|
2 Job-Search Success Stories
Here are two success stories from my readers who found great new jobs last week. As you read each story, ask yourself, "How could I apply this to my job hunt?" 1) Job-search goal cards work Here's a story sent in by Fred, from Chanhassen, Minn. He got hired, in part, by using my "job-search goal card" technique in his search. Fred writes: "On Tuesday, May 24th, I attended the Star Tribune job fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center and heard you speak. You said to write down our ideal new job on a 3x5 card and read it every day until we found a job. "I just started working today (July 26) as a consultant, at $65 per hour, on a 3-6 month contract that could go as long as 18 months. I am working at a major Fortune 500 company not far from my house. Conclusion: Mission accomplished. Thanks!" Here's what Fred wrote on his job search goal card -- you can see how close he came to hitting the mark: "I am a project manager / business analyst / CIO / controller who knows how to use technology to build new products and systems. I am making $85,000 per year, and I enjoy meeting new people and problems." Your Takeaway Lesson: When you write down a specific description of your ideal job and read it out loud at least twice a day, you will almost always get hired faster. Why? For the same reason you can start a fire with the sun's rays using a magnifying glass -- focus. I recommend you write the following statement on a 3x5 card and say it 10 times out loud, three times a day -- when you wake up, during lunch, and before going to bed each night. This will imprint your job-search goal on your brain. And focus your efforts. And help you get hired faster: "It's August 30 (INSERT DATE YOU WANT TO BE WORKING BY). I'm an effective INSERT JOB TITLE who adds value to the company lucky enough to have me. I'm making $XX,XXX in a stimulating environment, doing work I love, surrounded by co-workers I enjoy." To make this work for you, all you need is a clear idea of the job you want, a 3x5 card and a pen. This is not high-tech or low-tech -- this is no-tech. So you have no excuse for not trying it. 2) Keep an open mind and say "Thank you." Anna C. from Michigan is newly employed and writes: "I have the most wonderful job -- every day I feel like I'm playing." Not bad, eh? When work is play, work is good. But, Anna was first turned down by the employer who eventually hired her. Her story shows the importance of keeping an open mind ? and of always sending thank-you letters. Anna writes: "I received many interview offers, none of which I was interested in. Many were sales-based. I finally responded to an email for a job as an agent for XYZ Company. I had never, ever thought of being a salesperson. As a matter of fact, I HATED sales people. Well, I didn't get the job, so I sent a thank-you note to the interviewer." That doesn't sound very promising, does it? Keep reading ? Anna got a call for a second interview, but she had no intention of taking the job, partly because it was too far from home. "But then I received a second email from XYZ, this time for a job out of St. Joseph, Michigan, which is closer to my home. I thought, 'Someone must be trying to tell me something,' so I applied. I was hired," she says. Your Takeaway Lesson: Keep an open mind and don't be too quick to rule out positions that aren't exactly what you're looking for. As Anna's case illustrates, you might get hired for a job you weren't even looking for. And, even if you don't get an offer after your first interview, send a thank-you letter to the employer. They may ask you back for another job that's even better, as in Anna's case. Now, go out and make your own luck! Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others. As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Jobs City of Rochester (.gov)
Careers Washington State University
Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools
JobFeed NSW Department of Education
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Learn a Language for Career Advancement
To learn a language for career advancement is one of the best ways to get ahead in the job market. In the 21st century you will need every advantage you can get to keep yourself competitive in the marketplace, and adding foreign language skills is a great way to gain an advantage.
Behaviour To Climb The Stepping Stones To Career Success
The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.What behaviour will improve your chances for success? Behaviour which can be described as good work ethics.
Writing Resumes That Attract Your Perfect Job
Let me introduce you to Ben. He made it happenBen was a comptroller.
Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5?
Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas.
Making The Best Of Yourself At Interview
You are just about to leave university You are just setting out in the job market You have a number of hurdles to get over before you have the job you have been dreaming of. You find the thought of an interview daunting.
The Perils Of Employment: Are You About To Be Let Go?
From the moment you are born and you take your first breath, you begin to die.It's just a fact of life.
How to Prepare for A Performance Appraisal
Performance appraisal should be treated as an ongoing developmental process rather than a formal once-a-year review. It should be closely monitored by both employee and reviewer to ensure that targets are being achieved.
Sample Resume Objectives: Good, But Summaries Are Smokin!
Since college I've been told that a resume ought to have an "objective statement" at the top. Maybe you've been told the same.
So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct phrase these days is not "bodyguard" but personal protection specialist, executive protection specialist or close protection operative, depending on your place of training and other preferences.
Resurrecting the Perfect Resume, Part Two
Are you in denial about the lifelessness of your resume? If you are reasonably qualified for the type of work you seek, yet your resume is consistently failing to win you interviews, then you need to face the reality that your beloved document is dead.
Try these professional resume writing techniques to resurrect your resume and your job search today:
Problem #3: Resume Is Blind
In your eagerness to cut your job search work load have you reduced your objective statement to something grandiose and vague, something that you hope speaks to every employer but which, in fact, communicates to none? A resume with no focus is blind; without a clear focus in your resume an employer cannot perceive what you're offering them; without a concisely stated vision in your resume an employer cannot grasp the big picture of how you fit into their organization.
Pebbles in Your Shoe Dont Only Hurt your Foot But Cause Back and Hip Problems!
CIO Magazine ran an article entitled, "Ten Mistakes CIO's Too Often Make" written by Susan H. Cramm, former CIO and vice president of IT at Taco Bell and CFO and executive vice president at Chevys, a Taco Bell subsidiary.
Fantastic Job Fair Follow-up
Set the stage for fantastic job fair follow-up while you are still at the job fair. As the conversation is coming to a close, ask for the company representative's business card.
Should You Make A Career Decision Based Upon A Career Quiz?
Q. I'm about to graduate High School and I don't know what I want to be "when I grow up".
Online Resume Formats
There are several types of online resume formats that can be used when contacting potential employers. When you search for job openings online, some companies will have on their websites which online resume format is acceptable.
Are Your Intentions Clear in Your Job Search?
1. Do you REALLY know what you want?2.
Searching for an Executive Job
A job search for executives is far less complicated today than it has been in the past. Anyone who is looking for an executive job can simply look to the Internet where there are hundreds of employment websites, with many specifically geared towards executives.
Looking for a Qualified Medical Billing Specialist
Families, mothers, employers, and medical practices all interact in one way or another with a medical billing specialist. When medical billing is required, a qualified medical billing specialist can help you process your claim quickly and thoroughly.
Opportunities in Automotive Services Industries - How To Cash In
I believe it would be safe to say that the transportation industry is one of the highest revenue producers in today's modern economies.Millions upon millions of private passenger vehicles rule the highways and rural roads in countries around the world.
Talented People
I was asked last week for an article about employment, "What is your favorite 'employment phrase'?"Wow, talk about tough questions! What sprang to mind were all the phrases that people should avoid like the plague, so I had to do some fast thinking to come up with one that I loved. After mentally narrowing down my options, I settled on one: 'talented people'.
Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
|