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May 23, 2009

8 tips to help you get a job NOW !

Times are tough. Very tough. Many peoiple are, through very little fault of their own, facing a very difficult and discouraging future.

As a 40-something-consultant I have lived and worked through tough years several times in my career. (Hence my experience in Grape Picking)

If you want to get the job NOW, like right now and not in three or six months time, then here are some techniques and thoughts that have always worked for me. 

My tightest situation was in Chile where I had no visa, no work, very little cash, a new girlfriend, a new apartment and only a small skill base to leverage at the time. 

I had work in a week...

1) Do not call HR departments ever. They are there to frustrate you and are possibly the great disgrace of modern enterprise. 

2) Search LinkedIn for hiring level managers in your industry, in your geography (if that is an issue) and in companies that you know about. Send them an Inmail. If you can't do that then consider upgrading your account with LinkedIn. I did, and it was worth it. 

3) When you send the Inmail, or the email, do not pitch. It needs to be a few lines long not a few paragraphs long. You are asking for the opportunity to pitch, you are not pitching now. (Don't call companies, call people)

4) Your job is now to look for work. Every day you need to put 8 hours into telephone calls, emails, visits, interviews, calling etcetera.

5) Where ever possible call instead of emailing. 

6) Write a report on a problem issue, containing various elements of value, and send it direct (with a hard copy to follow) to the hiring level managers who are dealing with this issue. 

7) Remember - your CV, emails, phone conversations, appearance, letters and face to face meetings are all telling a story. Don't make it a hard luck story, there are plenty of those out there already.

Make it a story about impressive and provable value, scarcity of experience and skills, and the fact that the only risk in hiring you is not hiring you. People remember stories. 

8) Toughen up. Some people will talk but can't help. Others won't even give you the time of day. Do not panic and do not get offended. It says more about them than it does about you. (Believe me)

Good luck, I hope this helps. For me the big takeaway item in this entire list is either number 4 or number 2. 

Please feel free to add your own perspective if you feel it will help others out there to find work.