Friday, July 26, 2013

Job Search Alignment

I receive all kinds of questions about what I do. People know what resume services do, (hopefully) create a resume that will help in their quest. They know what headhunters do, they find people to fill existing slots usually getting paid by the hiring party. But what do you do, they ask? And why would I need someone to help me with finding a job?

Fair questions and I plan to address them here in the blog from time as they come up.

First of all, I believe every job seeker can benefit from what I call Job Search Alignment. In a nutshell this means getting you, your resume, and your overall approach in sync with your Job Search Objective. And in order to do this, there in fact needs to be an Objective.

So (and back to the what do you do question) one of the most important things I do is help seekers discover their Objective. Once accomplished, we move together to alignment. Its not a one shot deal however. This is where coaching comes in. You could say its an ongoing process of alignment retention, to coin a phrase. For many people this is really really hard. They may see the need and get their head around the initial syncing, only to abandon it when they encounter the least bit of resistance (sometimes only taking place in their head). The result is a scramble of sorts, hopefully no more than a blip on the screen, but sometimes its way worse, requiring monumental effort to get back on track. But we'll get there.

Here's an example. Let's say that you do see the merits of taking on job search as if it were an actual job (a job search 101 concept). You go hard at it Monday through Friday, taking time on the weekends to regroup (sorting through the week just finished and planning for the one coming up).

Monday comes. You get up, check your phone (no business related messages) and email (nothing new there) then you look at your usual job posting sites (again, not much new). Its quiet. You sit there starring at the screen. So you decide to nibble around a bit. Sure enough you spot something, its not really in alignment with your Objective but not too far afield, so you have at it. Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? You then modify your resume to more closely fit the posting and fire it off. Once done, you look for other similar jobs where the newly tweaked resume can also be used.

And so it goes. All quiet on the original front, so let's open a new one. And when that quiets down, well then, do it again, all the time staying busy (yah!) working at it. Really.

Here's the theory.

Your best opportunities for finding and staying with a job come when you work within the channel created by your Job Search Objective. And the farther you drift from the Objective the worse your odds of success. Come on, this is Las Vegas for crying out loud, play the odds!!! Sure, fine this seems reasonable but staying the course requires - what, discipline? - I guess so, and lets face it, not all of us have it or better said, we don't have it at all times and in all situations.

Here's the wrap.

I want you to stay focused and within the channel. I will help you to do this and will encourage you not to do things contrary to it. I know that a well executed search plan requires all your attention and any energy expended (lost) jumping channels without exceptionally good reason, will hurt you.

Its my business that you succeed. Period. I want you to get what you are out to get. And, I know that the road leading there is much straighter if you stay in alignment with your Job Search Objective.

Travel well.
John Jeffrey Lundell

No comments:

Post a Comment