A (True) Story of Job Search Effectiveness In The Holiday Season
A (True) Story of Job Search Effectiveness In The Holiday Season
There’s a common myth: ‘nothing happens’ before and after a holiday, so why bother!
As Job Seekers, we fall into this trap numerous times per year as holiday weekends pop up all year long. Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and on and on with lesser holidays –each tempting us to ‘throw in the towel’ for most of a week or even two (one before, one after). The December holidays, no matter which ones we celebrate, seem to deem the whole month a loss, and that loss seems to carry over a number of days into the New Year. So by the time we are eating the last few turkey leftovers, like my great lunchtime sandwich yesterday, it’s clear in our minds that we really have only 2 weeks to make some magic happen, so I ‘may as well wait’ until the new year. Bah humbug, to quote Ebenezer!
Like most, these myths do have some basis in reality. Yes, managers and HR professionals, like everyone else, do take off extra time before and after a holiday when they can. But many do not, and that presents and opportunity for the job seeker ‘on a mission’.
As You Sow, So Shall You Reap
Need motivation to ‘take back control’ in your job search?
It’s the first week of December, just the first few days in reality, and there’s a whole month where we can be sowing those seeds that will come back to us. Right now, I have clients that I work with directly that are out on 2 and 3 interviews a week… This week, next week –and with their focus and determination, they’ll probably be booking meetings the week after that and beyond. All Holiday Season. Yes, they actively plan their search and outreach strategy, take control and they approach decision-makers with their message of ‘why it’s the best business decision that they will make today, if they choose to hire them’.
One individual so impressed the ‘deciders’, that when they could not make the single day that the other ‘competitor candidates’ where coming in to meet the team, they agreed to have them fly in (at their expense) to their headquarters, to do the meeting at that location. Another client is being rushed through 3 rounds with a Fortune 100 company, and is juggling 2 scheduled interviews next week (with different organizations) and 1 additional company is pursuing them for ‘first meetings’ next week too. All this, while they are also working full-time. Another just landed 2 competing offers from marquee organizations -after 5 months without any calls.
It takes control and focus in your job search with proper planning, outreach, valuable messaging, and proper strategizing on how you’ll win each interview, but the message is loud and clear: there’s a whole lot of activity going on for some Job Seekers that don’t accept the myth that seems to be common knowledge.
Now is a great to start moving your search forward if it has become stagnant, but the basics must be in place. That means a (single page) resume that creates that spark of interest and desire about you; a LinkedIn Profile that picks up where your resume leaves off –and tells a compelling story about your background (think: 3-dimensional sales brochure, all about you); a job search plan listing whom to go after (companies, contacts); and a strategy for your value messaging about yourself. And let’s not forget that just putting on a shiny business suit and a bright smile is only the cosmetic side of truly preparing for an interview: we have to be ready to articulate why we are so excited about their company and it’s initiatives; to build solid chemistry with each individual that we meet; and to communicate with confidence why we are the ‘best choice’ for consideration among those that are competing against us during the recruiting process.
You Are The Product
We don’t like to think of ourselves that way, but it’s true. So, get ready to sell your product. Develop your ‘marketing plan’, use social media, like LinkedIn, to make the deciders familiar with you in advance of applying for the job, and then reach out professionally and introduce yourself -being ready to convey your very best value pieces.
Just Don’t Submit
That means don’t spend all your time online looking for job postings, that’s not a job search, that’s utilizing valuable time in a way that’s not likely to work well in this job market where 1,000s apply for every job. You have to be different, not the same as everyone else. One of my clients has booked 4 face-to-face interviews (out of the last 5 interview opportunities), without any pre-screen phone interview whatsoever.
Magic!?
I think not. Their marketing materials are in top-notch shape (resume, LinkedIn, cover letter, email ‘pre’ cover letter) and they are very effective at following the strategies that we discuss to ‘soft-market’ themselves to the desired company’s managers to raise the awareness level of themselves in those manager’s minds. Then they connect with them on LinkedIn (before they have ever met or spoken!). Next comes a direct email stage of the outreach plan where they further introduce their value. And at that point, they apply online with that darn ‘submit’ button –the one that trains most users so far into submission that it creates stagnation.
Magic like this can happen for you too, but it takes strategic planning, hard work, and resolve to work with ideas just far enough out of the box to get you noticed.
You have to be in it, to win it, so let’s get going –there’s a whole month ahead!
John Crant
Author, Career Coach & Speaker
on Job Search and Career Management
Copyright © 2010 by John Crant
As seen and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, on FINS.com, on CareerBuilder’s CBsalary.com, on The Ladders, on Vault.com, in CRAIN’S New York Business, on Forbes.com, in amNY, and on FOX News – John share’s the answers and the concrete steps for success in Job Search.
John is a Featured Speaker at The New York Public Library’s JOB SEARCH CENTRAL, as well as at the YMCA in New York City. He educated through his Online Series and speaks at Corporate Events, works with Workforce Development organizations, and teaches both students and alumni with this Self-Recruiter® Series for Colleges and Universities.
See “What Others Are Saying” at:
http://www.selfrecruiter.com/recommendations
My Book:
Self-Recruiter®
Changing the Rules: How to Be Your Own Recruiter &
Ride the Economic Crisis to Your Next Career Challenge.
Copyright © 2009 by John Crant
Also check out my FULL-SERVICE:
LinkedIn Professional Profile Creation / Renovation (Full-Service)
Resume Renovations (Full-Service)
Direct: 212-372-9878
View My LinkedIn Profile at: