Many times when a client comes in to ask for assistance, the first item they want to ask is if I think this is the right job for them. My first question back to them is, "What do you think about it? Do you think this is the right job for you to apply to?" This is usually met with a blank stare, and then the reply "If I knew that, I would not have asked! That is why I came here!" Then we both have a chuckle, and I introduce folks to a process that helps them to figure out if this is the right job for them, and then how to apply for the right job, the right way – with a targeted approach that shows features and benefits.
4 Easy steps to apply for the right job, the right way – get organized first!
As you can see from this picture, I have developed a simple workbook saved in a Rich Text Format, so that
you can download this file and use it for yourself regardless of what word processing application you are using. As this posting goes on, I will show you step by step how to fill out these categories using my own experiences. It is very simple to use as you can see, and you can download this file here.
Pick your Persona – where will you apply?
As you can see, I have chosen to apply for a position at a "Career and Employment Agency". When I am speaking of a persona, you can go a little farther than I have gone here, if that makes sense for you. I wanted to keep it simple, so all I did was identify the target group. If you wanted to target a specific employer, that is fine – if you want to go one step farther and identify the role you want to apply for inside the organization, that is even better. The more detail you can put into this first step, the more sense every other step will make as you get closer to the end.
Make your list, but pick the big items – do your research first!
It was relatively easy to get the items for this list, all I needed to do was approach a network contact of mine from a professional organization that is involved with career development – the
Ontario Association of Career Development Practitioners (full disclosure, I am also involved in this organization). Approaching a person in the sector, I politely told them of my situation, and further asked if they could spare 15 minutes. After they accepted, I wrote down about 5 really important questions, and these are some of the results that were generated. Some of the questions I asked were:
- What challenges is your organization facing?
- How do you provide feedback at your organization?
- What seems to be a concern of the local management staff?
- What is the best training I could pursue to get hired at your Agency?
Of course, there are several, these are just a few examples to get you started. If you have more, please feel free to leave a comment below so we can have a discussion on best practices.
- Get your moments of pride together – if you are proud to talk about it, and it is relevant, it belongs in this category.
As you are going through your past, think of some stories that are relevant and exciting to talk about. As you can see, I found the pain points of the employer, and then I thought of things I have done int he past that made sense to address those pains. It is simply at this point a balancing act, taking a pain they have that your research has shown and then meeting it with achievements you have made. To keep things simple, I stuck to the eight problems and activities that you can see in the example. Once you have your target, and you have their pains, and have decided how you have solved similar pains, it is time to tie the story together and dial into their radio station to begin broadcasting – channel WIFM – What's In it For Me.
Show how you can save the new employer money, solve their problems, and basically be a good addition to the team.
Take your time, and organize your ideas. Anything that you ever do in life that is worth spending time on will return that time investment. Think for a moment – how much is this job worth to you? If the job you want is 35K, and you spend 35 hours preparing your resume, creating interview questions, interviewing others for this job, and figuring out pain points and then crafting deliberate and useful answers, and YOU GET THE JOB…. you just paid yourself $1,000 per hour!
This is just one method of grabbing information and organizing it, and by no means is it the only one. Do you have a system you prefer? Please leave a comment and share with everyone else what you like to do, and if you are going to try this system, well, leave a comment on that too!
The more comments we leave for each other, the more dialogue we can create, and the better we can all be in our job search skills and actions. Sharing is caring, so leave a book marker on one of the social bookmark programs below, and share the wealth! Is there something that you find is very frustrating in your job search, or a friend has experienced some real issues? Leave a comment, and I will write a blog posting answering those issues.
Witha total network of over 15 million on LinkedIn spanning Australia, India, China, the UK, Germany, USA, Canada, and even Iran, Chris Kulbaba is a LinkedIn Heavy Weight, and his wish is to help you become one too! Chris is able to assist you to craft your Unique Value Proposal which shows how your values can align with others to create the "fit factor" and enable you to achieve real momentum in your career.
