7 Ways to Secure a Job in a Recessionary Marketplace
Though recent labor statistics about the country’s unemployment are frightening, they are potentially great news for the job searcher who can courageously tunnel deeply where competitors fear to tread. If you’re currently unemployed, a solution to the unemployment blues is to run a job search differently from other job seekers. Go toward the challenge instead of running away.
Job seekers with specialized experience, sound education and proven accomplishments are always in demand. Businesses and organizations, especially in a recessionary economy, are eager for talented help. U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that even during tough job markets, some 20-25 million people accept new career positions yearly.
Planning and executing a good job strategy can help you succeed. Listed below are seven keys to finding a new job or to helping a person who is trapped in a job and lacking career satisfaction.
- Know your job function and industry options. Pinpoint three positioning alternatives (career focus) to what you’re doing now.
- Recognize your marketable attributes. Create a personal-branding portfolio by listing the things that make you distinct. Link your portfolio of contributions to employer needs.
- Know the job market. Identify employment hot spots, leading employers, emerging companies and industries.
- Know how to create effective resumes and cover letters. Leverage your ability to solve employer problems by communicating relevant value.
- Know how to win multiple quality interviews. Develop an action plan with at least three core strategies to gain marketing exposure to penetrate both the advertised and unadvertised job markets.
- Know how to multiply your access through those who have the power to hire. Don’t rely solely on networking. Obtain informational meetings with decision makers.
- Know how to give your inner critic a name and tell it to be quiet. Visualize the results you want. Be aware of ways you might be sabotaging yourself.
What else can you do to increase your chances of a company deeming you the right candidate?
- Research where (and why) you’re most marketable to give you an edge over equally qualified professionals.
- Set the structure for targeted marketing, exposure and quality interviews and offers. To do this, define the right market and career positioning (functional and industry direction).
- Communicate the relationship between the employer’s needs and the relevancy of your skills.
- Develop a proposal approach to a specific decision maker instead of sending the customary resume to the HR department. A proposal approach more clearly positions you to advance, transition or restart your career because you’ve demonstrated relevancy.
- Once you’ve proven relevancy, you’ll eliminate much of the competition automatically. When approaching a company where there’s less competition, you gain the ability to have a career position custom-developed more closely in line with your skills.
Keep in mind, when you lack the time or expertise to plan your career carefully, the loss of ground sometimes isn’t apparent until years later. A market communications strategy detailing how your abilities address a potential employer’s needs puts you into a position of strength, especially in a recessionary job market. That’s good news for you and your wallet!
About the Author: In 1982, Randolph L. Stevens, President and CEO, incorporated R.L. Stevens & Associates based on a strong desire to help people succeed and built on an unwavering commitment to helping executives achieve their career goals. To find out how we might help your executive search, contact us ==> https://www.interviewing.com