for the posi$ons along with where those jobs most likely exist.

Now that I have outlined what I mean by Clarity, let me outline the most prevalent mistakes I see and

what to do about them.

Mistake: Too many jobs, unable to narrow it down to 2 or 3.

o Solu$on: If you think you might be guilty of this, you need to priori$ze the various jobs

you have been pursuing. How you priori$ze them is up to you. You might pick the top 2

or 3 where you think you will be the most compe$$ve. Or you might rank them based

on pay, values of yours they support, work environment and a host of other

considera$ons. Whatever your criteria are, narrow the field and focus your efforts on

just your top 2 or 3. Go deep, not wide.


5/12

Mistake: Too vague. I have seen job seekers almost unwilling to get very specific about what job

(s) they were pursuing. Some$mes these people are using their job search as an opportunity to

change careers, but they are unclear about what that next career is. These people may have

transferable skills that can be used in mul$ple jobs. Whatever the case is, they are not confident

enough in what they are pursuing to clearly state what they truly want. This lack of clarity

eventually impacts such things as the resume and how they discuss their direc$on with others.You cant be vague in your job search.

o Solu$on: Almost like the previous solu$on, you must put a stake in the ground. Pick

out those couple of jobs where you will be the most compe$$ve or will exude the most

confidence in pursuing. A way to test your decision is to test it out on new people you

meet. Upon sharing your direc$on, observe the other persons reac$on to you. Was it

clear? id you feel you were confident in what job you were going aer?

Mistake: Not really a job. It might be hard to imagine this one, but there are people out there

who think a job is something in accoun$ng. New college graduates tend to do this the most,

but Ive seen experienced people as well. This type of person is really unclear about what job

might be appropriate. They know a field, but they havent translated that into actual job $tles.When you say you are looking into an industry or a field, you arent specifying a job. Again, your

en$re job search will be undirected if you cant ar$culate each specific job.

o Solu$on: o some research. There are libraries and tons of online resources all geared

to help you drill down from a field or industry to specific jobs within those broad

descriptors.

Mistake: Not clear on job requirements. While the biggest and most frequent issue with clarity

is around how a person defines the job they are pursuing, there is the occasional person who

isnt clear about job requirements. This translates a couple of ways:

1. They dont know where these jobs are.

o Solu$on: Not all jobs exist in all types of companies or company structures. You

have to be clear about how the jobs youre going aer fit into companies,

organiza$onal structures and industries. If you are unclear about where your job

likely resides you waste $me looking in the wrong place.

2. They dont know how to focus the resume for the specific job.

o Solu$on: Its vital to know what the job requirements are so that you can feature

those elements in your resume. While it may be true that your background might be

the same thing youre pursuing, if you are going aer more than one job, chances

are high there are some differences. Understanding what those are will allow you toexpand or shrink informa$on in your resume so you are telling your story as the best

possible fit.

Clarity is a simple concept, but some$mes harder to achieve than you might think. The value of clarity is

immeasurable. It will focus your efforts, making your search for that great job easier and faster.


6/12


Job Search Methods

When you launch your job search, the ocean of possibili$es for where to get started can look

overwhelming. With so many job-pos$ng sites, companies pos$ng jobs on their own sites, Craigslist,aggregators, job fairs and press releases, there is lile wonder why you can go from overwhelmed to a

dead stop in less than a second.

Not all job search methods are created equal in terms of how effec$ve they will be in helping you to find

a job. In this context, effec$ve is defined at how fast you can find a job using a specific method and how

you can exert some influence. Some of these methods, while highly visible, are so depersonalized that

they can leave a job seeker depressed and feeling out of control.

All of the methods Im going to outline have strengths and weaknesses associated with them. For some

job types, these characteris$cs are soened up. For other job types, they may be worse than what Im

about to describe. Save it to say, you need to understand these characteris$cs and plan accordingly withyour daily ac$vi$es. It is also important to deploy at least 2 methods at all $mes, because you will find

that the pros and cons of one method can be offset by another method. I believe many job seekers make

their mistakes around search methodology by simply spending too much $me on a single method or not

fully understanding what their specific ac$ons need to be.

Job Search Methods: (Ive lumped together ones that are fairly similar in their characteris$cs.)

1. Networking. This method is the best method. If you ask most people how they got their

job, the answer is generally because of some personal connec$on. The adage Its not what

you know, but who you know has to be describing the use of your network in finding a job.

Pros:

o This is efficient in that it can cut through the resume submial process and skip over HR,

which is usually a gate keeper in the process.

o This process allows YOU to sell yourself rather than your resume having to do most of

the work. Its more personalized and therefore, you will feel more in control.

o Its more fun. Usually you are out there mee$ng up with your network or at some social

seDng to meet more contacts.

Cons:

o It takes $me. Time in this regard has two dimensions. First, it will take more of your

$me to interact with your network be it email, coffee dates or a casual drop in, and

second, it takes more calendar $me. In order for your network to become a good source

of job leads, it will take $me for you to connect with them, for you to lay out what they

can be looking for, and for them to find out about job leads that might work for you and

then tell you. Its like turning a baleship.


7/12

o Not all of your network can or will help. For various reasons, some people simply will

not be of any use for giving you job leads. That doesnt mean they dont like you, they

just dont want to do it. It doesnt mean you cut them off or give up, because you never

know when they will wake up and help.

2. Online/Internet. This can include companies that post openings, places to post your resume,

job openings lis$ngs, aggregators, etc. This category is online and it will involve your

submial of your resume and some$mes filling in a form. You may or may not know the

name of the company with the opening.

Pros:

o Extremely convenient. Since most people have computers, its easy to sit down in front

of the TV and surf a job-pos$ng site for the jobs youre seeking. You can cover a lot of

ground in a short amount of $me due to the power of the internet.

o If youre looking out of state, it gives you greater access to openings in other geographic

loca$ons.

Cons:

o Ubber compe$$ve. Since millions of people have access to the same thing you do, there

will be a high applicant flow submiDng their resumes. Its hard to stand out in the

crowd.

o The perfect match. Job openings in this category are oen using resume-management

soware to weed out any resume that isnt a perfect match to the criteria of the

opening. This depersonalizes the process and doesnt allow your personality or values

to play in to the process.

3. gencies and Recruiters. This is a situa$on where the charter of the group (be it profit or

nonprofit) is to match up applicants to openings. Most of the businesses in this category

make their money from the company who has the opening.

Pros:

o

Someone else is doing most of the foot work. You only get contacted if there issomething that seems to fit your background. The recruiter will work hard to get to

know you, not only from a resume perspec$ve, but also your personality and needs.

o Saves you $me. If you are working, this is a great arrangement, as you only have to do a

minimum amount of effort on your end to set the wheels in mo$on.

Cons:


8/12

o Specializa$on. Most of the $me the reason why companies use recruiters is because

their opening is specialized and applicants are hard to find. Unless you are lucky enough

to be in that category for jobs, they probably arent going to be interested in you.

o Perfect match. Even if the recruiter isnt specializing in hard to find applicants, they are

expected to bring applicants who are not only a perfect match to their criteria, but are

fully screened. They are expec$ng any applicant who comes from a recruiter to be ready

for hiring. They only want to speak to a few people who are perfect in every way. A

recruiter will kick you out at resume screening if they cant see the perfect match,

because thats what theyre paid to do.

4. Volunteering, Temp Work and Job Fairs. These are not necessarily standard job search

methods, but they have been known to produce full $me jobs for many; so I toss these in

the mix for considera$on.

Pros:

o Each one of these will give you the opportunity to gain greater exposure to people inside

a place of business. This builds your network and, therefore, gives you greater access to

openings.

o Gain experience. Not with a job fair, but with volunteering and temp jobs you gain work

experience which helps to fill gaps in the resume, as well as has income poten$al.

Cons:

o No real job. Even with companies going to job fairs, these arent always representa$ve

of something with a job aached to it. Job Fairs are oen done to support community

efforts and companies that show up are some$mes there for PR, not because they have

any openings.

There is no perfect job search method. Each one has aspects to it that are appealing and all come with

known disadvantages. Once you understand both, it allows you to figure out how best to focus your

ac$ons.


9/12


Resumes

What would a discussion about job seeking be without talking about the resume? The resume is the

most tangible aspect to job hun$ng and seems to be the place everyone runs to first. Crea$ng aneffec$ve, powerful resume is within everyones grasp.

Im going to focus this ar$cle not so much on a list of issues, but rather on a philosophical element that

seems to be missing in the job seeker when puDng together their resume. I will quickly list the most

prevalent issues first, then get to the element Im discussing.

The most common problems I see with resumes:

o Too long. Longer than 2 pages; or its 2 pages with small font in an aempt to cram as much

as possible in 2 pages.

o Too vague. Uses vague terms, doesnt really tell the reader what posi$on theyre aer or

leaves you guessing what they actually did.

o Says almost nothing. So brief it looks like they spent 5 minutes whipping it up. Suggests

that either the applicant has nothing to offer, never really worked or is incapable of

understanding their own assets.

o Doesnt really tell the story. Talks about responsibili$es, nothing about accomplishments.

Now that we have that out of the way, Id like to outline the philosophical aspect to this that I think will

be far more helpful. The philosophical piece Im talking about is this: you are selling yourselfto a hiring

manager. You have to appeal to the hiring manager, not only at a logical level, but also at an emo$onalone. Lets break this concept down:

Selling Logically. You are selling yourself. You are trying to help the hiring manager solve a

problem, which is that they have work that needs to be done. That work will help move the

business forward in some manner. The logic you are appealing to with your resume is that they

want to know the following things:

o o you have the background that would suggest you can perform the job?

o Will you be able to perform in other areas of the business? I.e., can you either learn

new things or have a depth to you that suggests you can work beyond this immediate

scope of work?

o Are you a risk? Risk can vary. The hiring manager would like to think you will stay on

board long enough for it to be worth hiring you.

Selling EmoAonally. ecisions to hire are like da$ng and marrying. Once the ini$al screening

has taken place and they decide you might be worth serious considera$on, the emo$onal part

kicks in. As with any selling, there has to be a reason to consider buying in the first place (the


10/12

logic), but the decision gets made at an emo$onal level. You are appealing to aspects like:

avoiding pain gaining pleasure ease of doing things solving a problem being cool (ego) the

list goes on. When you are appealing to the emo$onal side of the decision, they want to know

the following:

o Will we like working with you?

o oes your history suggest you perform well and consistently?

o Will I/we work well with you?

o o you have a good work ethic? Shared values?

If you are truly thinking about this process and what the hiring manager is thinking about, then you need

to do the following in your resume:

Use key words. If you are responding to a pos$ng or a discussion, make sure you repeat some of

the key words they use. Your resume will be found easier and will capture their aen$on.

Emphasize. ont just list your responsibili$es, but put size, shape and texture to them.

Emphasize. Tell them about your accomplishments. They want to know you can deliver and just

how well you work. Again, size, shape and texture by adding in things like volume, numbers,

results, and commentary from higher ups, customers or peers.

Weave your story. Who are you? What are you known for? Make that obvious in your resume.

ont make the hiring manager work to figure out how great you are. They dont have the $me

to do that. Answer their ques$ons before they toss out your resume.

Most of the $me your resume is the first point of contact with your poten$al place of employment,which means you want it to capture their aen$on. ont be inhibited in leDng it tell a powerful story

your story. We tend to be a bit shy when it comes to blowing our own horn, but you have to look at it

differently. You arent bragging. There is a big difference between bragging and telling your story so it

draws the manager in at both the logical and emo$onal level. If you dont do it, who will?


11/12

ear Job Seeker,

I hope you have found value in the series I have provided you. I make an effort to provide in-

depth and up to the minute informa$on on all phases key to your career success. Id like to take

one more moment of your $me to tell you about my programs.

I have programs for both the individual and groups that focus on Job Search or Career Change.

Introducing the Career Makeover Program for Job Seekers:

Looking for a job, especially in this job market, can be incredibly frustra$ng.

You work so hard on the resume, you brush up on your interview skills, you try your best to look

the part and you search. And search. And search.

The interviews dont come as oen as youd like and when they do happen you dont get the

results youre hoping for.

Of course, thats assuming you even know where to find the right job. Its so tough out there

right now, the want-ads are filled with get-rich-quick schemes and the job search web sites are

confusing and in$mida$ng.

What you really need is some real world support, advice and mo$va$on to get you going and

keep you going un$l you hear the two most beau$ful words of all: Youre Hired! With this

program you will learn:

The secret vault to the hidden job marketand the keys to the vault! The answer to why the resume ISNT the crown jewel to your job search

The best ways to simplify and demys$fy resume crea$on

The proven ways to build your self confidence in everything you do in life

The development of a customized, tailor-made job search plan

The availability of a veteran job search coach to keep you on track

The personal support and mo$va$on you may be lacking at this stressful $me of your life

The crea$on of a clearly ar$culated personal branding strategy

The secrets of how to manage and master the interview

The skills youve been looking for that will have you networking like a pro


12/12

Introducing the Career Makeover Program for Career Changers

Your career should be like a GPS system. It takes you where you want to go in the fastest and

easiest way possible, and if you veer off course, even ever so slightly, it makes automa$c

adjustments to get you back on track.

Unfortunately for most people in the working world they dont have a career GPS system. They

go with the flow, taking a job that doesnt fit their passion, and are le wondering what went

wrong, and where they veered off course in their lives.

But there are some roadblocks ahead:

You dont think you can afford it

You have no idea about what you would do next

Youre worried about the unknown

With this program you will discover and eliminate those roadblocks and learn:

The secret vault to YOU! Finding your passion and transla$ng that into REAL world careers.

iscovering your values, skills & interests that are vital to this next step in your career

The proven ways to build your self confidence in everything you do in life

The development of a customized, tailor-made career change plan proved to work for all

types of professions

The availability of a veteran career change coach to keep you on track

The personal support and mo$va$on you may be lacking at this transi$onal $me of your life

Both programs are available to you as an individual or as a group (very affordable solu$on). If

you think you might benefit from a program like this, please feel free to make an appointment

with me to explore these programs and how they will address your career challenges and goals.

All my best, orothy

mistakes job seekers make series ebook

Documents