Cute Video – “The Job”

Have you seen “the Job” video currently on YouTube?

I couldn’t help but laugh at this clever video. It takes the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the all-too-frequent company downsizing with resulting layoffs and spins all of this bad news into something that we can all identify with.

After a well needed laugh, I started to think. What about all of the professionals who have been displaced in our economy, the casualties of our recession? How do these talented, experienced people find employment in our troubled economy?

Certainly not by waiting for an employer to drive by and pick them out of a crowd of desperate job seekers. So, how do you, the job seeker, transition yourself into a successful, empowered job hunter?

Don’t be like Jack

Your success starts from within. It’s important to adapt an attitude of self-empowerment. See yourself as a proactive job hunter rather than as a passive job seeker. It reminds me of our cat, Jack (that’s him to the left), who sometimes makes a half-hearted attempt to catch a hapless bird. Jack likes to stand under a large birdfeeder placed on a table in our backyard.

He hopes that maybe a bird will fall off the table in front of him and all he’ll have to do is reach out his paw and grab it. Jack doesn’t catch much that way. Actually, he used to be an excellent hunter, preying on all manner of wildlife. Fortunately for the wildlife, Jack has grown very lazy. Luckily, he’s fed ample amounts of cat food, so his hunting is more a matter of amusement these days.

Some people approach their job searches like Jack hunts birds. They send their resumes out to the various job sites and watering holes, hoping that an opportunity will fall into their laps. Some are lucky, and find decent jobs in spite of the huge odds that are against them. But many are sorely disappointed, and over time become discouraged when their ineffective job search efforts don’t shake out an attractive job offer.

Job hunting is a state of mind, a full-time job and a mission that must be carried out with a sense of focused intention. It must be done with a full commitment because it’s true that you get back in life what you put out.

Three major keys to succeeding at your job search are:
1) Focus your search
2) Market and package yourself because you are a product
3) Tap into the hidden job market. Don’t limit your search to the obvious job search sites where everyone else goes for a quick job search fix.

Sue