How to Find a Job: When There Are No Jobs (Book 1) a Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market (Find a Job Series) (7 page)

However, be patient and persistent, as learning all aspects of a completely new career field can take a considerable amount of time, money and effort. If you are currently employed and need the income but want to make a career change, I would suggest that you begin to educate yourself while you are still working. If you choose a more formal education process, you may want to consider night school at a local college or vocational trade school. Utilize your free time wisely, taking advantage of evenings and weekends, to further your studies. Consider working part-time in your chosen career field. A part-time arrangement while still maintaining your full-time position will allow you to maintain your current lifestyle and begin to move you towards your new career.

If you have been laid off or fired from your current job and want to make a career change, your challenge will be to maintain your current standard of living while learning all you can about your new career. Education is a very important factor and key needed to successfully start a career in a new field. However, financially it can be a very difficult time if you are trying to educate yourself and are without a job. If you decide to pursue a new career without a source of income it is important to consider all options regarding your personal financial situation. I have found it beneficial to realize that you always have financial options. Some of course will be better than others. Begin by determining the amount of time you may have in reference to your personal finances versus your expenses.

Consider all possible money sources including but not limited to your savings, equity in real estate, stocks and bonds, student or other potential loans, your spouse’s income, all items such as cars, boats, etc. you may be able to sell. Consider also the possibility of working part-time in either your chosen field or other area to generate an income needed to fund your education. 

A Personal Financial Account

When I was the victim of a lay off while employed at Fisher Scientific Company, it meant that I was immediately out of a job with no income. My company automobile was taken from me that day, as were all my benefits. I was on my own, faced with conducting a job search with only a limited amount of financial reserve. I remember being in shock and afraid of what my future might hold. I could not believe I had just lost my job. My life as I perceived it at that time was in total chaos and decline. 

Shortly after leaving Fisher Scientific I took an assessment of all my finances. I owned a home with approximately six to eight thousand dollars in equity, and my liquid savings consisted of approximately $6,000. The number $6,000 kept staring me in the eye. Essentially it meant that I had approximately six months of survival time. My expenses at that point in my life were about $1,000 per month including my house payment. Was I frightened? You’re darn right; petrified is a better description of my feelings during this difficult time in my life. Having only six months of survival time did not give me a very high degree of comfort.

Starting my own executive search business was the only option I felt that fully satisfied my internal needs and interests. However, this was a personal choice I made after several weeks of research, financial analysis and a great deal of soul searching. Each individual must decide and make choices based upon their own resources, needs and interests. Starting or purchasing a business may not be the best choice for everyone making a career move. Any decision regarding your career is your personal decision and you and only you should be in complete control of your career and destiny.

Building Your Network

N
ow that you have identified your career path through the “Intuitive Personal Assessment” process, begin to identify specific companies, organizations, etc. involved with the type of work you have chosen. The process of identifying companies and then researching them is an extremely important aspect of your job search.

The Internet may be one of the best starting places to conduct your research on any subject you choose. The amount of information on the Internet pertinent to your job search is staggering and growing every day. Many libraries provide free Wi-Fi as well as computer terminals with free access to the Internet. The library is also an excellent resource for books, magazines, journals, newspapers and microfiche.

The best description for this important step in your job search is called networking. Networking is an investigative process whereby your goal will be to identify and use as many interconnecting sources as possible to determine a suitable company, organization, etc. Visualize your network as a massive spider web that continues to grow larger and more complex as your knowledge base grows. If you do a thorough job of establishing and setting up your network, the probability of locating the type of position you desire is very high. By using a myriad of networking sources available to you coupled with the job search strategies in this book, you will be able to locate the job you desire.

Several career related web sites have developed job boards where you can post your resume free of charge and view available positions with thousands of companies. Nearly all Internet providers including AT&T, Comcast, AOL, NetZero and MSN, offer links to career and job search sites.

Specific examples of career and job search websites are as follows: indeed.com, usjobboard.com, hotresumes.com, recruitersonline.com, employmax.com, careerbuilder.com, monster.com, twitjobsearch.com, headhunter.com, flipdog.com, 6figurejobs.com, net-temps.com, kforce.com, nationjobs.com, vault.com, cooljobs.com, idealist.org, careers.msn.com, americasjobbank.com, collegegrad.com, excite.com, rileyguide.org, www.4work.com, www.apnjobs.com, accountingjobs.com, americanbanker.com/careerzone, bestjobsusa.com, careeravenue.com, careercast.com,  careercity.com, career.com, computerwork.com, careerexchange.com, careersite.com, careers.wsj.com, ceweekly.com, dice.com, EngineeringJobs.com, fedjobs.com,  jobsingovernment.com, MarketingJobs.com, nationjob.com, netshare.com, recruitersonline.com, sciencemag.org, selectjobs.com, tjobs.com, etc.

There are literally thousands of Internet sites dedicated to career and job search issues each having their own style and specialty. It is my personal experience that each website is quite different. Some sites are more user friendly and better designed than others, where posting one’s resume is a relatively easy download or cut and paste operation. Some job sites also offer a great deal of career related information with tools to research specific companies, organizations, etc.

In today’s highly computerized world it is important to fully utilize social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, jobnet and MySpace. For example, with LinkedIn, you can search for specific jobs utilizing components of their site dedicated to careers as well as send and receive instant job search updates to your various contacts via messaging feeds. This additional networking strategy not only allows you to interact with your current contacts, but also creates a forum enabling you to meet new people who may be able to assist you with your job search.

Each job search website is unique and what may be a helpful site for one individual seeking a sales position may not be particularly useful to someone in search of an engineering position. Searching for a job on the Internet can be a very time consuming and often tedious task. The Internet and its various career and job search websites as well as any web-based research gathering capability should be used only as one of your many job search tools and be considered a part of your overall network. 

The Wall Street Journal’s National Business Employment Weekly both online and in print lists career opportunities across the country. Other literary aids available at the library or for purchase are Standard & Poor’s Register and the Thomas Register; both profile thousands of public and private companies. These guides are also available on CD-ROM or the Internet. In addition, specific state-by-state manufacturer’s directories are also available in print and in CD-ROM formats.

Further, guides such as Hoovers, www.hoovers.com and The Corporate Directory of U.S. Public Corporations, lists thousands of public companies with important information regarding each company including corporate directories, financial information and corporate structures. Having access to a company’s corporate structure is invaluable information should you need to contact the company and its decision makers. Columbia Books publishes various directories, one of which is a listing of National Trade and Professional Associations of the U.S. and can be contacted at columbiabooks.com or 888-265-0600.

You may also want to subscribe to a specific trade organization and city-specific job banks. Contact Adams Media, www.adamsmedia.com for specific career related books and job banks in key cities across the United States. Another company called Leadership Directories, www.leadershipdirectories.com publishes various directories such as the Corporate Yellow Book which lists contact information for over 26,000 executives and over 7,000 board members from leading U.S. manufacturers, service businesses, and utilities. Their phone number is 212-627-4140. This company also publishes a myriad of other Yellow Books including Associations Yellow Book, Nonprofit Sector Yellow Book and several others.

You might consider identifying your trade’s professional associations and determine when their organizations meet and when their next tradeshow or meeting will be held. Investigate any career related services they may offer such as job search bulletins, websites or job listings. Ask to be placed on their mailing list so you may be made aware of future tradeshows and other related functions. Plan to attend the next trade show or meeting. Bring several resumes and meet as many potential hiring authorities as possible. It is always a good practice to ask each individual you meet for a business card.

Write to each person you meet and try to establish a potential interview if you determine that they have staffing needs. If the individual you meet is not a hiring authority, ask for permission to contact the appropriate manager. There may be several individuals who have hiring authority. Plan to make contact with all pertinent individuals specific to your interests within the company. 

Consider subscribing to private and state college job vacancy bulletins. Numerous companies advertise job listings with many universities across the country. Take advantage of several in state and out of state college programs that sponsor free job seeking seminars for alumni and the public. In addition, many universities have their own websites where you can post your resume for companies seeking employees. Many jobs available at the university itself may be listed on their website.

Your local Yellow Pages and Business-to-Business directories are excellent job sources and research tools to help identify companies specific to your interests. The Yellow Pages are also available online and in CD-ROM formats. A company called JIST; The Job Search People, is an excellent source for many career reference books. To receive a catalog of available career and job search books, workbooks, guides etc., visit their website at jist.com or call 800-648-5478. Your local bookstore is an excellent resource for books, magazines, and trade journals, specific to your area of interest and are typically filled with names of companies and contacts.

Target Marketing, a Key to Career Success

Focus your attention on identifying a target list of fifteen to twenty companies or organizations that specialize in the field you have chosen. The identification process and development of your target list is crucial to the success of your search. Your target list of companies, organizations, etc., may be generated from a myriad of sources such as the Internet, library and trade journals as you build your network. Visualize your network as if it were a giant spider web where you are responsible for building and designing your network web. Your chances of locating and securing the type of position you desire increases proportionately to the quality of your network web. As your network grows, your contacts and knowledge of your chosen industry will also grow. 

Research, for Career Success

Thoroughly research each company for which you have an interest. Most companies have websites where you can gather a great deal of information about each company. Many company sites feature a career section with a list of job openings for which you may apply online or send a resume for review. Learn as much as possible about each company’s products and services including its sales volume and number of employees. Familiarize yourself with the company’s culture, its policies and management style. Research their benefit packages including salary, bonuses, commission structure, health care plans, life and disability insurance, retirement plans such as 401K, profit sharing, stock options, and available childcare.

Call the company directly and ask them to send you their annual report which will include the company’s sales volume, profit and loss, and company structure including names of senior level management. Additional information contained in an annual report is the company’s mission statement indicating their specific market and goals. A company’s history is as important as their future plans. Their history tells you if the company is progressing, digressing or restructuring.

Personal Contacts, A Friendly and Effective Network

Personal contacts including friends, relatives, acquaintances and business associates should not be overlooked as being an extremely valuable part of your network. Once you have identified your specific area of interest, you should draft a letter to each of your personal contacts indicating your desired career objectives. Ask them for their support and any suggestions they may have regarding pertinent contacts.  Include your resume with each letter you write to your personal contacts. Each person to whom you send a letter and resume may know of one or more additional contacts to add to your network. They may be aware of a particular position where your background has some application.

Plan to follow-up your letter and resume with a personal phone call and set up a meeting with each of your personal contacts to further discuss your career goals. A great number of individuals have located excellent positions having been introduced through a personal contact. A personal referral to a prospective employer can be a very powerful motivator for the employer to hire you.