Get Serious About Finding Employment

“Most job seekers take far too narrow a view of themselves and fail to do simple things that would broaden their appeal,” said Robert J. Gerberg, Chairman of SET, a personal marketing firm that works with professionals and executives seeking annual incomes of $100,000 or more. "People could increase their opportunities significantly if they would just take a few simple steps," he added.

Here are six things he points out that you can do when you want to broaden your appeal:

1) Don't restrict yourself to just passive approaches.
If all you do is answer ads and contact recruiters, you are limiting yourself to only applying for jobs that employers have tightly defined and made public.
Instead, you should be taking the initiative to contact employers you think are ideal targets for you, even if they haven't advertised any openings. There are several ways of doing this effectively.
a) ask your local library for lists of local employers in your industry.
b) Put a "news filter" in your mind and then scan the business section of large daily papers.
c)Search the news for clues to jobs in the making - new plants, new promotions, new products, new grants, new technology, new machinery, etc.
d) Look for trade shows, fairs, and expos in your area. Have business cards made up in advance, especially if you can link to an online resume.

2) Sell more than your experience. Remember, you've also developed skills and knowledge, and you should have made many contacts. Any of these might be valuable to employers in your primary industry and other, sidereal industries.
a) Skills are what employers are looking for today... If you have the skills they are looking for, you can make positive contributions almost immediately.

3) Develop more than one resume, one for each primary skill you have. For example, if you have achievements in both operations and sales you might increase your appeal if you have a separate resume for each. Mention your other skill in each resume, but hand out only one resume per opening.

4) Use “sales” letters instead of resumes if you want to change careers. Let's say most of your experience is concentrated in purchasing and you want to switch to sales. It would be very hard to make your case in a resume, but pack your appeal into a personal letter that emphasizes the fact that
a) you've sat in at the sales table many times,
b) know what buyers in this field are looking for
c) and know how to reach them, then you can make a compelling case in your letter.

5) Target employers in growth industries. These companies realize that they need to hire people from other industries, since theirs is relatively new. Research the industry first, and then the company. Review what you have learned, before creating your resume, and then review it again just before your interviews -- and show a lot of constrained enthusiasm.
a) If you are willing to relocate, search the news for indications of where maximum employment growth is being experienced in that industry. For example, Oklahoma City – and the whole state of Oklahoma for that matter – is leading the nation for employment growth. By contacting the Chamber of Commerce and asking to be put on its mailing list you could be miles ahead of anyone else lining up to be interviewed.

6) Neutralize your liabilities. If you have problem areas in your resume, like employment gaps or poor job titles, figure out strategies to minimize their impact so you don't get ruled out automatically. For example, if you have been unemployed for some time you might let your interviewer know that you did more than sit at home in twiddle-thumbed anguish. “I was taking classes at --,” Night classes, or just studying the industry if nothing else.

www.seniorexecutivecareerpartners.com/markettour has an educational video that will help you learn more about today's job market, and how you can compete more effectively for the best paying employment positions.
a) The video addresses how the job market really works,
b) Introduces some new resume styles that will help you get better results,
c) Identifies where public and private openings can be quickly found
d) and opens up fast-track methods to help you access the leads and contacts you need over the Internet.

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