Oct 08 2009
3 step method to beating the recession and getting that job!
The number of job seekers competing for every job opening is at the highest since the recession began, but it’s worse than you think in many areas. The Labour Department reported 6.3 unemployed workers for every job opening. The number was 1.7 in December 2007. Below is a 3 step method to landing a great job or career change in this terrible job climate:
1) Research the employer. Learn all you can about the needs, problems, and opportunities of companies you want to work for. This will help you create a compelling message that appeals to an employer’s self-interest … while ordinary job seekers are simply asking for a job.
2) Research the job. Learn all you can about the work you would do if hired. Here are four ways to do it: Ask people in your network of contacts on Linkedin and Facebook for information. Human intelligence is best. Search online for resumes and profiles of people who work at your target employer. If the job is advertised, analyse the required skills to cull out what you’ll be doing if hired. Search Google and the employer’s web site for press releases announcing new employees. You’ll often find reasons why those people were hired — precious information.
3) Prove you can do the job, in the interview. The most effective way is to audition and perform the required skills. Examples: a software developer could program an application showcasing their skills; a sales professional could bring 25 customer leads or make cold calls; an editor could proofread a document in the interview.
Another way to prove your skills is to offer testimonials from others. This is what one jobseeker did in his job-winning interview. He created a two-page addendum to his resume/CV, which he handed to the hiring manager in the interview. Both pages matched the look and feel of his business card and web site. Page one, titled “Accolades,” was made up of quotes from recommendations posted on his Linkedin profile. The quotes were divided into three parts: customers, managers, and business partners. Page two was titled “Skills Required For Success.”
In researching the employer, this jobseeker found they needed help with project management, problem solving, and execution. So he let former managers prove his expertise. “I took quotes from past performance reviews that tied into the skills they were looking for in the position,” he said.
Jobseekers sign up on employersjobs.com today and begin applying to a range of jobs and positions.
