Five Steps to a new job in the New Year!

December 15, 2008.

Five Steps to New Job

This has been a roller coaster year for many. The transformative election of Barack Obama, the financial crisis, the auto industry in peril, the ups and downs of the stock market that make retirement fading into a dream for many, people losing their jobs - what a cliff hanger of a year it has been! How would you like to regain control of your career and your lives again?

As a holiday present, I propose the following Five Steps to a New Job in the New Year. These five steps will help you identify, pursue and obtain a new job. The key ingredients of success underlying these steps are focus, targeting and perseverance. Leave the negative soothsayers behind. Even in an economic downturn, people are getting hired. Close the radio and TV and open your heart to what you really would like to do.

The five steps are intuitive. They start with you and who you are and what you would like to do.

Step One: Start with you

So what do you enjoy doing, what are your strengths, key values, interests and abilities. What makes you happy? What kind of environment do you like working in? What kinds of things have you done of which you are proud? What are your short-term and long term plans? Identify and explore different career options that would match this profile. Develop a marketing plan with the career options and targeted companies.

Step Two: Develop your Marketing Materials

Now, translate this profile of yourself into materials you will use to market yourself. These materials include a two minute pitch, resume, cover letters, networking letter and perhaps a bio. You will use the two minute pitch when you network, interview and include it in cover letters and networking letters. The cover letter will be used to apply for jobs. The networking letter will be used in email blasts to potential employers or professional contacts to set up networking meetings. The bio can be used when you network to give people an idea of your background.
These tools are part of your marketing toolkit that you will use and customize for each communications. A basic rule of communications is customize your communications to your audience.

Step Three: Pursue your Career Options

Now get out and start contacting potential employers in your targeted companies. The most common means of finding jobs are ads, recruiters/headhunters, direct contact with employers and networking.

While you want to use all methods, the ones you want to focus on are direct contact with employers and networking. Each method, in fact, can reinforce the other.

For example, if you go to professional associations and meet people from a company and you see a job ad from this company, you can use your network to learn more about the ad, get introduced to the hiring manager or contact the hiring manager directly!

Use the web as a research tool to see which companies are hiring but spend most of your time contacting your future boss directly and networking to find out what is happening in your field.

In other words, get out there and talk with people.

Step Four: Shine at Interviews

Interviews are the opportunity for you to learn more about the company, the organization and the job and sell yourself. The goal for an interview is to have more meetings to continue learning about the organization and have people learn more about you.

So put on your consultant's hat. Research the company. Come to the interview with questions about the company, the organization and the job. Bring insights that you can share about what you have learned from your networking and research.

Prepare your stories about your accomplishment and results. Think about who you are and the job requirements and answer the questions: Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Will you fit into the organization?

Practice answering common interview questions. Be prepared to describe how you have handled different situations. You may have a telephone interview before a face-to-face interview. Stand and smile during this telephone interview as people can hear your smile!

Dress smartly and conservatively for the interview. Not too much jewelry or make up, nice suit or dress, nails done, shoes shined, briefcase, copies of your resume in a folder.

Take notes during the interview to note the questions and concerns addressed. Send a follow up note addressing these questions and concerns and how you would handle them.

Suggest a follow up meeting. Call your interviewees to schedule more meetings. Show that you are really interested in the job and you will be noticed.

Step Five: Negotiate your Offer

When an offer is extended to you, make sure you understand the offer, the job and the organization including your function, reporting structure, company structure, financial rewards, the culture of the organization, the management style of the organization, their financial and legal situation. Think back to your profile and evaluate if this offer is a good match and what it does for your career.

Negotiate the offer to ensure that you get the best conditions. If the salary does not meet your expectations but you like the job, the organization and the experience that you will get, negotiate time off and/or flexible working arrangements to help you achieve work/life balance and the opportunity to pursue other interests.

Now you can celebrate and prepare for your new job. If you can, take some time off before you start the new job to decompress and get ready for your new responsibilities.

Contact Carla Visser, career management consultant, to see how she can help you with your career transition. www. ghrsonline.com. carlavisser@ghrsonline.com. 718-793-3451. Let me be your partner in mobility!