In part one of this article, we looked at the facts and fallacies of the hidden job market including why you should consider tapping into it.

In part two we explored precisely how to tap into hidden jobs.

In our final look at the unadvertised market we will focus on three real-life stories of professionals who utilized the unadvertised market to land amazing jobs.

Success #1: Kay moved from Wisconsin to Memphis TN for family reasons. She didn’t know a soul except for immediate family. Instead of asking those family members if they knew of any open positions, Kay inquired about very specific industries and only asked if anyone had any resources into those industries – with whom she might call for mentoring. She quickly got the name of a professional in the education market whom she called to share she was new in town, looking at two industries and his was one of them. Kay’s contact was happy to talk with her and offer her guidance. At the end of the call Kay asked him if he knew of any one else in the industries she was exploring and he readily gave her a contact. She contacted him (a local government official) who that next week, interviewed her for a position that had not been advertised. She landed the job, received a 5k raise; securing a position in her new industry of choice. Kay achieved her goals in less than 30 days.

*Tip: notice Kay never asked for a job – she was really gathering research and information on her two target markets. Her contacts reached out to her by asking Kay if she would be interested in interviewing!

Success #2: Jeff had his sites on commercial real estate site selection and project management for international franchises. He located companies that fit his parameters and qualifications and put those companies that were growing fast at the top of the list. Without getting discouraged he left multiple messages for one of his company key contacts. When he finally connected with him, his contact praised Jeff for his professional yet tenacious follow up. Jeff secured an interview and landed the exact position he wanted as well as a $15k increase in his base salary.

Success #3: Kevin found an article about a growing biotech firm he was really excited about. He contacted the VP quoted in the article by sending a letter, a copy of the article he was referencing and his resume. When Kevin called to follow up the VP stated that he was flattered by Kevin’s approach and he had kept Kevin’s letter and resume on his desk in anticipation for his call. Kevin was brought in to interview for a position they created specifically for him after he impressed the VP with a marketing idea for increasing revenue. Kevin was offered a position and a lucrative commission and bonus plan.

In today’s competitive job market non traditional job search methods are more important than ever to your success. Don’t wait for positions to be advertised on job boards so you can play the “job auction game” where companies bid for the lowest price help and people are moved through job screenings like cattle!

Honor your commitment to obtaining the best opportunity that fits you! Show off your value, worthiness to be interviewed and your professional tenacity by taking the initiative to focus on what you want and then take action to get it! I promise you are going to be inspired by the feeling you get of actually controlling your job search and definitely sweetening the outcome in your favor.

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Knowing what triggers a company’s interest and quickly motivates them to sit up and take notice of you is powerful knowledge that you can use over and over again.

Of course, each situation is different but the running themes that connect them are the same. Here are several motivators you can begin using to increase a companies interest in you:

Motivator #1 You can solve a problem they have

Perhaps you read about it in a job ad or in a news article. No matter where, a company that has a challenge will appreciate your attention to it and willingness to be either a part of the solution or THE solution!

Motivator #2  You have little, if any competition

Don’t wait for a job ad to post on a major job board before you connect with you companies of choice!

Connect with a decision maker (not human resources) and express your interest and qualifications. Companies ALWAYS have a need for talented people across all departments – so why wait when responding to a job board ad means competing with hundreds of other resumes? Compounded by the fact that over 80% of jobs aren’t even advertised!

Motivator #3 You have a REALLY impressive resume

This is where hiring a resume writer really pays off. One of my clients told me he landed a great interview in a new industry he was targeting. When he got there, the first thing the interviewer told him was “I just had to meet the man behind this resume!” Needless to say, the interview went very well and he got the job!

A compelling resume is just one component of a successful job search, but it is a powerful help to have your interviewer “primed up” by impressing them with a resume that builds the excitement of meeting you!

Motivator #4  You are enthusiastic

You will score BIG BIG POINTS if during your interview you find an opportune time to say “I am really impressed with your company and I can definitely see myself working here” or “I am really excited about this position” or even “I want this job!” Just think about it, would you want to hire someone who didn’t want to work with you? Of course not!

Motivator #5  You are positive

There is no deal breaker like a string of negative questions and answers. People that are critical thinkers have to be especially careful about coming off too quiet or too questioning in interviews (my engineering, technology and finance friends you know who you are J).

You don’t have to be something that you are not – but take a little time to prepare for your interviews putting a special focus on the positive responses you can give, PLUS (and this is a big plus) stories about your accomplishments! Critical thinkers and introverts can display their brilliance and their aptitudes just as easy as outgoing people as long as they take time to prepare for their interviews.  

These are simple but tried and true techniques that are easy to overlook but pay off in more generous offers if you take the time to incorporate them into your job search strategy!

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Today so far has been one of those rare days I look up to the sky and ask “could we just start this day over again please?”

At 5 am today, I was snuggled up with my 7-month-old daughter when I felt something crawling on my neck (cringing already, anyone?).

I jumped and woke up my husband to ask him to flip on the light. Much to my horror (and despite that we are very clean people), there was a big, disgusting cockroach sharing my pillow with me. I let out one of those involuntary shrieks that come from deep, deep inside – which made the baby cry as my husband deadpanned, “Oh, like THAT is going to help…”

Needless to say, the day just went downhill from there for some reason, touching on every hot button I have – more crying baby, financial surprises, investment setbacks and I even hit my knee on the side of my desk so hard I let out yet another involuntary scream.

It was like a marathon of irritating and unfortunate events.

About 10 am, I broke down in tears.

Fortunately, I have a pretty great support system. I called my husband, vented and then asked him to pray for me and I also called my Priest and asked him to pray as well. Then I left my office, had a snack, got in the car with the baby and went for a nice walk along the river.

Ah…much better!

There was a time I would have just pushed on through such a bad morning. But some years ago, I realized that working in a bad mood results in little, if anything, positive.

If you are in a career transition (and especially if you are currently not working), you must be especially careful of “bad days.”

Any transition is daunting. A career transition is at the top of the list of things that make us feel vulnerable because so much is intrinsically tied to a job search such as: your sense of self worth, various components of a job search that push you out of your comfort zone, pressure from family or pressure to take care of your family, the unavoidable feeling of “rejection” that inevitably comes with a career transition, and the list goes on.

It’s because of all these complexities that things like hiring a career coach, having your resume professionally rewritten and having a really clear blueprint of your goals and your plans to get there help so much. It lightens the pressure on you, makes your search manageable, saves you a huge amount of time and boosts your confidence.

I have a business coach for many of the same reasons. It helps me maintain my peak performance, crystallize my goals and balance my time. When I don’t do those things I am less effective with my clients and my husband would probably say I’m not as fun to be around.  

So, if you are having a particularly bad day on the job search, don’t delay. Get up from your desk, get out of the house and get your mind off things, even if it’s just for an hour…but even for a day! The time you invest in your mental and emotional health will pay off abundantly.

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I see it too many times. Brilliant, forward thinking executives who miss out on fabulous job opportunities just because their resume wasn’t working for them like it should!

A resume is no place to cut corners on your job search…that’s like going on a first date with someone you really like without getting all cleaned up. Yikes!

Here are five common resume mistakes to avoid:

Mistake number one: Too generalized

If you are an executive you must be able to communicate precisely what it is you bring to the table.

Here is a quick tip on getting specific: what is the ONE key area where you really shine? Is it your industry (that you plan to say in) or is it a function or a process? Once you have that written down, next write down your next two greatest strengths.

Are these keywords right at the top of your resume? They should be.

Mistake number two: Too long

Is your resume more than two pages? Under certain circumstances a three page resume is acceptable (and of course a CV can be as long as you like), but generally you are better served to keep your resume no longer than two pages.

Mistake number three: Too garbled

Word economy is extremely important when it comes to writing your resume. Do you have a long list of bullet points under your job from the 1990’s? Was the position you held at that time about four levels below where you are at now? If the answer is yes, that is a big red flag.

Perception is everything and you really want your potential employer to see you as the leader you are now, not the manager you once were.

Mistake number four: Too plain

Have you looked at a few samples of executive-level resumes? How does your measure up to them? Boxes, arrows and even small charts and graphs which demonstrate your accomplishments are quick, compelling and effective strategies that garner positive attention.

Have you ever looked at a credentialed, experienced resume writers website and seen the testimonials about how Mr. Executive couldn’t get an interview until Mrs. Super-Resume Writer redesigned his resume? It works and it’s a wise (and often tax deductible) investment!

Mistake number five: Too boring

One of the most important things your resume should convey is your accomplishments. They need to be quantified, short and highly compelling!

This is a tough one for most executives. Even resume writers admit they would be hard pressed to write their own resume! 

But you can begin by using a simple template that includes the following: problem, what you did and what happened when you did it?

These stories should detail what you are doing when you are at your very best and LOVING your job! This way you will be honoring your strengths and aptitudes authentically and attracting the right attention!

By avoiding these five mistakes you stand to secure more high quality interviews and reach your career goals more quickly and easily!

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You probably put a lot of time and energy into getting that job you hate. Think about it…you had to interview; you have probably invested a considerable amount of time and effort for who knows how long. But if you are ready to take the first steps towards a job you actually LOVE to go to each day, then here are three simple yet powerful steps you can take right now:

Step #1. Define and Write Down Your Goals.

Focus on the long term goals first and resist the temptation to worry about how you are going to get there. The “how” is what usually stops us in our tracks. It’s that fear of the unknown – that place you venture out to that creates that uncomfortable feeling. Yes venturing to these places can be uncomfortable but you will quickly find it also does something else. It gets you moving forward and that too, is a powerful motivator AND a confidence builder!

Step #2. Assess Your Surroundings

Notice the people you are working amongst and the product or service you offer. Are you like them or do you feel like a square peg in a round hole? Do you feel like you fit in? What about the product or service you offer – do you believe in it? Does it resonate with you? This is how you can quickly come to terms with what might not be right about your current situation. Maybe it’s your immediate surroundings or maybe it’s the industry itself that is not a match for you. I know for me, in the positions I had that didn’t “fit” me – not only did I feel like an outsider I acted like one because something inside me didn’t “buy in” or “fit in” with everybody else. Not a good way to get a promotion is it?

Step #3: Build Your Job Around Your Life

You can begin to take an honest look at your work/life balance by writing down the lifestyle choices that are most important to you and your family. How many points is your current career supporting? Another powerful step you can take is simply to write down what your job might LOOK like if it was truly built around you life. This is the first step to initiating change in a positive direction. Even if that change may be in the distant future, you will be amazed how much you can and will accomplish by taking this initial action.  Planned relocations, strategic salary increases, consulting, telecommuting, portfolio careers and flexible schedules are all plans that you can put into motion today and examples of career choices I have seen professionals successfully make to build their job around their life!

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If you are like so many of my clients, you begin your job search with a great zeal and a boundless enthusiasm. You probably found a handful of jobs PERFECT for you on the internet. So you put together your resume and a cover letter for each job, meticulously sending out each electronic application one-by-one. Then what happened? Did you wait and wait only to hear nothing back?

I call this the “what’s wrong with my resume” syndrome. When an intelligent and well meaning job searcher begins to look for a new position using the internet, only to experience these results, it quickly leads to frustration, disillusionment and despair.

Providing you know your resume is focused properly and sells your skills well for the industry and position you are targeting – if the above story describes you, take heart! Here is the information you need to boost your online job activity and MORE:

Did you know over 80% of jobs are filled before they ever have to be advertised? It’s true. And by the time they are advertised several other things happen:

1. There is a whole lot of competition for that position
2. The company most likely will be swamped with resumes if they advertise on a job board
3. The job posting will most likely be handled by staff in Human Resources vs., a decision maker
4. The job process itself will probably be long and mechanical process of screening out candidates down to a final three

 Doesn’t sound like al to of fun does it? Using job boards as your main method for trying to land interviews is the method that brings with it the most amount of perceived rejection from the sheer lack of response. The BEST thing you can do to increase your interviews is to integrate multiple job search strategies including working with recruiters, following up on corporate growth opportunities, networking and contacting companies directly.

To improve your online job search experience first you want to find a good job aggregator or Meta-search engine (like www.indeed.com) and use that as your primary job search vehicle. This way you won’t have to spend hours bouncing from one job board to the next.

Next, set up an email job alert on your job aggregator – so that the job descriptions that fit you will be set to come to your e mail inbox each day. You will be able to measure the time just this one tip will save you – in hours!

Finally in addition to your email agent, the next two places worthwhile to check out online are company websites and niche job boards. Use discernment as you choose one or two niche boards to keep tabs on. Often times, companies will advertise on their site to attempt to fill their open positions well before they will pay a job board to advertise the positions for them.

Understanding the sometimes harsh realities of using the internet to search for jobs will empower you will a healthy objectivity as you move forward towards your goals. These powerful tips are easy changes you can make that will quickly improve your results.

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Networking is one of those dreaded and feared activities that each job seeker must face throughout their career. However, it’s also well known that well over 50% of jobs are landed through some form of networking!

Here are 5 tips to get you started in your networking success:

Tip One: Stand Up and Smile

When networking on the phone stand up and smile! No kidding, it improves your tone and your energy level.

Tip Two: Create a Simple Script

When you are at a networking event or following up on the phone, create a short, simple script and practice it out loud a few times. You will be amazed how much more comfortable and confident you will feel with this extra foundation of support!

Tip Three: Create a List

Create a list of everyone you know to ask them if they have any information on your industry of choice. Your list can include friends, associates, family, people you worship with and people with whom you do business such as your banker, CPA or your realtor.  People I do business with are my favorite networks because I am their customer and people in service industries completely understand the benefits of networking.

Tip Four: Social Networking

Even if you are not on Linkedin or Face book, it’s never too late to sign up! You will be amazed how quickly you can build a network, join groups and get the word out through social networking.

Tip Five: Don’t Ask For a Job

Networking is best done in a diplomatic way that puts the focus of interest on the person you are talking to. This is primarily true when meeting someone for the first time but is also true when asking for mentoring from someone in an industry you wish to get into.

When you are networking with your friends and associates in order to gather information be sure to ask only if they know of anyone in your industry of interest that may be able to give you some guidance. This takes the pressure off and increases your positive responses. If you show up, so to speak, the job interviews will come.   

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Looking back I have probably coached and written resumes for over 400 executives in all kinds of industries. Here are a few things I have learned along the way that I hope you will benefit from.

1.    Many professionals worry about things that never happen

Most clients I have worked with, shared with me numerous worries they thought would hold them back including: their age, too little or too much salary, the economy, a shrinking industry, too many jobs in the last 10 years and being fired or laid off, just to name a few. I am happy to report that these same executives went to on achieve (and in many cases exceed) their career goals.

How did they do it? Usually through a combination of the following: First through education that the reality of their concerns was often overemphasized to the point of being counterproductive. Second, obstacles were minimized or eradicated through a well planned marketing strategy. And third, through an expertly crafted resume which showcased their strengths that was in sync with their goals.

2.    Many professionals believe they can’t successfully change industries

I love to hear the excitement in my client’s voices when they are shown that successfully changing industries is more about their plan, their resume, their networking approach and the coaching they receive than their experience!

3.    Most professionals feel they interview very well – when they don’t

“Just help me land the interviews and I will do the rest.” I have heard that dozens of times from seasoned professionals that made one simple error. They mistook their amazing charisma and people skills for great interview skills. Believe me, there is a big difference. I have seen first hand how just answering one question the “wrong way” quickly leads to a lost candidacy.

4.    Most professionals can’t write an interest-generating resume

There are multiple reasons for this such as the following: industry jargon used

(a resume needs to be written for people in at least 5 different departments), not being able to write objectively, not being able to craft their resume from

a marketing perspective and too often writing what they have done and not what has happened as a result.

5.    Most professionals didn’t know how much career coaching and marketing would help them – until they got it.  

I can relate to this one especially. I didn’t realize how much a business coach would help me until I hired one. It’s normal to feel this way but if you have ever played sports and had an excellent coach, or studied under a dynamic teacher then you have already experienced the value that a true professional can bring, and the many ways they can help you to reach your full potential.

I hope if you have identified with any of these points, it will help you to quickly and easily take action to shore up areas for improvement. I promise this will result in a much more enjoyable and fruitful job search for you!

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