17
3 Key Steps to an Effective Job Search
Posted by Mitchell York under Career Coaching
In addition to being an entrepreneurship coach I work at the Five O’Clock Club with people looking for jobs and career change. Because of the economy, the Club has expanded its New York City meetings to three nights a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and now Thursdays. I coach every Thursday evening at the CUNY Graduate Center on Fifth Avenue and 34th St. If you’d like to join us, let me know.
My new group met for the first time last Thursday and we dove into assessing where everyone stood in their search. While each person had a different career interest and expertise, there were common denominators that defined the current status of everyone’s search. If you or someone you know is looking for a job this may resonate with you. Here’s what I emailed the group after our meeting:
1. Everyone needs to have a crystal clear focus of who you are, what you offer the world uniquely, and what you want. The Club calls this your 2-Minute-Pitch. To get the pitch right, you have to lay the foundation: that’s why it’s vital to do the 7-Stories Exercise and the 40-Year Vision. [These are two assessments we use at the Club. If you'd like to know more about them, get in touch with me.]
2. Activity level needs to be higher. If you are employed, you need to carve our at least 12 hours a week to have a good search going. If you are not employed, 35 hours. Keep track, do a time sheet. Make believe looking for a job is a job–because it is.
3.Targets need to be deeper. Most people are not yet targeting 200 positions (not actual job openings–but positions you would qualify for). You need to do this so that you will always have 6-10 things in the works, which is critical because 5 of them will fall away through no fault of your own. It’s a numbers game. Target more companies and industries and get more velocity in your search.
There are so many career coaching organizations out there, but as far I know from my research, only the Five O’Clock Club has created a unifying methodology that works. Have job-search tips to share? Please comment.
|
