When you are setting up a turnkey job search campaign and trying to tap into the hidden job market, you may happen upon some hurdles that can stop you in your tracks, shake your confidence and cause you to doubt yourself or tempt you to settle for much less than you deserve. In my previous feature article I covered how fear, negative thoughts, perfectionistic and isolating behaviors can create sticking points for you. Here are the final four pitfalls and how you can avoid them:

Pitfall #5: Not being open to try new job search methods

In this job market you are going to have very little success if all you do is answer a handful of posted jobs.

My clients who are having success right now are the ones that are using direct mail programs, learning how to research and use strategies to tap into the hidden job market (actually quite easy) and learning about social networking.

Pitfall #6: Putting all your eggs in one basket

I worked with a client once who secured three interviews a week after I sent this client her final resume copy.

She was so excited, and I was excited for her. But when I asked her how her job search strategies were going she said she was just waiting for her immediate interviews to pan out before she did anything else. Though I encouraged her not to do this, her mind was made up.

Six weeks later all three potential job opportunities fell through and my client was left with an empty basket and the daunting task of starting all over again from scratch.

Moral of the story: keep your pipeline full and your job search activities consistent until your first day at your new company.

Pitfall #7: No Strategy

In order to be successful in your job search, you have to have a foundation of basic goals and a clear understanding of your driving motivators.

If you don’t, you aren’t going to know what to focus on or where to best invest your time and energy.

I have worked with job seekers who when they first came to me shared that they had been in “I’ll know it when I see it” job search mode for over a year with nothing to show for it.

So, know what industries you are targeting and why, what your salary goals are, your timeframe and your basic game plan before trying to move forward. You’ll be so glad you did!

Pitfall #8: Work/life imbalance

You can’t job search 8-hrs a day. Well, you can but if you do you will probably be feeling drained and burnt out in no time at all.

During a job search you will most likely be experiencing more stress than normal. It’s important that you take better care of yourself and take more time off then perhaps you are accustomed.

This isn’t a luxury! It’s actually a vital part of your successful job search.

Eat right, get plenty of rest and do plenty of those things you love to do. This way you will have plenty of energy for creativity and strategy. You will be rested, clear-headed and enthusiastic in your job interviews which will make a positive impression.

If you see yourself in any one of pitfalls, take heart and use these simple techniques to break through the hurdles so you can stay focused and confident as you move toward the career opportunity you really want.

Mary Elizabeth Bradford, nationally recognized tactical job search coach and certified resume writer is offering an unprecedented opportunity to job seekers. Now you can receive coaching to learn to tap into the hidden or unadvertised job market for $35 for a 6-week program. Learn more here:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/mastermind.php

Dave Perry, Co Author of Guerrilla Marketing For Job Hunters 2.0 says in recessionary times – 95% of jobs are stealth or hidden jobs. If you are in a job search you MUST learn how to find hidden and unadvertised opportunities.

There is NOTHING in the market for job seekers that comes close to giving this much value at this price point. It doesn’t matter where you are at in your career, executive level or just starting out… this is critical information that will help you land the job you want and even exceed your salary expectations.

When you are setting up a turnkey job search campaign and trying to tap into the hidden job market, you may happen upon some hurdles that can stop you in your tracks, shake your confidence and cause you to doubt yourself or tempt you to settle for much less than you know you deserve. Here are 8 common pitfalls and how you can avoid them:

Pitfall #1: Thought Paralysis
Find yourself talking your way out of multiple potential opportunities? You may have job search thought paralysis!

This can lead to hours of heavy contemplation and internal dialogue concerning each move your make in your job search.

Soon hours turn into days and days turn into weeks!

Don’t fall for negative internal dialogue! No one can know what company is hiring internally and you can’t read the minds of potential employers.

Countless times my clients have told me that their incredible job opportunity came from the most surprising place or out of the most unique circumstances.

The solution: if in doubt – send your resume anyway.

Pitfall #2: Fear
Bill Briggs was the first man to ski Wyoming’s Grand Tetons. His friends told him it was impossible and he was crazy. On top of that Bill had a surgically-fused hip. He knew he would have to reckon with cliffs thousands of feet high, falling rock and potential avalanches.

Regardless he took the challenge. Bill stated simply: “If there is no risk there is no adventure. Adventure is a part of life.”

Your career – and certainly the wild ride of changing jobs is indeed an adventure and one that makes demands on your virtues, including bravery.

It is worth giving your job search 100% simply because you are worth the job you want.

How do you get through the fear? By facing it head on. Break the inertia caused by fear with action. Make a list. Do at least one thing right now. Do two more things tomorrow. Three simple steps will get you traction and lead you quickly and positively to more action.

Pitfall #3: Perfection Paralysis
Feel like everything must be perfect before you can move forward? This is a common pitfall that can stop your job search before it even begins.

Your goal needs to be progress not perfection. Although this might not be your motto in other areas of your life, when it comes to your job search, the key is implementation.

One client said to me once regarding making follow up phone calls: “I just can’t get it right.”

Of course we all need a solid and effective phone script, but the secret isn’t in getting it right as much as it is just getting it done.

The best way to move forward is to make a list regarding whatever project you are working on. Make a detailed list of each step you need to take. Now make a note of what tasks you can do, what tasks you don’t know how to do and what tasks you know how to do but don’t want to do. Now you can figure out what you can start on right now, what you need to farm out to someone else and what you need to hire someone to help you with.

Pitfall #4: Doing Everything Yourself
Not knowing how to do something often acts like quicksand and can stop your whole job search in its tracks.

Conducting a job search involves a lot of little parts and pieces and one of the reasons why it is so tempting to fall back on job boards is because it has a system. You do A, B, and C and then your done. And you feel like you have at least done something.

To avoid this you must make what you know you should be doing manageable. You must create a system so that your job search is turnkey.

There is also the mundane tasks that are associated with a job search. Have you ever figured out how much you make by the hour? If you make around 100k per year at an 8-hour a day / 5-day work week you would be making about $48 per hour. So, if you spending hours and hours trying to rewrite your resume yourself, printing out resumes and licking envelopes you need to ask yourself: are these tasks worth $48 an hour?

Sub this energy draining work out! Hire a resume writer. Go to InstiPrints, hire a virtual assistant or your own teenager and get them to help you with the administration for a third of the cost of you doing it yourself.

This way you can concentrate on the big payoff activities that are worth your salary.

This will ensure that these important tasks get done and you stay motivated!

I just read a great article on Yahoo Finance about the hidden job market. Although Headhunter Dave Perry and I differ slightly in reccomendations on technique – I agree completely with his logic and LOVE his ideas!

David Perry, a longtime headhunter, says you’re wasting your time if you’re looking for job postings online. And he should know: he’s often the guy on the other side helping companies lure new talent. Perry, who’s based in Ottawa, says that in the last 22 years he has accomplished 996 searches totaling $172 million in salary. And the bottom line in today’s economy, he says, is you have to tap the “hidden job market.”

I reccomend reading the full article here:http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/106829/How-to-Get-a-Job-When-No-One%27s-Hiring;_ylt=Agmsp1E6FiQWXdsO3zFKHKG7YWsA

Myth: Executive level jobs are best found through recruiters and fee-based, high level job boards.

Truth: Both recruiters and fee based executive level job boards can severely limit your job search and the responses you receive.

Executive recruiters can only help you if you have the exact qualifications to help them…fill their key search assignments that is.

And fee based job boards usually yield about 1% to maybe 7% response rates. You are going to have to send out a lot of resumes to get any response at all, and of course don’t forget about the intense amount of executive competition you will face for the very same job.

Most executives are all about working smarter, not harder. Though connecting with recruiters and answering 6-figure job ads might seem like the easiest way from point A to point B, it’s actually more work on your part to market yourself thoroughly enough using only these two outlets to get you the kind of results you are hoping for. It’s counterintuitive to your objective.

Want an easier solution? Of course it depends on the industry and position but I find that executive level jobs are best found using the following system:

1. Identification of the industry(s) of interest
2. Identification of the position(s) sought
3. Launching a campaign to penetrate those industries

To be successful (and when I say successful I mean conducting a job search that results in a number of high quality interviews for opportunities you are genuinely interested in, and obtaining one or more viable job offers) you must have a clear plan, followed by a significant level of market exposure.

Here are several highly effective techniques and resources to get going in the right direction:

1. Identify your market
What industry are you interested in and why? You must have a crystal clear direction before you can formulate any sort of plan. Is the market growing, or… are you purposely targeting growing markets? Smart move on your part. I recommend you read my ezine
( my monthly articles you can sign up for on my site at www.maryeizabethbradford.com) to gain access to portals of free US market reports that include recession proof industries and all kinds of useful information for the high level job seeker.

2. Identify your position
In order to target and brand your resume you have to be clear on the type of position you are pursuing. Again, have you thought it through? Are their other emerging positions (e.g.: Chief Ethics Officer) or parallel positions that might offer more challenge, more security or more experience where you need it – that help to achieve your long term career goals? Its worth spending some time here, doing a bit of research and thinking this through.

3. Launching a campaign to penetrate your industry/position of choice
You can do this several ways including:

•  Hiring a firm to research contacts and companies that fit your career parameters.
•  Using a site like zoominfo.com to research your preferences yourself.
• Hire a company like mine to analyze, make recommendations and gather the initial information for you.
• Hire an administrative assistant on a project basis to take care of some of your more mundane job search tasks such as mail merging documents, sending out resumes etc… (you should make phone contacts yourself though).
• Find (and follow up on) growth opportunities (companies moving/growing/expanding) through setting up a simple tracking system on Google news or through regular checking of business and trade journals.
• Hire a company to conduct an elite direct mail program for you.
• Find executive recruiters through a high-end contact that can distribute your resume exclusively to retained search firms.
• Obtain a list of VC firms or PE firms who specialize in your industry of choice.

These are just a few ways that go way beyond fee based, 6 figure job boards. These methods, once they are set up by you – are just as turnkey as responding to a job ad

Bottom line, a combination of the right executive job search techniques can improve your results by 20%, 30% and even 40%. Questions about resources for these techniques? Just call – I am happy to answer your questions.

I am delighted to share with my blog readers that the article below was just published in  Netshare’s latest newsletter – I thought I would share it here and hope it is helpful to job seekers everywhere! – MEB

Have you been exploring alternatives to traditional job search methods? If you have, congratulations! You are on your way to greatly increasing your results and response rates!

I believe you will find this does wonders not only for reaching your job search goals, but also in keeping up your excitement and confidence in the process.

Developing the right list of target companies for you is so important because, done right, it’s going to save you a tremendous amount of time, increase your interviews and save you from the frustration of doing it wrong, which can create an illusion that the reason you are not getting enough quality interviews is because there is something wrong with you or your resume.

So here are 5 tips on how you can get started developing your own amazing list of target companies today:

Tip #1: Focus – Example A
Let’s say for example you want to stay in the state of Georgia and you would like to remain in the field of Academia. Your challenge is to find the institutions potentially suited for you in your state. You need to identify where these lists of institutions are AND you need to track where the movement or growth is with these individual institutions. Your best bet is to check out your trade and association journals for these lists and late breaking news like campus growth, appropriated funds, and promotions etc… anything that might indicate growth or development and a great reason for you to connect. Start by Googling Academia+Georgia or Associations+Higher Education+Georgia.

Tip#2: Focus Example B
Perhaps you are in sales and marketing of consumer goods and you want to move into a senior sales role for the “green” market. You are open to relocating anywhere in the US. In order to not spread yourself too thin, you must come up with a nice handful of portals you can use to find emerging or developed companies that specialize in your “green” market of choice. Begin by Googling Green jobs+products. Interested in wind farms or solar? Google green jobs+wind farms and wind farms+USA. You can also try Googling wind energy+investors. These are just a few examples. Not only will you find companies and contact decision maker names this way, but you will also find articles and information on companies that are growing and developing new products and services. Any and all companies that you like should make your list!

To supplement this information I also highly recommend using Manta.com. Manta provides free company profiles and company information on US and International companies, including market research reports, business news, contact information and key contact names.

Tip #3: Create an Abundant List
The general rule of thumb is: the smaller your geographic parameters are, the more you really need to dig to add anyone and everyone that meets your career focus parameters to your list. If your list is too small, you minimize your responses. Try to begin with 30 to 50 companies, ideally.

Conversely, you may develop over 150 potential company picks in your industry of choice. If this is you, then consider sending your mailings out in phases or hiring a printer (I like Insty Prints) to help you with your mailings.

There is another industry school of thought that touts concentrating on just a few companies at a time. If you are not in a hurry and are willing to invest in learning about, and networking with, key decision makers in each of these companies then I would agree this method is also effective.

Tip#4: Get To the Decision Maker
Sending all of your correspondence to the human resource department will get you far less valuable connections and interviews – primarily because unless HR has been handed a job description that closely matches your qualifications at the exact time you send them your resume, they are probably not going to be interested in you.

So, don’t gamble your confidence away! Though rarely you might hit the jackpot, these just aren’t very good odds. Get to the decision maker… the person two to four levels above your ideal position that is going to be interested to hear about your successes in productivity, profitability and problem solving.

No offense to my human resource friends that serve a valuable and honorable function.

Tip #5: Follow Up
You have to be prepared to follow up with a phone call once you have sent out your correspondence. I know, you are thinking, “but it is so uncomfortable to follow up with someone I don’t know and ask them for a job!” Good news! You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) come right out and ask them for a job.

As a professional, one of the things you must do in your job is learning the basics of networking. We ALL have to do it, so let’s discuss for a moment the value of learning how to network in a way that is comfortable and breeds confidence.

Here is a technique that I use: when I network, I think about it in a way that does not put undue pressure on myself or the immediate outcome.

In other words, when you follow up, don’t set yourself up by rationalizing that the only acceptable outcome is a job interview. Here is your realistic goal: to make an introduction, either personally or via voice mail that you feel good about. That’s it. When you go on a first date do you berate yourself that no one got married at the end of it? Of course not! So just take a deep breath and give the situation a chance to materialize into something positive.

Okay, so here is how to leave a nice message you can feel good about. Try something like this: “Hi this is ____, perhaps my name sounds familiar – I sent you some correspondence last week and indicated I would be following up with you. Its Wednesday, 10am and I will be in the office all day. Please feel free to call me back at ____ and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.”

This is a nice general introduction. Not to short and not too long.

If you connect with your contact live, this is even better! Say hello, inform him or her why you are calling and then share what you specialize in. Perhaps you increased revenue in your division by 57% last year, or you are a turnaround expert or you just lead your corporation through a very successful merger. Whatever your latest and greatest achievement is, this is what you lead with.

State your achievement in just a sentence or two and then say that you greatly admire their company and for these reasons you wanted to introduce yourself and find out if he/she might have an interest in learning more. This structure concentrates on your quantifiable achievements, is short and is flattering – a recipe for success!

Using these simple tips will put your job search focus in order and allow for a smooth transition from one objective to the other so in no time at all you will have garnered positive results from your ideal companies!

In a bad economy, many industries are negatively affected and competition for jobs increases.

This makes using job boards (as your primary strategy) incredibly difficult and depressing, since this is where competition for positions is most fierce.

You stand to increase your chances of landing multiple interviews through learning how to tap into what is called the “hidden” or “unadvertised” job market.

Connecting with companies you are interested in directly (not in response to a posted position) is one powerful way to get an edge on the competition and pique the interest of potential employers you believe may be a match for you.

If you have a plan that includes your target market, job titles and your geographic preferences, then you have enough information to begin researching what companies might fit you.

Most of the companies that you are going to feel meet your career objectives have open positions that have not been, and probably will not be advertised!

However, if for whatever reason you need a job tomorrow, this is probably not the fastest way to land a job – but it is the best way to control your job search, secure quality interviews and receive better offers.

So how do you specifically find companies? Well, with the internet, it’s quite easy.

One method is to simply Google your industry and geographic preference (you will be amazed at what you find).

Your local business journal may have a best of list (Forbes has one too).

Yahoo Finance and Manta represent two of dozens of great business resources where you can easily research companies within particular industries.

Don’t have time to figure it all out? Visit a career association like Career Directors International to quickly find a resume or job search pro that specializes in developing research for you.

Ok, you have your list, what next?

Simply send a resume and a cover letter to a decision maker within each company. You will be best served if the decision maker you connect with is two to four levels above where you would see yourself in a position with them.

You will want to research how to write a cover letter for this type of situation. Be sure to tell them genuinely why you are interested in working for them!

Remember to follow up with a phone call.

Don’t worry that you are bothering them or that they don’t have any open positions. You don’t know either to be true! Stretch yourself, show your enthusiasm, creativity and initiative to quickly and successfully increase the number of companies interested in you!

I lost count of how many clients have told me they hung their hat on one or two recruiter relationships but nothing ever panned out in terms of landing a great job. If you don’t know how to work with recruiters you can easily be tempted to feel that you have been let down in your relationship with them.

Here are a few facts about recruiters to help you get a baseline of perspective:

A recruiter works for (and are paid by) their client companies. They don’t work for you, have no real allegiance to you and will only be interested in you if your career history is a match for their searches.

Knowing that will help you go into establishing relationships with recruiters with more objectivity.

Recruiters come in all shapes and sizes. I have met many of them and I was one of them for seven years. Some are good, some are nice, and some are not.

When you send your resume to a big handful of recruiters that specialize in your industry or position you will get a mixed bag of responses. Some will respond with interest, some will send you an automatic message to fill out their generic candidate forms on their websites, some will not respond at all and some may even respond negatively. Be prepared for all of it – and take none of it personally.

And by all means don’t skip this step! It’s a necessary step you must play out in order to garner the interest of the smaller percentage of recruiters who may be able to help you!

Recruiters generally like straightforward, chronological resumes. They tend to prefer your academic background be listed somewhere on the first page. They look at a lot of resumes each week and they don’t like to have to scan through a resume to try and guess what you do.

If you have a functional resume (one that highlights skills, rather than industry background and job history) don’t be surprised if you catch a couple terse comments from recruiting firms. But don’t worry, chances are your resume isn’t bad, nor have your done anything wrong. It’s just a typical preference for recruiters.

Recruiters look for career backgrounds that match their search criteria. If you are looking to make a slight shift into a parallel industry or a slight shift in terms of your position, then a recruiter may be able to help you. If you are looking to make a career transition into another industry, then you can skip connecting with recruiters all together. They are paid to find exactly what their clients have asked them to find…and nothing less. Other job search methods will work much better for you.

What is the definition of a recruiter’s “star” candidate? If you are looking to remain in your industry and have a solid and successful background in it, then you will be especially attractive to recruiters…a “star” candidate. “Star” candidates are also defined as those who have held no more than three jobs in the past ten years and those with a complimentary and impressive academic background. The more attractive you are to recruiters, the more negotiating power you have.

What else does a recruiter look for? A good personality, tact, diplomacy, and promptness returning phone calls and emails are often major components to a successful match. Remember when a recruiter sends you to one of their clients; their reputation is on the line. They are acutely aware of this, and you should be too.

One last valuable tip: a recruiter is somewhat limited in his or her ability to bring you “your dream job”. They can and will only offer you positions they are working on for their clients, and only if you are a potential match for the position.

Additionally, you will probably not be the only candidate they send to interview for the position. Generally recruiters send in two to four qualified candidates for each position they are paid to fill.

If you want to build good relationships both short and long term with recruiters you should:

• Find either paid or free lists of recruiters who specialize in your position or industry. Generally the recruiter’s geographical location is of little importance, they often have many clients outside of their physical location.
• The paid lists I endorse are through Executive Agent (listed on my website). Their system is quick and easy to use and very affordable. Their reputation in the industry is excellent….as are the results they provide.
• Follow up with courtesy phone calls to the best recruiters on your list based on your needs and how they measure up. You will look more professional and get on their radar screen.
• Always be pleasant, positive and diplomatic.
• Treat the recruiter just the same as you would a potential employer in an interview.
• If you are really attached to your industry, then building long-term relationships with recruiters isn’t a bad idea. Recruiters are heavily networked, appreciate referrals and the good ones will remember your generosity, kindness and professionalism. They will go out of their way to contact you with five-star positions they may have down the road.

Recruiters can be extremely helpful to you and your career and knowing their hot buttons and the best ways to find them and build positive relationships with them will not only save you time but serve to flush out additional job opportunities!

JB Bryant (Knowledge Manager Extraordinaire) has just posted an extensive and highly informative post on Job Hunting in a Bad Economy. I was honored to be a contributor to this informative and comprehensive post. He covers it all – from how to create extra income, how to conduct research, how to market yourself and more. I’m impressed. You can check it out here: http://www.jbbryant.biz/jb/2008/12/job-hunting-in-a-down-economy.html.

I was just reading a fabulous blog post at Hello My Name Is Scott titled 25 questions to invite someone to talk about what they love.

All I can say is wow!

Attention all professionals whose #1 question is “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up” – this blog post is for you!

Its written for those networking or working to bolster client relationships – BUT, this is a beautiful tapestry of questions…I think it’s completely applicable for people wanting to clarify what they really love to do.

Personally I am going to print out this list, venture outside to find someplace pretty and inspiring and answer these questions myself. What a great tool! Here are the 25:

1. If you could do just one thing all day long and get paid well for doing it, what would you do?
2. If you could only give one speech, for one hour, for one million people, what ONE WORD would that speech be about?
3. If you could only have one section of the bookstore to visit, which section would it be?
4. If you could only subscribe to ONE publication for the rest of your life, what would it be?
5. If you could only work 2 days a week, what would you do?
6. If you could only work 2 hours a week, what would you do?
7. If you could take a sabbatical for one year, where would you go and what would you do?
8. If you didn’t have to work, what would you do all day long?
9. If you were the last human on Earth, what would you still do every day?
10. What activity always makes you lose track of time?
11. What activity gives you the most energy?
12. What brings you to life?
13. What could you talk about forever?
14. What things are you able to do, without even trying?
15. What do you like to do, just for the fun of it?
16. What do you love to do that (you can’t believe) people actually pay you money to do?
17. What do you love to talk about?
18. What do you most enjoy making?
19. What have you always found to be easy?
20. What is the one thing that people couldn’t pay you NOT to do?
21. What pictures or wallet items do you ALWAYS show to people?
22. What questions do you look forward to be asked?
23. When you don’t know what to do, what do you find yourself doing to find your way?
24. Why do you admire the people you admire?
25. You, yourself, are at your best when you’re acting HOW?

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