Successful Job Search: 10 Steps To Quickly Acquire Your Dream Job And Put More Money In Your Pocket

Do you want to continue your costly, time-consuming and exhausting struggle in a frustrating job search using weak, ineffective tools that are getting you nowhere? The job market today is fiercely competitive with few high-paying or desirable jobs available. With repeated downsizings, companies have learned to survive with less.

Mediocrity has no place in your job search process. To be a player among the huge number of job seekers, you need an edge, a unique compelling advantage.

To be successful, you must differentiate yourself from the crowd. You must use search strategies that put you head and shoulders above your competition. You must possess knowledge and skill in your area of expertise, and know how to demonstrate that to the world. You may be the best candidate for a position, but someone better skilled at interviewing gets the offer.

Here are the strategies you need to use to run a successful job search:

1. Determine your best-suited career

You need to sit down and assess your talents, strengths and core competencies, as well as what it is you truly want to do. It may not be enough that you have a skill set in a particular area if you lack the desire to move forward in that direction. To be a successful career builder and have a fulfilling career, find your passion and do what you love. If you don't, no amount of money will satisfy you.

2. Leverage your skills to the highest possible level

You may be a design engineering guru, a top marketing specialist or a graphics design genius, but unless you know how to present your talents -- in your resume and during your interviews -- your expertise will go unnoticed. You must also present your skills to the right person. A candidate weaker than you will ease you out of an opportunity just because they spoke directly to the hiring manager while you discussed your candidacy with someone in human resources. It's not always the best candidate who receives the offer.

3. Set yourself apart from your competition

With up to nine hundred candidates responding to one advertised job opening, it is easy to lose oneself in the vast sea of job seekers. You must learn how to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Creating an attention-grabbing resume is a good start. You must also learn how to prepare for and succeed at interviews. Tapping the hidden job market and networking are by far the most effective strategies for finding the right opportunities and getting ahead of your competition.

4. Create an attention-grabbing resume

One of the best ways to achieve this is to clearly state your value proposition, your strengths and several uniquely defined differentiators that set you apart from your competition. Add to that a set of well-crafted accomplishments that incorporate three critical factors -- the extraordinary task you fulfilled, how you achieved it, and the results -- and you have the basis for a winning resume.

5. Write a captivating cover letter

Your cover letter is critical to your success. It sets the tone. It is read before your resume and includes vital information about you that every potential employer needs. If you don't have a cover letter, or if you have one that is poorly written, you're setting yourself up for failure. Knowing the crucial elements of a cover letter is imperative to moving your candidacy forward.

6. Tap the hidden job market

Job ads account for only a small percentage of all job openings available. Seventy-five percent of positions are in the hidden, or unadvertised, job market. Unless you're tapping this hidden sector of the market, you will not be truly successful. Networking is one activity which will lead you to uncharted opportunities. Posting your resume to the top job sites is another. It will expose you to the employers and recruiters who are searching for candidates at these sites to fill their unadvertised positions.

7. Network your way to your next job

Networking takes communication to a whole new level. It is more about who knows you than who you know. Rather than specifically asking someone you know for a job, you must communicate your unique qualities to them. Networking produces results that are quite amazing. Roughly 80% of jobs are filled through networking. Untold opportunities are out there; it's through a concerted and committed networking effort that jobs are found.

8. Establish appropriate recruiter relationships

Recruiters do not work for you; their allegiance is to their client, the employer who has hired them to search for the best candidate to fill an unadvertised position. Recruiters are in business to help companies find people, not the other way around. You can nonetheless formulate an approach for working with them. A good strategy is to gain visibility by posting your resume to the top career sites where recruiters go in search of candidates for unadvertised positions. You can also use referrals as a way to meet with, and receive preferential treatment from, a recruiter.

9. Prepare for and have successful interviews

You must be prepared to talk about your worth and accomplishments. You need to understand the fundamental responsibilities of the position. Thoroughly research the company. Find out as much as you can so you can ask the right questions and have a successful interview. Take your time in answering the interviewer's questions, and be concise. Personality is ninety percent of the battle, so be sure to establish a rapport with your interviewer. Ask for the offer before the interview is over. After the interview, send a thank you letter.

10. Learn the art of offer negotiations

Offer negotiations are an integral part of your job search process. Negotiating is an opportunity to get what you truly want and deserve. It is a way to significantly raise your standard of living and sense of self, simply by taking stock of what you have to offer and then capitalizing on it to negotiate a higher starting point. Thousands of dollars can be added to your compensation along with signing bonuses, added vacations, profit sharing and more. What you receive now becomes your benchmark for future positions. Go for what you are worth -- your life will never be the same!

You can put time back on your side by following my suggestions for your success, which encompass all the tools and resources you will ever need for an enriching journey and a successful career. Treat yourself to the job of your dreams and write your unique ticket to the next phase of your career life!

Copyright © 2005 TopDog Group All rights reserved.

David Richter is a recognized authority in career coaching and job search support. He has spent many years in recruitment, staffing, outplacement, counseling psychology and career management spanning most industries and professions. David founded TopDog Group in response to the needs of job candidates to have a higher quality of career coaching and support available on the Internet. David understands the mechanisms for success. He has formulated specific strategies anyone can use to secure interviews and receive offers. His extensive knowledge and experience sets David apart in this field, allowing him to offer a wealth of information and a vast array of tools, resources and strategies not found anywhere else. He has shown countless job seekers how to differentiate themselves and leverage their potential to the highest possible level, making a real difference in their careers. David holds both a Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engineering, and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. David's website address is: http://www.procareercoach.com


More Resources

5 Ways to Combat Job Burnout
Job burnout happens when the stress or prolonged frustration of a job or career contributes to emotional and physical exhaustion. The ability to cope with general life stressors outside of work is strained.
Telecommuting Cover Letters
Question: How do I market myself online?Answer: With a stellar cover letter and resume.Okay, so let's get into the meat of this.
A Concept That Could Double Youre Income in Mystery Shopping
Do you want to double, or increase significantly you're income in mystery shopping? If yes, I'll be sharing to you an age old concept. Now you might have learned this already or you may consider this common sense.
Your Next Performance Appraisal: Make It Work For You
In the rush of everyday work, it can be difficult to think about your own career development. An appraisal is a key opportunity to identify your strengths, areas that need improvement and plans for your future.
Seven Deadly Types of Job Recruiters
Collect them all!Over the course of six months in my pursuit of a new job, I have talked to recruiters on a daily basis. I have communicated with or have been contacted by at least 100 recruiters.
Resume Writing - Importance of a Professional Summary
The Summary is the preview of your entire resume. This may be be the only part that an interviewer or employer might read for shortlisting your resume.
In a Rut? Ready for a Career Change?
Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and drive? Don't worry, you are not alone! Studies in the US show that up to 70 percent of the workforce is unhappy with their job at any given time. We all feel dissatisfied and frustrated with our jobs at times.
Cover Letters
Cover Letters: Are you telling them what they want to know?Let's face it. Recruiters (or employers) are smarter than we think.
The Top Ten Strategies of A Great Interview
You've just received a call to interview with your dream company. Do you know how to prepare for the interview so that you'll feel confident, have a good experience and set yourself apart from others? Try following the steps below and you'll not only be well prepared, you'll present yourself as a true professional.
Adapting To Change In A Changing World
Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your existing skill in the last six months to one year?According to the world acclaimed management guru and Writer Professor Peter Drucker - "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning news skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.
Should You Lie On Your Resume?
Warning: Lying on your resume could cost you your job and your freedom.Picture this.
Six of the Best for a Winning Resume
1. Be CompleteMake sure that your resume includes EVERYTHING your prospective employer would need to know to be able to offer you an interview.
The Art of Selling Yourself!
To "sell" oneself on paper is not easy. Creating a resume is a design and construction job and a test of your writing skills as well.
Importance Of Your Job Search
So that you can decide just how critical your job hunt is in your total life scheme, let's put a kind of frame around the importance of the effort ahead.Reflect on it.
Integrity At Work - How Do You Show Up?
As the business sections of today's papers and magazines read more and more like the police blotter, ''Integrity'' is fast becoming a hot topc of conversation in business boardrooms, around water coolers, and in today's business best-sellers. Integrity is defined as walking the talk when it comes to living one's true values, being authentic.
What Your Guidance Counselor, Career Counselor, and Own Mother Probably Never Told You...
The alarm clock jars you awake at some insanely early hour. As you hit the snooze button you think, "there's gotta be a better way to make a living.
Match, Meet, and Mesmerize at a Job Fair
Are you considering another trip through the career maze? Attending a job fair can make you feel like you are playing a losing game unless you have a clear understanding of the rules. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of any job fair, and gaining a competitive edge.
Job Interview Mistakes To Avoid
By avoiding these 8 simple mistakes, you can improve your chances ofhaving a successful interview and landing the job of your dreams.1.
Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade
In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which you present your skills, achievements and experience on paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring company considers your application.
4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers
The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out for Human Resources, and you have decided that this is the right candidate for the job. Now comes the formal job offer.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Stop Searching for A Job and Start Attracting Professional Success!
1. Assess - Evaluate your skills, interests and abilities.
Those Little Things
Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I tried one a neighbor recommended who seemed friendly, competent and eager to please.
Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies
If only there were no questions involved in getting a job!If you've been following NBC's "The Apprentice," you know who Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is. She's had the honor of being fired by Donald Trump (and others, according to "People" magazine).
Creating Traffic Jams
It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a newspaper to find a job any more. With a seemingly endless array of career sites, mailing lists, corporate sites and newsgroups, job seekers have more options online than ever before.
Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates
As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments, we spend a significant part of our effort preparing both the candidate and the client employer for prospective interviews. Preparing each side to meet and interact removes much of the predisposed tension that is inherent to the interview process on both sides.
Tips for Requesting a Raise
You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your boss think so?Here's how to go about convincing your boss that you're really worth more than you're being paid.
Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers?
Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent of the internet, which has proven to offer great supporting facilities and convenience for online education. However, just like everything else with pros and cons, the internet has also opened doors for the widespread sale of bogus online degrees.
Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities.
Who Should Write Your Resume?
This is a question we get a lot. It seems rather easy to do it yourself if you have access to a word processing program and printer and feel comfortable writing your job history.
Employment Law: Unfair Dismissal - Employer Succeeded in Changing Terms of Employment
Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of employment of employees, however, employers must still take care.In Scott & Co v Richardson [2005], the Dependant, Mr Richardson, who worked for a Scottish firm of debt collectors, refused to accept his new terms of employment which required him to visit defaulting debtors during the evenings.
Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio
Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only to discover they are no longer in existence or your former manager has moved on and been replaced by someone else? Of course, if you are an avid networker this shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes time to provide proof of your experience, education and accomplishments. A portfolio of your career should be developed and maintained using all documentation of your career history in order to overcome any problems that could arise in proving any aspects of your career.
Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
Get a Life Why Dont Ya?!
It's okay to take your job seriously, to be a stickler for professionalism, and sure it's wonderful to take your responsibilities seriously. However, you have to be a bit careful when you allow your job to become your LIFE.
Dont Forget to Say, Thank You
One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to not follow up an important interview with a thank you note to the people who interviewed them. Human Resources experts note that as few as 10% of interviewees take the time to say, "thank you.
Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job
Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.
Why Culinary Education
If you are thinking about a career in culinary arts then studying in a culinary school is a must. You may be a great cook but you will never become expert learning culinary arts yourself.
Acing The Interview
It's no secret that there is a lot of competition for writing jobs.What makes or breaks you in an interview is more of a mystery that some writers may try to unravel for years.
How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts Yours On Top
Many people would love to get a better job. And most of these same people have the proper training and skills to achieve this goal.
Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design
There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.
Is A Career a Calling or Choice?
How much of our career path is destiny and how much is free will? In my opinion, it is 50/50. We are given a life map at the beginning of our lives, and there are things we are meant to learn, people we are meant to meet, work we are meant to perform.