If you're a fan of the Colbert Report, you've already heard about truthiness. Did you know it applies to your job search, as well? Here's what I mean. For years and years we've been told by experts how to find a job.
Write a resume, distribute it to employers, agencies and job websites like Monster and HotJobs. If, by sheer luck, an interview materializes you dress nice, answer all the questions politely and hope you get bumped up to the next level of interviewing. If nothing happens, you redouble your efforts. Mail or email even more resumes. Now for truthiness.
There are several problems with this traditional approach. First, it will take you weeks and months to get a job. Secondly, if you're lucky enough to get a job offer, you're under pressure to accept it because nothing else has materialized.
And, most importantly, you're turning control of your career over to someone else. Truthiness tells us that the old-fashioned way of job search is, well, old-fashioned. This approach certainly worked well back in the 20th Century.
But things have changed a lot in the job marketplace . . .
especially since 9/11 and Katrina. That's because employers have been confronted by truthiness, as well. For example, they're really not interested in your carefully-crafted reverse chronology resume. Why? Because it's focused on what you used to do for someone else.
Employers these days expect you to come forward with creative solutions to their problems going forward. They want to know that you've taken the time to learn about their needs and the needs of their organization. And they expect that an "interview" is more a dialog--an exchange of ideas where you're asking questions as well as providing informative ideas. Can't live up to this truthiness? Well, there's a solution to your dilemma. Instead of writing and rewriting your resume, you focus on strategies and techniques aimed at identifying organizations and specific decision-makers where there's a match between your interests and their needs. And then you systematically get into face-to-face meetings with those decision-makers.
Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? But the truthiness here is that when you use a careful, step-by-step plan it takes a lot less time than shot-gunning you resume to dozens and dozens of disinterested recipients. In fact, when you follow the new rules you could be entertaining a good job offer in as little as two weeks. So, let truthiness prevail. Do yourself a favor . Before you give into frustration and disappointment, check out a way to put yourself in control of the process. It should be the career adventure of a lifetime!.
Paul Megan writes for EEI, the world-class pioneer in alternative job search techniques and non-traditional career advancement strategies . . . since 1985. Grab our stunning FREE REPORT: "How To Find A Job In As Little As 14 Days!" Click on RSS for instant info! http://www.fastest-job-search.com
