Don’t take it literal when someone tells you to run you job search like a business.  Don’t assume it means that you wake up each day at 7 in the morning, put on a suit and go to work.  Ask yourself this question.  What does a job search have in common with a business?  The correct response is that, “they both need a Strategy for Success.”

Yes, run your job search like business.  Begin your job search with a strategic plan.  A strategic plan for a business is one that follows the criteria set out in its Vision, Mission, Goal and Objectives.  You should have a similar strategic plan for your job search.  Think of your plan beginning with the vision statement.   Your vision is where you see yourself in the far off future.  It is the job of your dream.  This leads to the question of the purpose of your existence?  This is called a mission statement.  The mission put you on a Strategic Plan to Achieve the Vision. 

Each strategic plan needs a goal.   Goals are broad statements and are not measurable.   There is usually more than a single goal.     An example of a goal for a job search is to get a job?   There is no measurement to this goal.  It is just your desired outcome to help you achieve your vision and mission.  The question is however how do you move from a goal to actually securing the job?   This happens by setting objectives that are aligned with your goal.  Objectives are measurable.  Objectives are concrete statements leading to specific outcomes to achieve the goal.   An objective is the measurable component of a goal.  Here is what the process looks like sequentially.

1. Vision:  Where you would like to be in the future. 
2. Mission:  Purpose of existence to Achieve the Vision
3. Goal:  Goals are broad statements of desired outcomes to achieve the vision and mission. [Example: To Get a Job.]
4. Objective:  An objective is the measurable component of a goal.  The difference between a goal and an objective is measurement.  One has measurement and the other does not.  Objectives are action – oriented with a timeline.  [Example of an objective:  I will distribute my resume to 20 organizations within seven (7) days]

To sum it up, you want to begin your search with a ‘business’ strategy.  Put together a job search plan.  Set up a business model that follows strategic planning.  Define your vision and mission.  Make it simple to start.  Choose a limited number of broad goals that reflect multiple objectives that capitalize on your strengths.  Those that begin with this strategy will find that their successes multiply.  You plan will become your road map to job search success.

Those individuals that see themselves and think and perform as Social Media professionals will get more interviews and employment opportunities quicker and more frequently than ever before.  More and more the social media marketplace is the place where people communicate and interact with employers.  You don’t have to be a social media professional. You do have to understand how to utilize social media to promote your brand. 

LinkedIn: Social Media Stock or a Play on Rising Employment? By www.minyanville.com

 When investors consider the market for social media stocks, there are many to consider. Google (GOOG) is trying to crack into the field with Google+, Renren (RENN) dominates the market in China, and the entire world is atwitter (so to speak) over the upcoming IPO of Facebook. One stock that’s often lumped in with Facebook and the others is LinkedIn (LNKD). Despite being considered a social networking company, LinkedIn may actually be primarily a recruiting website that directly competes with sites like Monster.com (MWW). MORE… 

It is best to be more than just cautious when article after article tells us that over 75% of hiring managers and recruiters in the U.S. consider a job applicant’s online information as part of the hiring process.  Even more problematic is more than half of the HR gurus have rejected candidates because of what they found. The convenience and ease of access that allow employers to find the best fit for their organization through simple online research can be the best of worlds for you or your worst enemy.  Listen to what these professionals have to say about things you should do before an employer ‘Googles’ you online…

 ”How Employers Use Social Networks In The Hiring Process” by Mariel Loveland

 With an economy that’s seen better days, many individuals and companies are using social media to aid them in the job search and hiring process. Companies frequently search for an applicant’s social networks to help them decide if they’re a good fit for a position and job-seekers promote themselves through various social networks every day, but many don’t realize that what they post online really does have a strong effect on whether or not they get the job. MORE

How to Get a Job Using Social Media I 
View this video first before your sign up on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter or Goggle +.  There is substance behind these 7 social media job search tips.  This video offers excellent insight on how to use social media as a job search tool.  Some of the points may be taxing to grasp without interpretation however your time will be well spent if you take the to time figure out their explanations. [I think I like service your network and tell a consistent story the most.]

[Video may be hard to hear for some plus the meat of this video does not begin until the 1 & 1/2 minute mark.]

Jaazle is dedicated to helping you achieve success.  We work closely with you to develop custom job search and career development plans in an ever changing marketplace.  Whether or not we have the opportunity to work directly with you, we hope you find our collection of resources, information, and free downloads valuable.

For over 20 years I have been committed to delivering the best career planning, résumé writing and job search training strategies and techniques to individuals, groups and organizations.  [I am a student of career development analyzing, reflecting on and refining processes, procedures, techniques and technologies.]  While I do not have a canned or boilerplate presentation when speaking I do have a vision and mission.  My presentation highlights strategies which will result in a higher level of thinking.   My goal is to engage individuals to make more informed choices and better decisions.

Understand the impact of your career and job search decisions.  Take control of your employment, career and life.  The strategies listed below (delivered to both individuals and audiences) are highlights of my talks.  They give actions that can be immediately integrated to help you build a strategic career plan.

1. A Job Search is not a Sequential Event
2. There is no such thing as an isolated Job Search Experience
3. Better Understand Yourself, Better Understand Your Target Audience
4. Search by the functionality of your Occupation rather than the Title
5. Apply Strategic planning to your Job Search
6. Use SWOT to remove your Governor
7. Create a targeted Resume
8. Visualize the Experience: Practice with Scenarios to Discover Your Issues
9. Research Your Clients to identify their Needs
10. We live in an Experience Economy.  Learn to Stage the Event
11. You have several Opportunities to make a First Impression
12. Applying Socratic Questioning will lead to more positive networking (Elevator Speech) results
13. Networking works better when you have a tag line
14. Objections are king!  Long Live Objections
15. It does not count if it is not measured

[This article was published in the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals’ Advantage June (Volume 24) Newsletter.  The Newsletter is distributed to approximately 4,500 workforce professionals across the United States.  (Congratulations Larry)]

Scenarios are one of the best ways to teach and help job seekers to get to the next level. I tend to open my presentations and training instructions with scenarios. Presenting a situation to the group helps me to determine their level of thought and how they approach decision-making and problem solving.

Consider this case problem: As an analyst, Susan finds that many of her responsibilities envelop a broad cross-section of the organization that can be linked to the bulk of the company’s revenue producing activities. While finishing her last project she proved her worth to the organization and gained significant respect of several senior members of the management team. When the senior analyst announced a retirement date, Susan decided she would seek the position.

Question: What should Susan do first?

Most times the responses begin with tactical tasks. This method of solving problems is referred to as a symptoms approach. In other words, the responses generally are:

• Update a résumé
• Make it clear management knows you want the position
• Return to school to pick up new skills
• Step up your performance in key areas
• Find a mentor
• Network

I’m not saying the ideas are not good ones. In most instances they probably are short-term solutions even if your client gets the interview and the job offer.  A symptoms approach does not address the real issues that may prevent career success for your clients. This is because the tasks identified do not get to the root causes. Not bringing the root cause to the surface delays the process of making an informed decision. Done wisely, this process of root cause analysis eliminates the same problems from recurring.

Raising your clients’ focus through a process of defining the most important issues in order to make informed decisions are steps leading to long-term success. In a job search, you want to get your clients to their root causes in order to improve their search steps. If their resumes are not working, they need to find out why out and fix the real issue.  Or, if they are not being invited back for second interviews, they need to determine why not.  This can be achieved by training your attention on getting your clients to drill down into their root issues. Or you will continue to find yourself in these recurring situations, and continuing to address your clients’ job search barriers or constraints again and again. [Ground Hog Day]

Critical thinking is spending 95% of your time defining the problem and 5% finding the Solution.  (Larry Goldsmith)

Apply directly to organizations of  interest to you, Take temp positions, Contact professional organizations and affiliations in your field, Create a job search office, Create a list of target companies, create a personalized marketing plan, Create a social media presence, Create a LinkedIn account, Tweet, Open a professional Facebook site, Create a system for tracking your search, Define yourself, Determine a job target, Develop a Stick-to-it Attitude, Eliminate objections, Exploit a proactive self-assured style, Carry a networking business card, Find a mentor, Follow-up regularly, Go for all opportunities, Fix your barriers, Join clubs and organizations, Volunteer, Intern, Learn the hiring cycle, Get a devil’s advocate to challenge you, Maintain a positive, upbeat attitude, Follow a business schedule,  Network and more network, Participate in job fairs, Attend Tweet up events, Meet with a professional résumé writer, Practice mock interviews, Set goals, Connect goals with objectives, Start your job search now, Develop cold calling and canvassing skills, Learn how to close a sale, Study company web sites, Take advantage of local search resources, Use a placement Agency, Find a recruiter, Search out headhunters, Connect with your alumni, Visit college search Sites, Visit company web sites, Turn off your computer – talk to people, Follow economic development leads, Take a break, Do informational interviews, Study annual reports, follow promotions, moves and changes, Learn how to interpret labor market information, Visit one stop centers, Place ad in newspaper, Learn how to interpret classified ads, Ask for a promotion, Visit your Chamber of Commerce, Hire an executive job coach, Search your job through the phone directory, Research manufacturing directories, Learn from a professional salesperson, move on when something  does not work, Read the blogs of targeted companies – make insightful comments, Do a good deed today.  Walk fast – display a sense of urgency.

Networking the Hidden Jobs Poster

Larry’s Favorite: Don’t just look for job openings.  Target companies that hire your skill sets.

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

Job seekers should consider enrolling in Theater 101.  Exploring the mechanics of how to create a scene for a stage play offers unexpected rewards in upgrading your job search skills. What is a stage play but a series of activities design to engage an audience.  The audience is not told the outcome of a scene.  They are subject to storytelling through the use of staged activities. A successful playwright leaves the audience to think about the outcome and its implications and consequences.  An effective playwright uses actors to illustrate a storyline in the anticipation that the audience will leave the theater with an affirmative experience. 

Just like the audience leaving a theater, it is hoped too by the job seeker that the employer will have a positive experience from the job search encounter as well.  What if you approached your job search from the perspective of a playwright?   Every activity (telephone call, a networking event or an interview) is approached as a scene in a stage play.  Think of each of these scenes with their own beginning and ending. 

Job search is not “improv”.    Start by preparing a script on making a cold call to a potential employer.  Most importantly, your central point, is remaining true to yourself, your capabilities and future potential.  Your purpose is to prepare and present your case.   Think what are you trying to accomplish?    

1. Write a general scenario. [Illustrate your purpose through a picture created with words.]
2. Prepare a script [Define the call in your own words.  Compare and contrast available alternatives.]
3. Visualize the essential elements of your scene set [desk, mirror, résumé, script]
4. Create a storyboard like in a cartoon script [sketch your movements]
5. Work your script [Define call in your own words / Compare and contrast available alternatives.]
6. Walk through your script for wording [Verbalize the scene to develop your rhythm, intonation  and choice of words.]
7. Block your scene [Blocking is your play by play.] 
8. Rehearse your scene until you feel comfortable.

Perhaps the most exciting component of writing your scene will be that the actual telephone call or networking experience is not a surprise. You will find by working on staging your search interactions with employers that you are more in control over your job search.  You’ve already had the rehearsal dinner.  You worked out your kinks.  You have a script.  You know want is coming.  You analyzed assumptions and have alternative solutions to their responses.  You are prepared.

What is your learning style?  Do you learn visual (see), auditory (hear) or kinesthetic (hands-on)?  Watch the video or check check out these “10 Social Media Job Search Tips.” [I especially like the “Use it Purposely” Tip.] /Jaazle Blogger