Create Your Own Job

The job you want may not be out there, not because it is not available, but because it doesn’t exist…yet. With the world of technology changing, so too are the positions being created by companies that need to be in the mix of where their industry is going. This means the creation of new jobs.

Keep in mind this simple thought. We all hire top people when we are persuaded that the benefits of having them on board will sufficiently outweigh the dollar cost.

You can get offers, even if no job openings are said to exist.

You simply need to present yourself as a solution to a problem. The “create a job” approach is for executives who want a job tailored to their best abilities. A few examples might include an executive who can develop new products for a company, a sales executive with contacts in particular markets or a general manager who can start up a division in a specific industry.

Aside from executives, the “create a job” approach can also be considered by anyone who may have difficulty winning offers through other means. This includes those who have a narrow market for their talents, people who wish to change industries, or those who have been unemployed for a while or who want to stay in a specific geographic or industry area.

In these situations, to win the job you want, you may have to create it by making an employer aware of your ability to make contributions. The following pages will give you some guiding principles as you consider this approach. You must focus on small to medium sized firms, go directly to people with the authority to create jobs, have a clear benefit proposition, take strong initiatives in your first meetings, and stir the employer’s imagination.

The first principle to understand is that to have your best chance at creating a job, your highest probability targets are likely to be small to medium sized companies. This includes firms that are growing rapidly, bringing out new products, forming new divisions, acquiring other companies or reorganizing.

These are the firms that need good people, often from other industries. They are free to move quickly. Large corporations are the least likely to respond to this approach. Budgets are usually allocated far in advance, and hiring practices tend to be relatively slow and methodical.

Of course, there are exceptions. All you need to do is assess your talents and contact the firms most likely to need you, regardless of their size. And if you know a market well or have talents in a particular function, just consider the industries where they would apply.

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Consider a Site

When looking for work and trying to be noticed by employers, do all you can to make sure you are catching eyes. A great way to go about this, in addition to a great resume, is to have a personal marketing website.

Job hunting is all about getting enough of the “right people” to look at your credentials. A “Personal Marketing Website” is a website that presents your universal resume, and sometimes your biography, for those who wish to review it.

Here’s how this works at our firm. When we write resumes, we create a distinctive and professional “Personal Marketing Website.” Displaying one on the web in color, is an impressive way of presenting yourself.

It gives you a fast, no-cost way to get your presentation in front of the right decision makers. How? Because you can simply send out emails with a link to your “Personal Marketing Website.” Through our job hunting information system, all you need to do is get the names of decision makers… and emails of key employers, throughout the U.S., or the world, in industries that are right for you, or in the area where you want to live.

Can this make networking easier? Yes. For people you already know, all you do is send an email to let them know that you are open to new opportunities, and that you put up a new and unique “personal marketing website.” And, when people see your presentation, they will be far more impressed than anything you could say over the phone.

With access to our Job Market Access Center (JMAC), you can even comfortably network people you don’t know. For example, you can quickly get the names of alumni from your school who hold influential jobs, or others who worked with you some years ago, or executives in an industry or metro area… whose advice and referrals you’d appreciate.

Can this website also be used for responding to ads? Absolutely. Mention your link in a compelling email and you’ll have a surefire way to dramatically stand out from everyone else who answers an ad. The bottom line is that if you’re in the market today, and don’t have a “Personal Marketing Website,” you will be searching with an unnecessary competitive disadvantage.

Make sure you do all you can to be impressive to employers, the more work you put into you search, the more they know you will put into your work with them, it will speak volumes.

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Don't Be Intimidated by the Interview

Most people don’t like being put on the spot or public speaking in general, so the job interview can be very intimidating. If this is the case for yourself, you must get past that point and realize the interview is when you will seal the deal for your next job.

Being called in for an interview is a bigger deal these days than in the past, as a lot of applicants don’t make it to that point because of a poorly presented resume. If you have been called, you are on the right track. That is a big deal, and now it’s time to keep the momentum going.

One way to get ready for an interview is to practice, don’t go in cold. Not being ready is where a lot of worry will steam from. If you practice, you will have more confidence, which you will show to the boss. A great way to go about practicing is to think of questions that might be asked of you in the interview and then formulate your answers. If you are going for a job similar to one you have had, you already know some of the questions you may be asked. No matter what, there will always be something asked you did not think of, don’t be thrown off. Remember these questions are the best opportunity, other than your resume, to shine and get the job. An employer wants to hire someone who handles pressure well, so falling apart in the interview would be a bad sign.

Your resume showed what you can do as a professional in a position, but the interviewer now wants to meet the person behind that paper. What are you like? Will you add to the overall feeling of the office? The bottom line of the business is important, but so is how all the personalities in the office mesh. So, show your confidence, and tell why you would add to the chemistry of the office, while positive helping the company.

You will most likely be asked about your hobbies and interests outside of work. This is a great question as it gives more insight to you. Employers like people who work hard, but also know how to enjoy their free time. If you notice something in the boss’s office that shows they enjoy a hobby or sport you do, talk about it. This is a good way to make a connection and show the boss you have great taste.

For more Free Job Hunting Info be sure to follow us on Twitter, check us out on Facebook, read our blog, or visit our website!

Discover More

People in healthcare and energy might not be interested in considering other industries, since so many good jobs are being created there. But are they missing something? If you think your industry is in job or you can tell there the jobs are few and far between, you need to discover more.

With so many industries in trouble or not hiring, many people need to find a job in a new industry. But even for those who don’t, why not uncover all the opportunities out there for you.

For people in administration, HR, accounting, finance and legal functions, switching industries is often not a problem. But others face a challenge because they usually have no experience and little knowledge about other industries. Still, he maintains, they can improve their chances dramatically by doing three things.

1. Identify industries similar to yours

You’ll need to put some time in on search engines, but this is important and worth the effort. Search for names of industry trade magazines that interest you. Scan the headlines of articles for key information, he advises, then read the two or three lead articles. It’s surprising how informed you can become in just a week or two.

You increase your chances tenfold if you can identify characteristics of a target industry that are similar to yours — product lines, distribution channels, the markets they sell to, similar manufacturing processes, types of selling approaches, etc. The more of these you can point to, the stronger your case.”

2. Know and sell your transferable skills

Know all that you have to offer and what you can do that will crossover into another industry. You might be surprised that you are a hot commodity with another profession you never gave much though to joining.

Once you’ve identified these, it will help your case even more if you cite examples of how you used them to the benefit of past employers. Naturally, if target employers are facing similar challenges, they start to realize you are a good match.

3. Develop your selling proposition

This is a brief statement of the major benefits you bring to an employer. The more specific the better. Can you help them open new markets, develop new products, increase sales, cut costs in some area, or develop important new IT capabilities?

Make sure this is evident at the beginning of any letter or resume, and like anything else, you’ll make a more powerful impact if you give examples of how you’ve done things in the past that the employer needs done today.

For more Free Job Hunting Info be sure to follow us on Twitter, check us out on Facebook, read our blog, or visit our website!

Overcome Weakness

If you are having trouble finding a job, but have a lot of experience in the field you are looking, the problem may be what else is on your resume. You may be showing liabilities that you are not aware of, which are painting you in a bad light to bosses who decide if you are the person for them.

One such liability could be age.

Today there are many dozens of either young or vibrant industries. And, in these industries there are thousands of recently formed companies with young management, and their emphasis is definitely on youth. Despite that, you are likely to fi nd most of them have at least two or three senior professionals who are highly valued.

Don’t forget that several studies have shown senior employees to be more reliable. Many are just as quick to pick up new

information as other age groups. Young management teams often realize that they need to be balanced with the wisdom that extra experience brings, and will prefer an older candidate for functions such as legal, finance and administration.

Another daily reminder should be to review your beliefs and attitudes. Here is a well known fact among psychologists who study such things. We are limited or not limited according to our beliefs about ourselves and what is possible for us, and that generally we are treated by others in accord with our expectations—about how they will treat us.

Because we tend to get what we expect, and because people tend to refl ect back to us the beliefs and attitudes we are projecting, you need to examine your beliefs about yourself and about what’s possible “career wise” at this stage.

If your beliefs are limiting or negative, start working on them. Recognize that all of us fi lter reality through our attitudes and beliefs, so what we perceive doesn’t necessarily reflect reality, but just the way we are seeing it at the moment. If you have held some limiting beliefs related to age, it’s very likely that your “fi lter” has been distorted toward the negative, and has been reinforced by many of those around you. So, consider writing down your beliefs in this area, not as fact, but as beliefs. Start each one with the words, “I believe.”activities require physical exertion, mention them.

If any of them are negative or limiting, then write a corresponding positive version. As you may know, any belief can be justified by the facts, depending upon which facts you focus upon. Use “selective perception” to focus on and write down all the events that support the positive beliefs and ignore any negative ones.