Part 3 of 3 in an Independence Day series of articles
Happy Independence Day! The smoke may still be clearing from the fireworks and barbecues, but now is as good a time as any to look at one of the most critical parts of any individual’s bid for personal independence: Financial stability.
If you’re unemployed, the equation is clear enough: Regain employment as quickly as possible to minimize the double whammy of spending down savings (if you have any) while piling up unpaid bills. But how?
This is the last of three articles about gaining independence from unproductive job search processes. Two weeks ago, I tackled online search – no, it’s not very efficient or productive – and last week I cast a light on networking as another bottomless pit of lost job search hours.
Now it’s time to talk about job search processes that work. If you want a job, follow these steps and get ready to bank some paychecks.
1. Choose an end date for your search. Crazy, huh? If you think the length of time you'll be unemployed isn't up to you, you're holding yourself back from the first secret of success: People achieve what they plan to achieve. Every good plan starts with an end date. I'd suggest 60 days from today, or eight weeks.
2. Choose a job to search for. I'm not talking about "something that pays well." That's not searchable. Instead, choose a job title or type. Titles such as dock worker, data analyst and communications director are all usable for job search. More general job types, such as "something in manufacturing" or "nonprofit manager" are also a good start, although you'll need research or informational interviewing to shape them into searchable titles. Allow two weeks, no longer, for confirming or shaping your job goal.
3. Create a resume. This will be the only resume you use in this search, so make it count. Rather than modifying slightly to "customize" multiple resumes for job postings, you need one well-written document that markets you for your goal work. Review your LinkedIn site to ensure it sends the same message, then draft a short letter to be personalized as needed. Allow one week, no more, to complete your documents.
4. List 50 companies that would likely use people in your goal job. For example, our dock worker could be employed by distribution centers, trucking firms, manufacturers, large printing houses, etc. Do not spend time now researching in depth or checking for job postings. If the company likely uses people in your line of work, it goes on the list. This task can be done in one day or less.
5. Compare your company list with your list of personal and professional contacts. Any matches? Check LinkedIn, send emails to friends, and otherwise scramble to find contacts for at least half the companies. The ultimate goal is the name of the manager of the department where you'd work; anyone else is still a good start since you can ask the favor of having him or her provide that name for you. And yes, this does work. People really will do that for you, but only if you ask. This is an ongoing task but you should be able to find names at 10 or more places within a day or two of concentrated effort.
6. Start contacting department managers of companies where you'd like to work. Email a letter and your resume, or call directly, or both, but always in a polite and professional manner. If you've been following the timeline, you'll have about five weeks left of your original 60 days in which to find a job. How many companies can you contact or follow up with in a day? Unlike the posted job search process in which your progress is constrained by the quality of the postings or the cumbersome applications, the only limit in this process is how quickly you can dial your phone.
You may be feeling that this won’t work or that your call will be unwelcome, or that you’ll not be able to find the names. I will ask this: Do you know these things to be true, or only fear that they’re true? Because this decades-old method — generally called targeted job search — is the fastest and most productive of any process I know. It works, it places you in control, and it is the only process that offers complete independence to the person conducting the search.
This process also places you in direct contact with department managers, many of whom hire their employees without ever posting an opening. If you’re ready to let go of unproductive processes and get back to the independence of earning an income, now is the time to start.
