Getting That Perfect Job

There are several initial steps that you will take to discover who you are and what you really want in a career. Once you have completed a Career/Life Plan®:, or in some other way have completed an indepth exploration of you, your talents, dreams, potential, you will be ready to bring those unique talents to the attention of potential employers.

You will want to take time to create a resume that clearly states the tangible results you have accomplished and lets the working world recognize the benefits of convincing you to work for them. Employment is always a two-way street, and in any hiring situation you are both trying to discover how well you may be able to work together.

So, once you have your resume and cover letter in place, how do you get in front of the right people?

1. Be very clear about what you want in a job – that doesn't just mean duties and salary. That also means corporate culture, working conditions, people environment, personal skills you want to showcase, etc. The more clear you are here, the better the fit will be.
    
2. Research the companies out there that meet your criteria. Follow up the intial research by "informational interview" where you actually go into the company and interview someone there to find out about what they do, what kinds of employees they hire, how they treat their employees and customers, what their structure is, etc. Informational interviews may include managers, executives, secretaries, etc., whoever is able to give you the information you need about the company. Because these are busy people, always schedule your interview ahead of time, and be respectful of their time constraints.
    
3. After you have completed this research and identified one, two, or three companies you are interested in, contact them again. Forget about the newspaper ads (although they can give you an idea of what the market is like), most jobs are not advertised. And those that are advertised will generally have heavy competition (when I was a training manager for a software company in Silicon Valley my ads, regardless of the position, would pull in 90 applicants – minimum).
    
4. Network, Network, Network. You should always be doing this whether on a fomal or informal basis. Formally, any trade association that matches your market is a good place to start, so is NAFE (National Association for Female Executives), even Rotary and Soroptimist. Informally, become involved in your community and you'll be surprised the connections that "suddenly" pop-up when someone has a need. Take the time to identify everyone you know, and who THEY know that could be a help to you. You may be amazed at how large your network really is. Networks are the best places to give and receive help. Remember, networking is a two-way street, so ethically you will need to give back to the network in whatever way your particular gifts allow – this is the basis and foundation for networking. And by the way, networking is the best way to find jobs.

5. Along the same lines, volunteer for some project or position in your community that holds interest for you, gives you more/better experience, and gives you an opportunity to meet others. It's okay if it puts you in the limelight, too. This way folks get a chance to find out who you are, what you do and how well you can do it. Plus you'll be doing the community a favor, so the community will be more inclined to help you out when the time is appropriate. We all prefer to do business with people we know, this gives the rest of the world the chance to know you.

Even for the seasoned veteran with lots of experience, it often takes 6 months of active searching to change jobs effectively. So give yourself permission to focus on what you really want and take the time to put your best foot forward.