Are you a certified resume writer who would like to provide your clients with gold star job search coaching that helps them successfully tap into the hidden job market?

Last week, I was honored to be interviewed by Laura DeCarlo, President of Career Directors International, on my brand new Job Search Success System and affiliate program for resume writers. The interview is about 15 minutes long and you can listen now here

I am so excited to announce the official launch of my brand-new affiliate program! If you are a resume writer what this can mean for you is:

You can provide your clients with a system that leads them through how to set up and manage a turnkey job search that focuses on the hidden job market and truly gets them great results.

You can be free from career and job search coaching you may not wish to do.

You can very easily create a significant additional passive stream of revenue for your business.

I have been helping all levels of job seekers tap into the hidden job market and secure more interviews and get bigger offers in both good and bad markets for 15 years.

If you would like to talk with me personally please feel free to call me at 830.331.9398 or email me at maryelizabeth@maryelizabethbradford.com.

***Listen to the interview here: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W3Q4BD64.

***Check out the Job Search Success System website here: http://job-searchsystem.com/.

***Register to be an affiliate here: https://www.mcssl.com/SYS/?m=130706&c=s.

*Please note, to protect the integrity of my affiliate partnerships and success of my clients I am ONLY accepting affiliate registrations from certified professional resume writers.

I recently returned to Total Picture Radio to be interviewed by Peter Clayton on this topic. You can listen to the entire 30-minute interview here:

http://www.totalpicture.com/shows/career-transition/job-loss-can-a-career-coach-help.html

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

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!

Do you know you can increase your job interviews in a bad economy? Does this statement sound absurd? Truly it is not.

Most people will fall into the temptation of holding on to the job they have (even if they are not really happy with it) rather than venture out into a poor economy…thinking it will garner them little result or create unnecessary risk.

You and I both know it’s easy to let fear paralyze our actions…sacrificing what we really want when we don’t think we can achieve our aim. However, let me share with you five tips to help you understand how you can start moving forward and achieving your goals now instead of later (and land more interviews in the process):

Tip number one: Start your search when your competition is at a minimum
Quite simply, this includes committing to your job search during a “bad” economy. It can also include months like December which is actually (statistically) a good time to begin a job search – another time when your competition is often absent.

Tip number two: Go for the growing markets
To explore growing markets online, visit jobbait.com and register for a free monthly report which details which markets are growing and in what states. When you target a growing market, you automatically increase you odds of landing more interviews.

Tip number three: Make sure your resume is written for your target market
Nothing tanks a good job search like a poorly focused and poorly crafted resume. Make certain your resume is written well.

If you are not sure how your resume stacks up, there are plenty of articles you can read on good resumes, samples you can look at online or in resume books (make sure to view the latest editions) and you can even get a resume critique.

One extra tip: it’s a great idea to have your resume professionally written. If you decide to go this route, make sure the writer is certified and has ample experience. You can find a whole list of certified resume writers at Careerdirectors.com.

Tip number four: Tap into the unadvertised job market
Major Job boards boast a measly 1 to 4% average response rate. That’s a lot of resumes to send out just to hear nothing back!

Make sure you have an adequate mix of associations, niche sites and direct company contacts in your job search strategy.

Depending on your particular goals, you might also benefit from working with recruiters, learning how to network properly (without asking for a job) and learning techniques for following up with companies that are experiencing some form of growth.

Tip number five: Understand the playing field
No matter how good you are, how exceptional your qualifications or how brilliant your references, it’s impossible for each and every connection you make to end up with a job offer.

Your positive responses are going to be smaller than the amount of inquiries you make, period. Such is the world of marketing. So make sure your expectations are congruent with the market so you don’t end up feeling discouraged over numbers which may actually be good!

Want to improve your odds? Techniques to tap into jobs that are not advertised can yield you from 20% to 60% favorable responses. If you are achieving those odds, then congratulations, you are doing a remarkable job!

Successful people generally have lots of good habits including taking challenges head on, investing in themselves and taking action. By integrating these five simple tips into your job search now, you too can achieve amazing results and reach your job search goals.

In part one, I shared with you the benefits of creating your own “A” list of target companies. I also provided you with two examples of gathering research. Today’s article outlines what to do next in steps 3 through 5.

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.

At Jobbait.com, you can find a “do-it-yourself” direct mail campaign kit for $150. If your list is large, you owe it to yourself to invest in this manual – it will save you a ton of time and money.

There is another industry school of thought that touts concentrating on just a few companies at a time. If you are highly specialized or 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 show you much interest.

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 learn 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 the outcome of the situation (I don’t like pressure)!

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. It’s 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 too 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, you are a turnaround expert or you just led 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 and is, in short, 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!

One of the wisest things you will do in your job search is learn the best non-traditional job search methods that fit your particular goals.

One method (and it happens to be my favorite – read on to find out why) is finding and following up on what I like to call corporate growth opportunities.

Growth opportunities are windows when a company is experiencing some form of growth. These can include moves, expansions, launching new products or services, mergers or acquisitions, awards and new rounds of venture capital funding, just to name a few.

Because of the fact that in so many cases when a company is experiencing a major change and/or growth there is a hiring need, it is truly a perfect time for YOU to make an introduction!

A few of the benefits you will enjoy when you capitalize on growth opportunities are:

• You set the pace for leadership and control vs. answering an ad, which positions you as the less desirable, passive/receiver.
• You maximize your leverage, options and opportunities in your industry of choice. In other words, you are in control.
• You are introducing yourself at a time when that company may be investing considerable sums of money to find great talent (like YOU!).
• You have little or no competition.
• You are putting the focus on THEM and their particular situation – highly flattering to the decision maker who you are connecting with – which makes you look fantastic.

Sounds great right? Believe me, it is! And it’s easy to find and follow up on growth opportunities in your specific target market using internet resources including: US Business Journals, Google news alerts, article finders and even associations related to your industry of focus.

Each week you can connect with key decision makers associated with the various growth opportunities that interest you. Send a short value proposition letter and don’t forget to attach a copy of the article and follow up in order to maximize your favorable responses.

This particular method can increase your response rate to 20, 40 and even 60%! Compared to the 1 to 3% response rates you will get through submitting your resume to jobs posted on major job boards there is simply no contest. Learning how to follow up on corporate growth opportunities can easily become your most powerful and effective job search strategy.