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TIPS FOR TRANSITIONAL PEOPLE
ACTIVELY IN THE JOB MARKET
Have a concise (not more than two pages) resume.
The resume should document in very terse form the major accomplishments in each position, with emphasis on the most recent ones.
A cover letter transmitting the resume to potential employers can be used to bring into focus the linkage between an individual's background with the particular opportunity at hand. Research and homework are critical in making this important connection.
Don't make the mistake of being too broad in presenting your credentials, even when you have multiple talents. Never forget that each job in the marketplace is very specific. Few if any potential employers are looking for someone who can do everything. The most important thing for you is to make the connection between your background and experience and the company's particular needs.
Do your homework. You can never find out enough about a particular situation and the more you know, the more you can intelligently and honestly make the connection between your talents and what the particular job might be.
There are appropriate strategies to create an opportunity to focus on other specific talents you have, if the attempt to make a connection in one particular area of focus fails.
Discipline, organization, structure and follow-up are essential in your search.
Contacting search firms is important to get into their network. However, most of your energy should be spent contacting professional associates, friends and leads based on personal networking.
Don't be seduced by search firms. Remember that the best search consultants, if they are doing their job, will have a number of outstanding, well-qualified and keenly interested candidates for any search they are doing. A typical search takes at least three months and there is only one "winner". Valuable time can be lost and energies wasted by concentrating only on the formal executive search process.
You should take an approach similar to that taken by the best search consultants, following the law of geometrics. You contact one person and get two leads; contact those two leads and get four; four gives you eight, etc. Listen carefully and always follow-up immediately on the best leads.
Keep careful track of individuals contacted, phone numbers, dates on contact, name of secretary and results. Follow-up after a reasonable period of time with your best contacts, recognizing that there is a tendency by your contacts to forget someone in the job market or assume that person has already found a new job.
Even with your closest friends, many of whom will make personal introductions and stand as references, make sure that you maximize your exposure by taking them off the hook; indicate that although you always appreciate their personal introductions, if they know of some situations where they don't want to be identified as the source, you would be happy to make a cold call. What you are after is leads.
Make sure you follow-up at the end of your search by thanking the individuals you contacted.
Save your networking list. It will be invaluable, not only as a network of contacts but as a future source of information should you be in the market again.
Last, but of critical importance, is your attitude. No matter how frustrated you may be, always be up-beat and enthusiastic. Put your best foot forward at all times
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