How to find job

Being Proactive Pays

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Literally! We all know the concept, but I want to share with you a true story of how it was used in practice for job search. My friend (Mary – a false name) was laid off just a month ago and was told her last day will be July 24. What does she do?

Mary immediately calls her old company she previously quit (to get this current job) to see if her old position is still open. (Kudos to her for being so open minded and for keeping a good relationship even though she quit) To her surprise, her old position was still open. They were just finalizing on an internal candidate when Mary called and said they were willing to consider her, but it would need for them to open the job in HR to the public in order to hire her from the outside the company. They said they will get back to her next week. ...  read more

Try Low, Sell High

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A true story! A good friend of mine just received a nice offer to a great job. How he got this offer was somewhat unusual. I thought I share it in case it can inspire you to look at opportunities in a new light.

Given the economy, he decided to be more open minded and look for jobs that were below his level (which is Director). He saw a manager job opening on craiglist and applied. When the recruiter talked to him and asked him if it was ok if this job pays around $___ (about 25-30% lower than his last job’s base pay), he decided to say yes. His rationale was if the job is going to be easier and possibly can be done in 35 hours a week, he can always try to get another contract gig for 10-20 hours to make up the difference. He also thought it was another chance to practice his interviewing skills. ...  read more

Job Search is Your Job

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“The trouble with unemployment is that the minute you wake up in the morning you’re on the job”. — Slappy White

Job search is the job you have when you are between jobs. Like any other jobs,

  1. It needs to be a full time effort (30-40 hours a week consistently) if you want to achieve any level of success quickly.
  2. It requires a certain set of skills that are developed over time. No one is born good at this, but anyone can learn to master it.
  3. You need to make yourself accountable, since you are also your own boss in this “job.” Consider getting a “boss buddy” (a topic of a future post)
  4. The skills you build are as important as the result you achieve, because the result you achieve (finding a job) is only helpful to this effort, but the skills you learn for job search can help you a life time.

What can you do to fill up 30-40 hours a week consistently you may ask? Well, check out the Job Search Checklist. Good Luck out there! ...  read more

Survival is the Name of the Game

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Everyone seems to know someone who is unemployed or just got laid off these days. While I don’t want you to give up on the dream of your dream job, a health dose of realism needs to set in right now. It’s all about survival in this market. It’s a buyer’s market. Employer can have their pickings today of talent out there as some of the most talented people (like you) are out of work today. ...  read more

One Step at a Time

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I am also not immune to have doubts once in awhile, despite my own advice. It’s human I guess. As I look at my blog posts, I think is the tone too preachy? would it help anyone? does it sound practical? Initial doubts can then easily lead to de-motivation if I indulge on them – what if people think xyz? what if this is a waste of time? what if ….? ...  read more

Key Differentiators in Job Search

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Last week, I saw on the news. “Unemployment is now at 8.5% and FedEx just laid off a 1000+ employees.” It’s easy to feel depressed or demotivated with news like that especially for anyone looking for a job.

Dwelling on those statistics will only make you doubt your ability to get that next job. For you, I say stop wasting time with things you cannot change. This can begin by stop watching depressing news, stop telling other people depressing stories about the job market, and stop letting other people tell you these stories. These news and stories will just unconsciously weigh negatively on your psyche. It is important especially in this tough market to hang in there, maintain a positive attitude, and keep your mind clear to focus on job search. This is what can separate you from the masses. ...  read more