Seven Secrets of Successful Job-Hunters

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Seven Secrets of Successful Job-Hunters
November 3 - November 10, 2004

Parachute Newsletter
by Richard N. Bolles

Well, the elections are over, and after a week of elation or depression, each of us will slowly return to the regular rhythms of life. One of those rhythms is Being Out of Work. Almost every one of us is out of work at some time in our lives. And not just once. The average person is out of work four - eight times in their lives. Wisdom can be distilled from the experience of successful job-hunters, that can benefit us all. Other than "giving up and waiting for God to prove He loves you," as one job-hunter put it, there are certain things you can do when you are out of work: study want-ads, job-postings on the Internet, tell all your friends and family what kind of work you are looking for, etc. There are also certain things you can think about, and keep clear in your head, at all times, while you are job-hunting. I call these "secrets", because they are not obvious to everyone. Here are seven of the most important.

1. Think of these as 'frontier days.' Think back to frontier days in the wild west. You rode into town or came in by covered wagon. And you were on your own. No one to help you, much. No unemployment offices. No government agencies. You had to create the work or find the work on your own. That is exactly the situation we are all back in. These are frontier days. Of course we do have ads in newspapers, such as this. Or on the Internet. But, nobody owes you a job. Not life, not the world, not the government, not the community in which you live.

2. Remember, there are always jobs out there. Maybe not in the field or specialty that you have been working in, all these years. But there are jobs that need you. Someone out there wants to see something get done, but either lacks the necessary skills, or the necessary time. You have the time, and (hopefully) the skills. They have money. The exchange of your time for their money is what we mean by 'a job.' Even during the hardest of times, many people have jobs, hence have money, hence are willing to give some of that money to other people who will do for them that which they cannot or will not do for themselves. Those who are already working create work for those who are not.

3. In looking for work, don't 'go it alone.' Build yourself 'a support group' comprised of family, friends, acquaintances, former co-workers, etc. Meet them often, talk about how this whole job-hunting process feels, get their suggestions and ideas and 'leads,' let your loved ones hug you….often.

4. In looking for work, you've got to take all labels off yourself. You are not a mechanic. You are not a truck driver. You are not a librarian. You are not a teacher. Or a secretary. Or a steelworker. Or an autoworker. Or a factory worker.

When you were born, and were lying in your crib there in the hospital, there was no tag around your wrist that said, "This is a nurse." Or, "this is an attorney." So, before you go job-hunting, remove all labels in your mind.

You are a Person, with certain kinds of knowledge, certain kinds of skills. You are good with your hands. Or you are good with your body. Or you are good with your mind. Or good at creating things. That is the only label you should mentally put upon yourself: "I am a Person, who is good at….or good with….(fill in the blank)."

5. In answering an ad, you must figure out what makes you different from nineteen other people who can do the same kind of work that you do. In interviewing for a job, an employer may interview twenty candidates (or more). The question going on, in that employer's mind, were he or she to speak to all the candidates at the same time, is: You are all gifted people, talented, experienced, with good credentials. But you all sound the same. I can't hire all twenty of you. So, I have to figure out who sounds different. The one worker who knows what makes them different from all the rest, and can communicate that difference to me, is the one I will hire.

In interviewing for a job, you must know what makes you unique. What do people praise you for? Is it your skills that make you unusual? Or is it the way you do your skills? Are you more thorough than most people who do what you do? Or are you faster at solving problems than most people who do what you do? Or are you more persistent than most people who do what you do? Or do you pay more attention to details than most people who do what you do?

6. In answering an ad, bring in any evidence you can that you possess the skills they are looking for. If the employer is looking for someone creative, bring in a scrapbook of your creativity. If the employer is looking for a computer programmer, bring in evidence of code you have written as a programmer. If the employer is looking for someone who comes in early, and stays late, bring any letters of commendation you received from a previous employer about how hard you work.

7. If you don't see ads for the kind of work you have been doing, then you must think through what services or products people need - - so that, figuratively speaking, you are making up your own ad, as it were. Think out what the people in your town or city need to have, or need to have done for them. Many people are working; they have money. What is it that the people who have money, need to have done for them? Delivering meals, to their place of business? Picking up laundry or dry cleaning from their home? Do people need advice, in areas where you are experienced, and an expert of sorts? Hang out "your shingle" as a consultant. Or do they need seasonal products? I used to frequently visit a mid-sized city. I noticed ingenuity everywhere. Unemployed people were selling umbrellas on street corners, if it started to rain. I noticed people were selling gloves and scarfs when it started getting cold. It was orange juice and fruits, when the weather got warm. I talked to some of these vendors, and found out that in many cases they were making a very good living. The website called eBay has started, for many people, careers that go beyond the boundaries of the town or city where you live. Your local bookstore, or amazon.com, has a number of books to tell you how - - such as How to Sell Anything on Ebay.…and Make a Fortune, by Dennis Price.

If you just can't find work you'd enjoy, but you still have some savings left, volunteer your time and services for nothing at the place in town that most interests you. Few employers will turn down good free help. And as you work there, you may 'be on the scene' when somebody quits, gets sick long-term, moves to another part of the country, etc. Better yet, while there you may be able to demonstrate you are so valuable, that the employer will move heaven and earth to find the money to hire you.

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