job search that will substantially increase your likelihood of success. But you can stack the odds more in your favor by adding some outside help. Here are some of the additional aids that can make your job search more effective and less stressful:
Get support for your job search. A job-search buddy is a friend or colleague who also wants help getting into action and staying on track with his or her job search. The two of you assist each other in reaching your goals by setting up a regular check-in, with each of you reporting on progress, announcing successes, and stating challenges. The buddy’s job is to listen, celebrate, commiserate, and be a brainstorming partner.
Job clubs serve the same function as a job-search buddy, but for a group of people who wish to work together. You may be able to find an existing support group for job seekers through career centers, schools, industry associations, or online communities. You may also discover other support groups with a career focus (sometimes called success teams or action groups) through local periodicals, community organizations, or resource Websites. If you would like to be part of a group in which all members are using the Get Hired Now! program, you can connect with a group on our Website, www.gethirednow.com. Some groups have a professional leader while others have each member take turns leading.
You can also hire your own personal coach or life coach — a professional who is trained in assisting people to set and achieve goals. Some coaches specialize in career transition and working with job seekers. They may call themselves career coaches, job coaches, or career consultants. Ask your friends and colleagues if they have worked with a coach to whom they could refer you, or get a list of coaches who are familiar with this program from the Get Hired Now! Website.
Keep in mind that support from a buddy, group, or coach does not have to involve in-person meetings and travel time. Many groups meet via telephone conference lines or live online chats. Your buddy or coach can also work with you by phone or e-mail.
What
Works and What Doesn’t
You’ve learned that the first secret to finding
job opportunities and eventually getting hired is to connect with the people who will help you find the job you want.
Here’s the second secret: A successful job search is more like a marketing campaign than it is an actual search. The traditional picture of job seeking is that you look for open positions that have been posted somewhere and follow a formal application procedure to be considered for them. But if 74% to 85% of positions are never advertised, how effective can this be? And with thousands of job seekers applying for only those positions that are advertised, the competition can be overwhelming.
While a portion of your job search may be devoted to locating posted positions, the only way to beat the odds and the competition is to actively market yourself and locate positions before they are