Creative Job Search

"The harder I worked the luckier I became"- How people really get jobs

Ask a range of people how they came to be in their current jobs. Chances are, the majority will say things like, "The opportunity just arose," "I happened to be in the right place at the right time" or, "I knew the right person..." But to what extent do chance, personal contacts and unplanned opportunities really affect job hunting? And if they do, why don't we use them more? Today's job market is more flexible and unorthodox than it has been during the past two or three decades. To succeed, graduates need to learn to play by a whole new set of rules and regulations. It's called Creative Job Searching, and this is how it works.

• Don't make permanent job decisions
  Your ideal job may not have yet been invented (could anyone 30 years ago predict that today people would be employed to work on the Internet?). By the year 2050 (the year that someone who is twenty-years old in 2004 will retire) there will be a whole new range of jobs, organisations, employers and tasks that people are employed to do. To maximise your employability always keep your options open - and carry on developing and learning.
• Cultivate your networks
  It is claimed that seven out of every ten jobs are never advertised. Instead, many are filled by 'networking' - a trendy word for something which basically approximates to normal human behaviour (i.e. talking to people). Networking is the most powerful job hunting tool of all. And if you aren't already doing it, you're putting your long-term employability at risk. Skilled networkers understand that cultivating well-placed, knowledgeable contacts is an essential part to the job search process. It isn't illegal, unethical or unfair - it's simply the way that business works. To succeed with networking you need to develop a range of personal contacts and make sure they know that you're looking for work, and the type of work that you want. In particular, try to build up contacts in the sort of organisations and jobs that you would ideally like to work in. You don't need to be on first name terms with Richard Branson: some of the best network contacts are those closest to home.
• Information Interview
  Once you have managed to obtain a contact - someone who can provide you with extra information about your chosen career or organisation - your next step is to set up an Information Interview with your contact. This will allow you to meet with your contact and ask them several pre-planned questions (questions such as, 'How do people get into this type of work?' 'Where are jobs advertised' and, most crucial of all, 'Who should I now go and speak to?'). Interviews should never take more than 20 minutes and interviewees must always be up-front about their objectives. Plan questions carefully beforehand and remember to send a 'thank you' letter shortly afterwards.
• Think of yourself as a one-Person business
  Because organisations are changing, the way you think about your job, career and career objectives must also change. It's time to start thinking of yourself as a one-person business, with your own clients, customers and targets. This new mindset will serve you well in the future: organisations simply aren't going to protect and foster people's careers as they once did. Chances are, even in a job, you'll be on your own. Like any small business, you'll need to build up your business, establish a good reputation and cultivate your clients. But the rewards (as any small businessperson will tell you) will be all yours!
• Develop a range of high profile marketing skills
  Like any small business, your success or failure will depend on your marketing strategy. CV's, application forms, covering letters must be of a very high standard. Instead of relying on one version of your CV, be ready to customise it for different jobs and organisations. Don't follow the herd by selling the same skills, experiences and qualities as everyone else. Neither should you limit your marketing to paper-based applications. More direct, up-beat approaches, such as telephone canvassing, door-stepping and speculative letters can all work if appropriate to the job and organisation.
• Practise Kaizen
  Kaizen is a Japanese concept meaning 'to improve continuously'. It's particularly relevant in today's highly competitive job market. Employers are interested in recruiting people who can take responsibility for their own training and development - people who can demonstrate their own commitment to kaizen.
• Be a 'Fixer'
  As the saying goes: 'Everyone hires a problem solver'. To give yourself an edge over the competition, market yourself as someone who, because of your skills, experience or knowledge, enjoys actively tackling and solving problems (you'll be amazed at how very few people do this).
• Manage your own morale
  Successful job searchers are in control of their own self-marketing campaigns; they call the shots, they set the targets, they decide what to do next. Job searching is a business activity, it should never get personal. You can't afford to let your morale sag, nor can you risk letting others dictate how you should feel about yourself. If you don't get the job walk away knowing that you did your best and that another opportunity will be along soon. Tomorrow is a new day.
• Find a mentor
  It's important to have someone who you can meet with regularly to discuss your progress, feelings and plans. Talking to this person can help motivate you; it can also help focus your objectives. Your mentor doesn't have to be a careers expert - he or she simply needs to be a good listener and perhaps someone who understands the job search process.
• Review
  The final stage is to allow yourself the time and space to review and reflect on your progress.