Get that Job in 7 simple steps

Peter Storr

• Publisher: Collins
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9780007556779
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Skills
• Index: Business

7 simple steps to help you find your perfect job

Step 1

PLAN YOUR HUNT AND KEEP IT MOVING

‘Knowing that we are responsible – “responseable” – is fundamental to our effectiveness and to every other habit of effectiveness. — Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Five ways to succeed

• Recognise that you are responsible for your own career.
• Make a ‘Get that job’ plan and regularly review it.
• Create an ‘elevator pitch’ and practise it.
• Create a network and keep in touch with your contacts.
• Know what helps you stay motivated when things get tough.

Five ways to fail

• Assume that a dream job is going to fall into your lap.
• Fire off a stream of random applications and hope for the best.
• Make the assumption that people will know what you want.
• Try to do it all yourself without support.
• Give up after a couple of attempts.

The changing job market

How it used to be …

Let me start with a personal example. I left school in 1980 and got a job in a bank. I didn’t mean to really; it just happened. I remember having a chat with the school careers officer who suggested banking was a good idea, but to be honest I don’t think I gave it any more thought than that. What seemed to be important is that I got a job – any job – and that was that. I also seem to remember (it has got lost in the mists of time, rather) the job interview going something like this:

Them: Why do you want this job?

Me: Well, it sounded interesting and I’m good with numbers, I think.

Them: Congratulations! You’re in. You’ll retire when you’re 65.

I’m sure it wasn’t really like that, but it wasn’t far off. I got an interview at the first time of trying, too, and without really trying at all. It doesn’t work like that now, and it could be argued that it shouldn’t: I got a job that I wasn’t really interested in, wasn’t very good at and it was a rather unfulfilling period of my life – and they got someone who was average at best.

How it is now

Wind forward 30 years and things couldn’t be more different. There is no such thing as failsafe job security, it’s rare to get a job at the first time of trying and even rarer to be offered a job if you haven’t done your homework. Perhaps the major change though is in who is responsible for our career path. In my case, I was made to feel like I was a passive recipient of my future, with no control or accountability; as long as I went through the motions, I would fulfil the destiny presented to me.

Nowadays, it’s us, the jobseekers, more than ever, who are responsible. We’ve had to replace security in our employers with security in our employability; in other words, it’s up to us to build the transferable knowledge, skills and abilities to take from one employer to another, in a kind of ‘portfolio’. We are now in charge of our careers, which is both empowering and a little scary.

What does this mean for getting that job?

By now it will be clear that, today, merely sending off a few CVs to a few organisations you like the sound of and hoping for the best just doesn’t cut the mustard. You need to be proactive, to have a plan or a strategy for job hunting because job hunting is best thought of as a process; a sequence of steps that should be followed to maximise your chances of success. The simple truth is that employers expect prospective employees to show initiative and take charge of their own destinies. Taking the initiative is not about being aggressive, arrogant or overbearing. It’s about deciding to make things happen and then creating a plan to make them more likely to.

While it’s not always easy, and at times may be frustrating and disheartening, many people find it rather satisfying to make a plan and monitor its progress, analysing the results and learning from what worked and what didn’t. If you can share your plans, ideas, successes and failures with others who are in the same position as you, then that extra support and mutual encouragement can be invaluable. You also need to periodically review your plans and give them occasional reality checks. There is a saying: ‘The first sign of madness is to keep on doing the same things and expecting different results.’ If something seems not to be working, change it!

Your ‘Getting that job’ plan

So, what might your ‘Getting that job’ plan look like? The precise nature and components of your plan depend on the type of job you’re looking for. Graduate and managerial job selection processes often include assessments such as a presentation, role-play exercises or exercises that assess planning and organisational abilities. Other jobs may have manual dexterity tests or verbal/numerical reasoning tests or personality assessments, but essentially they are all just ways of ensuring that you fit the job and that the job fits you.

Most plans tend to cover the following areas:

• Stage 1: Doing the groundwork
  Researching, networking, creating a plan, deciding what you want, clarifying your skills and strengths (see Steps 1, 2 and 3 of this book)
• Stage 2: Getting ready to apply
  Creating a CV template, building a portfolio of evidence of competencies (see Step 4)
• Stage 3: Preparing for interviewing and other assessments
  Presenting yourself, preparing for typical interview questions and understanding what assessments are likely to be used (see Steps 5 and 6)
• Stage 4: Reviewing progress and keeping up to date
  Reviewing your job search process: what went well, what you could do differently next time, what development is needed

By following a process like this, you’ll put yourself in the best possible position to get that job.

Networking in your job search

It should now be clear that to be successful in job hunting, as in anything, it’s best to seize the initiative, to take control of the job hunting process – and to treat it like a process. Later steps in this book will take this a stage further, when we look at what you want to achieve and why you are the ideal candidate for specific jobs. Identifying the actions required during Step 1 will be easier if you’re aware of how you might find a job to apply for in the first place.

Of course, you may hear about a job through a relative, friend or someone you know. There’s nothing wrong with this – far from it – and your chances of this happening are greatly increased if you widen your circle of contacts. Most of us do this naturally and spontaneously, but we can (and should) also be more targeted and strategic about it. This is called ‘networking’. Think about your reactions to that word. As soon as we make it sound formal, a ‘thing’ we should be doing, it suddenly becomes scary. It’s worth practising and persevering though; a great many people become aware of a potential opportunity through someone they know.

Remember that this is not about getting an unfair advantage over others or being neatly slotted into a vacancy. When we have a good network we simply hear about more opportunities than we would otherwise – and there are more people potentially looking out for us.

Why it works

So, networking is, to put it simply, building our networks. Everybody is at the centre of their own network, a bit like a spider is in the middle of its web, and the further you can spin your web, the more chances you will have of hearing of opportunities that might have otherwise passed you by.

The principle is exactly the same as in selling: a ‘warm’ lead is far more likely to result in success than a ‘cold’ call. The fact that there’s an initial contact or relationship, no matter how small, is what seems to make the difference between a sale and no sale – and when you’re job hunting, you are in effect selling yourself. If we are recommended by someone else, that has a very powerful impact indeed. It’s probably the best possible strategy you can have for standing out from the crowd.

Don’t forget, however, that your network doesn’t end simply with the name on the list. Each name in your network will have their own network, so by implication you are in their network too, if at a stage removed. There are many instances of people hearing about a job through a contact of a contact, so the more people who know who you are, what you’re good at and what you’re looking for, the better your chances.

The good news is that networking is simple. Once you’ve made a list of everyone you know, it’s simply a matter of contacting them. The trick is to be strategic, and to have a plan. Don’t just send out a generic email to everyone on your list and hope for the best. Think about how you would feel if your friends did that. It’s far better to target your communication – to tailor the message to the recipient. Let’s look at this in more detail.

Building your network

The starting point for creating your network is simple, as we said earlier: to list everyone you know. Set yourself a target. If you can get to between 150 and 200 people in your first draft, then you’re well on your way! Don’t worry if it feels like a bit of a ‘stretch’ to include some of the names in your network; you can always prune it later. You may find the following list helpful to get you started:

• Family
• Friends
• Friends of friends
• People you have worked with in the past
• People you work with now
• People your partner knows
• Neighbours
• People you know from your hobbies or sporting activities
• Customers you have had a good experience with
• People you know through voluntary work
• People who have supplied services to you or your workplace
• Old school or university friends

Making contact

When you’ve made your list, the next stage is to contact each person to let them know that you’re looking for the next opportunity to further your career. Some people find it helpful to write out a script in advance of a telephone call; in any event, whatever means of communication you choose, be clear about the following:

• How you come to be contacting this person; in other words, how you got their name (unless this is obvious).
• A very brief summary of why and how this person may be able to help you. Note, asking them directly for a job is not a good idea; it’s too blunt and may make them feel they have been put on the spot. It’s far better to ask if they know of one, or to ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Step 1: Plan your hunt and keep it moving
• Step 2: Understand what you want
• Step 3: Know your skills and strengths
• Step 4: Write a killer CV
• Step 5: Ace the interview
• Step 6: Perform well in assessments
• Step 7: Survive and thrive in your new job
• Keep Reading
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher