Practicing Your Pitch

If you've recently been laid off, give yourself two to three days to process your emotional reaction. If you jump into the job search too soon, you may run the rish of allowing others to see your anxiety, distress, and negativity toward your former employer.

After 48 to 72 hours, start practicing your "pitch" to those must trusted within your network (former colleague, mentor, boss, family member, or close friend.) How are you going to express your current situation to others? What will you emphasize about your past experience, your current skillset, and where you'd like to take your life from this point forward?

Some call it an elevator speech, or a "2 minute sell". It's a critical part of the job search process, so give yourself time to develop one that makes an impact and you can mold to your audience. Be compelling. Make someone want to hear more.

Areas you might include in your pitch include:

*The Focus of your Search (Your Job Target)

*How you are distinct from others in your field

*How you have solved problems in the past

*Ways that you might apply your previous experience to a particular type of work

Scripps Health

Scripps Health, headquartered in San Diego, CA, employs over 10,000 people in the United States. Employees enjoy onsite child care, onsite fitness facilities, jobsharing and telecommuting at this nonprofit healthcare facility. The most common hourly position is that of a Registered Nurse, with the average annual pay for this position coming in at just over $100,000. The most common salaried position is Manager-Director. About half of Scripps employees are minorties, and over three-fourths are women. For more information about careers at Scripps visit http://www.scripps.org/about-us__careers

Find 80% of Jobs on the Hidden Market

It is estimated that only 20% of all jobs are ever advertised, meaning 80% of jobs are filled by companies who never advertised the position. Instead these positions are filled by referral, the "who do you know" method of recruitment. So while keeping an eye on newspaper advertisements and internet job search sites is important, the percentages are in your favor if you investigate the hidden job market.

You may be saying, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before! Now, how do I access that 80%?"

Try the following, in this order...

1. Identify types of employers you are interested in


2. Find specific potential employers


3. Find contacts within the target employer

1. Identify types of employers

There may be companies you are familiar with and many more that you have never heard of. Many opportunities are located in smaller businesses, so while a Fortune 500 list of companies is a good starting point, by no means should it be your only list.
Consider:

• Kind of industry you want to work for


• Skills sets you want to use


• Where you want to live

Information to look for:

• Who hires people who do what you want to do


• What industry makes/does what you want to be involved with?


• What employers are in your geographic area of interest?


• Who do you already know?

2. Find specific potential employers
Tap into your network of professional and personal contacts to identify potential employers. Read major newspapers, especially The Wall Street Journal. Check out magazines like Fast Company. Learn more about networking and informational interviewing from tips on LifeTips.com and use general search sites to find out the types of positions that use your skills, and what types of employers seem to be hiring. A good one through the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) is http://www.bls.gov/bls/industry.htm

3. Find contacts
A good contact is anyone you can tell you about a job opening, give you industry insight and advice, or can refer you to someone else who can do either of these things. Never prejudge how helpful or unhelpful your contacts are going to be. While you may not think of your dentist as a good contact if you want to get a job in advertising, you never know who he or she may know.

The OAR Method: Describing Your Accomplishments

Part of convincing a potential employer that you are the best candidate for the job is being able to readily articulate your past accomplishments. You must convince them that you've had a history of success in each of your previous positions.

To start this process, get out several pieces of paper. List all the jobs you have had over the last 5 to 10 years. If you are a recent college grad, include part-time and seasonal work, clubs and organizations, and academic experiences.

For each experience, ask yourself these questions and jot down notes as accomplishments come to mind:

Did you increase sales (make money for the company)?

Did you decrease costs (save the company money)?
Did you introduce new concepts, products, services, or ideas?
Did you design a new process or system that improved workflow or efficiency?
Did you create technological improvements?
Did you increase company/organization morale?

Did you train others or help others receive professional development?
Did you do perform with fewer resources than normal (people/money/equipment)?
Did you receive any awards or recognition, formally or informally?
Did you solve problems?
Did you innovate?

Next, decide how you will convey these accomplishments to a potential employer. Try using the OAR Method.
O - Opportunity for Improvement
A - Activities You Engaged In
R - Results You or Your Organization Achieved

Here's an example:

O: (Opportunity) "I was asked to take over the implementation of our annual assessment by my supervisor."

A: (Actions) "After reviewing data compiled from previous years, I decided to make changes to the assessments to make the questions more clear and improve our response ratio. I led the entire staff of 12 people in implementing the annual survey."

R: (Result) "We experience a 20% increase in our response rate for the assessment initiative, the highest the organization had ever obtained. I was able to gain valuable information that my manager used for strategic planning the following fiscal year."

When using this technique, try to keep it short and to the point, adding detail only to illustrate critical points. Try to demonstrate your your actions added value to the organization as a whole. This could be in dollars saved (number or percentage), improved processes (quality, customer satisfaction, efficiency), or in dollars earned (through revenue, greater quantity of clients/customers, etc.)

Career Self-Assessment

If you're job searching, it's important to do an initial self-assessment to determine your strengths, talents, interests, and skills. To get started, try answering the questions below…

1. What are a couple of areas where your friends and family see you as an expert, or at least as someone who is knowledgeable about the issue?

2. What types of things energize you? Think carefully. What sorts of people are you naturally drawn to? What types of activities hold your interest? What kinds of places do you find the most stimulating or intriguing?

3. What are the skills that you possess? What are you a “natural” at? Try to name 3-5 skills.

4. How do you most enjoy spending your free time? Are there any common themes in these activities?

5. If you could do any job in your life, what would you choose? (Many have a hard time answering this question. If that’s the case for you, write down at least 5 careers that you think you would enjoy.)

Networking within a Large Organization

We often talk about networking with people in various organizations to tap into the "hidden" job market. But what about networking within your own company? If you work for a larger organization and you'd like to increase your skillset, why not try networking with employees in a different department or group? The more people you meet, the more opportunities you may have for cross-collaboration. Get some free help or advice on a current work project, or offer your help to someone else.

"Honey, we're moving!"

Your spouse has just been informed that in order to stay employed, he or she must relocate. Yo may at first be reluctant to begin the process of searching for employment in unfamiliar territory. Before you begin job searching, try researching your new town or city. Read through a local newspaper online. Look particularly for news of companies that are expanding, news of promotions or transfers (that may create vacancies). Discover organizations that look interesting to you. If you went to college, use your alumni office to obtain information on any fellow alumni that reside in your new place. Establishing contacts ahead of time is key! Research local churches, synagogues, or national organizations that you may be affiliated with may also be useful.

JobFox

(November 2008) Jobfox, a Washington-based job listing company, compiles a monthly list of the professions in greatest demand by recruiters and other employer agents. The Top 25 "hot jobs" are based on a sample of the site's employer activity. Areas in the Top 10 include: Sales Rep/Business Development, Account/Customer Support, Accounting Staff, Counseling/Social Work, Software Design/Development, Administrative Assistant, Networking/System Administration, and Nursing. Advertising and Business Analysis positions have recently moved off the Top 25.

Art of Negotiation

You've done your research and know the salary you desire for a particular position, as well as a reasonable range given the current climate (see additional tips for more info). A company has just extended you an offer. Resist the urge to accept immediately, as this is the best time to negotiate your salary. Always let the employer make the first offer, and do not assume that it's fixed. In your counter offer, ask for the high end of your range, and be able explain to the employer why you're worth it. Never become emotional or hostile in negotiations. Remember that your goal is win-win, with both sides receiving maximum benefit from the final agreement.

Outlook for 2009-2010

The International Labour Organization predicts that 20 million jobs will disappear in 2009, mostly in the industries of construction, real estate, financial services, and the automotive sector. Reviewing data from previous recessions over the last three decades, we've seen that some industries have fared troubling times better than others. In general, these are: Healthcare, Education, Food and Beverage, Legal, Accounting, and Personal Care.

Career Expert Laurence Shatkin published a book in 2008 titled 150 Best Recession Proof Jobs. Shatkin developed a pool of 180 occupations that are resistant to economic downturn and then sorted them according to their economic rewards (defined as income, job opportunities, and job growth). Mr. Shatkin's website is tremendously helpful. Visit it today to gain a wealth of information to arm you in your job search.

Salary Negotiation from A to Z

First, Prepare your Case

Base it on facts which may include some or all of the below items:

• Your Past Salary History


• Another salary offer you've received (Be prepared to show proof)


• Expenses to be incurred due to change in cost of living, relocation expenses, etc.


• Current factual data from salary survies


• Your own background and qualifications (be sure to mention unique certifications, training, etc.)

Second, Present your Case

Practice doing this aloud before your interaction with a potential employer. You don't want to stumble with your words or come across as anything but confident.

Remember to...

• Approach your employer diplomatically, asking them if salary is open to negotiation


• Convey to the employer that you are truly interested in the job; you're not just salary-shopping


• Be prepared for the employer to convey the salary is not open to negotiation

Third, Close your Case

Be sure to...

• Summarize your main points


• Reiterate how you are going to be an asset to the organization, by increasing revenue, streamlining procedures, increasing publicity, landing grants or additional funding, etc.


• Remember that in addition to salary, many other things may be open to negotiation, such as start date, relocation expenses being reimbursed, vacation days, administrative assistance, options for benefit plans, and geographic location