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10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search

Everything You Need to Get the Job You Want in 24 Hours — Or Less

by Todd Bermont

Career Press © 2004

215 pages

• Believe in yourself or no one else will.

• Take an inventory of your abilities, skills and dispositions.

• Identify the job you want — defi ne it and understand it clearly.

• Before you try to convince anyone else that you can do that job, convince yourself.

• Carefully prepare your resume and a cover letter tailored to the opportunity you are

pursuing. Do not use a generic cover letter.

• Prepare for your interviews by learning all you can about the company and about

the people you’ll be meeting there.

• Use whatever resources you have at hand.

• It is impossible to overstate the importance of networking.

• If an offer is beneath you, reject it courteously and with good grace.

• Treat everyone with respect because you never know when you might want to use

someone you secretly despise.

7 10 4 6

Leadership & Mgt.

Strategy

Sales & Marketing

Corporate Finance

Human Resources

Technology & Production

Small Business

Economics & Politics

Industries & Regions

Career Development

Personal Finance

Concepts & Trends

10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search © Copyright 2004 getAbstract 2 of 5

Relevance

What You Will Learn

In this Abstract, you will learn some basic, time-tested wisdom about searching for a job.

Recommendation

This guide to job hunting may provide a practical boost if you’re looking for a job. It

recaps some of the most widely known and broadly discussed tips about job seeking,

and presents them clearly and concisely. Though it has little that is brand new, it does

put some things in a different, positive light. Author Todd Bermont backs up his book

with a website and provides details about his 10 recommendations. While they may not

really be secrets, they amount to an organized 10-step path to fi nding a new and better

job. Bermont is chatty, and uses conversational (as opposed to textbook) grammar, as he

boosts your self-confi dence and assures you that the perfect job is out there, if you search

for it the right way. His fi rst three steps urge you to deal with your own assets and wishes

before you begin to contact prospective employers. However, once you are ready for that

step, he makes sure you know how to proceed with the right resume, contact strategy and

interview technique. getAbstract.com recommends this book to those who are searching

for entry level or mid-level jobs. It may not be quite sophisticated enough to open doors

into the executive suite, but when you’re out of work your job becomes fi nding a job —

and this book will help.

Abstract

Secret One: Have Faith in Yourself

If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. If you believe in yourself,

you can convince anyone else. Take these 10 basic steps to build your self-confi dence:

1. Believe you are wonderful — Make a list of all the great things you’ve done. Don’t

be modest. Everyone has accomplished something worthwhile.

2. Find the good in your situation — Recognize that there’s a reason for everything that

happens and that there’s some good in everything.

3. Relax — Stress and negativity can destroy you. Be honest and not defensive.

4. Make “I can!” your mantra — Keep repeating it.

5. Interview by the numbers — Truly, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to fi nd a prince. Don’t

be bummed when people don’t jump to hire you. Be just as selective as they are.

6. Optimists win — Be positive and be sure that everyone around you is positive too.

Attitude is very important.

7. Don’t let rejection get you down — You can’t change the basic facts. Maybe the inter-

viewer wants to hire an Ivy League grad and you have a community college degree.

That’s not your fault. Find an employer who appreciates your education.

8. Interviewing is part of the job — Dress for it. Organize for it. Print business cards,

use a virtual offi ce, set up a new email address, do all you can.

9. Control what you can control — Get in shape, eat properly, have a good attitude,

be organized.

10. Use visualization — Imagine yourself winning and getting what you want. When

you can visualize success, success is yours.

“The most basic,

yet perhaps the

most essential

secret to any suc-

cessful job search

is to believe in

yourself and your

ability to succeed!”

“The best way to

jumpstart your job

search is to fi rst

identify your core

strengths and

competencies —

what you are good

at.”

10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search © Copyright 2004 getAbstract 3 of 5

Secret Two: Know Yourself

Make a list of the things you do well, your strengths, your abilities, your skills and your

competencies. Keep these points in mind:

• Know your own personality — It may be your greatest asset or your greatest liability.

Determine what kind of energy you project and be positive!

• Know what you have achieved — Quantify your work accomplishments.

• Inventory your skills — They may be critical thinking skills, people skills or task

skills such as an ability to understand complex machines quickly.

• List your work-related credentials — These might include a college degree, certifi ca-

tion in a certain computer program or some extra asset you can contribute.

Secret Three: Know the Job You Want

First write down the things you want in a job. Your list might include autonomy,

challenge, travel (or no travel), a certain salary level, a competitive environment and a

short commute. This list will vary from person to person. Make sure your values match

the job. If you value a lot of time with your family, don’t go after an around-the-clock job.

If you value the give and take of a competitive environment, don’t go after a solitary job.

You will spend a lot of time working and the wrong job will make you unhappy. When

you identify your values and what you want from the job, write a job-hunting mission

statement and consult it frequently.

Secret Four: Make Your Case

Understand what the person hiring you is seeking. Consider this seven point hiring process:

1. The company has a problem to solve — The decision to hire someone begins with

recognition that the business needs something. Maybe customers are complaining

about poor service. Maybe the accounting numbers don’t add up. Maybe the sales

force needs a go-getter. The hiring manager is looking to solve a particular problem.

2. Identify possible solutions — Hiring a new person may be only one of several pos-

sible solutions under consideration.

3. Resolve to hire someone — The company decides to hire someone.

4. Write the business case — Managers have to justify new hires. Their superiors want

to know that hiring someone new is worthwhile. Show yourself as a good investment.

5. Budget for the new hire — The company’s budget will include far more than your

salary. Benefi ts, vacation and Social Security all add costs. Most companies want a

return of at least 300% on every person they hire.

6. Defi ne the job and the qualifi cations — If your network of contacts knows about a

job and can infl uence the job description, you could be in a very strong position.

7. Look for potential candidates — Cast a wide net to fi nd the right person.

From a company’s perspective, hiring someone new is like buying a piece of production

machinery. Unless the company has a desperate need to staff up immediately, hiring

someone will be just one item on the employer’s to-do list. As a job searcher, make

yourself look valuable, confi dent, competent, desirable and in demand.

Secret Five: Write Great Self-Promotion

Your cover letter and resume are promotional documents. The job market is quite

competitive. Companies that post ads on Internet job sites often get thousands of resumes

in response. They don’t spend more than a few seconds reviewing each one, so you

have to get their attention immediately. Think of your resume and cover letter as an ad.

“Companies don’t

hire people just to

be nice!”

“To create a

powerful message

— one that will

secure you an

interview — you

need to tailor your

resumes and cover

letters to each

opportunity.”

“The most com-

mon dilemma...

when being faced

with the daunting

task of fi nding a

new job is where

to start.”

“A trick I learned

to get a fax by the

gatekeeper is to

have a cover sheet

that does not men-

tion the purpose

of the fax. Then,

on the fi nal page

of your fax trans-

mission include a

mostly blank page

that just says,

‘Thank you for

your time.’”

10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search © Copyright 2004 getAbstract 4 of 5

Tailor them to the market. Use the language of the industry because jargon marks you

as an experienced insider. Be sure your resume contains the following data, shown as

impressively as possible:

• A quick profi le summarizing who you are, what you’ve done and what you can do.

• A recapitulation of your achievements with the best stuff at the top, in bold type.

• Your skills and competencies.

• Your education.

• Your work experience.

Do not put your job objective on the resume, because it will prevent the interviewer

from considering you for other jobs that might be equally good for you. Do not list your

references. Simply note that you’ll provide references when requested.

Secret Six: Sell Yourself

Your job search begins now. Networking is the most powerful tool in the job seeker’s kit.

You should always be networking. Networking means talking to friends, relatives, people

you’ve worked with, people you’ve met. It means plugging into the grapevine. Don’t

ask people for jobs directly. Ask them for advice, ask them if they have heard anything

about positions like the one you are seeking and ask them for help. Use the word “help”

often, because people want to be helpful. Contact everyone you know. Take a tip from

the telemarketers and sketch a script. Develop different scripts for different purposes. For

instance, if you will be cold-calling a company where you know there are openings, create

a script for that circumstance. Direct mail is also useful. You can use several tricks to

make sure your mailer gets noticed. For example, send it by overnight mail.

Secret Seven: Use What You Can Get

The 10 most useful resources for job hunters are:

1. Publications — Use newspapers, business magazines and phone books.

2. Websites — Check company websites where you can identify a potential boss and

get his or her phone number. Be sure to write a script before you call.

3. Professional or trade associations — Most of these groups have meetings where you

can broaden your networks. They have lists of members and many offer programs for

members seeking jobs. If you don’t have the money to join, see if you can attend a few

meetings by saying you’re thinking of joining and want to observe the meetings.

4. Trade exhibitions — You can meet people from lots of companies at a trade show. Be

sure to bring your own promotional material, your cover letter and resume, and visit

during slow hours when people will have time to talk. To save money, go to the show

while people are still setting up booths so you can avoid the admission fee.

5. Headhunters and body snatchers — Also known as job placement fi rms, these com-

panies can be useful, but be sure you understand their business model. The employer

pays some headhunters, you pay some and some charge both parties.

6. College placement offi ces — If you’re an alumnus or alumna, you can use them.

7. Chambers of Commerce — These are great networking venues and good places to

fi nd out about companies in a region.

8. Happenings — Attend job fairs, pink slip parties and speed networking events.

9. Public vocational centers — These church or government-funded centers usually

offer counseling, resume assistance and networking.

10. Your employers — Look for contacts within your current or previous offi ce.

“I’ve learned the

hard way that it

almost always

pays to treat

everyone with

respect, regard-

less of how you

feel.”

“Smile. There’s an

old saying: ‘When

you smile the

whole world smiles

with you.’ This

popular sentiment

is so true.”

“Preparing in

advance will help

you in almost any

situation, be it

interviews, net-

working, or making

cold calls.”

“Every time I was

trying to deceive

the market on a

trade or I was

making money, I

was going against

my core values.”

10 Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search © Copyright 2004 getAbstract 5 of 5

Secret Eight: Be Prepared

Opportunities pop up all the time. Be prepared for surprises. Sometimes you can strike

up a conversation in a coffee shop or on a train that leads to a job offer. Learn how

to tout your accomplishments without seeming to brag. Prepare an elevator pitch —

a 30-second pitch that sums you up. You have about a minute and a half to create a

fi rst impression, and those fi rst seconds are critically important. The most successful

candidates in a job search are:

• Confi dent — They believe in themselves and inspire confi dence. Fake it if you must.

• Organized — They arrive on time. They bring talking points; they take notes.

• Friendly — They smile and have a pleasant demeanor.

• Assiduous — Don’t look or act like a nine-to-fi ver.

• Effective — Make it clear that you get things done effectively and effi ciently.

• Innovative — Show that you can fi nd new solutions or ways of working.

• Focused on the goal — Make it clear that you’re not drifting with the tide.

• Able to solve problems — Every company values solutions.

Secret Nine: Interview to Get What You Want

Don’t get stage fright before your interview. To interview well, follow fi ve simple rules:

1. Visualize — Stand before the mirror, see yourself going in and doing very well, han-

dling questions with aplomb and putting your case impressively. You will do what

you visualize.

2. Be positive and upbeat — Have a spring in your step and a smile on your face.

3. Dress like a winner — People do judge by appearances.

4. Sell yourself — See the interview as a three-step sale with an introduction, a pitch

and a close.

5. Enjoy it — If you think of it as fun, it will be fun, and your attitude will be positive.

Secret Ten: Close that Sale

Interviewing is a job — a sales job. After every interview, write a sales call report.

Summarize what happened. Write a thank you note. When the offers begin to come in,

consider each one carefully. If an offer doesn’t meet your requirements, reject it tactfully

and respectfully. You never know when the company might want to contact you again, or

when you might want to contact the company. Negotiate confi dently. If an offer is really

good, accept it enthusiastically!

About The Author

Todd Bermont is president and founder of 10 Step Corporation, a fi rm specializing in

sales training, sales consulting, keynote speaking and career coaching. He has been

awarded the “Certifi cate of Merit” by Writers Digest magazine and “Businessman of the

Year” by the Business Advisory Council.

“An interviewer

makes a decision

in the fi rst 90 sec-

onds of an inter-

view.”

“In interviews …

listen twice as

much as you talk.”