In good times and bad, some people struggle to find jobs, while others seem to succeed almost effortlessly.
You can ensure your failure in finding a job by believing these three myths:
- “Nobody will give me a job.“
- “I’m getting interviews, but no job offers. Guess I need more interviews.“
- “I’ve looked, but there are no jobs out there.“
Did you know that successful job hunters don’t believe the three myths.
In fact, they never let it enter their minds.
Do you?
Myth 1) “Nobody will give me a job.”
Would you walk into Wal-Mart and expect them to just give you a sack of potatoes, a new computer, or a set of luggage?
No.
First, you must give them something of value, which is money in this case. Only then can you get what you want.
It’s the same when you are marketing yourself for a job.
Before you somebody will “give” you a job, you must give them something of value, something to convince them to enter into an employment transaction.
What can you offer?
In 99% of all cases, it’s proof that you can make or save more money than you’ll be paid in salary.
This was a subtle point, let me use a hammer to drive it home.
I didn’t suggest you should prove you’re the right one for the job. That assumes a job is already open.
Don’t limit yourself? Smart employers don’t. Smart employers are willing to create a job, on the spot, if the right person makes them an irresistible offer — if only to keep that person from working for the competition.
What do you offer?
How much money can you save or make for employers, specifically?
Don’t wait for the job offer to start figuring out the value you can offer.
Let the employer know ahead of time what can expect from you in exchange for a paycheck.
Myth 2) “I’m getting interviews, but no job offers. Guess I need more interviews.”
That’s like a basketball player saying, “I’m missing all my free throws. Guess I need more free throws.”
Start to practice your interviewing skills, practice does improve your game performance.
Just like in basketball. music, or medicine.
The solution is to study, practice, review, and improve.
The more you do it, the better you will be at it.
Study by getting a book on job interviewing from the library or Amazon.com (just look for the perennial best sellers).
Practice by asking a friend to sit down and pepper you with real interview questions. (Don’t do this with a family member — they can’t be objective.)
Review by capturing your practice session on video. Then analyze your performance like a football coach watching game film.
Finally, look for ways to improve. Did you hesitate here or ramble there? Is your body language undermining your verbal language? You get the idea.
The more comprehensive solution is to find a qualified job interview coach and work with them to improve your skills. It may be the smartest money you invest all year.
Myth 3) “I’ve looked, but there are no jobs out there.”
This is crap. This is noise. If you choose to believe this, then I have some great waterfront property to sell you.
This Myth is a the brother of “Nobody will give me a job.”
It’s a fast way to go broke.
Let me trash this quickly.
Let’s look at how you’ve “looked” for jobs “out there.”
First, let’s get some numbers to review:
Answer these two questions:
- How many networking conversations did you have yesterday?
- How many of your neighbors, friends and relatives know exactly what kind of job and employer you’re looking for?
If the answer to either question is “None” or “Less than 20,” you can be doing more to look for jobs. A lot more.
In fact there are 40 hours of job hunting to be done. Therefore, in at least one week you could have 20 networking conversations and 20 people know about your job hunt.
After two weeks, the count is 40 and 40, after three weeks its 60 and 60. Thats a good start.
Now lets consider the “out there” you’ve been searching?
Have you spent 80% of your time searching job listings online or in the newspaper?
That’s like like looking for a girl in the same singles bar over and over again.
In reality, there are hundreds of potential matches “out there” not found on employment web sites (or in singles bars).
Do you have a plan to locate those unadvertised positions in the “hidden” job market?
Lets think about being creative.
Imagine instead of looking for a job to stave off bankruptcy, you’re looking for an organ transplant to stave off death.
In other words, how would you search for a new kidney?
Wouldn’t you first find out how others have solved the same problem?
I would think that TV and random internet surfing would be put on hold.
I bet ou and start reading books and Web sites, you’d call up experts, you’d talk to friends and relatives.
In other words, your all-consuming passion would be to learn all you could about the “kidney market.”
- After that, how many phone calls would you make every day?
- Where would you get in your car and drive to?
- Whom would you seek out and meet?
- What would you say to them?
- How convincingly would you state your case for a new kidney, with facts and passion to back it up?
This is how you should be thinking about your job hunt.
—
This job hunting post was adapted from content provided to by my good friends Kevin Donlin and David Perry, co-creators of the Guerrilla Job Search System.
Kevin and David have been interviewed by CNN, New York Times, Fortune magazine, and the Christian Science Monitor about their method to finding a job.
Get a free audio from Kevin and David on how to get your job search into high gear
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