What Should You Do More Of In Your Job Search Be proactive

What Should You Do More Of In Your Job Search Be proactive Do you want to feel in control during your job search? Heres how to run a proactive job search where you drive your activities and find opportunities that will match what you are looking for in your next job. There is such a thing as burn out in job search?   Just as you overworked yourself in your job, so can you over-work yourself in job search. So Im not suggesting you work harder. Im proposing a solution to help you work smarter. You want to run a proactive job search. And you also want to apply your time and energy appropriately and focus on the activities with a higher rate of return. What does this mean you should do more of? Allow me to introduce the sales funnel. You may have heard of the sales funnel. But for those of you who havent or arent familiar with sales, this concept could be a game-changer. The Sales Funnel = Proactive Job Search Do you see how the top of the funnel is bigger than the bottom?   Thats because it takes many more hot leads to generate new customers. I realize you arent looking for new customers. Youre looking for a new job. Heres how the sales funnel applies to your job search. You start with a lot of potential customers (target companies) which ultimately leads to those who may want to become new customers (job). In order for the target companies to become aware and interested in you, youll need to define what opportunities may exist, either now or in the future, and then create a proposal (resume) to address their needs. As the process goes on, youre talking to fewer people who are more interested, until you end up with the people who hire you. Leads Leads, in this case, are NOT job postings from job boards. Leads come from referrals from your networking efforts or prospecting target companies. Thats why I recommend job seekers have at least 40-50 target companies. These are companies that you are interested in and have been known to hire the role you desire. Opportunities As you pursue these hot leads, you are assessing whether or not they are viable opportunities for you. Sometimes they are, sometimes they arent. The only way you can find this out is to have conversations with people who work in that target company and hopefully a hiring manager. When you uncover companies that sound interesting, youll need to stay in touch with them systematically. Nurture that relationship to stay top of mind and build a sense of trust. (Remember, people buy from people they know, like and trust!) Resume/Proposal Based on your assessment of the opportunities and its viability for you, you will create a proposal (resume). All of your fact-finding, research and conversations should allow you to write a compelling proposal that addresses the specific needs of the organization with the hot lead. Without information, it is going to be very difficult to write a compelling resume. How will you gather data? Networking. Another reason your job hunt may not be doing well is that you are using a generic resume. This doesnt address the unique needs of your future employer. A one-size-fits-all resume cant connect the dots of your past experience so that the company can easily see how you offer the right fit or solution. Learn more about todays modern resumes. Job Offers If your resume and presentation (job interview) meet the needs of the company, then they become your new customer.   In other words, if they think they cant live without your services, they will be tempted to extend you an offer, either for an existing job or one they create just for you. How Long Does This Take? It takes much longer than you want. Lets put it that way. But it doesnt necessarily take longer than applying to posted jobs. The good news is that using the sales funnel, you are in control of your job search. There are as many opportunities as there are target companies on your list. This proactive, targeted approach also allows you to tap into the hidden job market. Because as you know, not all jobs are posted on job boards. Especially those at senior levels. So how long will it take you to uncover the hot leads? In other words, how long will it take you to identify at least 40-50 target companies? How aggressive will you be in following up on referrals and requests for meetings with people within your target companies?   How well are you using your network? In sales, the more expensive items take longer to close. The same is true with hiring. A salary is a high-ticket item for the company. That is one reason it takes companies so long to make close the deal.   And lets not forget, people doing the hiring also have daily/weekly fires to put out and a multitude of other high priorities to address. Adding new talent generally falls down lower on the list. What should you do more of? In order to run a proactive job search, youll want to prospect hot leads. Learn about what target companies need. And be a known entity. All of this means a lot more networking. image credit to getentrepreneurial.com