Look, it's rough out there. Not only are there fewer companies hiring fewer people, but there's way more competition for those jobs than at any time I can remember. And I've been around a long time. That's the bad news. The good news is that I've got 10 tips that will give you a leg-up on all that competition and keep you from shooting yourself in the foot.
What makes me such an expert on job searches? First, I'm not hiring or searching for a job. I've got no skin in the game and no axe to grind. So I'm objective. We're talking Zen-like perspective. Second, if you add up all the interviewing I've done over the decades - on both sides of the table - you'd get a huge number nobody would believe. I've seen it all.
One more thing. The biggest blunder you can make is thinking you've got this job-search thing wired. You don't. And I've got 10 ways to prove it.
Used to be the only way to publicly self-destruct was to say something dumb in a press interview. Now, your whole life is out there on the Web. Everybody knows everything there is to know about you and then some. And wouldn't you know it, the first thing any pseudo-intelligent prospective employer does these days is Google you and check your social network sites for signs that you're a loser.
For example, you wouldn't believe how many people list "career opportunities" and "job inquiries" on their LinkedIn profile … when they're already employed. Not only will that get you canned before you can quit, but prospective employers aren't dumb. They know you'll do the same thing working for them.
And for god's sake, clean up your Facebook page. Get rid of all that stupid crap about the reality shows you like to watch and your favorite gangster music. Update your privacy settings and don't friend anyone unless you know them personally.
Lots of successful people, even famous executives like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, have failed big-time or fallen on hard times. In Success Means Never Forgetting Your Failures, we talked about how "being aware of your failures gives you a unique sense of empathy, humility, even humor, that others don't possess." It gives you a certain measure of openness to new ideas, opinions, and possibilities. Translation: career advantage.
The only impediment to that is holding onto your pride in what you used to be or how much money you used to make. The sooner you give that up and let it go, the sooner it will come back to you. If you're humble and genuine as you face your new reality, you'll find a surprising thing: That when you do find work, it's no less fulfilling and perhaps even more uplifting and gratifying than before.
Loads of once-booming fields have been devastated by the financial crisis with no help in sight. I was just talking with a friend who was down because he couldn't see his prospects improving anytime soon. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Finally I said, "Jim, you're in construction … and you're in California. What about the whole "mortgage meltdown - record foreclosures" thing did you miss?"
Look folks, this is serious. A 9.6 percent unemployment rate isn't something you want to screw around with. More importantly, it's not going to get a whole lot better anytime soon. So check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other helpful sites and find out which industries are in decline. If you're in one of them, this just might be a good time to go back to school or do something different to better reposition yourself for a recovery. I'm just saying.
Some people absolutely refuse to take a cold hard look in the mirror and face up to what they see. I know it's scary, but you've got to do it. More importantly, you can't sugarcoat it or put lipstick on it, no matter how "ugly" the image, if you know what I mean.
Example: I'm 53. How about you? Are you old? If so, I'm sorry to say this, but you may very well be unemployable. Yes, I know, that's a harsh thing to say, but it's also a harsh reality that people are just beginning to come to grips with. And you know what? You're better off confronting it sooner rather than later. Then there's the whole "you're either overqualified or underqualified" thing. You just can't win.
But don't despair. You have choices. Isn't there something you've always wanted to do on your own? Maybe it's time to strike out on your own and tested your metal at something other than just working for the man five days a week. Last year I wrote Is This Really a Good Time to Start a Business. Check it out.
You'd be amazed at how easy it is to forget the basics when the sky is falling. How you look, what you say, and how you say it all contribute to your presence and the ultimate outcome in job searches and interviews. From Do Clothes Make the Manager?:
The truth is that people notice how you dress, consciously and subconsciously. Actions may speak louder than words, but until they get to judge your behavior, which can take a while, people will inevitably trust their initial impressions.
Not only that, but most people totally underestimate the power and Importance of Being a Good Schmoozer. If you think schmoozing is all BS, you're wrong.
The definition of schmooze is "to converse informally, to chat, or to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections." Schmoozing is actually all about being open and genuine, about connecting with people ...
Lastly, don't forget to tell the interviewer that you're excited about the opportunity. In sales, we call that, "asking for the order."
Top 10 Job Search Blunders
5. Spend all your time searching online
The truth is that you're more likely to find a job by networking with real people than you are by searching online. Actually, the best way to do it is a little of both: submit your application online and then figure out who in your network can give you a lead on a real live person at the company. That's why Your Network is Your Most Important Asset.
Ten thousand Twitter followers or Facebook fans aren't worth ten solid network relationships. Not that social media isn't one way to make those contacts, but they're only effective if and when they become real relationships. That means someone you can call, email, or get together with when you need to, and vice versa.
If you think for a minute that sending in your resume blind gives you a snowball's chance in hell of landing a job, you need to wake up and take a good look around, my friend. Sure, it's possible, but so is winning the lottery.
Look, when you find an interesting opportunity, you need to turn over every stone you can think of to find a human being who can help walk you in the door or influence the decision. There are lots of ways to do it like searching LinkedIn for names of people at the company, then trying to connect with the hiring manager or someone else you've got something in common with who might help you out.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you need to find someone who knows about this sort of thing and learn all the tricks the blessed Internet provides for infiltrating companies and connecting with real people.
What, you think I'm kidding? This is so not funny. Let me ask you a serious question. How sure are you that, when potential employers run a background check on you, and in many if not most cases, they will, they won't find something you didn't expect or may have forgotten about?
It's actually relatively inexpensive and super-easy to hire a firm to run a background check on you and find out what every past employer has to say about you, check your criminal record, credit reports, all that good stuff. You never know what you'll find until you do it. So do it. Seriously.
Top 10 Job Search Blunders
2. Assume everything will work out fine
Don't get me wrong. Everything probably will work out fine, especially if you're young and have no bills to pay because you've moved back home to live with your parents. But "having faith" that things will work out and "assuming" that things will work out are two very different things. It's good to have confidence in your true abilities and potential, but overconfidence at a time like this isn't such a good idea.
You need to hope for the best, plan for the worst, and understand that "the worst" just might be worse than you've planned. So don't put things off, get yourself into debt, or otherwise make things harder on yourself. Just tighten your belt about as tight as you can and settle down for a long haul. Finding a good job in this market is a marathon, not a sprint.
Many, if not most, of us are our own worst enemy. The reason is that we all have issues that we don't deal with for fear of "upsetting the apple cart." Either that or we lack the courage to just admit that we're scared. Instead of facing our issues we beat ourselves up and stress ourselves out.
I'm no shrink, but even I know that keeping stuff locked up inside and not facing it is a bad idea; it tends to leak out at the most inopportune times. It'll plague you during your search, on interviews, anytime, anywhere. And yes, it can lead to self-limiting or even self-destructive behavior.
Best to be honest with yourself and deal with it. When you do, keep in mind that you're not alone. In fact, you're in very good company. So be good to yourself. Don't forget to have a little fun once in a while, have a few drinks, take care of your body, eat right, work out, sleep well, meditate, Zen out, whatever works. It'll make all the difference. Really.
