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A strategic way to find a new job

2013-01-05

If you're planning on finding a new job this year and have updated your CV to start sending it to companies then stop before you go any further.

This is the wrong strategy for finding good work, or in fact for finding any work at all. The reason is the message that you are sending along with your CV. The message in this case is:

"I'm part of the crowd and I'd like to join the queue along with the hundreds of other people looking for a job."

If you were to receive your CV amongst thousands of others what would you do?

Richard Bolles , describes this approach as our neanderthal job hunting system . Ask around and see if you can find anyone who has had success with this approach. I would bet you find less than one in a hundred.

The approach that does work is to first spend time figuring out what you are good at. Then decide who would give you an opportunity to do what you are good at. Lastly sit back and figure out how you could make contact in a way that will send the person who receives your letter linking your skills with their need (not CV), into a frenzy as they call to make sure they get to you before anyone else does.

Tip: your letter needs to hint at something they really really want.

This is a strategic way to step out of the crowd.

Good strategic thinking for finding meaningful
work

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