What is different now.

Well. It is now September, and it feels like this challenging job scenario has been going on forever. I would have bet the bank that we would have seen the end of this by now, but even with signs of pending improvement, we are still a ways off to Utopia in the job market. Being a human capital consultant, I am always looking through rose colored glasses, that is just my temperament.

If you still are looking, and are feeling like you have not had any success, you are not alone, but you can improve your abilities to find that "dream job". There are all sorts of postings on how to find a job, how to write a resume, how to navigate through the classifieds, who to send a resume to, and what you should do to get a job. Understanding who you are, and what you want to do is the first step.

Lets get real for a moment. We all feel like we are worth more than we are paid. We all feel we deserve a promotion. We all feel like we should be able to get multiple offers, and be able to negotiate a top offer(maybe 20% more than we had before), but that is not going to likely happen.

My suggestions are not going to be user friendly, but are what it takes in today's market.

1. Put together a short, features/benefit based resume. Companies want to know what you will
bring to the table that will benefit them. Companies in today's market are not wondering what
they can do for you, but what are you going to do for them.
2. Everyone is answering ads, postings, job boards, etc. You will be one of 100 resumes on a
desk.
3. Personalize your approach. Get the name(s) of the top exec's at companies and reach out to
them. Not always easy, but why take the easy route.
4. Target companies that excite you, and those you feel good about working for.
5. Be ready to deal with a 10-20% difference in what you are used to making. I mean less of
course. Maybe you will get lucky, but probably not.
6. You will have to kiss alot of frogs to find the prince. Don't give up.
7. Do what you need to do in this job market to pay the rent. Keep it legal of course, but realize you
may have to accept a job just for job's sake, while you keep on track with your search.
8. Interviewing for multiple jobs may mean you feel like you are not good because you do not
receive an offer. Remember, there are hundreds of people out there just like you. All vying for
that same spot.
9. It is a buyers market. An obvious long one, but companies have the power for now. Cycles
do not last forever, and soon, talent will be hard to come by. It will be your turn to be back in
the drivers seat. Until then, be smart and use all the resources out there to determine what
is best for you.

We should all learn something from what we encounter on a daily basis. Now is the time to dig deep into our souls and really find out what we are made of. This is America. Even in the worse times, we all have the penchant to reach down into our lowest depth, and make things happen. If you sit on the couch and wait for lemonade, you are most likely going to get curdled milk. In life there are those who make things happen, and those who wait for things to happen. You decide. Will you be rewarded for your actions? Maybe, maybe not. Will you be better able to handle the next catastrophe in your life. Absolutely. Will you be back in the drivers seat at some point. Definitely!!

Like the logo states. Just do it!!!