In dealing with so many different types of clients I’ve come to see a pattern emerging in our modern times… Anti-social job hunters. You know who you are… You live on your computer and have believed the hype that you can find a job by simply posting your resume on one of the job sites. You’re just certain that there’s something wrong with your resume because you aren’t getting the response that you feel you should, but that may very well not be the case.
These days, you have to get serious with a job search and that means you need to get “out” and search. I mean getting dressed (sorry, that means getting out of your jammies), doing the research, and heading out into the world to meet and network with REAL people.
Breathe… Pull yourself out of the fetal position and believe it or not, you CAN do it.
When the big job sites started out; it was a great thing to simply be able to post your resume and see results, but now it’s caused many job searchers to get lazy. They post their resumes and believe that their job is done, when that’s far from the truth. Many of the best jobs still go to those that make the effort and market themselves the strongest and you can’t possibly do that when only posting your resume.
Companies need to be researched and you need to network with (once again) REAL people. The old adage that says how it’s who you know is right on target. You need to know people and people need to know and trust you before you’ll get a job. You can’t just go to a couple of networking events and believe that you’ve done enough. It takes a long time to develop trust, so thinking that networking only when you need a job isn’t going to do anything for your goals. People can see this behavior a mile away and will know that they’re being used.
Friends are more than willing to help and support friends that are looking for a job, but first you have to become that “friend.”
Get up, get involved with networking groups and associations before you start believing that they should or will help you find a job. Be involved and give back. It’s a lot easier to want to help someone you know helps others.
Another great concept that has been lost in the cyber age is going out and personally marketing to businesses with your resume. Granted there are some jobs that this technique is more effective with than others, but it is well worth mentioning. You may get a funny look and feel awkward at first, but it gets easier the more you do it and you WILL be remembered for making this effort. It’s also not unheard of to be interviewed on the spot, so always be prepared.
To achieve any of this, you need to leave the house.
Come on… You can do it.
Kick off the fuzzy bunny slippers, dust off that suit, get involved, and even take out some resumes.
Getting OUT can make all the difference in your job search!
Get on with it!
