Landing a Job in Tough Times

by The NonProfit Times, February 6, 2009

It can be an emotional roller coaster finding a job during good economic times but multiply the search by tough economic times and it can be downright exhausting, especially if it goes on for a long time. The most important question you can ask is “how do I increase my chances of successfully landing a job?” The answer, cast a wide net. There is an unpublished job market out there with positions that are not advertised. Some say that that market is actually larger than the published market. In the published market you are competing against large numbers of professionals, just like you, who are using that one avenue. If you expend 100% of your resources on only 25% percent of the job possibilities in a pool with everyone else it is easy to see why you feel like you’re not making progress. The key is to diversify to increase your chances. Here are some great ways to divide up your time:

• Work the published job market: Spend about 25% of your time in this market. Review job leads both in print (i.e. newspapers, journals, etc) and online through job banks, job networks and recruiter websites. Though it is very important to tap these resources, you will find that the same job may be posted on many sites. It is easy to exhaust these resources and become discouraged filling out forms. This is the most common and yes, competitive marketplace.
• Tap the hidden job market: You can improve your chances of getting a job by tapping into this market estimated to be 40% to 75% of the market. Many companies post jobs internally prior to going out of house. These jobs have not yet been advertised and so you will be competing against fewer people. The idea is to get people you know to keep an eye out for a spot where they work (e.g. friends, former colleagues, former managers, former acquaintances, recruitment agents, etc). Employers feel more comfortable hiring someone referred by someone they already know. The more applications you get out with people you know, the more you will improve your chances. Be sure to target your efforts to jobs that suite your skill set.  The more targeted your search, the better the results.
• Send applications to places you would like to work: Start by making a list of employers that you would like to work for. Send a cover letter and resume expressing your interest in working for them. Make sure that you follow up with a phone call to be certain that your resume was received or call prior to sending the application.  This will ensure that some contact has been made prior to your details appearing before someone in print.
• Networking: It can be difficult to get yourself started networking after you lose a job. You don’t want anyone to know that you are unemployed. Get over your fears. There are a lot of folks in the same position as you are. The more people know you are looking, the more people will tell you about possible opportunities. Start by telling your existing network including past employers, recruitment agents, past colleagues, friends, etc. Expand your network by registering with online network sites like http://www.linkedin.com/, join professional associations, attend conferences, attend user group events, take part in forums, attend job fairs, etc. Get yourself out there and meet people.
• Establish relationships by directly contacting an employer: For many it is difficult to approach people that you don’t know. This is the cold calling method where you call the prospective employer directly or drop off a resume in person. You can also contact a number of recruitment agents in your area of interest and sell yourself to the agents who will then knock on doors on your behalf. This can be a win/win proposition for both you and the agent.