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14 Proven Job Search Tactics

April 8th, 2009

In a stable, growing economy, unemployment is low, there’s a strong need for workers, and most people who want jobs can find them. But now, in our shaky economy, there aren’t enough jobs to go around, and it takes longer to find a position, sometimes much longer.

With the availability of many job candidates, employers are particularly choosy. If you’ve already been testing the job market, you know there are plenty of competitors out there looking for the same opportunities you are, though it may be less competitive in some industries, and some parts of the nation, than others.

Only when the economy has hit rock bottom can it be said there are no jobs at all. In today’s economy, there’s always something, someplace. But because opportunities are fewer and farther between, it’s important to work at finding a job more diligently than the other guys.

This should not discourage you. Many among your competitors search in haphazard and unproductive ways. Still others make mistakes that quickly get them disqualified. If you can avoid your competitors’ pitfalls, you move quickly to the head of the line, in a position to become the prime candidate.

Here are some of the major differences between candidates who win jobs and those who don’t.

1. Losers are generally reluctant to put in the time and effort to do a thorough and ongoing search, to follow the leads and customize their approaches for specific opportunities. Winners work longer and harder than others. They know there’s no substitute for a thorough, carefully targeted job search campaign.

2. Looking good may not win a job for you, but looking shabby can quickly get you shot down. Losers look like losers. If you want to win, look like a winner. Conservative, cleaned-and-pressed clothing, shoes shined, good haircut, little or no scent (perfume or after shave - only the good stuff). Looking just “good enough” is not good enough..

3. Plan your work. Then work your plan. Losers tend to be disorganized, without day-by-day goals, and carefully focused efforts. To win, you should know what you want to accomplish every day, every week. Keep your eye on the prize. The more contacts you make and the more information you gather, the better your chance of finding the opportunity you’re looking for.

4. It’s not enough the mail out resumes and list yourself on the job websites, then sit and wait for your phone to ring. That’s what most others are doing, too, and it’s likely they aren’t having great luck, either. Be pro-active. Get on the phone. Call everybody you know. Make appointments with managers who can give you advice, and tips about where to look. Your most effective job search tool is…

5. Networking. If you think you have to be a social virtuoso to contact strangers and ask for help, you’re wrong. Most (though not all) will give you the twenty minutes you ask for, and tell you what’s going on in their companies and their industries. Many of the opportunities you identify this way aren’t listed on the Internet or advertised in the newspapers. Your competitors may never learn of these “hidden” job openings. But you will.

6. Losers use the same resumes and covering letters for everyone. Winners understand that different employers have different needs, and that one version of a resume and one version of a letter may not appeal to everyone. They create as many different resumes as needed, and customize letters in the same targeted way. It takes extra time to do it right, but you’ll score more points with prospective employers..

7. Do your homework. Before you show up for an interview, make it your business to know what the company does, and if possible, what the department does. Study the annual report and the company brochures. Google the company for information. Be ready to talk to the boss about the things that interest him most. If the boss has to explain the most basic things to you, you brand yourself as someone who didn’t have enough interest to find out for himself/herself.

8. Losers start telling who they are and what they’re been doing, before they know what the boss is looking for in a new employee. Result: they run a major risk of describing themselves in ways that aren’t right for this job. Winners encourage the boss to talk first, then reveal the things about themselves that are appropriate Result: the boss is far more likely to conclude “This person is just right for the job.” Which leads to tactic number 9…

9. The interview is not the place to talk about yourself endlessly. Ramble on about your hopes and dreams, your golf game, or your smart dog, and it’s likely you’ll succeed only in boring the boss. And you just might mention something that has nothing to do with the job, yet which the employer finds objectionable. Stick to why you’re right for the job. Stay away from extraneous information, unless it’s clear the boss wants to chat about such stuff.

10. Don’t speak ill of anyone, not your former bosses, not your teachers, not your colleagues, no matter what you may think of them. Nobody wants to be in the same workplace with a negative, vindictive person. And besides, the boss will wonder what you’ll say about him/her, if you get the job. Bottom line: be upbeat, positive, optimistic.

11. If there’s a job to be filled, you can bet there’s an employer with a problem. The boss is looking for a new employee to solve that problem. You will increase your value in the boss’s eyes if he/she believes you to be a problem solver. Explain how you identified problems, came up with ways to solve them, and what was improved through your efforts. Have several of these stories ready, and discuss them if and when they’re appropriate.

12. Remember that the boss wants to know if you can do the job. You have to prove that you can before he/she starts thinking about what the company will have to offer to get you. Don’t lead off with questions about salary or vacation policy. That comes later.

13. The only right time to talk about money is after you have the job offer. Once they’ve decided you’re the one they want, they don’t want to lose you, and it’s likely you’ll be in a better position to negotiate compensation. If you talk money before you get an offer, they may disqualify you just on the basis of your price tag.

14. Always send a follow-up letter right away after the interview. It’s another way to help sell yourself to the employer.. Thank the boss for his/her time, reaffirm your interest in the job, and briefly re-state the reasons why you’re a strong candidate. Your competitors often skip the follow-up, and you’ll come off as the good guy.

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