Job search tips

Job search can be a lonely, frustrating experience with unexpected bursts of excitement that can be difficult to control.  

It’s sort of like going on a hike in a strange city without a map. Wouldn’t it be great to have a guide?  

You can take months off your job search with the proper support from a good job search coach or consultant. From the shameless commerce division, that is what I am – a job search guide!

“Career coach” is one name of what I do but it seems so limiting. A career coach can help you figure out what you want to do. But then what do you do with that information? A job search guide or coach clarifies your career goals then puts you on a path to get what you want.  

Many people are skeptical about spending money on someone to help you do what otherwise seems so obvious. After all, job search should be as simple as submitting a resume and getting a response from the company, right?  

Not so much. Job search is so much more complicated these days. Companies don’t respond. Resumes go into a black hole. Social media rules but how do you create an effective social media presence? How do you display your best self while interviewing? None of this is as easy as it sounds.  

A coach can guide you through what appears to the infrequent job seeker to be uncharted territory.  

Here are some ways that using a good job search coach can make a difference in your job search.  

1. Your job search moves faster.

According to the study, “Effectiveness of Job Search Intervention: A Meta-Analytic Review” published in Psychological Bulletin in 2015, “(T)he odds of obtaining employment were 2.67 times higher for job seekers participating in job search interventions compared to job seekers in the control group who did not participate in such intervention programs.” Job interventions included “teaching job search skills, improving self-presentation, boosting self-efficacy, encouraging proactivity, (and) promoting goal setting.” Having a job search guide can yield results by guiding you through the job search process. You save time and improve your results. Although no one can guarantee a specific individual result because there are so many variables, the studies show that a job search guide makes a big difference.  

2. A process that supports your goals.

A good job search guide has a process that uses career coaching results as a foundation for job search tools and social media presence then layers on networking and interview coaching to provide a seamless, sensible job search process. Your individual efforts might not yield the same results without that process.  

3. Helps you avoid mistakes other people made?

A good job search guide uses the experiences of other clients to add insight to your search while protecting client confidentiality. We learn from each other.  

4. Insights and ideas from someone with an outside perspective.

You are too close to the situation. That outside perspective highlights paths, options and observations that might not be obvious. You want an “ah-ha” moment otherwise you could do this yourself! 

5. Someone to talk to when you are down.

It is hard to be alone in job search. A good job search guide can pump you up when you are down. They see your strengths when all you can see is darkness. Any number of my clients have those days when nothing is working and they feel like crap. I emphasis the positive and keep them on the right path when they are ready to give up.  

That all sounds wonderful but a little healthy skepticism might be appropriate. Many folks describe bad experiences with people who label themselves career or job search consultants.  

Steve came to me after spending $2,000 on what seemed to both of us to be a pretty terrible resume. He was properly skeptical that I was any different. We worked together to clarify his job search goals, revise his job search materials, then set him on the path to the right job. Steve ended up purchasing a franchise to achieve his goal of become an entrepreneur running his own business. Although he started with a skeptics’ eye, he was very happy with his job search results.  

The trick is selecting the job search coach that is right for you.

Interview several job search experts to see how each responds to these points:  

1. Experience at job search.

I have 15 years of experience as a job search guide, but I also have personal experience. I have been laid off six of the seven jobs I have held because I enjoyed the risk involved in working at companies in a state of change. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn’t. I know what it feels like to look for a job. I can also interpret “corporate” for my clients because I worked in human resources on the other side of the desk. I can interpret the signals the company is sending and suggest work arounds.  

2. Demonstrated success stories.

My clients get good jobs in respectable periods of time. I write about the success stories. My clients will brag on me! 

3. A process that works.

I built a process that works based on my experience and understanding of the marketplace. We can skip around in that process to accommodate your needs but unless you are very lucky, most of my clients have to attend to every step to get what they want.  

4. Someone you like to talk to about your inner thoughts.

You will be sharing your deepest fears and secrets. You better like the job search guide you are working with. I am not everyone’s cup of tea. I have encountered clients who did not like me and did not want to work with me. That is fine. There is someone else out there for those folks. I prefer to work on the telephone to make it easier for clients to talk about their inner thoughts. The telephone provides a curtain of protection that maintains the clients’ dignity in a deeply personal process.  

5. Someone who will celebrate with you and pick you up when you are down.

Job search is hard enough. Find a job search guide who will be there when you need them. I want to be the first call you make when you land that interview or get that job offer! 

Are you willing to invest in your future to achieve your career goals 2.67 times faster than wandering in the job search darkness? It seems pretty obvious to me but what will a job search guide mean for you?  

If you are unsure and want to ask some questions, feel free to contact me to book a consult with me and we can determine if you are ready to hire a Job Search Coach like me. 

 

Want some more tips to get moving? Check out The Interview Doctor’s 30 Most Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions to get a jump start on interviews.