Myth Buster: This IS a great time of the year to land a job (with checklist and incentive)

Myth Buster: This IS a great time of the year to land a job (with checklist and incentive)

Contrary to popular belief, the 4^th quarter is actually one of the best times of the year to land a job. I am not referring to seasonal work (although that is true too). I am referring to career positions. Recruiters place as many, if not more, people in the 4^th quarter than any other time of the year. And search firms or recruiters only account for 11% of how people find jobs; other approaches are even more successful.

There are numerous factual reasons behind this timing phenomenon.

Use It or Lose It

If a manager has budget for open positions and does not fill them, it gives the message that the positions were not needed and the money for that headcount could be taken out of the following year’s budget.

People in Place for the New Year

For many companies, the new year brings a new annual budget. Managers want to fill positions they have slated for the first quarter as quickly as possible so should there be a hiring freeze at the end of the quarter, they are not left without staff.

Financial Advantages

There are monetary advantages for companies to hire before the end of the year. One such advantage is that companies would like to incur in this year the expenses associated with hiring to reduce the taxes they owe. There are also financial incentives for companies when hiring veterans.

Other reasons, in addition to these, exist making it a great time for companies to hire. Therefore it is a great time for the job search. But you want to be sure you are doing what YOU need to do to be found and to sell yourself. You have to be prepared and as Coach Wooden said “When opportunity knocks, it’s too late to prepare”.

Look over the following checklist and be sure you are ready and conducting the job search correctly.

1. Have all 6 items of marketing materials

                a.       Elevator Pitch
                b.      Business Card
                c.       LinkedIn Profile with picture
                d.      Networking Guide
                e.      T Cover Letter
                f.        Resume

2. Resume content is just as important as format. Instead of a historical or general resume, build your resume using job descriptions for a single type job
3. Document 70+ accomplishments (aka STARs). These are needed for the resume and for the interview
4. Know your REAL strengths. Don’t give the answer you think the interviewer wants to hear or the one everyone else gives. Know your actual strengths by taking an assessment
5. Search and not just by applying online. Only 15% of the jobs available today are online. Know and use all the approaches proportional to their success rates.
6. Identify and work a target list of 5-10 companies
7. Go to industry networking groups not just job networking groups
8. Be sure to also use industry specific job boards
9. Repost your resume on job boards every 3 weeks (and know why)
10. When applying, send the T cover letter with the resume every time
11. Stay up on the industry. Read the business news weekly (ex. The Business Journal)
12. Stay in touch with recruiters
13. Be active in LinkedIn groups
14. Take training
15. Stay in touch with your existing network
16. Have interview attire ready
17. Practice the interview & receive feedback

Some of the items listed above may be new to you. It is hard to do the job search alone and many people do not know how to be productive and successful.  In order to encourage job seekers to take advantage of this last quarter to land a job, RightChanges is sweetening the already good bundle price for coaching.

In addition to being able to buy 3 hours of job coaching and receive the fourth hour for free, you can now buy a 5^th hour for only $25. That is 5 hours for only $250. (Limit one per recipient). If you are new to RightChanges, you can add the initial hour for only $25 and get a total of 6 hours for only $275.

This is a limited time offer because we want you to act now so you are prepared before opportunity knocks. Offer ends noon EDT on Friday October 18^th.  Go to www.mkt.com/rightchanges and select the 4th Quarter special.  You may also e-mail us at Info@RightChanges.biz for more information.

What Is Standing Between You And The Job You Want? Could It Be You? (Part 1)

When I ask if it could be you that is standing between you and the job you want, I don’t mean your skills and abilities. What I’m asking is if you are possibly pulling back on the reins of your job search efforts and slowing the forward movement.

Recently one client started ramping up her job search and upon getting a wave of great referrals and leads, figuratively slammed on the brakes. You could practically hear the tires squeal. She agreed she was doing just that.

Over the years that I have worked with clients on their job search, I have observed a number of highly qualified, highly employable job seekers who know the correct way to find a job but are not doing it. When asked, they agree something in their thinking is holding them back.

Possible Hold Backs

Confidence

One of the most common hold backs for job seekers in their job search is a lack of self-confidence.

I wish I could perform a Vulcan mind meld with clients to transfer to them the confidence I have in them. Unfortunately that technique is not available in real life plus they call it self-confidence because it has to come from inside the person.

Myths

Other reasons some great candidates pull back on their job search efforts is that they believe one or more of the myths that float around and fill up their heads regarding the job search. Here are just a few of those debilitating myths.

1)      I don’t have all of the requirements so I can’t apply

2)      There are very few jobs out there

3)      Hiring Managers don’t want someone my age

4)      I’ve been out so long, no one would want to hire me

5)      I have never done this particular job before and therefore I won’t be able to get in

6)      No one is hiring now and won’t be hiring over the holidays later this year

Given Up

A number of job seekers are running in low gear or neutral in their job search because they feel they have done everything and, after not getting results, they feel it is a futile effort and it is taking way too long.

Over the next few weeks I am going to publish articles about each of these concerns so you will hopefully understand and accept the facts instead of the myths and get your search back in high gear.

I welcome you to email me at Info@RightChanges.biz with other obstacles that you have experienced in your job search. I will not be able to respond to the emails but may address some of them in one of the subsequent parts to this article.

Next: Part 2: Self-Confidence.