Job Search Techniques: Using a Systematic Approach to Find a Job in 90 Days
Job hunting is a challenging task even in the best of times. It becomes even more challenging when the economy is in a downturn and there are fewer jobs available with more people competing for them. This requires the job seeker to become more creative and use all available tools and resources to be more efficient and effective.
One way to increase your chances of finding a position is to take a systematic approach to your job search. What do I mean by a system? Well, what I’m talking about is using the same techniques that professional sellers use to sell their products. If you think about it, you are a product and the end result of your activities should be to get a contract with an employer. If you accept this premise, implementing a process to achieve this will make it very easy. I believe I can provide you with a step-by-step process that will get you a job in about 90 days. The secret is to commit to this and stick to the plan that incorporates a rigid schedule, specific activities, and a commitment to follow through. These are the same critical components for success with any other goal you’re trying to achieve.
I trust this system will work for you because it worked for my daughter Danielle who graduated from college earlier this year. She was able to find her dream job within 45 days of implementing the techniques discussed in this article.
I am a professional sales manager. By “professional” sales manager, I mean that I treat sales as a profession, not just a job. It really is a profession that you need to train for and continually update your skills and tools if you want to be successful.
It occurred to me that finding a job is a lot like what my sales team does every day trying to sell our company’s products and services.
You need to send out a lot of information such as product literature, spec sheets, and informational brochures to try to catch the attention of potential customers. In the case of the job seeker, it is the resume and cover letters.
You should follow up with phone calls, notes, emails, and other forms of communication to open up a dialogue with your prospective clients (employers).
You are trying to make them aware of the need for your products (skills and experiences)
You need to differentiate yourself from your competitors (other job seekers)
You need to convince them that your sales claims are true (the ability to do the job)
It can be a numbers game: 100 letters and phone calls get you 10 conversations get you 3 interviews get you a job (maybe)
· Success comes from 3 things: Hard Work, Chance and Luck, with Hard Work being the most important.
So since we were both trying to sell something, I recommend you go to “work” and your new job is to find a job. I believe that if you do the work and follow the plan I outline below, you can close the sale (ie find a job).
The overall plan is:
Commit to “working” 8 hours a day. This consists of;
Working a “temporary” job to pay your living expenses
· Volunteering or some other activity that helps you learn about a specific profession, industry or employer that may interest you.
· Using the “Selling yourself into a jobsystem to find permanent employment.
Your day starts at 8:00 and ends at 5:00, 5 days a week, unless the temporary job or volunteer position requires time in the evenings or on weekends. The goal is to put in a 40-hour week that includes all three of these activities.
You should try to maximize the time you spend on temporary work and volunteering. One gives you money and the other gives you experience and exposure to potential employers.
When you’re not working or volunteering, you need to do the same things a sales force does every day:
Research of potential employers (we are looking for clients)
Visit job search sites for tips and tricks (become a professional job seeker by educating yourself, just like you would any other profession)
Enhance your resume or customize it for a specific job opportunity (we create marketing materials)
Sending resumes (we send letters and brochures informing people about our business offers)
Apply on company websites (we respond to bid requests)
Make follow-up calls (we do this… A LOT!)
Go to interviews (we have meetings with clients or prospects)
This is where you may need additional help:
Find information about the companies and the contacts of the companies to which you want to apply, using tools such as Linkedin, Jigsaw, etc…
Review and edit your resume, cover letters, etc…
· Provide guidance on interview techniques and business conversations.
· Stay up to date with your activities, focus and results.
· Find tips to help you manage your time and be more effective (ie copy yourself in every email you send so you can reuse it and not have to create everything from scratch).
Prepare interview plans and strategies (company research, trip timing, list of interview questions, etc…)
Report after each interview to see how you can improve on them
The resources you need to help with these items are available and will be discussed in future articles.
The plan you develop should have a specific goal, a set of objectives, and a schedule of activities.
The goal is to find you a job within 90 days (accept the fact that it can take that long)
The goal is to get at least one interview a week after the first 3 weeks.
The daily plan of activities was as follows:
Research and collect information on 10 target employers
Send 10 resumes
Apply online to 10 prospective employers
Make 10 follow-up calls
Don’t worry if this sounds overwhelming right now. Once you get started on this and have the research tools, a library of resumes and cover letters, and a workflow set up, it’s easy. This methodology is classic Sales 101 and has been tested over and over again. It may take some time, but it will be successful.
During that first week, all you need to do is locate 10 target employers within the local area. You’ll need to find out their contact information, try to determine who to contact, and do some research on their website. At the end of the week you will have a list of 50 companies. However, you may not have all the contact information you need to apply for a position. This is not a problem. As a professional marketer, I have developed a portfolio of tools that I use to identify specific contacts within an organization. I will share them with you in future articles.
On Monday of the following week, start sending 10 resumes and apply to 10 online companies each day. You also need to research 10 other companies and add them to your list. By day three, you will have submitted 30 applications and submitted online applications to 30 companies. Then you need to start calling the companies you applied to two days before. I’ve put together a series of phone scripts so you know what to say when you call someone.
The process must be repeated daily. Initially, there may be little or no response from the companies you have contacted. However, during week 3 you should start hearing from prospects. Often it will be a polite email, call, or letter explaining that there are currently no positions available, but they will keep your information on file. Sometimes the employer will ask you for additional information about your background, skills, or experience. On a couple of occasions, you may be asked for a “group interview”, which can be attended by up to 30 applicants. Don’t be put off by this. It is part of the process.
Soon you will start receiving invitations for interviews. This should be encouraging, although several of the opportunities may be for positions you are not interested in for a variety of reasons, including location, industry, company, or a specific position. However, you must attend all interviews to genuinely apply for the position or to practice and hone your interview skills.
By week 5 it should be apparent that the program is starting to pay off. By then, you will have contacted over 150 companies, followed up with most of them, and will start receiving regular calls and interview requests. I think this is the result of what I called the “cow pie” theory. By putting enough information about yourself in the local business community, people will start to “step in” on empanadas and start responding.
I believe that you will be successful in reaching your goal of finding a job using the Sell yourself on a jobsystem for the following reasons:
The structure of the process provides a framework within which the job search could be executed on a regular and systematic basis.
· There were specific goals, objectives and processes that drive the process and will keep it focused.
Specific activities were required every day that keep you accountable.
A structured, repeatable process made tasks easier the more they were done. This reduces the time required to perform tasks, which should encourage you to complete them.
· Obtaining results in just a few weeks will motivate you to continue with the execution of the plan.
· You will feel more comfortable and confident when doing things you have done before and are familiar with. There will be a noticeable change in your communication skills and confidence level several weeks after the process.
The resources I’ve located that can be used during the process will help you stay focused and provide you with great tips and advice on how to create resumes, write cover letters, develop phone scripts, and improve your interview behaviors.
I firmly believe that if this process can work for anyone. The key elements are;
The process should be treated as a job. Your job is to find a job.
· There is a definitive process. You wake up every morning knowing exactly what you need to do in terms of your job search process.
Locate additional resources to help you in this process. Websites, online resources, tips and tricks related to your job search.
The more you do the process, the more repetitive it gets, the easier it gets, and the better you get at it.
I hope this information has been helpful to you in your job search process. I will post additional articles on the details of this system. The information I will provide will include:
Resume and Cover Letter Tips
Resources to reach potential employers
Where to find information on job search tips and tricks
· Phone scripts you can use to communicate with the “gatekeepers” and increase your confidence level when calling a potential employer
How to prepare for an interview
technical monitoring
If you have specific questions or would like to talk about me Sell yourself on a jobsystem in more detail, please feel free to contact me at the following email address:
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
bill swanson