21. The Start at the Beginning Strategy
by Ford R. Myers
Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring: Take Charge of Your Career, Find a Job You Love, and Earn What You Deserve
- Copyright
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT YOUR JOB SEARCH SURVIVAL TOOLKIT
- I. The Psychology of Job Hunting in a Down Market
- 1. Yes, The Job Market Is Bad—Really Bad!
- 2. It's Okay to Feel Frustrated, Depressed, Afraid, Helpless, or Disoriented
- 3. This Has Happened Before, and It Will Happen Again
- 4. Why Your Chances Are Better Than You Think
- 5. The Number-One Secret to Job Search Success
- 6. Tough Times Highlight the Difference Between Your Job and Your Career
- 7. Most Job-Hunting Advice Doesn't Apply in a World Turned Upside Down
- 8. You Can't Stop the Storm, So Learn to Work in the Rain
- 9. How You Can Get a Better Job Faster When Times Are Tough
- 10. When No One's Hiring, Focus and Clarity Are More Important Than Ever
- 11. Your Attitude and Assumptions Will Dictate Your Career Fate
- 12. Seven Truths of Career Success, for Both Good Times and Bad
- 12.1. The Most Qualified Candidate Does Not Necessarily Get the Job Offer
- 12.2. The Best Time to Work on Your Career Is When Your Job Is Secure
- 12.3. Graduating from School Is the Beginning of Your Education, Not the End
- 12.4. An Employer's First Offer Is Never Its Best Offer
- 12.5. Always Research and Be Plugged In to the Competition
- 12.6. Networking Is Not as Important as You Think It Is
- 12.7. If You re Not Managing Your Career, Nobody Is!
- 13. How Employers React When There Are More Workers Than Jobs
- 14. Twenty Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers in a Down Market
- 15. Hidden Sources of Career Support, Information, and Advice
- II. From Desperation to Career Strategies for Tough Times
- 16. What Do You Really Want to be Doing When the Economy Turns Around?
- 17. The Pay My Bills Strategy
- 18. Why You Can't Afford Not to Have a Strategic Plan
- 19. In a Bad Job Market, You Must Work Backward to Reach Your Goals
- 20. Career Success Is an Inside Job
- 21. The Start at the Beginning Strategy
- 22. The Dream Job Strategy
- 23. The Ideal Workday Strategy
- 24. The Stepping Stone Strategy
- 25. From Exploration to Execution
- 26. Excellent Tools to Help You Get a Job When No One's Hiring
- 27. Narrowing Your Choices Is Easier Than You Think
- 28. The Employer Wish List Strategy
- 29. You Must Be Crystal Clear on Your Perfect Job Before It Can Become a Reality
- III. Leveraging Your Core Job Seeker Materials
- 30. The Best Tools Get the Best Jobs, Especially in a Down Market
- 31. Surprise: Your Resume Is Your Least Important Tool
- 32. Survival of the Fittest Is the Law of the Job Search Jungle
- 33. Accomplishment Stories Are Your Most Powerful Selling Tools
- 34. Verbal Presentations: What to Say and How to Say It
- 35. Your Professional Biography Will Be Your Most Frequently Used Tool
- 36. Developing a Target Company List Builds Your Momentum and Focus
- 37. Deploy an Army of People Who Can Help You: Build Your Contact List
- 38. Professional References Help You Prove You're the Real Deal
- 39. Letters of Recommendation Demonstrate Your Bottom-Line Value
- IV. Job Search Tactics to Use When No One's Hiring
- 40. Networking Is Not Part of Your Job Search— Networking Is Your Job Search
- 41. Great Networkers Are Not Great Talkers; They're Great Listeners
- 42. Never "Wing it" When You're Networking-Use an Agenda
- 43. Meeting with Hiring Managers Is Your Number-One Speed Advantage
- 44. Masters of Networking Use a Networking Script
- 45. When No One's Hiring, the Best Way to Get a Job Is Not to Look for a Job
- 46. Tracking Your Networking Is as Important as the Networking Itself
- 47. The Networking Mini-Newsletter Helps You Stand Out When No One's Hiring
- 48. The Number-One Way to Get Hired When No One's Hiring
- 49. Create Your Online Career Identity—Blogs, Personal Web Site, and Social Media
- 50. Beyond Monster.com: Making the Most of the Web When No One's Hiring
- 51. An Outstanding Resume Is Not Difficult to Create—If You Know the Code
- 52. You Can Package a Strong Resume in Many Formats
- 53. How to Use a Resume Addendum
- 54. The Most Obvious Ways to Find a Job Are Usually the Biggest Wastes of Time
- 55. Write Your Own Book on Career Success
- 56. Every Company Is Hiring All the Time, Even in a Down Economy
- 57. A Strong Cover Letter Is Designed to Get You an Interview
- 58. Cover Letters That Open Doors for Any Situation
- 59. Recruiters Are Not in Business to Help You
- 60. Interviewing: Psychology, Strategies, Tactics, and Practice
- 61. Interviewing Survival Guide for When No One's Hiring
- 62. Seal the Deal with Testimonials
- 63. Negotiation: The Rules of the Game Work in Any Economy
- 64. Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate in a Down Market—Be Afraid Not to
- 65. Twenty-One Rules of the Negotiating Game (No Matter How Bad the Job Market Is)
- 66. The Simplest Formula for Negotiating Success
- 67. Salary Negotiation Made Simple: What to Say and How to Say It
- 68. Everything Is Negotiable—Yes, Everything
- 69. The Number-One Most Important Salary Negotiating Fact
- 70. Comparing, Accepting, and Rejecting Offers
- 71. Congratulations! You Got the Job (Even When No One Was Hiring)
- V. Bulletproof Your Career, Once and for All
- 72. Landing Your Job Is Not the End—It's the Beginning
- 73. Celebrate Your New Job
- 74. How to Avoid Winding Up on the Street Again
- 75. Perpetual Career Management Is Your Insurance Policy
- 76. Learn from the Past, Build Toward the Future
- 77. The First 90 Days Make All the Difference
- 78. Relationships Keep You Moving Up in a Down Economy
- 79. Establish a Reputation for Producing Tangible Results
- 80. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate—Then Deliver the Goods
- 81. Review and Fine-Tune Your Job Description with Your Manager
- 82. Maintain a Healthy Balance Between Your Work and Private Life
- 83. Never Feel Helpless Again — No Matter How Bad the Job Market Gets
- CAREER RESOURCES
- Thirty-Seven Strategies, Tips, Ideas, and Reminders for When No One's Hiring
- List of Great Web Sites to Assist in Your Job Search (Available Online)
- Weekly Job Search Activity Form
- List of Web Sites with Useful Career Articles
- Forty-Two More Smart Questions to Ask at the Interview
- Words to Work by...
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- HOW TO REACH US
To get your job search started on the right foot, it's important to build a solid foundation of self-knowledge and clarity. The exercises and questions on the following pages will help you clarify some of the issues and values that are fundamental to your lasting career success. They'll also provide you with a uniquely personalized set of keys to unlock the door to a great job, even when no one's hiring.
It may seem to you that doing these exercises during a job market crisis will just delay the launch of your search. You may even feel that such introspection is a waste of time. If this is true for you, I urge you to reconsider. After working with thousands of clients in transition, I have seen consistent evidence that these exercises actually accelerate my clients' progress and get them to their career destinations much faster. I assure you that the time and effort you invest in these exercises will pay off in many multiples.
Exercise: Values Clarification (Downloadable)
Rank the following values on a scale of 1 through 10, with 1 representing "Not important to me at all" and 10 representing "Very important to me." The context of these questions is "your whole life" (personal, family, professional, community), and not just your work or career.
Collaboration/Teamwork | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Management/Leadership | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Money/Wealth | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Security/Safety | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Adventure/Discovery | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Independence/Freedom | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Control People/Projects | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Life Balance | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Friendship/Camaraderie | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Recognition/Acknowledgment | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Fun/Enjoyment | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Achievement/Accomplishment | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Power/Influence | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Logic/Analysis | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Service/Contribution | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Challenge/Overcoming Obstacles | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Creativity/Innovation | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Technical Competency | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Health/Wellness | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Kindness/Generosity | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
Education/Knowledge | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
To download this element of your Job Search Survival Toolkit, visit: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus.
Note
Special Note: Above is the first reference to this web link: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus. You'll see this link many times throughout the rest of the book. Visiting this web page gives you instant access to "Your Job Search Survival Toolkit," which includes a whole array of downloadable examples, exercises, and forms. These interactive resources will make it much easier for you to develop your own "Toolkit," and they'll also save you an enormous amount of time and effort. Be sure to take full advantage of these value-added, online elements of the book, all of which are designed to help you get the job you want, even when no one's hiring.
Exercise: Birds of a Feather (Downloadable)
Complete the sentences on this page. Work fairly quickly, writing what comes most readily to mind, without over thinking.
In my free time, the activities or hobbies I like to do most are...
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Whenever I go to a bookstore, the section(s) I always seem to be drawn to are...
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My closest friends work in the following fields, businesses, and professions...
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The kind(s) of environments I usually feel most comfortable working in are...
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My friends (or colleagues, acquaintances, family members) have often told me that I should be a...
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The things that have always motivated me most are...
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I have often been praised for my work in...
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If I were to get involved in volunteer work (unpaid), I'd like to work in...
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When you're finished and satisfied with your answers, focus on the two vital questions below. Write down your thoughts in as much detail as possible.
(a) What does this tell me about my core values and interests, and my motivational patterns?
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(b) What implications do these answers have on my current and future career choices?
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To download this element of your Job Search Survival Toolkit, visit: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus.
Exercise: Your Original Joys (Downloadable)
Think back as far as possible, to when you were very young. Let your mind wander freely, without editing, especially to the private, special times when you were allowed to play or daydream or do whatever you wanted. Recall the kinds of interests you had and activities you pursued in those early years.
What did you love? What fascinated you? What senses did you live through most, or did you enjoy them all equally? What did you daydream about, no matter how silly or unimportant it may seem now? What were the secrets and little games you never told any body about? What could you lose yourself in and be very happy? What kinds of things gave you greatest pleasure?
List five to ten items below that match the criteria above:
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Put a star next to three of the items you've written that were most meaningful or special to you. Write down your thoughts about why these particular ones stand out.
To download this element of your Job Search Survival Toolkit, visit: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus.
Example: Passions and Gifts
Passions and Gifts is a wonderful exercise to get you focused on the larger purpose of all your work. It connects you to your WHY and is a great tool to help sharpen your delivery during networking meetings and interviews. You'll see a completed example of this exercise below, done by one of my clients.
I am passionate about...
Doing the impossible, taking on big challenges
Creating new structures to achieve big results
Solving problems, removing obstacles
Getting the best out of people
I really like...
Working with very bright people who have good values
Working with companies that are respected or where respect can be created
Building a culture that will succeed and be a place where people can grow and enjoy work
My greatest contribution is...
Being able to do many different things well
Accomplishing the mission, exceeding expectations
Building an organization from scratch
Saving the day—taking dire situations, fixing them, and turning them into winners
I am particularly good at...
Taking things that look like failures and making them into exceptional successes
Developing people—getting them to be creative, committed, and accountable
Getting the job done quickly with practical, interesting solutions
I am known for...
Creative leadership
Overcoming challenging obstacles
Rising to the occasion
Seeing the core issues, problems, solutions
Getting to the heart of the matter quickly, and intuitively analyzing the situation
I have exceptional ability to...
Devise straightforward solutions that are efficient and practical Take complex problems and quickly develop elegant solutions Create solutions that get the job done
Exercise: Passions and Gifts (Downloadable)
Now it's your turn. Complete the following sentences. You may list multiple answers for each of the items below. Keep your responses focused on the career and work aspects of your life.
I feel passionate about...
What I really like is...
My greatest contribution is...
I am particularly good at...
I am known for...
I have an exceptional ability to...
Colleagues often ask for my help with...
What motivates me most is...
I would feel disappointed, frustrated, or sad if I couldn't do...
Now that you have completed this Passions and Gifts exercise, ask yourself these important questions. Write down your answers in detail.
Do your passions and gifts correspond/align with your current career direction?
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What implications do these answers have on your current and future career choices?
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What is one thing you can do right now to enhance or change your current career situation for the better?
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Remember: Regardless of external circumstances, you always have the opportunity to take charge of your career and find the work you love—as long as you have the right resources and support.
To download this element of your Job Search Survival Toolkit, visit: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus.
Note
Regardless of external circumstances, you always have the opportunity to take charge of your career and find the work you love—as long as you have the right resources and support.
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