If you can believe the data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it now takes an individual on average 32 weeks to find employment versus 24 weeks in 2009. The headlines say things are getting better, but does the data lie.
There is no better way to find a new job fast than to have “lucky” timing. You can potentially turn 32 weeks into 4 weeks.
Historically if the perfect job opportunity opens up, in your area of expertise, at the exact moment you are looking, and you are aware of it, you have an excellent chance of landing it. However, given the extremely high unemployment that still persists, even this “lucky” timing may not get you the offer.
So what to do?
Do what all good sales people do and focus on the buyer long before they decide to solicit bids to purchase the service or product. It is when the buyer knows they have a pending need, but has not yet focused on how to solve it, that you can most influence the future vendor decision. The same exact principle applies to job search. You need to find the “buyer” (hiring manager) before they list the job. How can you do this? By monitoring the clues that point to future need. This is the whole premise behind Job Search Radar. After you identify the companies that fit your particular interests, expertise and geography, the system automatically monitors the Internet for activities that predispose company’s likely future hiring needs. These could include: new product launches, robust growth, new real estate leases, key executive management hires etc… It is immediately after these events that you can begin to create your own “lucky” timing.
By contacting the key decisions makers and asking them about the recent event and how this might impact future strategies, you are beginning to build a trusted relationship. You are not having conversations about your past accomplishments, but instead focus on the hiring managers potential future needs based on the change event that you monitored that triggered your call to action. By doing this you will build credibility and trust.
If you wait for the job listing, you will be increasing your competition and also creating the need to go through gatekeepers in t he interview process that you might otherwise avoid. Get to work today and create your own lucky timing.
