10 steps for achieving success in the Hidden Job Market
Step 1: Give Up the
Job Seeker Label
Declare yourself to no longer be a job seeker and stop telling people you are looking for a job. This is perhaps the most difficult step, but it is the most important.
Declare yourself to no longer be a job seeker and stop telling people you are looking for a job. This is perhaps the most difficult step, but it is the most important.
There may be a
temporary vacuum caused by not knowing how to think and speak of yourself but
not to worry, this gap will be replaced very quickly with a new, refreshing and
empowering sense of professional identity, one that restores a sense of
clarity, dignity and sense of personal power to your professional life.
Step 2: Adopt a New
Empowering Identity
Declare yourself to be a problem solver, solution provider, fulfiller of unmet needs, consultant, adviser or mentor, whichever name appeals most to you. Choose a name you really like and one that you can identify with easily.
Declare yourself to be a problem solver, solution provider, fulfiller of unmet needs, consultant, adviser or mentor, whichever name appeals most to you. Choose a name you really like and one that you can identify with easily.
If you cannot think
of a good name, brainstorm with your friends or coach if you have one but most
importantly stop talking about getting a job and being hired unless you like
having doors slammed in your face.
Labels are a form of
branding or positioning which either open doors or close them. The employee
label is a diminishing, self limiting label that often results in giving your
power away. This is ultimately damaging to your self esteem and self
respect.
Step 3: Get to Know
the New You
You will need to spend some time getting to know the new you, the person associated with the Real Me Hat. With support, you will find this to be a fun, exhilarating and immensely validating adventure.
You will need to spend some time getting to know the new you, the person associated with the Real Me Hat. With support, you will find this to be a fun, exhilarating and immensely validating adventure.
Your challenge is
primarily in letting go of old outdated notions and beliefs that no longer
serve you and which are simply no longer effective in the marketplace. The
world has changed. It is time to wake up.
Acknowledging the truth about this to
yourself may be difficult in light of the fact that so many advisors continue
to tell you to revise your resume yet again and to do more networking.
Note: Networking is
meaningless term unless you understand precisely what it means and have the
tools and skills to bring about the end result. Without having all the tools,
you are likely to get yourself more frustrated. The chain is only as
strong as the weakest link.
Step 4: Translate
Your Accomplishments into Solutions and Value
Most people are aware of their accomplishments but are often unclear on how their skills, talents and experiences translate into solutions and value to organizations. Since it is critical for you become clear and articulate about your unique value, it will be important to extract your special problem solving abilities from your accomplishments.
Most people are aware of their accomplishments but are often unclear on how their skills, talents and experiences translate into solutions and value to organizations. Since it is critical for you become clear and articulate about your unique value, it will be important to extract your special problem solving abilities from your accomplishments.
The easiest way to do
this is to start with one recent and important accomplishment. Go back in time
to just before your accomplishment happened and take a visual snapshot in your
mind of the state of affairs in the organization or environment in which you
were working. Then ask yourself this key question: what were the chief problems
or needs that existed? Write them down.
Now fast forward to
right after you completed your accomplishment and once again, take a snapshot
of the situation and environment. Ask yourself these questions and write
down your answers.
- What changed from one picture to
the next?
- How did the change occur?
- Utilizing a problem-solution
framework, what were the solutions that made the critical
difference?
- What previously unmet needs got
fulfilled?
- How did you personally create and
implement these solutions?
Instead of focusing
on your talents and skills that you usually take for granted, focus instead on
the value that you brought to the situation. Now continue this process with
your remaining accomplishments. When you have done this exercise with all of
them, take a step back and look for the dominant pattern of solutions and value
that you repeatedly bring to each situation. If you look closely, you will find
this pattern. This will then become the focal point in your letter of
introduction in step 6 below.
Step 5: Stop Using a
Resume
A resume is a fundamentally limiting tool because it promotes the label of you as a job seeker. The resume is also an ineffective marketing tool because the intrinsic expectations and formal rules of resumes prevent you from selling yourself on paper in a compelling and effective manner. Professional resume writers may disagree but their "improvements" are still limited to a defined context.
A resume is a fundamentally limiting tool because it promotes the label of you as a job seeker. The resume is also an ineffective marketing tool because the intrinsic expectations and formal rules of resumes prevent you from selling yourself on paper in a compelling and effective manner. Professional resume writers may disagree but their "improvements" are still limited to a defined context.
If you decide to
actively pursue the 30% of advertised positions, use a functional resume only
and keep a chronological work history separate from this document. Only provide
your chronological work history if requested in an interview but otherwise do
not even speak about it. Why?
Chronological resumes
are NOT effective marketing tools no matter how well they are written. They
will also tend to pigeon-hole you into a stifling corporate mindset. A good
example is the familiar gap in your resume, used by interviewers all the time
to disqualify you.
Do you really want to
play this game? Do you insist on punishing yourself in this manner? Here is a
good response to the question "what were you doing between job A and Job
B?"; "I was living my life, how about you?"
Step 6: Develop and
Use a Letter of Introduction
In the place of a resume you will learn to use an amazingly powerful document called The Letter of Introduction. The advantages and uses of this tool are vast. The longer you use it, the more you will marvel at its many applications and level of effectiveness.
In the place of a resume you will learn to use an amazingly powerful document called The Letter of Introduction. The advantages and uses of this tool are vast. The longer you use it, the more you will marvel at its many applications and level of effectiveness.
Even the act of
writing this letter is transformational because it opens the door to a freely
expressive channel in you which allows you to convey who you are, the greatest
value you have to offer and what you are seeking.
The letter of
introduction works equally well as an prelude to a serious business
conversation and a networking interaction which can put you in touch with key
people very quickly. You may want to have a few versions of your letter for
different purposes. Learning to write and utilize a letter of introduction
begins to awaken you to the world of effective marketing, something
significantly absent in most job seekers.
The Letter of
Introduction has several main components which are as follows:
- Opening paragraph to establish
rapport and your reason for writing
- A Second paragraph honing in
quickly and powerfully on your major value to organizations
- A short bulleted list of
examples where you implemented solutions validating your assertion
- A Third paragraph briefly
summarizing the most ideal projects for you.
- Final paragraph expressing why a
phone conversation would be beneficial to both of you. This is virtually
always the intended outcome of the letter.
- Important: Never use the words
job, employment, interview, getting hired or salary anywhere in your
letter!
You will acquire in depth tools and support for writing and
utilizing your letter of introduction.
Step 7: Use Social
Media Strategies to Identify Matching Problems and Needs
Once you know your specialty as far as solving problems and satisfying needs, your next step is to use all online and offline resources to identify potential sources of these needs. A good way to start this process is by asking a series of marketing questions that will allow you to effectively hone in on your target market and speed up the process of locating key people that match your profile. Here are some sample questions to get you started:
Once you know your specialty as far as solving problems and satisfying needs, your next step is to use all online and offline resources to identify potential sources of these needs. A good way to start this process is by asking a series of marketing questions that will allow you to effectively hone in on your target market and speed up the process of locating key people that match your profile. Here are some sample questions to get you started:
- What is your major targeted
industry?
- What is your ideal company or
organization?
- What are the primary problems or
needs you have identified to be your greatest strengths?
- What are the people within
organizations most likely to have direct involvement with these needs
or problems?
Once you have
answered these questions you can then start your search and sorting process.
You will want to concentrate on LinkedIn and Twitter to establish connections
but another great resource will be industry specific networks and contacts.
Step 8: Begin
Conversations With People Matching Your Profile
As soon as you locate people who appear to be connected to your target market or industry, it is important to be proactive, to reach out and make contact. If you have some inkling that a person has a need you can address, it is best to make contact right away but be sure to establish rapport and make a connection before diving into the specifics of the situation.
As soon as you locate people who appear to be connected to your target market or industry, it is important to be proactive, to reach out and make contact. If you have some inkling that a person has a need you can address, it is best to make contact right away but be sure to establish rapport and make a connection before diving into the specifics of the situation.
The art of
relationship building and relationship based selling is one of our most
powerful courses at Growth Innovations.
You will also find
that you can share your goal and directly ask people for referrals to people and
organizations that match your profile. Sending them your letter of
introduction is usually ideal at this juncture especially if they give any
indication of interest or receptivity.
Be sure you have a
clear plan on how you are going to present yourself and the best way to
interact with new contacts. You can work out these details with your coach if
you have one and if not, you can do some role plays with friends or family. The
aim is to get comfortable and confident with your approach and get it refined to
the point where you can carry the conversation forward to completing a deal if
appropriate.
Step 9: Complete
Profitable Agreements With Best Organization(s)
Once you have started a conversation and identified the need or problem which matches your area(s) of expertise, you are ready to move into negotiation and make something happen.
Once you have started a conversation and identified the need or problem which matches your area(s) of expertise, you are ready to move into negotiation and make something happen.
This can be a very
quick and straightforward process when you have really clicked and have what
the person needs. In other situations it may take several meetings to complete
the deal.
Either way, you will
want to be clear on the entire conversation and sales process and also clear on
how you will take the person through the important steps. This is a stage where
having a buddy or a coach for brainstorming is important. Role playing is the
perfect tool for gaining clarity, skill and confidence in presenting
yourself.
Step 10: Utilize an
Effective Learning, Coaching System to Ensure and Accelerate Your
Success
If you feel able and confident completing all these steps on your own, great. Go for it! On the other hand, if you would like some assistance, I'm available to help you.
If you feel able and confident completing all these steps on your own, great. Go for it! On the other hand, if you would like some assistance, I'm available to help you.
The ideal starting
point is a phone consultation in which we will assess your personal
situation and then devise a complete plan of action tailored to your personal
needs.
Keep in mind that
most significant growth and learning in life takes place in the context of
supportive relationships. No matter what your circumstances may be, working in
partnership with others will have profound impact and value.
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