Weekly Job Search Round-up: August 1st-7th

Here is a round-up and review of our blog posts over the past week. Our blog posts have covered the spectrum of job search mistakes, resumes, networking, leveraging social media, and techniques to reduce your job hunt timeframe by at least 50%.

The Top Ten Job Search Mistakes – Are You Guilty?

We explore the most common Top Ten Job Search Mistakes based on research over 25 years. Are you making one or more of these mistakes in your job search?

Un and Under-Employment: What You Don’t Know

Recognize the emotional side of being unemployed in one of the worst job markets we’ve seen in 25 years. We interview of the leading experts on dealing with the emotional side of a job search.

Stay tuned next week as we begin to explore each of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes and how you can overcome them. Imagine how quickly your job hunt could be over by just avoiding a few of the most common pitfalls to conducting an effective job search.

We will also begin to take an in-depth look at most powerful technique ever used to prepare for any interview question. Using this one preparation technique which is a core element of our Career Success Methdology, you’ll have potential employers almost begging you to come and work for their company.

Barry

Top Ten Job Search Mistakes – Are You Guilty?

Why Do Job Searches Fail Frequently?

We’ve conducted extensive research with candidates over the last 25 years regarding career management and job search. We’ve attempted to isolate the major failure points of careers and job searches. In our book “This is NOT the Position I Accepted“, you’ll discover more details around the classic job search mistakes the precise steps to overcome each of them.

Luck sometimes happens – we all deserve a lucky break. However, luck and hope are not sound strategies on which to base a successful job search and long term career.

In our Job Search Home Study Kit, we have a series of templates which walk you through the job search process in great depth and precision. In this blog posting on the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes, we’d like you to answer a few introspective questions about your job search success (or lack thereof):

The Top Ten Job Search Mistakes

1. Are you currently guilty of making any of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes?

2. In the past, when you’ve made one or more job search mistakes, how has it negatively impacted your success?

3. Is there one or more job search mistakes that you consistently make? What are you doing to change and not make these mistakes in the future?

In future blog posts, we’ll explore each of these Top Ten Job Search Mistakes in more depth. Here are the most common job search mistakes made by managers and executives:

1. Not having a systematic approach to conducting a job search

2. Jumping at an opportunity based on desperation

3. Not adequately preparing for interviews

4. Lack of follow-up after interviews

5. Ineffective networking

6. No personal branding to help hiring managers and recruiters find you

7. Not leveraging on-line tools and resources

8. No coherent long-term strategic career plan

9. Poor attitude – pessimism, negativity, frustration dictate your actions

10. Ineffective engagement with recruiters

Overcoming the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes

Once you overcome these Top Ten Job Search Mistakes, you’ll be amazed at the abundance of opportunities, leads, and referrals that start to land in your lap.

Many candidates stuck or stumped in their job hunt do not recognize they are making the same mistakes over and over – thus prolonging the time period they are out of work. With a few simple exercises,  templates, worksheets, and structured plans of action that you’ll find in our Job Search Home Study Kit, you’ll be able to reduce the time it takes to complete a traditional job search by at least 50%.

Be sure to stop by our FREE Audio Library where Brad and I have archived all our Internet Radio Talk Shows discussing how to overcome job search mistakes and how to reduce the time it takes to complete your job search.

Barry

Are You In The “Circle of Transition”

As a recruiter I must review hundreds of resumes a week and tens of thousands in my 30 year career. Over the last few years, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the amount of turnover candidates have on their resume. I have also noticed a dramatic increase in push back from clients on the amount of candidate turnover.

There are many good reasons that one finds themselves on the job market. For many, a pattern of turnover develops and it is hard to accept that it is just coincidence that the company was sold, a new boss, the company relocated etc. Granted, this may happen once or twice, but it is hard to accept 5 or 6 time in 8 years. For a few maybe. Often the real reason is clear, the person took a position they really should not have accepted in the first place. We call this the, “Circle of Transition.”

One enters the Circle of Transition the moment any level of frustration enters their job search. You can be employed or not, it doesn’t matter. Once you become frustrated with your current situation you are either in, or about to enter, the dreaded Circle of Transition.

So this is how the circle works; that frustration eventually turns into desperation, that desperation turns into rationalizing that a less than acceptable position may be a “good” opportunity. After enough rationalization the candidate begins the justification process. Now in their mind they have actually justified why a less than acceptable position is a “good” opportunity. Once it is justified, that then leads them to accepting a less than acceptable position. Six to twelve months into the less than acceptable job, frustration sets in, then desperation and you are in the Circle of Transition.

Our job search workbook, “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” goes into great detail on the Circle of Transition and how to avoid it. You can get a graphic of the Circle of Transition for free on our Web site just click here.

One solution to the Circle of Transition is always understanding exactly where you are in the circle. This is extremely difficult for most candidates. Simply because once in the rationalization phase, candidates don’t or won’t accept that the position isn’t right for them. They completely ignore their gut, coaching from others, or any advice.

My recommendation is to click here and download the graphic and paste it on your mirror. Every morning pinpoint exactly what phase you are in. This way at least you can start to deal with the issues. The solution to every problem starts with identifying the problem. Once you know what phase you are in then you can deal with it and maybe find your way out of the circle.

We offer a wealth of FREE resources for candidates in-transition. We encourage you to take complete advantage of these resources.

To explore our audio library and download past radio shows just click here.

To listen to our talk radio show every Monday from 11 – noon PST click here.

We encourage and request your comments and feedback. Please consider giving us your thoughts in the comment section.