If you have been in the job market for some time, it is easy to get discouraged. Sending in resume after resume without much to show for it can really kill your momentum. In this tough job market, getting a shot at the job you want can be challenging. For every job board posting, there are hundreds of applicants, and it gets harder to stand out.
But, there are a few job hunting tactics that you may not have thought of or tried yet. While, I will freely admit that some of them are a bit risky, if you are out of work, you might not have much to lose by trying them. Even if they don't lead to your dream job, they might give you some contacts and help you build some positive momentum.
Most of these tips come from a book by Donald Asher, called Cracking the Hidden Job Market: How to find Opportunity in Any Economy. Asher claims that they key is to connect with people before they decide to hire. His advice is designed to be used along side your traditional job search strategy. Here are some of the point he makes in his book:
- Tell everyone that you are looking for a job – Being unemployed has a lot of negative connotations. Because of the stigma attached to it, many people are hesitant to share their situation with others. Once you come out to your friends, family and associates and let them know what type of job you are looking for (more specific than 'one that pays'), you may find that your friends may be able to connect you with someone who is hiring in your industry.
- Start a Pot-Luck group – This is especially helpful if you have a large group of people who were let go at the same time as you. But, even if that isn't your situation, you can connect with others who are looking for work. Start a pot-luck dinner group to share job tips and encouragement. Many times, you might have a lead on a job that isn't right for you that you can share. So, have everyone bring a covered dish and some job leads. Planning for a Friday afternoon will ensure that no one is missing out on time from their job search.
- The Postcard Technique – Asher suggests writing a letter to the companies you want to work for, in the letter describe yourself and your career goals. This sales pitch should not include your resume, but instead, should include a pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcard. On the postcard, give the recipient just three options. Ask them to send it back with the contact information of someone who can help them, send it back with their contact information or send it back saying they are not interested.
- Send updated resumes – One of Ashers ideas is to develop a list of executives in your field along with their email addresses. Send a resume to all of them. Then, a few weeks later, send another email letting them know that you have updated your resume since you last contacted them. Of course, you don't want to lie here, so make sure that you have, in fact, updated your resume. It doesn't have to be a huge update. Although it won't work for every contact, many of the people you email will start to feel that they know you personally and want to help you with some leads. The worst case scenario would be that you never hear back from any of these people, so it doesn't seem like you would have much to lose by trying it.
- Use a Three-Shot email system – It is tough when you send out resumes and never get any response. So, Asher's suggestion is to adopt a three-shot system. Basically, it works like this: Send the initial email. If you don't hear anything in three days, email them again. Wait four more days. If you still haven't heard back, send a new email with a subject line containing something like “I may not have an accurate email address for you.” If you still don't get a response, then assume you have an invalid email address.
What do you think about these ideas? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Are you looking for a job in Manufacturing? Be sure to visit Manufacturingworkers.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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