Job search strategies

ASQ Employment EventDenholm Kendall, CSSBB, ASQ CQA, CQE, CMQ/OE

Let’s Chat

• What is your strategy?• Before you begin• Branding• Resume• Networking• Marketing• Wrap-up• Q & A• Next steps

Don’t be a mouse potato

Are you

trying the

same old

CRAP?

Click

Reply

And

Pray

Hope?

What is your job search strategy?

• Are you applying for jobs that are not a perfect fit for you?

• Why you should have a strategy?

– A plan of action to land your next job opportunity

Why you should have a strategy?

• Know yourself

• Have goals for job

searching

• Know where to look

• Time spent

• On-line,

• Conference

• Job search log

• Update

• review weekly

They need a strategy

Before you begin

• Determine

– Type of work you want to do

– Where you want to do it

– For whom you want to do it

– What do you have to do to be perceived as Qualified?

• Credentials?

• ASQ Certification?

– See yourself as an asset, a person of talent

• Knowledge

• Experience

• Skills

Before you begin

• Answering job ads?– Try the side door

• Research– Company

• Culture• People with job title at the company• Network with them

– Job• Understand requirements• Dissect the job description• Skills and competencies

– Boss• How long at company?• What attracted them?• What keeps them there?

Branding

Branding• Personal branding is important

– 80% of Recruiters check you out online

– Who you are

– What you stand for

– What you want to be known for

– What do people seek you out for• May not be your job or title

• LinkedIn

– 50% of profiles on LinkedIn are incomplete• Your headline – customize it

• You want to be found

• You need at least 150+ connections

• Google your own name

• Your Personal Website

– Firstname.Lastname.com (Own it!)

Resume

* Seth Godin

Re-think the Resume

• “A resume gives the employer everything she needs to reject you”*

• “You are not your resume. You are your work”*

• “Great jobs, world class jobs, jobs people kill for – those jobs don’t get filled by people e-mailing resumes”*

* Seth Godin

Re-think the Resume

• Use it differently for impact

• Focus on jobs that meet 2 criteria

– A perfect fit for them

– A perfect fit for you

• Tailor for the position

– Shows you care

– Shows you can follow directions

– Include keywords

• Does it measure up?

Does your resume measure up?

Check for errors

It shows you care

Networking

• Building your network– Identify networking resources

• Associations, societies, conferences, organizations

• Joining and participating in groups on LinkedIn

• Volunteering in professional or community organizations

• Who do I want to meet, and in what industries?

• Where might I meet those I want to know?– Leverage contacts for assistance in meeting individuals

• What networking opportunities are upcoming?

• You can’t win the game if you don’t get on the playing field

Marketing

• Your marketing plan– Marketing materials– Elevator pitch– Cover letter/Proposal Letter– Personalized marketing plan– Use a weekly action plan

• Self marketing techniques– Online resources

• Social media; – LinkedIn, Twitter

• Onet online

• Just do it

Marketing

The Job

Search is a

Sales and

Marketing

endeavour.

Create your marketing materials to help sell You [Me Inc. ] to the employer

Marketinge

nd

orse

me

nts

Wrap-up

• Your brand

• Your resume

• Networking

• Marketing

Next Steps

Your next

steps

What will you do with what you’ve learned today?

What will you do with what you’ve

learned today?

Next Steps

Prepare

your

Job

search

strategy

Next Steps

Remember!

• Appoint your Board of Advisors

• Create/update your marketing materials

• Update your LinkedIn profile, so that it shines

• Emotional labour

• You’ve go to put in the work

Never give up!

Questions & Answers

Resources

• www.indeed.com

• www.oNet.org