The Best Job Search You Can Do

         

A lot of people are out looking for new jobs these days. If you are one of them, you'll appreciate anything that can help speed you toward your new position.

Here are a few pointers that can make all the difference in your job search.The best job search demands you to be creative and stretch your thinking. It also calls on your best character traits.

Think of everything you know how to do - anything that you do carefully, that takes hard work, where you have to make sure it's right. That attitude is what you need for finding a job.
         
Now think of how you treat the best people you know. Apply that to the people you'll encounter in your job search. You'll have to be honest and respectful, in control but friendly. Be realistic in how you see yourself and the situation. Don't overestimate or underestimate what you can offer them. Again, be sure to keep in mind that these are just people you're dealing with - treat them as if you care how they feel.
         
You may need a whole new attitude to job-hunting. You are not begging for scraps from VIP's - you are a free agent, responsible for your own success. Be an outsourcing company of one. Take a marketing approach - first assess what you could offer. Your skills, know-how, and experiences are your resources and assets. Decide what your passions are, what kind of people you want to be around, and where you want to be.
         
Next, find out everything you can about the industry and companies you're targeting. Focus on their issues, needs, and problems. Exercise your mind and discover how your resources match up with their needs. Wherever you find a match, turn your ability to solve that problem into a benefit for the industry or company in question.
         
Develop short powerful stories showing how you used your resources (skills, etc.) to solve problems or fulfill needs like what they have. Without exaggerating, highlight your skills and achievements. Use numbers and statistics when you can.
       

Target small and medium companies. Call them and politely ask if they have any openings - if not, call another time to check again. Most jobs are never posted but they still get filled. This is how.
         
Network as much as you can. Do it badly, but do it. Develop another short story about your job search goals, how you will contribute to a company, and why you can do it. You're once again focusing on the needs and benefits of a potential employer.
       
When you network with someone, focus on their needs and benefits, too, and find out what you can contribute to them. They will appreciate you, your networking will shine, and you will get more comfortable with it. You'll have to know what their goals, needs, and benefits are - ask them and you'll usually find that they love to tell you. Then just match up your resources to their needs, let them see the benefits, and they're likely to help you if they can. Don't over commit yourself, but always try to give back to those who help you.
       
Keep networking even after you get a job. The best job search only gives you temporary results. You may need to hunt again sometime, or you might set your career sights higher after a while. A good network can help in ways you can't predict.
       
Resumes and interviews are another topic, but you'll find the same marketing approach will serve you well there, too. Focus on their needs and problems, and show how they can benefit from your solutions. In interviews especially, the good character traits will help you stand out. Work hard and practice them until you forget how to be any other way. That will help you in your job hunt and in the rest of your life, too.