Hire Power - The 6-Step Process to Get the Job You Need

Twenty-nine years ago, Irv Zuckerman published a marvelous book, Hire Power - The 6-Step Process to Get the Job You Need in 60 Days - Guaranteed! He made a book purchase money-back guarantee that a job seeker will get a job offer within 60 days if they followed the fool-proof Process in his book.

A lot has changed in those 29 years, certainly not the least of which is the advent of internet job boards. I don’t know how many readers got a job offer in 60 days by following the Process outlined in his book or how many job seekers tried to get their book purchase returned.

What I do know is his 6 step process is as relevant today as it was in 1993.

Step 1:  Learn how to create a word bank of 200 words that best describe your most significant achievement and demonstrate your skills.

Step 2:  Learn how to use your word bank to create the kind of self-presentation that will initiate professional discussions with people who can help you match your skills to the criteria of the job you want.

Step 3:  Learn how to ask the one question that best initiates a contact conversation from which you learn the criteria you must meet to get the job you want.

Step 4:  Learn how to create a competitive resume that draws on your word bank to match the job criteria you want.

Step 5: Learn how to conduct a competitive job interview that demonstrates your ability to meet each of the job criteria best

Step 6:  Learn how to develop a post-interview procedure that keeps the odds in your favor despite other candidates or interviewers.

Any omission alters the Process, and when you change a process, you naturally alter the results.

Organize Your Job Search and Manage a Network

One of the essential elements of finding the job you want quickly is organizing your job search and managing a network. Here’s a great tool to do just that, JibberJobber. 

JibberJobber.com is a freemium tool that you can use for your career management. Job search experts tell you to do many things, and anyone in a job search knows it’s hard to do everything AND keep track of it all. JibberJobber doesn’t do it for you, but it might be the most valuable tool you use to help you in your job search. 

JibberJobber is the tool that will help you: 

• Manage and keep track of network relationships. It is your relationship manager for your career.
• Organize and track target companies you apply to or want to apply to.
• Track jobs you apply for. When did you interview, send a thank you letter, what is the next step, etc.?
• Prepare for interviews. Create and store elevator pitches, responses to questions, your 30-second pitch, etc.
• Store essential documents like résumés, cover letters, reference letters, etc. Track where you use these and who you send them to.

 There is a lot more you can do in JibberJobber. One of the essential things JibberJobber helps you do is follow-up. JibberJobber believes that follow-up is a critical part of networking and your job search, as do I. JibberJobber has various tools to help you remember to follow up, which is one of the challenging things a job seeker gets to do. 

If you are seeking employment now, subscribe to JibberJobber.

No, I’m not an agent of JibberJobber. Just a fan!

Working the Hidden Job Market - The Basics

Everyone you meet is a potential lead when actively looking for work.  Since you rely on friends and acquaintances to help you locate work, make sure you handle yourself well. This means that you develop and maintain a reputation as someone that does excellent work, is reliable, trustworthy, punctual, etc. Your friends will have a hard time recommending or asking questions on your behalf if you are not someone worthy of working with.

Volunteer. Many organizations rely on volunteers, and this can be an excellent way for you to become known in the community and expand your skills at the same time. The added benefit is that you get to give back to your community.

Do Your Research. Read the news, investigate companies, and do your homework to learn about companies that interest you or are in your area. Check their websites (and their career postings on those sites) while you develop an idea of what they are like, who their clients are, or why you would want to work for them.

When you are working the hidden job market, you are promoting yourself. Do it happily and shamelessly to get the job you want. Take advantage of publishing software to create a business card or postcard (because you won't be carrying your resume everywhere you go, but you could manage a postcard). Imagine a postcard that advertises who you are and what you can do. Make sure you aren't shrinking your entire resume onto the card; leave plenty of space.

Work Satisfaction is Vital!

"Vocation" is the word we use to describe a calling or work where you find purpose. Working within your vocation means it is much more likely to enjoy your work. Work satisfaction is vital as you look in terms of the next job that you want to do. 

That may sound vague, so let's flesh it out a little. Your vocation, or purpose, is a theme for your entire life, not just work. The type of service you are here to provide is the aspects of life that you will serve, protect, or heal. 

Your purpose is present in every area of your life. It is:

• Fun
• Absorbing
• Energizing
• Fulfilling
• Something that fits you absolutely 

You know you are living your purpose when:

• You like getting up in the morning (or at least most mornings!)
• You can see the contributions that you are making through work
• Your income meets your needs and goals
• Your relationships are satisfying
• You feel healthy and energetic
• You feel good about yourself

The Importance of Values When Seeking Employment

Values exist at your very core. Understanding what you value means targeting the right companies for the right job. When our values are inconsistent with a workplace, we disengage and leave it physically or emotionally.

Do you know the things that are important to you? Although they may struggle with putting their values into words, people often do. Define what is important to you in terms of work and decide what kinds of jobs you will look for or companies you will consider.

Your values are fundamental to you. It's essential to match your values with those of your work. For example, if one of your values is about being paid what you are worth. You work somewhere that pays everyone the same wage no matter how much work they do; your values don't match the organizations. There may not be a big problem initially. Still, over time, if you observe that people are getting paid the same as you without seeming to work as hard, you may become cynical. Suppose you value the idea that teamwork and the efforts of the team combine to make the company do well. In that case, you may not have any difficulty having everyone paid the same wage.

 

# #employment #seekingemployment #seekingjob #jobhunting

Job Search Means Action - The Right Action

This is how most people look for work and how most employers look for candidates 

This is the order of effort that most people dedicate to their job search: 

1. Internet job boards and Help wanted ads
2. Employment agencies
3. Placement agencies
4. Networking
5. Direct employer contact 

This is the order of priority that employers use to look for candidates: 

1. Internal networks
2. Internal job postings
3. External networks
4. Placement agencies
5. Internet job boards and Want ads 

As you can see, the order in which employers look for candidates is nearly the reverse of the order in which most job seekers look for work.  Is there something wrong with this picture?

Proaction + Right Action = Job Search Success

A Three-Step Process for Answering Interview Questions

The late J. Michael Farr developed this simple and brilliant process.  His many books on the self-directed job search have sold over three million copies.

Step 1:  Understand what is really being asked.  Most questions are designed to find out about your self-management skills and personality, but interviewers are rarely this blunt.  The employer’s real question is often one or more of the following:

• Can I depend on you?
• Are you easy to get along with?
• Are you a good worker?
• Do you have the experience and training to do the job if hired?
• Are you likely to stay on the job for a reasonable period of time and be productive?

Ultimately, if you don’t convince the employer that you will stay and be a good worker, it won’t matter if you have the best credentials, they won’t hire you.

Step 2:  Answer the question briefly.  Present the facts of your particular work experience and present them as advantages.

Step 3:  Answer the real concern by presenting your related skills.  Base your answer on the key skills you have that support the job, and give examples to support these skills.

Follow Michael Farr’s three-step process and use the S.T.A.R. Method when answering behavioral questions and you’ll rarely be at a loss for answering questions at an interview.

The S.T.A.R. Method to answer behavioral interview questions such as:

• Tell me about a time when…
• What do you do when…
• Have you ever…
• Give me an example of…
• Describe a…

Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.

Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.

Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.

Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

And three more things…prepare, prepare, prepare.

Managing Change During a Job Seach

Finding a new job involves making changes and handling transitions, which we can manage very well when prepared. Change is a part of life, and changing jobs is a part of the world of work in many ways.

Everyone's adjustment period to change is unique. It is easiest for those who are flexible in their approach in different circumstances at life and work but can be devastating for people who cannot let go. Change can be awkward at first, but it can also be exhilarating, like being propelled into a steep turn on a roller coaster. It can motivate you to do your absolute best. During change, time can seem to move very slowly for the reluctant, but it can be a whirlwind for those ready for it.

Change is needed if we are unhappy with where we are, when old practices or processes no longer work, or when a job no longer exists. It can be like pulling a new sweater on over your head; for a moment, you cannot see, but you know you will feel warm and comfortable once you can get your head out of the hole.

How Does the Job Search Pyramid Work? Step One

Let's first look at how to use the Pyramid to manage your entire job search from beginning to end. Then, I'll walk through it step by step, just as you might look for a job.

Before starting your job search, you need to know what type of job you want to pursue. So, you decide to explore several areas, both inside and outside the industry in which you've been working. First, you research several industry trends using the Internet, newspapers, and trade journal articles. Then, you look at job listings to help you understand what challenges these industries currently have and who is hiring.

The word "industry" refers to an industry, a job field, or both. For example, you may define the type of work you are looking for by naming an industry such as health care or food service. Or it may make more sense to describe it by naming a job field that exists in multiple industries, such as information technology or accounting. In some cases, you will narrow your definition to include industry and job fields, such as health care accounting. Think of your industry as being the phrase you use to complete the sentence, "I'm looking for a job in…"           

You contact professional associations that support the industries you are exploring and arrange for informational interviews with people experienced in those fields. Conversations with people in your current sector point you toward an area where they need people with your experience. But you also discover through researching some specialized job listings that your skills would easily transfer to a completely different industry, which interests you more. So, you decide to pursue this new career change when looking for your next job.

My favorite way to help know what you want is to use one of the O*Net Interest Profilers at MyNextMove.org. The Occupational Information Network (O*Net) is a free online database that contains hundreds of occupational definitions to help students, job seekers, businesses, and workforce development professionals to understand today's world of work in the United States.

Using the interest profiler at MyNextMove.org is free and straightforward to use. It helps you identify where your career interests lie, then points you directly toward career paths that might match those interests. 

Are you ready to graduate from Knowing what you want to Finding contacts and opportunities? Then, watch for our next post!

Climbing the Job Search Pyramid

Your job search journey may already feel a lot like climbing a mountain. Yet you may not have realized that some pre-planning could help make it easier. There are some stages of your climb when you don't need much help; in others, you could use a better map, advice from other climbers, and improved equipment. If you choose one specific stage of your job-seeking climb to focus on, you'll be able to put the extra effort exactly where it is needed.        

While each person's job search is unique, you may be surprised to learn that every job seeker's general route is the same. The Job Search Pyramid provides a sketch of the journey ahead. The Job Search Pyramid comprises five separate stages:

1. Knowing what you want

2. Finding opportunities and contacts

3. Applying to employers

4. Getting interviews

5. Landing the job

A series of typical activities occur in each stage, and these activities can change from person to person or job to job. Knowing more about how the Pyramid works will enable you to focus more time and energy on your job search precisely.

Knowing what you want stage, you define the type of job for which you are looking. In creating that definition, you determine which positions, organizations, and industries match your unique and marketable skills and fit with your vision for your career. Just like a company targets the market that is best suited for its products, you also must make choices about where your skills, abilities, and desires will fit best.

Once you know what job you are seeking, you enter the Finding opportunities and contacts stage. In this stage, you look for people who can help your job search and for specific job opportunities—advertised or not. Advertised positions are found through newspapers, trade journals, the Internet, recruiters, agencies, and your network. Unadvertised positions are those you discover through networking, referrals, research, and contacting employers directly.

In the Applying to employers stage, you make contact with companies regarding the opportunities you have uncovered. The word "apply" isn't meant to suggest you are necessarily filling out applications or sending résumés to human resource departments, although you might be. You also apply for advertised and unadvertised jobs by placing phone calls, writing letters, and scheduling meetings with people who are in a position to hire you. These people may be individual managers, not human resources staff.

 In the next stage, Getting interviews, you convince organizations to interview you. The interview may be formal or informal; it may occur in person, over the phone, or in an online video chat. During an interview, you discover an organization's needs and desires for a position and demonstrate how you can meet them. You may have multiple interviews with several people from the same organization.

In the Pyramid, you will notice that areas labeled "Follow up" appear in both the applying and interviewing stages. Following up with contacts and opportunities is essential at any stage of the job search process, but it is in the applying and interviewing stages that follow-up becomes critical. You'll need to follow up with your referral sources, hiring managers, recruiters, human resources staff, and any other key players. Following up is how you will keep your job search in constant motion and avoid getting stuck.

In the final Landing the job stage, you successfully manage your job search from being interviewed to receiving a job offer. When you get an offer, you may need to do some negotiating. When you don't get an offer, you'll want to follow up to determine how you compared to the other candidates and what held the organization back from hiring you.