Job Search Market Plan . . . a 21st Century Success Tool

A carefully prepared job search market plan guarantees your job
hunting success. It's one of the most important alternative or
non-traditional strategies for the 21st Century job marketplace. 

Why is a job search market plan so important? Because since 9/11
and Katrina everything's changed. There have been significant
advances in hiring practices. Employers have new and different
expectations of a job candidate. And all this has required new
and alternative ways of thinking about finding a job.

You can't expect to make your way successfully through these new
practices without a roadmap . . . or a job search market plan.
That's because the successful job candidate these days must
learn to run a job search like a small business.

We discovered many years ago that the principles that guide the
business market are the same for the employment market. And no
successful business make it today without a job search market
plan.

To make sure you put it to work for you, it's important to write
it down. Prepare a plan that you can use as an honest and
realistic guide. Here are the components of a succesful plan:

1. Identify and list your work-style values, ethics and
philosophy that guide your everyday employment activities. This
list must go way beyond a ritual recital of your accomplishments
or work history. Employers today are much more interested in the
kind of person you are rather than what you used to do for
someone else.

2. Target companies and organizations that hold an interest for
you. Make your written list expansive. Do not eliminate
employers because you think they wouldn't hire you.

3. Identify the hiring decision-makers in those organizations.
In other words, who would your next boss be?

4. Build a list of contacts who can assist you in your search.
On this list are the names of any individuals who could help by
introducing you to hiring decision-makers, or to someone who
could open the door for you through a referral. Do not pre-judge
who could or could not help you. Remember people are always
anxious to give you advice even if they can't refer you.

5. As a last step, put together a resume to use as a "business
card" to leave behind for your contacts.

6. Begin contacting everyone on your list in person to ask them
for their advice as to how they can assist you in your job
search.

Putting together a job search market plan with this information
gives you a real head start. From here you're ready to explore
the unique opportunities that may be waiting for you in today's
amazing marketplace.