Quick Tips for Successful Job Hunting (Part I)

Listed below are some proven "tips" for making your job search efficient and effective. These strategies will help you cut your job search time by as much as 50%, helping you attain your new job as quickly as possible!

1.  Spend at least 30 hours a week on your job search process (ten hours if you are working full-time).  If you are between jobs, consider your job search to be your full-time job. Plan and structure your days as though you were being paid by someone else to conduct a successful job search. 

2.  Use as many different job search methods as possible, emphasizing those that will help you to find jobs in the "hidden" job market.

3.  Allow as many people as possible to help you. The more people who know the specific type of job you are seeking, the greater your chances of finding suitable employment quickly. (See How Personal Contacts Can Get You into the "Hidden Job Market".)

4.  Take the initiative to talk with employers directly.  Eighty-five percent of employers never advertise their open positions; instead, they fill positions with people they already know; those who find out about the job openings through word of mouth; or, people who take the initiative to contact the hiring manager directly. (See Contacting Employers Directly to Get into the "Hidden" Job Market.)

5.  Be "gently persistent" in contacting potential employers.  More than any other trait, persistency is the key to your job search success. Being gently persistent means that you may need to become more assertive than you have been in the past. It means that you will be willing to hear many "no's" from employers. It also means that when you hear a "no," you will be willing to ask again at a later time (and possibly hear a "yes").

6.  Apply to small businesses as well as large ones.  Two-thirds of all new jobs are created in companies with twenty or fewer employees.  While large companies are still laying off employees, small companies are the ones that are growing and hiring new employees-people like you.

If you would like to find out how career coaching could increase the success of your job search efforts, check out our professional career counseling/coaching services.