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Guest article by Lori Davila

Guest article by Lori Davila, nationally recognized career and networking coach.

THE FIVE SECRETS TO ACCELERATING YOUR JOB SEARCH

Are you having difficulty getting interviews? Has your phone stopped ringing?

Are you just "winging" your job search efforts without a well-thought out plan? If this sounds like you, your search is guaranteed to take months longer than anticipated. This can cost you thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars of lost income.

In today’s competitive marketplace, a successful job search has all the ingredients of an effective marketing and sales campaign with well thought-out and deliberate strategies at the center of that effort.

I can promise you that if you read and implement the following five marketing-related strategies, you will see a significant increase in interviews, callbacks, and interest, and as a result, your confidence will begin to soar as you become more in demand.

Here are the five secrets to accelerating your job search –

1. FOCUS AND TARGET YOUR SEARCH.
   
   The number one reason job seekers are in a job search too long is because they lack a target with laser beam focus. This is marketing 101. They keep themselves "open" to many possibilities and they tell others that they’ll "go anywhere and do anything". This strategy only confuses others that may be able to help. Write down and share with others what you want to do and include your career objective, target market, competitive advantages, and 50-100 target companies. If you clearly articulate what you want to do and where, people will begin to give you ideas and contacts.
   
   
2. DEVELOP A TARGETED NETWORKING STRATEGY.
   
   Find people that are doing the things you want to do and spend every waking hour of your job search with them. These are the people to network with because they know where job openings are in your profession and industry. How do you find these people? Try a local chapter of a professional association in your field. Here’s a resource for associations - http://www.weddles.com/associations/index.cfm. When networking, don’t forget to find ways to do something in return.
   
   
3. OVERWHELM YOURSELF WITH ACTIVITY.
   
   What you put into your job search is exactly what you’ll get out of it. If you only contact one person a day to set up a networking meeting, don’t expect your telephone to ring. If you work towards contacting 10 to 20 people a day to set up networking meetings, and if you schedule five networking meetings per week, doors are guaranteed to start opening.
   
   
4. PRACTICE SELF-PROMOTION.
   
   No one likes to brag, talk about themselves, or toot their own horns. But in today’s competitive marketplace, you have to stand out and be memorable. Determine what differentiates you and what accomplishments you are most proud of and proactively incorporate these into every conversation.
   
   
5. ASSESS YOUR MARKETPLACE.
   
   Research the demand for your services in your target market. Talk to employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors of your target employers. If you determine there is little demand, evaluate your transferable skills and look at possible alternatives for your career. Don’t spend too much time trying to sell "snow shovels in South Florida".
   
   

SOURCE: Lori Davila is a nationally recognized career and networking coach, author, and speaker who specializes in developing marketing strategies for executives to achieve their career goals...fast. She writes a professional development and networking column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and regularly contributes to The Wall Street Journal. Her book, How to Choose the Right Person for the Right Job Every Time (McGraw-Hill, September 2004), includes 401 behavior-based and other interview questions. She also works with corporations to develop leaders, teams and right-fit interviewing and hiring techniques. Copyright 2004 by Lori Davila. All rights reserved.

To learn more about Lori Davila, E-mail: lori@atlantacareermarketing.com.

You may also visit her book site at http://doi.contentdirections.com/mr/mgh.jsp?doi=10.1036/0071431233, or her newspaper column site at www.ajcjobs.com/wl/Content.jsp?Content=/careercenter/stages/prof_devlp.html.

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