How To Find And Get A Job You Want...In Any Job Market!

By Jay Francis

Finding work is hard work, yet the process can be exciting and exhilarating, filled with experiences that are ultimately valuable in a job. Building a rewarding career is not an easy chore, but if you maintain a sense of humor, you can lighten the load and see the fun, too.

The aim of this guide is to help you present yourself as a product, a unique item being launched into the work marketplace.

Looking for a job or new career is difficult work, a full-time job. There are lots of things to do when you're trying to find that ideal job or next work opportunity. Remember not to get too overwhelmed by the enormity of the project. It might be better to break things down into steps that are more easily manageable. Landing a position in today's job market is not a slam-dunk, make-one-phone-call, start-on-Monday proposition. It's tough out there because there's a lot of competition. Your search requires handling everything from a disciplined routine and follow-through plan to making solid decisions and choosing what is best for you and your situation.

Exuding confidence is a challenge at times when you just don't feel up to par. Remember that everyone who's hiring wants someone who's eager for the job, or at least appears to be. You'll need to smile like a beauty queen at times. So stay positive.

There are lots of opportunities, and sometimes the presence of many choices makes it harder rather than easier. You are the only one who can take responsibly for your product and your positioning, despite the fact that very few people are born knowing what their careers will be and how they will plan for them.

Trust the process, and trust yourself. When a job goes away, you have to redefine what you can control and what you can't. And you need to reconnect to your values and your personality. When you're not satisfied with what you're doing, a little voice inside tells you to look for more. Job loss often gives you the push for a change you were mulling over anyway but not quite ready to try.

What you gain from the unemployment experience prepares you for the next important job in your life. And the next opportunity you win can be even better and more rewarding.

You're in charge of this process, and you're the person ultimately responsible for its outcome. Certainly, you can use consultants to help you in all phases of this marketing project, but you make the ultimate decisions. A job loss may have been beyond your control. Put yourself back in the driver's seat. There is very little in life you have to do, really. Choice is what makes the search for a new position and/or career both colorful and commanding. Think of everything in your life and your work as a choice — activities you choose to do, not must do. It can be a liberating experience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fun House Publishing
• Release date: Mar 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476349770

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How To Find And Get A Job You Want...In Any Job Market!

The Complete Guide to Job Search Success

by Jay Francis

Published by Fun House Publishing LLC at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 by Fun House Publishing LLC

Smashwords Edition License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2011 by Fun House Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1. YOU ARE THE PRODUCT

Your Strengths and Your Weaknesses

What Are Your Interests?

What Are Your Accomplishments?

How to Promote a Great Campaign

2. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE MARKET

How to Start Researching

Internet

Your Target Audience

3. HOW TO PACKAGE YOURSELF

Appearance is Important

Resume Tips

Why You Need a Business Card

Brochures…Why Not?

4. MARKETING BASICS

Introduction to Networking

How to Respond

5. ONLINE JOB SEEKING

How to Peruse Job Postings

Store Your Resume

Calculating Your Salary

If You Career Advice

Take a Look at Company Job Boards

E-Mail Message Campaign

Social Networking

Facebook

LinkedIn

6. DISTRIBUTE YOURSELF

The Importance of Referrals

Alternative Options

7. SALES SUCCESS

About Interviews

You Have to Be Ready

The Importance of First Impressions

How to Listen

Tell Stories

Right Questions and Right Answers

Dangerous Questions

How to Handle the Objections

You Also Have to Ask

You Need a Second Interview

If the Offer Doesn’t Come

8. YOU GOT THE JOB – NOW WHAT?

Confirm It

You Have to Negotiate

How to Close Your Job Search

Promoting

It’s Not the End

CONCLUSION

RESOURCES

Introduction

Finding work is hard work, yet the process can be exciting and exhilarating, filled with experiences that are ultimately valuable in a job. Building a rewarding career is not an easy chore, but if you maintain a sense of humor, you can lighten the load and see the fun, too.

Change of any kind is unsettling. If you have recently lost your job, there are lots of emotions that can surface, including everything from relief and disappointment to anger, embarrassment, hurt, and fear. Whether you are new to the workforce and looking for your first real job, are eager for a new work environment, want to continue what has been satisfying, are ready for a major shift in your established direction, or somewhere in between, similar emotions often apply. Your feelings are not easily adjusted and hardly predictable. You can wake up one day feeling terrific, and on another day feel angry or down in the dumps. Take account of how you're feeling, and learn more about what you want.

Being out of work is an especially good time to take stock of your career and to reflect on who you are and what you want to do for your future. To move more easily, and as painlessly as possible, through the job search process, think of yourself as a product ready to launch into the marketplace. (Hopefully, you're the new and improved model!) Now is your chance to renew, repackage, and revitalize yourself, and to showcase what you can do and how you can add value or become invaluable to an employer.

The aim of this guide is to help you present yourself as a product, a unique item being launched into the work marketplace. As you begin your search, be mindful that there are a few basics to know before you start.

Looking for a job or new career is difficult work, a full-time job. There are lots of things to do when you're trying to find that ideal job or next work opportunity. Remember not to get too overwhelmed by the enormity of the project. It might be better to break things down into steps that are more easily manageable. Landing a position in today's job market is not a slam-dunk, make-one-phone-call, start-on-Monday proposition. It's tough out there because there's a lot of competition. Your search requires handling everything from a disciplined routine and follow-through plan to making solid decisions and choosing what is best for you and your situation.

You will soon see how to align your behaviors to the traditional Marketing Model.

Product. Who are you, and what value do you bring to the organization?

Price. How much are you worth, and what offer are you willing to accept?

Place. Where are you willing to live; how much time are you willing to commute?

Promotion. How are you going to present yourself and let people know you are available?

Keep positive and upbeat. Try to roll with the punches, or at least learn how to duck. The process can be an emotional roller coaster ride, often jarring and bringing out both your best and worst. It impacts everything from how you cope with stress to maintaining your self-esteem: Can I deal with a tough interview? Am I really worth that salary?

It's also tough to think positively when you're feeling negative and recovering from rejection. Employers are looking for the best fit for their organizations. A lot of people can do the work, but not all of them can do it with an energetic, enthusiastic approach.

Distinguish yourself from others with a positive spin on what you say and do. Take a cue from some politicians here. Confidence is often the key to a job offer. So, let it shine for those considering you for a job.

Exuding confidence is a challenge at times when you just don't feel up to par. Remember that everyone who's hiring wants someone who's eager for the job, or at least appears to be. You'll need to smile like a beauty queen at times. So stay positive.

Asking for help is OK. People want you to succeed. But many job seekers are reluctant to call on friends and family for assistance. Excuses like It's been too long since I've spoken to him, or He's too busy to bother with me are too often the out.

It's also a stretch for an introverted person to phone a contact. Remember that most people want to help you. It makes them feel good. They often are busy and pressed for time but also flattered that you've called them. Most will readily share their advice and suggestions. It's a win-win conversation. They feel good, and you get help. Accept input graciously, and try not to see it as an obligation. Remember to take the time to tell your contacts how they can help you most, whether by providing contacts or key information, identifying opportunities, or just listening to you.

Changing jobs or shifting careers is now an inevitable part of life. People with long careers at the same company, and often in the same position, may find this hard to believe and even tougher to accept. But most people do get bored or at least routinized in their work when they've been doing it seemingly forever—unless, perhaps, their high pay keeps them entertained. Typically, the itch for learning something new or taking on a challenging responsibility at work occurs about every two to three years. It's like products that are always enhanced and improved with the latest and greatest features and benefits. So change is both natural and inevitable, and you should be ready and open to adaptation in your work.

Some people just seem to flow with change better than others. Some love change and manage it wonderfully. Others have difficulty with any shift in routine or break in pattern. Knowing how you treat change and understanding that you're not alone may be the first step in managing the change you're facing.

There are lots of opportunities, and sometimes the presence of many choices makes it harder rather than easier. You are the only one who can take responsibly for your product and your positioning, despite the fact that very few people are born knowing what their careers will be and how they will plan for them.

Trust the process, and trust yourself. When a job goes away, you have to redefine what you can control and what you can't. And you need to reconnect to your values and your personality. When you're not satisfied with what you're doing, a little voice inside tells you to look for more. Job loss often gives you the push for a change you were mulling over anyway but not quite ready to try.

A job search is most similar to riding a roller coaster. There are ups and downs and lots of unpredictables. Try to see it as enormously fun and exhilarating rather than stomach-wrenching and frightening.

What you gain from the unemployment experience prepares you for the next important job in your life. And the next opportunity you win can be even better and more rewarding.

You're in charge of this process, and you're the person ultimately responsible for its outcome. Certainly, you can use consultants to help you in all phases of this marketing project, but you make the ultimate decisions. A job loss may have been beyond your control. Put yourself back in the driver's seat. There is very little in life you have to do, really. Choice is what makes the search for a new position and/or career both colorful and commanding. Think of everything in your life and your work as a choice — activities you choose to do, not must do. It can be a liberating experience.

1. You Are the Product

People sell something all the time. In the world work, it's often a product or a service. You interact within your own organization or in the marketplace, and the goal of the sale can be anything from realizing a profit, to adoption of a new plan, to a major shift in behavior. In the layman's world, you also sell to meet your objectives. You sell your friends and partners on the value of maintaining a lasting relationship; you sell your kids on the benefits of education and progress at school; and you sell your contractors on the value of cost-effective, reliable service for continued business.

Launching your search for a new job or career is no different than introducing a new product into the marketplace. It demands a sound marketing-strategy and solid sales skills. Even if you're uneasy about selling yourself and have little or no marketing background, creating a realistic marketing plan and managing its step-by-step process can position your product—you—successfully in the marketplace. And you can make the sale.

You need to begin by looking at the product and the marketplace objectively. That means taking a realistic view of your skills, growth areas, interests, pursuits, and values. In order to sell yourself, you must know your product's features and benefits and the buyer's needs and motivations. In other words, if your product is ice, you don't want to sell it to Eskimos. This rational and honest examination of your professional attributes, when linked with your job market research, will provide the true focus and the assurance to pursue legitimate career options.

Your Strengths and Your Weaknesses

The point is that it's OK to appreciate your talents, get feedback from trusted opinions, and continue to tinker—not tamper—with your recipe for success. The more you understand about yourself as a product, what you can and cannot do, and the fluctuating demands of the job marketplace, the better salesperson you'll be for your skills.

People are all too often self-critical. For some people and in some cultures, looking to the positive is difficult. To help focus on your strengths, consider your past performance reviews: On what were you complimented? Where were you praised? Look for specifics and search out more than what your mom would say if asked about your positive qualities.

What Are Your Interests?

Think about your job history and former work, and honestly assess those assignments and tasks that you especially mastered and enjoyed and that gave you genuine excitement and accomplishment. Now reflect on aspects of your work that you found boring, unpleasant, or pointless. When you compare these lists,