Fastest Way to Find a Job - Tip 17 - Newspapers (or Craigslist)

 

If you know that I'm not very fond of job boards as a job search resource, then you must be really surprised that I would talk about newspapers or even Craigslist in a series about the fastest way to find a job. I'm sure you assume that I think newspapers belong to the Dark Ages and Craigslist is just the online version of classified ads. Which it is... but bear with me. Newspapers are less relevant for the job search than they used to be (poring over the classifieds used to be THE way to find a job), but don't count them out yet. Companies still post job listings in newspapers, and you'll also find information about career fairs or job fairs that could be useful to you.

The way newspapers are especially relevant to your job search today is through the news stories. Keep an eye on the headlines for news of expansions, acquisitions, or other growth opportunities in companies. Growth usually means hiring.

If you find that a company is getting ready to expand, build a new facility, move into a new area, or whatever, that's your cue to find out more about that company and how you might get your foot in the door. Do your research and find the hiring manager in the area you'd work and contact that person. If you're lucky, you'll find it in the newspaper article itself. If not, you'll have to work a little harder. But that's why they invented Google and LinkedIn. The hiring manager you eventually contact will appreciate your initiative, and probably be impressed that you were keeping up that closely with their company.

I recently read a really good business review out of Fort Worth and if I were looking for a job in Fort Worth, I would be reading this whole thing from front to back. It talks about who's moved into what positions, who's hiring... it's just stuffed with great information. You should be able to find a similar resource where you live.

Fastest Way to Find a Job - Tip 23 - FriendsFamilyChurch

 

 

 

 

It is so important to talk to your friends, family, and church about your job search situation if for no other reason than they are your support system. The job search is too stressful to carry it on your shoulders alone.

I've known job seekers to leave the house every day at the same 8am time just like they were still going to their job because they didn't want to let their family know they'd been laid off. They didn't want them to worry. And they then went off to try to look for a job and come home at 5 just like nothings changed... even though it did, in a big way.

That's a terrible way to handle this situation. That means that you, the person who's looking for the job is bearing the weight of the job search all alone, and it's crushing. It's just too much.

So the first thing I want you to do when you find yourself out of a job is tell your friends and family and church if you have one. It's good for you.

If you want a more practical reason than that, think of this: if it's good for you, it will be good for your job search. If you have a happy, healthy attitude, it will show. You project what you're feeling inside to potential employers. There have been studies that show that people with positive attitudes get jobs faster than those with negative attitudes.

And here's an even more practical reason: your friends and family and church peeps know people, just like your "official" network does. For instance, I'm someone who knows a LOT of people. I have hooked so many people up with jobs in so many ways, completely outside of recruiting. You have no idea what connections your friends and family might have, and very often the most informal relationships can hook you up with a great job lead.

But friends and family could easily prove valuable even if they don't have a lead or someone for you to talk to. For instance: I know someone who wanted a waitressing job at a restaurant and couldn't get hired. She was their hostess, but they wouldn't move her over to waitressing for a year, they said. So she talked to a friend of a friend, and that person started coaching her on how to move up faster. They told her to first memorize the menu. Then, on a slow day, find a waiter to follow around and see how they do their job. When someone doesn't show up, offer to take their shift. Help the waiters clean up so they can see that you're dying to do their work.

Not everything is as easy to transition into as a waitressing job... but: Every job has "insider" tricks and tools that would help you move into that job if you knew what they were. And someone in your network just might know what you need to know to do that.

By Peggy McKee

Fastest Way to Find a Job - Tip 21 Career Coaching

Career Coaching

If you're in the job search, you have certainly heard advice about job boards, networking, or even temporary work. But have you ever considered a career coach as a path to a new job?

When I say "Career Coach," I do not mean the kind of life coach who helps you decide what you should do with your life. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but what I'm talking about is a coach who helps you with your career: finding and getting a job that will help you further your career goals.

This one is near and dear to my heart, because I am a career coach. In my career coaching role, I help people on an individual basis knock down the barriers that are holding them back. These barriers could be anything from negative internal voices that cause them to not step out and do the things that they should; to resumes they think are good because they were professionally written but don't actually sell them as a candidate; to people who don't know how to sell themselves in the interview and only need coaching on how to answer interview questions (practice and role-playing interview questions is incredibly helpful). That's the kind of career coaching I do.

That's mostly what I do, although I do have a few people calling me to talk about what they want to do when they grow up. Maybe you need a career coach to talk to you about what career field you should be in. If they know a lot about that field, they are an incredible resource for you. To me, that's more valuable than a personality test (although I do think personality assessments are valuable) because that's first-hand knowledge that you can tap into and see if you think it would fit you or not.

I have a lot of people who want to talk to me about transitioning into medical sales because I have such a strong background there. A lot of people I just shepherd into the role they want, but one man spent time with me talking and