The economy has been all over the news lately, but I’m not telling you anything.  What I will tell you is this – most people need to get their resume, career search, and goals together.  Most sources are estimating by fall, we will see unemployment at 9% nationwide (already higher in some localities), and the economy will most-likely still be on a downturn. 

 

I’m not saying all of this to scare you, but to give a brief and realistic picture of what we’re seeing.  As a matter of fact, at 9% unemployment, that means we’re still over 90% employment, and the unemployment rate is still quite a bit better than in the early 80s.  Furthermore, we know that the economy will not stay down forever.  In fact, down markets are when smart companies that have the wherewithal to do so, sink time and money into hiring.  So this is a time for all of us, whether we are happy where we are, feel like we’re in a stable position, own a company, are new to the market, or currently unemployed to put together a plan.  What kind of plan?  An Employment Plan. 

 

How do you create an Employment Plan?  This is a very brief and FREE guide (check back as I may update it from time to time):

 

Step 1:  Be honest with yourself, and think about your requirements.  Map out what you have really done in life and your career, and think about adding it to a resume.  Think about your marketable skills.  Take a hard look at your finances, and calculate what you realistically need to earn to accept another position.  Think about commute, travel, and benefits.  If you’re not heading into the retirement zone, map out what your career goals are, and be realistic.  NOW WRITE THIS ALL DOWN.  I recommend creating separate documents for each item:  Resume, Goals, Skills, and Needs.

 

Step 2:  Create, update, or recreate your resume.  I post about resume creation in an earlier post.  Give it a read, the tips are solid.   The basic gist of the post is that you should create a master document (see a pattern here?) for your resume, and pull from it what you need.  Once you’ve mapped out what your want to do as your next step in your career, you should customize your resume to the specific position you want.  Whether it is the same kind of position as what you have/had, or whether you are making a change or step up, a customized resume to the position you are applying for will get you a lot farther with employers.  As I state in my previous post, make your resume crisp and clear.  Put it in 10 or 11 point font – any larger or smaller will bug the viewer – and keep the font to Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, or other simple yet commonly used font as not everyone will be able to view rarely-used fonts.  Clearly state your objective, and make sure it is to have the type of position you are applying for.  Unless you are freshly out of school, do not limit your resume to just one page.  AGAIN, BE HONEST.  Talk about what you accomplished, not what your responsibilities were.  Talk about things you were critically involved in, not what the department are the guy next to you did (a common blunder).  Be concise.

 

Step 3:  Build your network.  Sending your resume into job postings is often the road to futility.  Referrals are the best way to get your foot in the door.  How do you do this?  Start with who you know – send out feelers on what you are looking to do for your next work.  Talk to family and friends if you are comfortable; they may end up connecting you to your next opportunity.  Not comfortable with that?  It’s OK, that’s common.  There are other methods.  You could try joining online communities (LinkedIn, BrightFuse, etc.) as a place where people may share leads, hiring managers may take a look at you, you can ask and answer questions, and so on.  There are also networking or user groups you can join locally.  If you are out of work, post that resume on job boards.  Additionally, build some relationships with some recruiters.  First, get referrals, and if you don’t have any, look up some firms that post jobs you want, and talk to a recruiter there that you feel comfortable with.  Recruiters are typically rushed people, but if you feel overly-rushed off the phone, find a different one – your time is valuable too!  Let the recruiter know what you will not take, what you will, share your expectations, and accept some of their advice.  Also interview them about their track record with your type of positions.  You’ll get a quick sense if he/she has the network you need.  Good recruiters don’t place people… they build relationships. 

 

Step 4:  Build your brand.  Now that you’ve given yourself a hard look (product analysis), built your resume (product specifications), and your network (distribution), you need to build your brand.  Your brand is who you are.  It’s your specifications, analyzed to match with the needs of the consumer, and set up to be delivered to the buyer.  The thing is, there are lots of products out there, so you need to catch their eye.  This is physically, professionally, and personally.  How do you do this?  First, work on your appearance.  Yes, appearances matter, don’t kid yourself.  You don’t have to be stunningly attractive, but you do have to appear organized and that you care about your appearance.  Make sure your hair is cut regularly, as you don’t know when a chance meeting may come around.  Yes, if you can, watch your diet, it is best to do so.  Keep one or two suits (or interview outfits) ready to go.  Make sure to bring a briefcase or similar item with you to meetings, and include a lint roller, some breath mints, a comb/brush, and any quick make-up, hair products that you may need (make them as small as possible).  No matter what the excuse, looking disheveled will cost you “customers”.   Know your product (yourself); you are selling yourself, and no one likes a salesperson that has poor product knowledge.  This means, know your resume, know your history, and know the position your are looking to attain.  I personally recommend you come up with a 30-60 second “infomercial”.  This is a quick run down of your history (as it pertains to the position you want).  It needs to be interesting, but no fluff.  This gets the “customer” interested and sets the tone for the “product demonstration”.  It would be wise to come in with a value proposition –the way a business proposes to use its resources to deliver superior value to its customers – to set yourself above other job-seekers.  Stay away from “quick learner” or “hard worker”…  If you can’t, you’d better have some verifiable examples of them. 

 

Step 5:  Learn to close.  All lawyers, as a major part of their arguments, will work to craft a masterful close.  In your case, yours is a wrap-up, and exit.  This means that you need to keep the presentation strong, as most people try to do, but you need to leave on a high note.  This means  ask some questions of the interviewer (“what are the next steps?”, “You had mentioned travel, how often, and for how long?”) it gets your head around what you could be in for, shows intelligence and comprehension, and shows interest.  Furthermore, you need to wrap up, and exit.  This takes practice for most people.  Once the questions are done, and answered, as long as you have the contact information you need, you’ll want the strong exit:  “This has been a great meeting, and you’ve got my interest.  I look forward to hearing from you next week once you’ve talked to your team.” or “Listen, I know you’re busy, so I’m going to make my way out.  You have my information; I look forward to the next steps.”  The point is you want to head out on a strong and high note, and while you haven’t overstayed your welcome.  It can be just as important as your entrance.

 

 

 

My $.02

 

 

 

A little about me: 

 

I don’t have a crystal ball, nor do I have all of the answers.  I do have a little over 18 years of Human Capital Management experience in my life – Operations, Management, Consulting, Recruiting, and Ownership.  Please don’t stop your reading and research with my post, but use this as a basis to formulate your winning strategy.