Job Search Success Stories: What Works in This Market

In the last few weeks, a flurry of our coaching clients have gotten jobs. There is no industry connection -- financial services, media, digital strategy, healthcare, academia. There is no functional connection – the roles have been entry-level to executive and spanning sales, HR, marketing, research, and communications. So what do these success stories have in common?

Tenacity

Our clients did not apply for one job and magically get hired. They had lists and lists of targets – different companies, several names within each company, networking contacts inside and outside the targets. Some of these leads never materialized. Some leads seemed promising and then fell through unexpectedly. (One of our clients had two jobs that were rescinded due to budget constraints before having this final one stick!). Some leads turned out to be the wrong fit. But through it all, these successful jobseekers are joining the ranks of the employed because they tenaciously stayed with their networking meetings and interviews until the timing clicked.

Differentiation

All of our clients struggled to follow our advice on cold calling, avoiding recruiters, and narrowing their search rather than casting too wide a net. Yet, differentiating your search tactics is what is going to get you results that other jobseekers miss. The masses will do what is easy, and therefore they will tap into the most competitive markets. When you differentiate your job search, you stand out and you retain control of your search.

Support

Good support systems include specific days and time blocks set aside for job search activities, a job search buddy or group to meet with regularly and maintain accountability, a mentor or coach that knows the job search process and can keep you from getting into a rut or repeating mistakes. Some jobseekers are paralyzed by a seemingly endless to do list. Some jobseekers stay busy, but do the wrong things or do things in the wrong way. Some jobseekers start and stop their search and never get traction towards getting hired. Without support you risk falling into any or all of these traps and derail your job search.

Will you stick to it despite the ups and downs? Can you stand out and do the nuanced difficult work that other jobseekers will not do? Do you have support in place to move you forward? The market is picking up, and now is the time to ensure that your job search skills are competitive.

--Posted by Caroline Ceniza-Levine