Stop hiding behind your computer and take a chance.
It’s incredibly easy to fall into the norm of online job search. Select some industry specific websites, a few associations you belong to, and don’t forget Monster and Career Builder, the largest career sites. For efficiency, you can set up alerts so that new job postings are sent directly to your inbox. Perhaps there are some organizations that you’ve targeted whose job postings you are monitoring. It’s so easy – right? You sit behind a computer and continue to fruitlessly search and apply, search and apply.
Well, what many people don’t talk about is that you are one of hundreds—sometimes thousands—of others who are applying for the same positions. Sure, you may have more experience, a better resume, or stellar achievements, but you are a single data record in a massive database. Online job searching can and does work, but it does not work for everyone and it is often not the best use of your search time.
So why not try another strategy? A client of mine who had been wanting to advance his career for some time did just that. He had spent quite a bit of time pursuing online job postings, but his efforts (and time invested) didn’t pay off, so he took a chance. He made a phone call to a competitor with whom he had a business relationship.
He reached out and shared his interest in joining the new company, an expression of interest that led to a lunch meeting with a manager and then two rounds of intense interviews. He put a lot of work and energy into the interview process, but he would have never had the opportunity without taking a chance on making that initial phone call. The company had no job posting and was not searching for anyone. My client focused on how he could add value and the strategy worked! He took a chance and won the advancement.
Technology has become such an overwhelming part of our lives that we tend to forget that something simple—and old fashioned like a phone call—can smooth the way and achieve the desired result!
Ellie Vargo, MRW, CCMC
ev@noteworthyresume.com