Article Title: Tapping Into The Hidden Job Market
Author Byline: Lorraine Russo
Author Website: http://undergroundjobnetwork.com
Wouldn’t it be neat if there were a website somewhere with a button that said Click Here To Enter The Hidden Job Market? Well, we haven’t found that site yet, but we can tell you the hidden job market is within reach. Finding it, however, will require some work on your part, but it is work that will yield better search results and a new career.
We’ve received many emails from readers asking for advice on their resumes. While we are always happy to offer an objective view of a resume (e.g., wording, formatting, etc.), it is not enough if you are scratching your head trying to figure out why your job search isn’t working.
This article is one of five that will outline for you the steps to take to re-charge your job search and identify what has been holding you back from getting the job you want.
Step 1 – Self-Assessment (Know Thyself!)
By now, everyone has heard or received advice on how to conduct the perfect job search. Our readers here know that the jobs they’re looking for are not on CareerBuilder, Monster, or other job boards. Rather, the jobs they seek are hidden from public view and require a well-planned strategy to ferret them out. The strategy comprises five critical elements:
SELF-ASSESSMENT: Identify who you are—know and understand the unique strengths and knowledge you will bring to an employer.
RESUME ASSESSMENT: What does your resume say about YOU? Your skills, knowledge, and competencies? Is a chronological resume that simply lists the positions you’ve held? If your resume only cites what you’ve done, versus what you know and love, it’s time for a re-write!
JOB SEARCH ASSESSMENT: If you’ve been relying solely on job boards for your search, an overhaul of your search strategy is definitely in order.
RESEARCH: Identify the employers that need your expertise. Learn how to discover employers that look for the attributes you will uncover about yourself.
NETWORKING: Identify the people that might help you explore employment opportunities in your target companies. Using the many social networking outlets, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, as well as harnessing the power of a good Google search string, will help you find the people behind the opportunities.
Essentially, your action plan will follow this path: ASSESSMENT >> RESEARCH >> CONTACTS
1. SELF-ASSESSMENT
This is a crucial step that will help you determine the type of job or career you should be seeking. Most job seekers start out by assuming they will look for jobs in the same field or industry in which they’ve been working. While this assumption may have worked in the past, today’s job market requires out-of-the-box thinking and a process by which you can expand your job search outside of your typical comfort zone.
The Self-Assessment is a process by which you create an inventory of your personal and professional characteristics that can be transferred to multiple job types and industries. A prospective employer will expect you to apply what you know to help them solve a problem, which is why they’re looking to hire someone! In order for an interviewer to understand what you bring to the table, you need to be able to convey WHAT you know and HOW you will apply it on the job.
The items below came from The National School Boards Association website. While geared to educators, this list is an excellent compilation of self-assessment question that anyone can use.
Copy the following questions into a spreadsheet or other document. Title the first column ‘Questions.’ Add a second column called ‘Examples.’
Attributes
Do I view problems as opportunities?
Am I a priority setter?
Am I customer-focused?
Am I courageous?
Am I a critical and creative thinker?
What is my tolerance for ambiguity?
Am I positive attitude towards change?
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these, provide an example of how you display these attributes.
Skills
Do I debate, clarify, and enunciate my values and beliefs?
Can I fuel, inspire, and guard the shared vision?
Can I communicate the strategic plan at all levels?
Do I ask the big picture questions and “what if”?
Can I support the staff through a change process?
Do I encourage dreaming and thinking the unthinkable?
Can I align the budget, planning, and policies with the company’s goals and vision?
Do I engage in goal setting?
Can I develop and implement action plans?
Do I transfer the strategic planning process to planning?
Not all of these may apply to you, but for the ones that do: How will you convey these skills on your resume–and to an interviewer?
Jobhunt.org also has some questions for you to think about:
In your past roles, what have you enjoyed the most?
Which skills gave you the most satisfaction?
Which skills did you like the least?
Which activities, when you do them, stress you out or depress you?
Do you prefer to use a few skill areas and be a specialist in one career option?
Do you like to use a broad variety of skills and be more of a generalist?
Once you’ve answered these questions (by providing examples), the next step will be to assess your resume in relation to what you’ve learned about yourself. Does your resume convey the attributes, skills, and knowledge that you’ve identified through the Self-Assessment process?
We would love to hear from you about how you may have changed your resume after completing this process!
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.