I have been joining Webinars to earn continuing education
credits related to my PMP credentials. This one caught my eye, in light of the
current state of our economy. God has blessed me with W2 job situation.
However, most of us know the status quo is never the same, over a period of
time. I thought of writing salient notes from this webinar—most from the MS
Powerpoint slides.
The following are common Job Hunting Mistakes:
1.
One resume for every job application.
2.
A cover letter that does not offer your
benefits.
3.
Looking at anything and everything.
4.
Searching job boards. Most jobs have been filled
before the job is posted on the web.
5.
Negativity.
6.
Not creating opportunities.
7.
Wait and see approach. A passive attitude
towards a job search. Get busy living or get busy “dying.”
8.
Using your resume.
Jobs are closer than you think. You have 6 degrees of
separation from your next job.
Alternative view of job search:
1. Top of the stool—relationships
2.
Leg one—awareness.
Being aware of people around me, along with people being aware of my “brand.”
a.
Treat your search similar to marketers, i.e., “what
would Google do?”
b.
You are in the relationship business
c.
You are a brand. Brand illustrates value. What
is your value? Think of yourself as a brand. Target the location where you want
to work. Inventory your assets when targeting where you’d like or love to work.
3.
Leg two—activity.
Create activities that place you in front of others. If you lost a significant
amount of money, what would you do?
a.
Referrals—ask for it.
b.
3rd party endorsements—6 degrees of
separation, everyone is on the average approximately six steps away, by way of
introduction, from any other person on earth.
c.
Networking events—join those events.
d.
Volunteer in the community. In church, in the
community.
e.
Research companies that say to you, “that would
be a great company to work for!” Find out more about the company and the people
who work there.
f.
Think about your background, what could you
write, speak, develop and offer to those that might be interested.
g.
Be active in Organizations—not a wall flower.
4. Leg three—community. Current examples are:
a.
Apple
b.
Facebook
c.
Pinterest
d.
You—What value do you have that others know
about? How often do you seek out new opportunities? Are you looked at as a thought
leader in the PM industry (if you are looking for a job as a project manager)?
Best practices:
·
Think like the legs of a stool
·
You must be actively engaged
·
Seek counsel and ask advice,
·
Listen to what you attract
·
Do not waste time on principles that do not
work. Be active in your job search.