Whenever, however and for whatever reason you are starting your
next job search you need to prepare. I can guarantee you that hiring
managers today are more doubting, critical and skeptical than ever. This
is partly because prior to the nationwide rollout of affordable
high-speed Internet service, most job searches were strictly local. Now,
with nationwide competition for most jobs that pay over $45,000
annually, if you do not prepare in advance, you will be doomed to learn
the hard way while missing out on dozens of employment opportunities in
the process.
This year a job posting for a single meter reader vacancy in a Rhode Island utility company resulted in over 50,000 submissions in two weeks. Today's job search is not nearly as easy as it used to be. Now you are competing with 50 million unemployed professionals, job changers, career changers and well-qualified candidates from all over the nation who would be more than happy to relocate for work. Without further ado, here is what you want to do to improve your chances of success.
Review all three of your credit reports and all three scores. The three major credit-reporting agencies are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Many employers have minimum acceptable scores. They review your credit scores as indicators of your credibility, honesty and reliability. Thus, you need to review your entire report carefully before employers see it. If there are any errors that negatively affect your credit rating, you should take action ahead of time to dispute them and have them removed from your credit report. The best way to dispute any errors on your credit report is with certified mail, so you can prove that you have made an effort to resolve the situation. If any company that reported an error does not either correct the error or prove they are correct (e.g. by showing a copy of the original contract/mortgage note) within a reasonable amount of time, the credit agency will normally delete the incorrect information on your credit report.
Hire a professional resume writer to create/improve your resume, cover letters and LinkedIn profile. If you are a professional that wants to earn over $45K/year and you do not invest in yourself, the competition will pass you by as if you are standing still. Once you weigh the value of professional resume writing assistance vs. the cost of missed opportunities, it is a no brainer in today's fiercely competitive job market. You should also be aware that resume writing has one standard - excellence! Therefore, even if you are an excellent writer and market yourself exceptionally well, at least seek editing and proofreading help.
You want to make a list of four professional references and four personal references at minimum for employers who are interested enough to ask you for your references. Make sure that each reference has accurate contact information. You will want to have their full name, address, mobile phone/work phone and email. You will also want to define their relationship to you and how long you have known them. Never give out all the contact info of your professional references unless the employer/recruiter asks you for them. The last thing you want to do is annoy your professional or personal references to the point where they ask to be removed from your list of references. References are important to hiring managers, so if you do not have any it is unlikely an employer will advance you to the next round of interviews.
Write a classy letter to your professional network, friends and family that explains your current employment situation, your preferred industries and your job search goal in the form of a few job titles that are realistic and believable. You will want to ask for assistance from your friends, family and professional network in a classy way. Simultaneously, you want to assure them that you will be glad to support them whenever they need your assistance. By activating your professional network, you are likely to see several of your connections step up and help you. This is because, most people are kind and no one can be promoted in business without preparing their replacement first. Ideally, you would have spent plenty of time and effort over the years building and maintaining your professional network to prepare for your job search.
Start networking your way to success early. It is now time to have business lunches with people who can help you. You would be amazed at what happens when you have a friendly business lunch or breakfast with Hiring managers, HR Managers and Executives at ideal employers and people ideally situated to either give you an insider's referral now or in the future. You can also attend BNI networking meetings in your area, join Toast Masters or participate in the preferred professional organizations in your industry. Yes, you have to be a bit bold to network with perfect strangers, but it only requires courage for the first five minutes. Once you realize everyone else is in the same awkward position and trying to make the best of it, the nervousness quickly fades away. By banishing fear from your mind, you will benefit for many years to come by meeting new friends and building relationships.
Keep an organized job search journal to assist you in routine follow up and in remembering people's names. In many industries, at least 20-25% of all new hires wash out in the first 90 days. Therefore, if you finished second or third in the race to be hired, it never hurts to follow up with the hiring manager around ninety days later. If you can do this tactfully and without being annoying, you could be hired instantly. If you make a habit of following up regularly, you could easily accelerate your job search.
Who do you think is more likely to be wealthy, prosperous and successful, a professional with a small circle of friends or a professional with a large, well-established professional network? I rest my case. Now the execution is up to you.
This year a job posting for a single meter reader vacancy in a Rhode Island utility company resulted in over 50,000 submissions in two weeks. Today's job search is not nearly as easy as it used to be. Now you are competing with 50 million unemployed professionals, job changers, career changers and well-qualified candidates from all over the nation who would be more than happy to relocate for work. Without further ado, here is what you want to do to improve your chances of success.
Review all three of your credit reports and all three scores. The three major credit-reporting agencies are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Many employers have minimum acceptable scores. They review your credit scores as indicators of your credibility, honesty and reliability. Thus, you need to review your entire report carefully before employers see it. If there are any errors that negatively affect your credit rating, you should take action ahead of time to dispute them and have them removed from your credit report. The best way to dispute any errors on your credit report is with certified mail, so you can prove that you have made an effort to resolve the situation. If any company that reported an error does not either correct the error or prove they are correct (e.g. by showing a copy of the original contract/mortgage note) within a reasonable amount of time, the credit agency will normally delete the incorrect information on your credit report.
Hire a professional resume writer to create/improve your resume, cover letters and LinkedIn profile. If you are a professional that wants to earn over $45K/year and you do not invest in yourself, the competition will pass you by as if you are standing still. Once you weigh the value of professional resume writing assistance vs. the cost of missed opportunities, it is a no brainer in today's fiercely competitive job market. You should also be aware that resume writing has one standard - excellence! Therefore, even if you are an excellent writer and market yourself exceptionally well, at least seek editing and proofreading help.
You want to make a list of four professional references and four personal references at minimum for employers who are interested enough to ask you for your references. Make sure that each reference has accurate contact information. You will want to have their full name, address, mobile phone/work phone and email. You will also want to define their relationship to you and how long you have known them. Never give out all the contact info of your professional references unless the employer/recruiter asks you for them. The last thing you want to do is annoy your professional or personal references to the point where they ask to be removed from your list of references. References are important to hiring managers, so if you do not have any it is unlikely an employer will advance you to the next round of interviews.
Write a classy letter to your professional network, friends and family that explains your current employment situation, your preferred industries and your job search goal in the form of a few job titles that are realistic and believable. You will want to ask for assistance from your friends, family and professional network in a classy way. Simultaneously, you want to assure them that you will be glad to support them whenever they need your assistance. By activating your professional network, you are likely to see several of your connections step up and help you. This is because, most people are kind and no one can be promoted in business without preparing their replacement first. Ideally, you would have spent plenty of time and effort over the years building and maintaining your professional network to prepare for your job search.
Start networking your way to success early. It is now time to have business lunches with people who can help you. You would be amazed at what happens when you have a friendly business lunch or breakfast with Hiring managers, HR Managers and Executives at ideal employers and people ideally situated to either give you an insider's referral now or in the future. You can also attend BNI networking meetings in your area, join Toast Masters or participate in the preferred professional organizations in your industry. Yes, you have to be a bit bold to network with perfect strangers, but it only requires courage for the first five minutes. Once you realize everyone else is in the same awkward position and trying to make the best of it, the nervousness quickly fades away. By banishing fear from your mind, you will benefit for many years to come by meeting new friends and building relationships.
Keep an organized job search journal to assist you in routine follow up and in remembering people's names. In many industries, at least 20-25% of all new hires wash out in the first 90 days. Therefore, if you finished second or third in the race to be hired, it never hurts to follow up with the hiring manager around ninety days later. If you can do this tactfully and without being annoying, you could be hired instantly. If you make a habit of following up regularly, you could easily accelerate your job search.
Who do you think is more likely to be wealthy, prosperous and successful, a professional with a small circle of friends or a professional with a large, well-established professional network? I rest my case. Now the execution is up to you.
Copyright 2014 by Darrell Z. DiZoglio. Great writing on demand.
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