<p><span style="color: #000000;">Successful job searching takes a lot of time! Get over it.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">After mentoring and hiring hundreds of job seekers, the number one surprise response I get when I give advice on job search process is, “Wow, this takes so much time!” I’m even more concerned by the proclamation that, “I don’t have the time to put into this.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I’m convinced there is a binary categorization of job seekers today: those who are <b>committed</b> and those who are <b>hobbyists</b>. Which one are you?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The <b>committed</b> job seeker (both the employee searching internally in his or her own company and the person looking at new companies) is willing to block out the appropriate amount of time, put in the hard labor required, and perform at the highest quality level. Every written and spoken word and every action is thought through, checked and re-checked, and meets the highest standards possible.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Here are the entry level criteria to be considered <b>committed</b>:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Articulate your job goal, in writing, and state it clearly to your network.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Build your job search tools such as a tracking spreadsheet and use your personal productivity technology to manage follow-up.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Prepare your sales approach; how you will position yourself to hiring managers, what your value is to them, and how you will present yourself.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Research positions, companies, industries, interview answers, and more.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Network with precision follow-up; build two-way relationships for the long term.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The <b>hobbyist</b> job seeker cuts corners, believes he or she is entitled to get a job, and tends to be the victim of others’ inadequacies. His or her work is sloppy, riddled with errors, and ordinary. The hobbyist’s excuses range from, “There is no point in doing all this research.” to “Why waste time on process when I should just be sending out my résumé?”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">And, unfortunately, here are the symptoms of being a <b>hobbyist</b>:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">“I’ve been applying to multiple jobs but have gotten no interviews.” or “There are no jobs out there.”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">“I updated my résumé and added the right keywords. That should be enough.”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Spend 1-5 hours per week on your job search, thinking that’s enough.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Secure some phone interviews but not getting in any face-to-face interviews.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">No organized process behind your job search. Yellow sticky notes, doodles on pieces of paper.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">R.A.A. – Random Acts of Application – applying to the wrong positions based on your background and not having a clear position goal.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">How do you move into the committed category?  3 Steps:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Re-boot your entire job search process from beginning to end. One way is to use the end-to-end <b><i>Cut the Crap, Get a Job!</i></b> process I’ve outlined in my book, <b><i>Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A New Job Search Process for a New Era</i></b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Stop applying and start being smart and strategic first. Execute second.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Accept the fact that the investment at the beginning of your job search will result in a speedier and better quality outcome – and a better job!</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I have created some great tools for you to manage your job search in an organized way. They are free with the purchase of my book, <b><i>Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A New Job Search Process for a New Era</i></b> (<a href="http://www.danamanciagli.com/book/"><span style="color: #000000;">http://www.danamanciagli.com/book/</span></a>) Or you can buy the tools here: <a href="http://www.danamanciagli.com/tool-downloads/"><span style="color: #000000;">http://www.danamanciagli.com/tool-downloads/</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">There are hundreds of great books and websites available for a super low investment or FREE! Are you investing in one of the single most important aspects of your life…your career and income?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Do something different today. Staying current with your local Business Journal insights is a great start.</span></p>