The want ads (or, today, online job boards) aren’t necessarily overflowing with job opportunities, especially in a stagnant economy with stubbornly high unemployment. Companies uncertain about the foreseeable economic future are hesitant to hire. If you’re trying to get a job, this reality of the employment landscape is discouraging. Or worse. So how do you land a new job? Here are some tips. For more tips to help with your job search, resume writing, personal branding and career marketing, visit www.distinctiveweb.com or follow us at: Twitter: http://twitter.com/distinctivedocs Facebook: http://facebook.com/DistinctiveDocuments Google+: http://plus.google.com/+Distinctivewebofficial LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/michelledumas

1. Copyright © 2013, Distinctive Career Services, LLC
“Get a job! Sha na na na, sha na na na na…”

2. You’ve heard the song. One of the most popular
doo wop songs of all time, the1957 song by the
Silhouettes contains lyrics describing a scenario
familiar to most of us looking for employment:
“ After breakfast, everyday,
she throws the want ads right my way
And never fails to say,
Get a job Sha na na na, sha na na na
na. “

3. However, the want ads (or, today, online job boards, for example) aren’t
necessarily overflowing with job opportunities, especially in a stagnant
economy with stubbornly high unemployment.
Companies uncertain
about the foreseeable
economic future are
hesitant to hire. If
you’re trying to get a
job, this reality of the
employment landscape
is discouraging. Or
worse.

4. How is it possible to get
a job when there are no jobs?
So, what to do?
Finding the answer to the question isn’t the problem. It’s
the question itself that poses your biggest obstacle. “Wait,
what?”, you ask. We’ll explain.

6. Employers aren’t hiring because
they’re convinced there’s no need to
do so. Mission critical tasks are
being adequately handled by
existing staffing levels and usually
at a reduced cost of doing business.
In order to get a job, an employer
has to know that an opening
requires filling. And an opening
that requires filling means there’s a
need not being met. Which is where
you come in. With research and
investigation, you may able to
identify a need. And who better to
identify a need you can fill than
you?

7. Don’t underestimate the
effort required, however. If a
company thinks that it’s
taking care of business just
fine, thank you very
much, you’ll be hard pressed
to demonstrate that you know
something the organization
doesn’t. Further
more, even if you can make
such a presentation, the
manner in which you make it
is very important to that
effort to get a job.

8. If you’re up to the task, we suggest you incorporate
the following into your strategy and tactics:
* What do you want?
Before you can strategize about how to get a
job, you should be very clear about the type
of job you want. There’s no point in going
through this process if, at the end of the
day, the job that you identify really isn’t one
you’re qualified to perform or, even more
basically, one that even interests you.

9. * Do your research.
This is absolutely essential. Once
you’ve determined the field in which
you want to work, thoroughly conduct
online research on the industry. Yes,
you’ll want to research individual
companies, but in order to better
determine company needs, you’ll need
to understand the problems and
challenges the industry faces overall.
This global approach provides
you practical information with
wider application than what you’ll
gain by limiting your research to
specific organizations. You may
be able to ascertain industry
trends, recent technological
and/or procedural advancements,
statutory, regulatory, and legal
issues, and even the latest
marketing strategies. No matter
what your discover, the
information will be valuable in
helping you craft a need to which
you are the solution.

10. * The art, rather than the science, of getting a job.
Once you’ve done your research, analyze the
data so that you can identify what needs
fixing. Or developing. In order to get a
job where none currently exists, you need to be
at your most creative, putting yourself in the
place of management to see what the
organization hasn’t yet observed. Once you’ve
done that, craft a proposal that not only clearly
demonstrates need but also illustrates how
your skill set is commensurate with meeting
it. Make your presentation
explicit, exhaustive, and exciting. In order to
create energy about your proposal, it has to be
energetic in both its content .and tone.

11. * Messaging
One of the simple truths in marketing
is that price, quality and/or utility of
a product or service are irrelevant if
you don’t reach your target
demographic. This basic tenet is
equally applicable to your efforts to get
a job. No matter how effectively you
can demonstrate that you have the
potential to fill a need where one
wasn’t perceived to exist before, it
won’t matter if you aren’t able to
present it to the appropriate audience.

12. Here are a few suggestions regarding
how to do that:
“ Use your
network (both
personal and
professional) to
get a personal
introduction “

13. Send a formal letter asking for a
meeting, outlining, in general,
why such a meeting would be
beneficial to the reader (have I
got a job for me for you!)

14. Develop a brief
presentation (e.g., a
marketing brochure
that markets your
proposal) to deliver in
person.

15. Communicate
via social media and
integrate your proposal
into that
communication. Mayb
e draft a newsletter or
blog piece directed to
your reader or produce
a short video
presentation which also
allows you to introduce
yourself before you’re
even introduced.

16. www.distinctiveweb.com
Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longeststanding and most respected professional
résumé writing firms on the
internet, Distinctive Career Services, LLC
(dba Distinctive Documents). Since
1996, Michelle has empowered thousands
of professionals with résumés that get
results and win jobs fast. Get insider
résumé writing tips that you won't find
anywhere else at her website. Go now
to www.distinctiveweb.com
The Internet’s Résumé & Career Marketing Specialists…Since 1996
www.distinctiveweb.com
resumes@distinctiveweb.com
(800) 644-9694
Copyright © 2013, Distinctive Career Services, LLC