This article is based on the following book:
What Color Is Your Parachute?
A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters And Career-Changers
By Richard N. Bolles
Ten Speed Press 2004 Edition
ISBN 1 58008 541 5
411 pages
The best-selling job-hunter’s bible for decades, this
indispensable resource is a complete handbook for people
who are on a quest to find their mission in life, or at
the very least, the next good job that will put food on the
table. Whether you are a fresh graduate, never
finished a degree, or are searching for your deeper
calling after many years of work, this is the book for
you. You may need a temporary job, but the book strongly
suggests a major life-changing one!
There are two types of job searches: the traditional, and
the life-changing. The former requires the usual resume-matched-to-the-employer-formula. The latter begins
with a weekend of honest soul-searching and really deep
thought. The actual life-changing job hunt may take much
longer. You must have adequate reserves of energy and
determination to go on this hunt. But the result of the
long search is well worth it. Why? Because the search for
the “job of your dreams” is really the search for your
true happiness…and you have every right to seek this
happiness.
What are you looking for?
You may choose to embark on a life-changing job hunt for
the following reasons: you are suffering from burnout,
you want to set your career path straight, or you may
want to earn more money. The best reason, though, is when
you are searching for your mission in life.
The advantage of doing the life-changing job hunt is
obvious: it makes you rethink your goals, really think
about what you want to accomplish in this life, and it’s
about getting in touch with who you really are. It
requires time, effort and a lot of deep thought.
Looking for a Job
1. Write your resume well. There are several
resume-writing resources enumerated in the book for your
easy reference. You may also ask your friends who are
known for writing excellent resumes for assistance.
2. Your resume should be a summary of relevant work
accomplishments, citing what tasks you were responsible
for, what obstacle you had to overcome and what you did
to solve the problem and what the results of your actions
translated into in terms of profits, etc.
3. Go where the employers go: www.monster.com,
www.hotjobs.com, www.flipdog.com, and www.eurojobs.com
are just some sample sites you could look at.
4. There are other ways to find a job than on the
Internet. Use your contacts. Study the phone book, or
look around your neighborhood. It is still always best
to be referred to an employer by a good friend or
colleague.
How Employers Hunt for Job-Hunters
Employers like it when you:
1. Find their job ad on the Internet or on their web
site.
2. E-mail your resume immediately.
3. Mail a professionally laid-out paper copy to the
employer’s mailing address on the same day.
4. Make a follow-up phone call within the week to see
if both copies were received, and to inquire about an
appointment for an interview.
5. If you do get interviewed, send a thank-you note
immediately after the interview.
23 Tips to a Successful Job-Hunt
1. No one owes you a job. You have to go out and
look for it.
2. Your success is directly proportionate to your
effort.
3. Be willing to change your strategy.
4. Ask successful job hunters what they did.
5. Treat your job-hunt as a full time job.
6. Remember that the shortest job hunt still lasts
between two and eighteen weeks.
7. Persistence is the name of the game.
8. You will not find the same exact job you had
before, so redefine yourself.
9. Forget what is “available” and go for the job
you really want.
10. Tell everyone to keep a lookout for that type
of job opening.
11. If you own an answering machine, tailor your
opening message to communicate your ongoing job
hunt.
12. Join a job-hunter’s support group in your area.
If you can’t find any, create your own.
13. Go after several organizations at once.
14. Go after any place that interests you regardless
of whether there are vacancies or not.
15. Concentrate on organizations that employ 20
people or less.
16. Go see 4 potential employers a day. If you
are using the telephone, call up 40 a day.
17. Use the phone and the Yellow Pages to call up
places of interest and ask if they are hiring.
18. Go to places where you would like to work and
knock on their doors.
19. Look for full-time, part-time, contract jobs
or temporary jobs and other types of jobs.
20. Forget about your handicap, whether real or
imagined.
21. Don’t become depressed if you encounter several
rejections.
22. Treat everyone you meet with courtesy.
23. Write a thank-you note to those who gave you
their time that day.
Finding Your Dream Job
How do you identify your dream job?
1. What are my transferable skills? What are my
fields of fascination?
2. Draw a picture or in this case, The Flower
diagram we use in Parachute, to have a picture of
your new career. Give it a name. Go find a person
who is already doing it.
3. Interview that person for information, to find
out what the job is really like.
4. Research organizations in your area.
5. Network and seek out the persons who have the
power to hire you.
6. Use your contacts to get to this person and show
him how you stand out among others.
7. Take no short cuts, if you need to re-train or
go back to school to get your dream job, do it.
8. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. If one path
isn’t working, try a Plan B.
The 10 Commandments for Job Interviews
1. Go after small organizations, those with 20-50
employees.
2. Ask everyone you know to keep a look out for your
specific job opening.
3. Do your homework on the organization before going
there.
4. Identify the person with the power to hire you and
use your contacts to see this person.
5. Ask for only 20 minutes of their time and keep to
your word.
6. Go to the interview to see if this organization
suits your values, your agenda and your life.
7. When answering questions keep your answers down to
20 seconds or two minutes, max.
8. Approach them as a resource person who can offer
a service rather than a job beggar.
9. Always send a thank-you note the very next day after
an interview.
10. Little things may turn them off such as personal
hygiene and lack of self-confidence.
The Seven Secrets of Salary Negotiation
1. Never discuss salary until the end of the
interviewing process, when they have definitely said
they will hire you.
2. The purpose of salary negotiation is to find out
the most that an employer is willing to pay to get
you.
3. Never be the first to mention a salary figure.
4. Do your homework on how much you will need per
month.
5. Do careful research on salaries in your field or
in that organization.
6. Define a range the employer may have in mind, and
a range for yourself.
7. Don’t leave it hanging. Bring the salary
negotiation to a close. Request a letter of agreement
or an employment contract. Get it in writing.
The Final Word
Part of the search for happiness and a deeper meaning
in our lives goes hand in hand with recognizing our
relationship with God.
By: Regine P. Azurin and Yvette Pantilla
http://www.bizsum.com
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Wisdom In A Nutshell
About the Author
Regine Azurin is the President of BusinessSummaries.com, a company that provides business book summaries of the latest bestsellers for busy executives and entrepreneurs.