A job search can quickly become a time consuming and frustrating experience without the right tools, planning, and resources. Making one mistake, such as “surfing the Internet” as your main medium for job hunting, can lead to countless hours of wasted time each week. Here are eight simple steps you can take to save yourself time, frustration, and wasted energy:

Step 1: Create your system
Use a simple system to map out (yes, actually write it out—so it’s “out of your head” and on paper!) your job search goals. Where you are going, what is motivating you, your thoughts on how you are going to get there, and what your ultimate goal is. Mapping out your plan and your strategy will keep you on track and focused—thus saving you potential wasted time and energy.

Step 2: Use a job aggregator
In other words, a beta search engine for jobs. This way you can use one site for one search . . . to find almost all posted jobs. This one step will save you from hopping from one job board to another—and endless hours of frustration. Understand that responses on any job board vary from 2% to 6%. With those odds, this is one critical area you really want to use to streamline your search and save time.

Step 3: Set up an email alert
Set up an e mail alert on the job aggregator of your choice. This saves you even more time, as your matching jobs will automatically be sent you!

You can also set up email alerts through Googlenews and even The Business Journal—so if you are looking for articles or information on the growth of a particular industry or company—just set up an automatic email alert. Congratulations! You just saved yourself at least 5 hours a week surfing the Internet!

Step 4: Invest wisely
It’s easy to figure out where to best invest your time. Simply identify the top three areas where you are most certain to penetrate your market. It could be “like companies” in a technology business park, or a trade association, through social networking sites, or through a portal such as the top 10 executive recruiting firms. Once you have identified where to invest your time for the biggest payback, you can minimize the time you spend on other job search activities while you maximize your time in your key areas.

Step Five: Create a schedule
Create a modest “job search schedule” for yourself. Specifically, dates and times each week you are going to devote to your career move. Why a “modest” schedule? Because you want to create a schedule you can actually keep and feel a real sense of achievement as you reach your weekly goals. You can always increase your commitment later! This technique works wonders during a career search. You will be amazed how feeling yourself accomplish your job search goals in real time will motivate you as you move forward!

Step Six: BATCH your activities
Batching your activities means blocking out a certain amount of time one day each week to do a particular activity. For example: Monday between 8 am and 9 am you research growing companies in your industry. Wednesday between 10 am and 11 am you make your follow up phone calls. You will be amazed how much you get done using this technique and how it automatically insures against overwhelm and simplifies your job search. This is one of THE most important tips you can implement.

Step Seven: Kill your email
Okay, don’t kill it but please, stop checking it every 30 minutes! I check my email twice a day because it allows me to focus on more important tasks and not get sidetracked, hung up, and generally scattered during my workday. Don’t worry about missing important messages. I believe you will find that checking your email messages twice a day is more than enough.

Step Eight: Stop answering your phone
That’s right. Unless it’s a planned call, don’t answer your phone. You are a busy executive—you are NOT waiting anxiously by the phone . . . get it? AND you don’t want to be caught off guard with a recruiter or hiring manager who wants to conduct an impromptu interview. You are not home. Let it go to voice mail. Screen your calls and check your messages twice a day. You will be so glad you did. If the last two tips have you “beside yourself”—read The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. It will change your life.

If you want to learn more about how easy it is to set up and manage a turnkey job search that gets you great results – check out my Job Search Success System.

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I found this information on the world privacy forum and thought it was worth posting. I have had more than one client confide that their credit was less than stellar and they were afraid they were getting passed over for interviews/offers because potential employers were checking their credit.

If you suspect the same – you can “freeze” your credit. Here is how: 

6. Credit Freeze (also Security Freeze)

What it does: A credit freeze (sometimes called a security freeze) lets you stop the disclosure of your credit report by a credit bureau.

The result of a credit freeze should be that neither you nor anyone else can open a new credit account in your name. (A freeze will not stop your existing credit cards from working.) A credit freeze can also prevent insurance companies or employers from obtaining your credit data. That’s why if you are actively seeking new employment or insurance, you may want to think carefully about enacting a credit freeze unless you are currently a victim of identity theft.

The credit freeze is widely considered by consumer and privacy advocates as a potent measure to prevent some forms of identity theft. A credit freeze can be especially helpful to individuals who are having persistent problems with identity theft. Credit freeze is not for everyone, and not everyone has the right at this point to set a credit freeze.

The way a credit freeze works is that access to your consumer credit report and your credit score are locked when you put a freeze on the files. A lender or merchant will normally not issue new credit if it cannot access your credit report or score. The benefit of a freeze is that you can stop thieves from getting credit in your name. The downside is that you are also stopped from getting credit unless you “thaw” the freeze. You can unlock your security freeze by using a PIN to unlock access to the credit file. Some states require the “thaw” to take no longer than 15 minutes. Some allow longer times.

The ability to freeze your credit is available nationwide through the credit reporting bureaus. There is some variability in cost and details state-by-state due to variance in state law. (For information about which states have a freeze law, see “More about credit freeze” below.)

How to opt out: 

Here are two ways to find out how to opt out for your state:

• 1. The World Privacy Forum’s Credit Freeze page has a list of states that either have a credit freeze law, or have passed a law. Each state links to the official state information page about how to place a credit freeze, or to another information source for that state. Many of the official state information pages are excellent, and provide tips and sample letters. Even if you are not in a state with a law, as of Nov. 1, 2007, you can still set a security freeze. http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/creditfreeze.html

• 2. Consumer’s Union has an excellent and frequently updated page on all current state freeze laws and requirements, with a link on how to opt out for each state and sample letters. http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

More about credit freeze:

See the FTC Credit Freeze page: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/credit-freeze.html

See Consumer’s Union frequently updated page on all current state freeze laws and requirements, with a link on how to opt out for each state and sample letters. http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

See the PIRG state freeze page: http://www.pirg.org/consumer/credit/statelaws.htm Links to the state laws.

See California Office of Privacy Protection. Even if you don’t live in California, this is an excellent page to learn more about how credit freeze works. If you are a California resident, you will find sample letters ready for you to print out. http://www.privacy.ca.gov/sheets/cis10securityfreeze.htm

… and by the way – the BEST way to overcome ANY liabilities you feel you may have in your job search is to learn how to tap the hidden job market. When you learn how to go direct – you sidestep most all of the prescreening and prequalifying that can disqualify you from interviews and offers.

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A few points about this article:

-Texas employers have added nearly 146,000 jobs this year, after slashing more than 350,000 jobs last year.

-It’s also one of four states where payroll employment is expected to reach pre-crisis levels by the end of next year, Diffley said.

-The state is “No. 1 in many, many indicators,” Diffley said. “Certainly No. 1 among the largest states.”

The comments section of this article contained a swarm of negative comments. My comment? The tougher your competition the more you must commit to savvy job search methods and making sure your target goals, your marketing material and your message are top notch. A postive attitude – a focus on POSITIVE information will help you tremendously in your job search. My vantage point is an interesting one: my clients who are landing jobs follow this to a tee. Those who are “still looking” seem more inclined to adopt, focus and comment on what is negative. My question: what good does that do if it prolongs your job search? Just my personal observation. I am not saying this is true in all cases but I do see a definate trend. Take from it what you will.

You can read the article here.

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I recently hosted a special free call titled:

Job Search Secrets For 5-and-6 Figure Professionals:
How To Overcome The 4-Biggest Hurdles Facing Job Seekers Today

Just click on this link to access this one hour info-packed call for job seekers:

http://careerartisan.audioacrobat.com/download/74d7d9a0-57c9-1643-e1a0-4d11f75990c6.mp3

Here is what I covered:

How to complete for key positions if you are over 50

How to rev up a job search if you have been unemployed for over 12-months

How to set up and manage an effective and stress free job search if you are currently working full time

How to tap the hidden job market

Plus I made two very special (time-sensitive) offers!

offer number one:

25% off my job search success system for the next 5 days – either package!

Check out the Job Search Success System here: job-searchsystem.com

offer number two:

Everyone that invests in a resume package with me thru the month of MAY will be gifted the Job Search Success System.

Feel free to spread the word!

Inspiring your success,

Mary Elizabeth

PS Questions? Call us! 830-331-9398.

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It’s simple..anyone can do it…and it’s brilliant.

Go direct to tap the hidden job market and increase your odds. I say it all the time. Why? Becuase it works!

See what one creative director dreamed up to get the immediate attention of 5 companies he was interested in working for.

He got 4 interviews – and two offers. With companies he wanted to work for. That had no advertised open positions. In a bad economy. In a struggling industry.

And he probably got a salary increase too.

Yup. Thats what I am talking about.

check it out here

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I recently queried my entire list of ezine readers to ask them to pick my next free teleseminar topic.

Even I was surprised at the hundreds of responses I received! I am busy creating my next complimentary teleseminar course using many of the ideas and challenges my ezine readers requested. More on this topic soon!

In the meantime – I would like to respond to the overwhelming outcry to learn more about the hidden job market. This can be a confusing area because the majority of job seekers (and even some career professionals) have an understanding that tapping the hidden job market is a code word for networking. Not true though, at least in my book. As I have said before, tapping the hidden job market is all about going direct – to the key decision marker – before the job is advertised. Because the majority of jobs are filled before they have to be advertised.

In order to do this you must know the simple strategies to target your search and go direct. That’s what I outline – step-by-step in my eBook: Secrets of the Unadvertised Job Market Revealed.

I have been in the career services industry for over 15-years. 7 of those years as an executive recruiter and the rest as a job search coach and resume writer. The BEST way I know – and the way my clients are successful in landing positions is by understanding and applying strategies to tap the hidden job market.

The more obstacles you have to overcome, the more competitive the job market, the more YOU need this information. And forgive me for being blunt, but watching the months go by wondering if you should believe me or not is an expensive alternative.

So, for all of you who implored me to share more information about this topic – I will! But do yourself a favor right now and grab your copy of this eBook! It’s normally $79 but for the next 5-days ONLY – I will gift you a huge 50% OFF. And if I haven’t helped you, I will grant you a 100%, no questions asked money back guarantee.

COUPON CODE: MAY SPECIAL

I don’t know many other companies or career professionals that would give you a similar risk-free opportunity to turn your entire job search around – starting right now.

And by the way, when you purchase this eBook, you will also get a second ebook for free titled: Phone Networking Secrets Revealed. You are going to be amazed how easy it is to follow up after sending resumes and sidestep gatekeepers using these time-tested phone scripts.

Just type in the coupon code: MAY SPECIAL to get these e-guidebooks for
$39.50.

I am committed to your success and to the empowerment of job seekers everywhere – especially here in the USA. But you have to take the next step.
-M.E.B.

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In part one of this post, we looked at the facts and fallacies of the hidden job market including why you should consider tapping into it, why you should consider sending your resume to a company that has not advertised positions matching your skills and the level of experience you should be at in order to benefit from the hidden market.

Now I bet you are wondering precisely how to tap into the unadvertised market. There are three strategies to quickly get you started focusing on and finding great jobs that will never see a major job board.

Tip #1: Create a plan

If you are going to launch a proactive job search (i.e. knowing precisely what you are looking for, then reaching out to get it) vs. a reactive job search (i.e. passively scanning posted jobs, waiting to find the one that fits you) then it’s crucial you know the following things:

Your target markets

(e.g. Construction, commercial healthcare development, pharmaceutical, medical device, etc…)

Your titles & positions

(e.g. sales executive, VP of sales and marketing, business development director)

Your geographic parameters

(e.g. can’t leave Minneapolis, all of US, California only)

Your timeline

(e.g. need a job NOW, in the next 30 days, would like to make a change in the next 6 months)

Tip #2: Choose three main job search strategies for tapping into your market

Now that you have your plan, you should be crystal clear on what you want! Here are just a few unadvertised techniques you can utilize:

Growing/changing or moving companies: These are companies that are expanding, merging, acquiring other companies, are rolling out new products or services or are moving. These companies that are actively changing and/or growing offer you, the job seeker, an opportunity to offer your skills and strengths in order to help them.

Executive recruiters: Identify executive recruiters that are familiar with your industry and/or level of position. They often have contracts to fill positions of which the majority will never be advertised. Recruiters probably won’t be helpful to you if:

You are radically changing industries, a recruiter may not be the best source for you as they will be looking for “a match.”

Recruiters may be helpful if:

You plan on staying in your current industry, you have had less than 3 jobs in 10 years and you look fantastic on paper.

Direct company contact: The secret here is in the numbers. Contacting a company directly (fully knowing they probably have multiple open positions that are not advertised) is a great way to take leadership and control over your job search. Are you interested in looking at the higher education market in your state or the top organic food manufacturers in the US? Or maybe the fastest growing healthcare oriented businesses in your city? All of these “lists” are accessible to you and allow you to easily tap right into your market of focus!

Tip #3: Manage your job search like a professional project

Once you have your plan and have determined the best place to gather your resources and your general strategy, you must make a simple plan to move forward. Depending on your timeframe, pick the hours and the days each week that you plan to invest in your next career move. Block out those times and stick to them! Honor your commitment to your job search just like you would honor your commitment to your present employer to show up on time each day.
During your job search activity, keep things really simple and focus on the actions you are taking, not the results!

This way you can celebrate your initial “successes,” which in the beginning are the completion of each of your daily and weekly goals. The results will unfold elegantly and abundantly and you will enjoy feeling that satisfaction of success whether you are investing in marketing yourself or basking in the warm glow of landing your third or fourth interview!

Be careful not to devalue the importance of this tip. This strategy is one of the main points to averting thoughts of despair and feelings of overwhelm.

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I love the hidden job market. I have built my career showing professionals how easy it is to shorten their job search, get more quality interviews and bigger offers using a very simple yet powerful system to tap into it.

A statement I often hear is “isn’t tapping into the hidden job market just networking?” In short, no. It’s about going direct – and cutting out both “internal” and “external” middle men. Internal within the company (i.e. HR) and external outside of the company (i.e. recruiters).

Let’s begin by dispelling a few other myths about the hidden job market:

True or false: With all the jobs listed on the internet today, I don’t need to concern myself with any “hidden” job market.

False. That is, if you care about getting more than a measly 1-to-3% response rate from the resumes you send out using major job boards.

In other words, did you send out 50 resumes using job boards and you still haven’t heard anything back? Well, by these standards your only problem is you haven’t begun to send out enough resumes, yet…yikes!

The good news about these stats is that there are a whole bunch of job seekers out there that just started to feel a whole lot better about themselves. The bad news is that this proves job boards are a really depressing, hard and painful way for the majority of us to land great jobs.

True or false: I should only answer jobs that are advertised because I will look stupid if I send my resume to a company when I have no idea if they need someone like me.
False. Way back when I had my own executive recruiting firm I remember client companies telling me, “We don’t have any immediate needs right now, but if you find a superstar, please don’t forget about us – we want to see their resume!”

Not only do companies always make time for people who are “superstars” (and a lot of this has to do with the way you market yourself to them), but most companies go through at least five steps to fill a position before they will post the position to a major job board.

Think about it. If you have a key position that just opened up in your company, is the first thing you do pick up the phone and call Monster? No, of course not!

You get on the phone to a few trusted colleagues. You look through your resume file to see if anyone fits the bill. You look to see if anyone already on board is qualified to be promoted to it or alert your staff to refer someone they might know. You launch an intimate grass roots campaign to try to fill this position waaaay before the general public is notified. And if after a few weeks, the position is still not filled, perhaps you contact a related association to post the job on their members-only job board or you contract a recruiter.

True or false: I have heard the interview process is shorter and the salary package can be significantly higher with unadvertised opportunities. True! Why? Because when you pursue unadvertised jobs you are almost always talking with the company key decision-makers right from the start. You have more creativity to sell your skills and build the value of who you can be to the company. And finally, because these interviews usually lack the formality of a full blown human resource driven candidate search, your competition is significantly lower AND the salary terms are less likely to be chiseled in stone. I have seen this play out in my clients’ favor time after time!

True or false: I am not “high enough up” the ladder to seek out unadvertised opportunities. The hidden job market only applies to executives.
False. ANYONE (and I mean even if you are right out of college) can enjoy the benefits of the hidden job market. These jobs are available on all levels and in virtually all industries.

The trick is to hone your focus so you actually achieve the results you want (more on that later!)

So why should you care about the unadvertised market? Because for you, it means more job opportunities, more market leverage, less competition, shorter interview processes and bigger offers. Golly, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to keep pumping out resumes via the internet when you can have all of this control over your next career move!

So, want to start to turn your job search around? Here are some steps you can take right now:

1. Get focused on your target markets
2. Research companies in your target markets – get key decision makers names
3. Make sure your resume is designed to penetrate your target markets
4. Send your resume directly to the key decision makers

…the secret is going direct!

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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.

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