NOW is the Time to Get a New Job!
By Robin Ryan
The job market is beginning to offer some good career opportunities. This will come as happy news to job hunters who have faced a very difficult employment market these last four years, and workers who haven't seen a salary increase in a long while. Some clients' experiences might mirror your own situation.
Joseph, a long-term employee, had worked countless hours and delivered great results to his company. Facing tough global competition, his employer froze raises. The promise of a promotion never materialized, so Joseph decided to pursue a new job and came to me for help.
Joseph's old resume was a poor advertisement of his skills and lacked the "actions equals results" emphasis that today's hiring managers want to see. Together, we created a new resume and worked to identify good career opportunities. In less than three months, he landed an incredible job with a $20K salary increase. His future has never looked brighter.
Sara was laid off after 9/11 and had been struggling for 18 months trying to find ANY job. She was a professional with a good track record, but companies in her field just weren't hiring. Out of desperation, Sara took the only thing she could find. After enduring two years with a very difficult boss, she recently asked me to help her launch a new search. A revamped resume got her an interview just weeks later. Our coaching session helped her identify the top skills to stress and taught her how to effectively handle the tough questions that had previously tripped her up. Sara landed her dream job in an industry where she had no previous experience. Sara is thrilled to see her career on the right track again.
Tom had been a prosperous Fortune 500 executive when he left his job to open his own company. Over the next ten years, he built a good business that thrived until the dotcom bubble burst followed by the economic challenges after 9/11. He closed his doors and spent the next three years looking for work. At 56, Tom had a rough time even getting an interview, and had no job offers. He was as discouraged as a person could get. With a track record that was over ten years old, getting any company to take a chance on him was slim. Tom's best chance was a new resume and job search strategy that included in-depth market research into potential opportunities. As the hiring market began to pick up, I also encouraged Tom to try networking again. When the networking started to generate a good lead, we worked hard on his interview skills to build his confidence. Last week, Tom started a new job with a six-figure salary. He's back in the game and ready to take on the world, just as he turns 57.
The job market isn't hot, but it is looking better for those who have mastered good job hunting skills. Employers are hiring talented people offering lucrative salaries. Here are the things you need to do to make the most of the opportunities that are out there to advance your career and earn more money:
· Develop a Top Notch Resume that shows results you've achieved, specifies cost and time savings, and bottom line financial gains. A generic "job description" resume isn't going to work. ALWAYS include a cover letter. Employers love them. Take the free Resume Assessment Quiz to see how employers will view your resume.
· Network in a New Way. Clients are finding networking is the way to get noticed. Determine which companies you want to work for and develop a targeted list of jobs. Ask friends, relatives, alums or anyone else you know who can provide contacts to give you some insight about those employers, particularly anyone who will help pass your resume to hiring managers or HR from inside the company. These extra efforts lead to getting interviews and landing jobs in the biggest and the best companies in America, as well as smaller employers who can provide great experience.
· Interview Like a Pro. Prepare in advance. Practice answering questions by writing out answers. Develop examples of how you've solved problems on the job. Know your strengths and advertise them. Above all else, NEVER EVER bring up salary before you've gotten a job offer on the table. This is important! Thousands of dollars can be at stake. Learning to effectively dodge money questions will preserve your negotiating power.
Employers ARE looking for talented people—so now is the time to focus, plan and re-create in order to land that new, better paying job.
