Valentine’s Day and Your Job Search

This was a really busy week so I kept pushing off writing my post until the last minute and then for some reason writer’s block set in when I sat down at the computer to begin to write. Don’t you hate when that happens?

To get some inspiration I started surfing the net, and everywhere I went I was bombarded by Valentine’s Day ads and it dawned on me that there are important lessons we can learn about job hunting from this Hallmark holiday.

So here are a few random thoughts for job hunters on St. Valentine’s Day (SVD) that may help you reach your ultimate goal.

1: SVD is the epitome of how a simple idea can be turned into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. On a smaller scale, the same can be said about the product I call YOU. So if your job search is stuck in neutral I suggest you approach it from a different perspective.

Look at yourself – both on paper and in person – as a product that needs to be discovered by the buying public. When you write your resume, scrap the fact sheet you’re using and create a marketing document that sizzles and sells and the same holds true for the way you market yourself when networking and on job interviews.

Take it one step further and make yourself ubiquitous any way you can. Get people to shout your praises and promote you to others; and it won’t hurt to come up with a catchy brand statement like “Every Kiss Begins with Kay.”

2:  Love and passion are the two words that define SVD. So every morning you need to wake up and love who you are. If you don’t these negative vibes will surround you and strangle you in your tracks.

Now that you love who you are you need to get people to notice you. I find the one thing that people you come into contact with during your job search notice and appreciate above all else about you (be they an employer, recruiter, or someone you network with) is your passion.

It can be the passion you have for what you do, the passion you have for wanting to help others, the passion you have for learning something new, the passion you have to succeed, or just the passion you have for life itself. If your passion shows through people you meet will remember you and want to do business with you and hire you.

Of this I speak from personal experience. When I get hired by people who are not personally recommended to me but just happened to find me while shopping around for a resume writer or a career coach, 80% tell me they choose me and not someone equally as qualified based on my passion. They want the energy I bring to my job to rub off on them. This is what every job seeker has to do as well. Make the people around you as passionate about you as they are about me.

3: SVD + FTD = Showing people that you care. One of the forgotten activities in a job search is following up and saying thank you. So when someone helps you or introduces you to someone who you need to know say thank you before and after the introduction, and it does not hurt sending flowers or some sort of gift to let people know they are appreciated. The same hold true for an interview. A thank you note via snail mail, an email, and yes even a telephone call in this age of electronic communication to follow up and thank someone for the interview is a lost art. I guarantee if you rediscover this art on a consistent basis you will be discovered and respected by the people who can help you the most.

4: Time pieces are one of the biggest gifts given on SVD. And when it comes to a job search time is the biggest intangible in the mix. From people I spoke to who got jobs using a job board 70% said they applied to that job within the first 24-48 hours after it was posted. So don’t you procrastinate; it may be a cliché but it is true – “the early bird does get the worm.”

Also when it comes to an interview, a meeting or any scheduled event, if you plan to arrive 10-20 minutes early you are actually avoiding arriving 10-20 minutes late. The two things that turn off decision makers the most are tardiness and being stood up. Remember that time is precious and proper time management is the key to a successful job search.

5: Don’t push away, take for granted, or take out your frustration on the people who are closest to you. When in a job search mode they are the people you need the most.

So show them some extra special love and appreciation today. They deserve it!

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

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Perry Newman

Perry Newman is a nationally-renowned job transition specialist who develops branded resumes and is a career coach for executives, professionals and MBA’s seeking six- figure positions in multiple industries within the USA. As a Certified Placement Consultant, Certified Social Media Strategist and founder and former Managing Director of a NYC-based executive search firm, Perry has a rare combination of talent and experience that is essential for your success in today’s job market. Acknowledged as a subject matter expert in his field Perry is a sought-after public speaker for radio, TV shows and career services seminars and his articles and blog posts are published in national newspapers, magazines and blogs throughout the nation and the world.