Everyone says you need a job-search strategy– what’s new/different about Tim’s Strategy? (pun intended)

There are a lot of smart people out there offering advice.  So telling a job seeker to have a strategy is not unique.  But three aspects make my strategy different. First, I write from the perspective of a hiring manager and a former job seeker.  So my strategy is experience based.  Second, I focus on working with a purpose throughout the process.  For me there’s little room for impulse decision-making.  It is about efficiency and structure.  Third, I use my 22 years in consumer marketing to support the strategy with a strong branding and communications element.

What’s the most important step(s) to take to come up with your job search strategy?

Here are my five steps:

1. Take stock – You can’t build a strategy on shaky ground.  And if you entered the job market after a layoff or firing, there’s a good chance you are still upset.  So take a few weeks and come to peace with what happened
and find someone to talk to before venturing out to begin networking.

2. Establish clear job objectives – If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it will be obvious to your network.  And you will, by definition, receive less targeted support from your network.  So identify target companies and decide the role you want to play in your next job.  Be specific even though your head may scream to be open to anything

3. Build solid marketing materials – even though a lot of networking is done in person, solid leave behind and introductory documents are essential.  Your readers can check my tools page for a lot of free downloads

4. Identify and measure your network – I suggest that people must network with a purpose.  So once you have specific job search objectives, it should be no surprise who you should contact for help.  And know that not all networker partners are created equal. As you learn your best resources, spend more time there.

5. Set weekly and monthly goals – A job seeker without goals will fall prey to impulsive behavior.  And impulsive behavior leads to inefficient action.  So I recommend setting goals based on specific networking, organizational and communications objectives.

Short of getting a job, how do you measure success about whether or not your strategy is working?

There are some obvious signs that things are working during a job search such as phone calls from recruiters, opportunities for phone or in-person interviews and, of course, a job offer.   However, there are more subtle signs as well.  Signs that tell a bigger story about the way people perceive you in the market.

Are your phone calls and emails being returned?  Are you getting targeted job leads from your network? How about recruiter calls? Are you a popular person at networking events? If the answer to most of these is “no”, this is evidence of a broken strategy.  Or one that is not being executed effectively.

You warn that being an optimist during the search is a bad thing…shouldn’t we all maintain a positive attitude?

Yes!  Maintaining a positive attitude is really important. But optimism is dangerous because it can make you complacent.  If you believe that “everything will be OK”, you will stop pushing hard through to the end of the job search.

Optimism is especially dangerous during the first few weeks or months of a job search.  It is then that everyone is with you, sharing their network and offering lots of help and support.  So it is easy to wrap yourself up in this early blanket and feel warm.  But to succeed, you need to maintain a productive sense of urgency.

If there was just one thing a day you had to do to maintain a successful job search, what would it be?

That one thing would be social networking.  It is what separates effective job seekers from the rest in a tough, employer driven hiring market.  New job leads, target company connections, friendships and introductions to recruiters all come through networking.  And to be more specific, it would be networking with a purpose.  Because without a purpose you are just socializing.

Bonus Q: You talk about correcting course when your elevator pitch has a problem– what is the biggest mistake people make with their elevator pitch and what’s the best way to fix it?

I’ve heard over a thousand elevator pitches from job seekers in the last year. And there’s a common problem with them all.  No one is providing clear job search objectives.  Your network can only help you if specific data is communicated. For example, who are your target companies (I might know someone who works there)? What’s your job function and what job title are you targeting (so I can forward leads as I hear of them).  And when you deliver your pitch, be interesting and upbeat.  Draw me in and give me a reason to come talk to you after you’re done.

Tim Tyrell-Smith is an emerging thinker in careers, personal development and social networking. A veteran marketing executive, Tim is now helping people effectively market to new audiences. You can buy his book: 30 Ideas: The Ideas of Successful Job Search on Amazon, read his blog (http://timsstrategy.com) and follow him on Twitter (@TimsStrategy).

Thanks Tim for an awesome interview!!!