In my previous posts in this series on the Career Talk Guys system of identifying and landing your next job by talking yourself into it, I have noted that the process involves a good deal of research and building personal contacts and that it works independently of the other methods you might be using to get hired.
However, I should note that the system can also help you with a traditional job search by helping you identify the people who can tell you why a position is open and what problems the employer wants to solve by filling it.
One point to remember is that employers hire people not so much to perform functions as to solve problems. Just as firms let people go because either they aren't solving the problems or because there are fewer problems left to solve, so do they take them on because the problems have grown beyond the current staff's ability to solve them. Your goal as a job seeker is to demonstrate to the employer that you are the person best equipped to solve it.
That involves more than sending a resume and cover letter. It means first learning what the problem is. And this is where job boards can help you kick-start your research and courtship.
To understand how, lets use an analogy CTG co-principal Kevin Sutton used to explain to me how the process works. "You might go into a hardware store in search of a drill bit," he said. "But the reason you are there is not because you need a drill bit, but because you need to drill a hole." In other words, the drill bit is the tool you need to drill the hole, the problem you came into the store to solve.
Similarly, when an employer posts on BusinessWorkForce.com that it has a need for a vice president of finance, it is looking for a tool to solve a problem. The trouble is that there is no way for you to find out what the problem is by the usual methods of sending resumes and cover letters, then going in for an interview if you are chosen. Similarly, employers have no way of knowing which if any of the hundreds of candidates who send in resumes actually can solve their problem.
What a listing on a job board tells you is that here is an employer who has a problem to solve, so some of your legwork has been done for you. Now what you need to do is learn more about the company to determine whether you are the solution and whether you would be comfortable working there. In an earlier article, I noted that most public libraries offer access to large databases such as InfoTrac, ReferenceUSA, ABI/Inform and Dun & Bradstreet where you can research companies online. You will also need to find out who at those companies can give you information about the problems they need solved. More on this, and on what questions to ask, in future articles.
By Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for BusinessWorkForce.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Nexxt. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on BusinessWorkForceBlog.com.
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