FOCUSING YOUR JOB SEARCH

There is no doubt that it is difficult to find employment or a new job in today’s economic environment.  It may be more difficult for job seekers who have limited experience since they are faced with more competition (others looking for a new job) that are being considered for the same position. 

A number of employers are seeing that they have a choice of more senior or more experienced candidates than they would have in a better economy.  So, how do you make sure that you are given the most favorable consideration possible by a potential employer?

The answer lies in taking a targeted approach to your search.  The answer does not lie in responding to as many on-line ads as you can, writing to as many companies as possible, or broadcasting your resume to dozens of search firms. 

Taking this approach will use up a lot of time and effort that would be better spent doing research to find companies looking for the specific set of skills and the professional experience you have.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I am not saying that you will be able to find a 100% match to your skills and experience, but the closer you match a job you are applying for, the better your chances, even when others with more experience are applying as well for the same position.

To increase your chances of getting favorable consideration as a candidate, and land the interview, you may consider the following steps:

1)       Customize your resume.

Write your resume in such a way that it is easy to edit.  This way you can substitute specific experiences, accomplishments and skills that will be of value to the employer you are contacting.

If you are a marketing professional with experience in both catalog sales and B-to-B industrial sales, make sure that you include the catalog sales experience and leave out, or minimize, your B-to-B experience.  This will allow a focus on targeted skills that are of value to the prospective employer.

2)       Simplify your resume.

Make sure your resume is no more than 2 pages long.  But, if you need to, do not make it more than 3 pages long.

In addition, be sure that you describe your accomplishments as bullet points – no more than 4 for each employer.

Consider a functional, rather than chronological resume, that will focus the reader’s attention on your experience, accomplishments and skills that will be seen to have value to the company.  Also, highlighting your skills and experience this way can call attention to what you bring that might be viewed more favorably than what other candidates offer.          

3)       Look for opportunities that match your background

You should not apply for every job listed.  If you are a research chemist, don’t apply for every chemist position you see.  If you have a specialty in polymers and you have 10 years experience, then apply for polymer chemist positions and apply with employers looking for candidates with 10 years experience.

Applying for jobs for which you are under or over qualified can be a waste of your valuable time.  You are going to be better off applying for fewer jobs that you are specifically qualified for, than for many that you do not have any chance of getting.

4)       Research the company you applying to for a position.

Focus your letter writing campaign on companies that are in the industry or industries that match your background.  Find those companies by spending time in the library and talking to networking contacts and doing detailed research on the companies and their needs.

5)       Contact company executives in your targeted function.

This should be part of your networking strategy.  If you are looking for a marketing job, contact the marketing executives at those companies in industries that match your background and experience.  This could well result in you being considered for a marketing position before there is any competition from others for the same job.

The object should be to set yourself apart from others being considered for a job, and to limit the number of other job seekers that might be seen as equal to you as a candidate.  If you take a targeted approach, do your research, focus your resume and limit your applications to a few companies, your probability of success in your search could be significantly increased.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know at career.search.mgmt.com.