Are You Sabotaging Your Job Search Without Knowing It?

Written by Liz Ryan

"I'm so frustrated in my job search," said my friend Alissa. "I was waiting to hear on one opportunity for most of December, and now the job opening is on hold."

Yikes! In 2010, make this resolution: Don't sabotage your job search by putting job-search activities on hold while you wait to see whether one particular opportunity pans out. You can't afford to do that! The promising job opening might disappear, as it did in Alissa's case.

The more irons you've got in the fire, the more self-confidence and negotiating leverage you'll have when a hoped-for job opening arrives. No matter how certain an expected job offer appears to be, keep your job-search engine humming!

That means applying for four to 10 new job openings per week, minimum.

The Limits of One Resume

Here's another way that job-seekers shoot themselves in the foot: "I'm focusing on Call Center Manager jobs," said Samir, "but I've broadened my resume to present myself as an IT person, an HR person and a Purchasing guy, too."

One resume can't do all that heavy lifting. Samir's resume could end up up marketing him as a guy with lots of different experiences and no expertise. Samir needs specific resumes for his Call Center, IT, HR and Purchasing personas. If you've got more than one job-search prong working, you'll need a separate resume for each individual job-search direction!

Avoiding the Black Hole

"I know you told me to avoid the Black Hole of HR, Liz," said Corinne, "but I talked to an HR person in one company, and she said that only resumes sent through the company's website will be considered."

Of course the HR person told you to follow the rules. It's in her best interest to have job seekers do that. It's not in your best interest, though. Ignore the HR person's advice and use LinkedIn and Internet search engines to find the hiring manager for "your" job. Send a pithy cover letter and your resume directly to that manager, using LinkedIn, email, or surface mail. Forget the Black Hole of HR -- you already know from experience how useless that channel is.

What Problems Have You Solved?

Here's one more way job-seekers can sabotage themselves. They write cover letters that go on and on about their talents and skills. Big problem! Hiring managers don't care. They want to know what a job-seeker can do for them.

Cover letters need to talk about the problems you've solved, not about your strategic vision, work ethic, and excellent communication skills. You can yak all you want about those things, but why would anyone believe you? You need to use your valuable cover-letter real estate to talk about the ways you've made a difference for past employers -- in concrete, specific detail.

Don't sabotage your job search in 2010.

• Keep applying for jobs, even when one seems like a sure thing.
  
• Use a separate resume for each job-search direction.
  
• Avoid the Black Hole of HR by taking the time to locate hiring managers directly.
  
• And, use your cover letter space to write about the employer's situation and your relevant experience -- not about your fabulous abilities (because no one cares what you think of yourself).
  

Keep your job search moving in high gear -- employers are posting job openings as we speak!