By
Patty Kent
The best strategy for finding a new position in today's
marketplace can be summed up in two words -be realistic. Seems simple
enough, but most of us have unrealistic expectations about our job
search. We think the perfect opportunity will show up in our backyard
when we are ready for it. Unfortunately, just because you are in the
market for a new job doesn't mean the local companies will be in a
position to hire you. If they do have an opportunity, it may be at a
level too junior or too senior. Put yourself in the position of the
human resources person or the hiring manager who would be looking at
your resume and ask yourself honestly how your resume and cover letter
match up.
Would you consider yourself a good candidate for the
position? Companies are less inclined to "invent" a position for you in
this economy and if there are a lot of others looking for positions in
your local area, the positions that are available will be very
competitive. Your strategy must include compelling reasons for the
hiring managers to consider you over the other potential candidates.
The
first step in entering the job market should be having a clear idea of
why you are looking for a new position. Are you looking for a better
career path, higher compensation or are you looking for a more stable
environment? Are you being downsized or is your position in jeopardy?
Your specific reason will affect your strategy.
If you are looking
for a new position because your career has stalled and you have
exhausted the opportunities with your current employer, your first
consideration is whether you are willing to relocate for the right
opportunity. If you are not willing to relocate, it may be challenging
to find the right opportunity for advancement. The greater your
geographic flexibility the more opportunities will be available for you
to explore. Another area in which you need to be realistic is the
potential for tele-commuting with companies outside your local area.
Most companies are not actively looking for telecommuters. It is a
large leap of faith for companies to hire someone new and then have them
tele-commute full time. It is far more likely that they will allow
someone who has been with the company to tele-commute. If the position
has significant supervisory responsibilities, tele-commuting may not be a
realistic alternative. If you absolutely can not move, you may want to
consider commuting home on weekends and living in the new location
during the week.
If you are looking for a position because you are
out of work or know that you are being downsized you may decide to
spend the first few months of your job search only exploring local
opportunities. Again, if there are others who have been affected, the
jobs will be very competitive. After six months or more without a
position, you may have to open up your search to other locations, but
you are now starting from scratch with a significant gap in employment.
Consider opening up your geographic range from the start if you are out
of work.
If you are looking to move into a new area of expertise,
the challenge will be to convince hiring managers that you can bring
value with your current skill set. Carefully review the job
descriptions and formulate a cover letter that fully explains how your
skills can be applied and any parallels between your experience and
their needs. If you are looking for a new direction, you may want to
explore those opportunities in your current company, or consider
companies that could use your current skill set, but may be able to move
you into your area of interest in the future.
If you are out of
work and need to stay in your local area, you may be tempted to send
your resume to every position that is available locally, even if the job
is too junior, too senior or out of your area of expertise. At this
point, you need to put yourself in the shoes of the Human Resources
person and the hiring manager. Take a cold, hard look at your resume
and your experience and ask yourself if you would consider yourself a
good candidate for the position. Does your resume speak to the job
description? You may have to point out specifically how you feel you
could bring value to the company. If you are looking for an opportunity
to change your focus, you need a compelling reason why the company
should hire you versus someone who already has that background. If the
position is much more senior you need to be able to give specific
examples of why you would be successful in the position. If the
position is more junior, with less money and less responsibility, what
would keep you from leaving if a better opportunity presented itself in
six months or a year? It is critical to address these questions from
the start. You also want to be aware that if you send your resume for
every position a company has open, you will quickly lose your
credibility and be less likely to be seriously considered for a position
that is a good fit.
Although challenging, the current market is
consistently improving. Excellent opportunities are available for
individuals looking for new challenges and the best strategy for
securing a new position is to be realistic about your expectations.