Jump-Starting a Stalled Job Search

Why do some job seekers manage to land a new position in just a few weeks yet some of their peers' search seems to last for many months? The answer to that question is quite complex. Since the job search is driven by both the job seeker and the savvy business decision-makers, there will never be a "magic" formula. However, I suggest that there are a multitude of avenues that a job seeker should incorporate into a job search campaign. Let's examine four gateways to success.

Career Teams

Do you have a career team? If not, I encourage you to form one immediately. If you are not familiar with the term, a career team is comprised of three to four individuals who can provide valuable assistance. It is best to appoint professionals who have no emotional or financial interest in your career success. Therefore, never designate your spouse, parents or even very close friends as a team member. Instead, select people you know who can provide you with networking opportunities and administrative support. Be sure to consider their personal characteristics as well - are they positive and upbeat and capable of truly encouraging and motivating you during difficult times?

Once you have formed your team, you need to assign each member specific tasks. For example, ask one person to conduct Internet research to investigate employment opportunities and obtain information on various companies. Hoovers.com and comfind.com are excellent sources to uncover company information.

Select one team member to prepare and mail tailored resumes and cover letters for you and enter the information in a database for future tracking purposes. Third, one person can be asked to assist you with networking and can cultivate leads for you. One person can peruse newspapers for opportunities. There are many other ways your members can provide invaluable assistance. Finally, meet with your team members twice a week but don't turn it into a social event.

Personal Agents

Use electronic job scouts - they are free. The personal job-search agents will "scout" and constantly search for positions that match your criteria. You simply specify the types of jobs you are seeking and the scout looks through thousands of listings and delivers matches to your e-mail account. Here are a few sites worth investigating: www.careerbank.com, www.nationjob.com, www.careerbuilder.com, www.4work.com, www.espan.com and www.jobbankusa.com. Signing up for these should only take one or two hours.

Career Fairs

If you do not have time to attend job fairs, let someone go in your place! Ask them to distribute your resume and/or collect business cards and follow up on those leads. There are also numerous on-line career fairs you can participate in.

On-line Distribution

More and more on-line distribution services are joining the Internet every day. ResumEXPRESS has several programs ranging from $39 to $199 and will send your resume up to 10,000 potential contacts, including major corporations, recruiters and on-line resume banks. Their URL is www.resumexpress.com. BlastYourResume.com and FlipDog.com are good sites. Databases such as www.searchbase.com, www.topexec.com and www.yourmissinglink.com and others are excellent sources. Remember, your resume can be posted confidentially.

Job searching can be challenging but you do not have to run "the show" independently. If you form a productive team of two to four individuals, your chances of garnering interviews will significantly multiply. Using personal scouts, on-line distribution services and attending career fairs will ultimately jump-start a stalled job search. It's an exciting time to be looking for career opportunities and numerous resources are available in today's electronic world to propel you to success!