Table of Contents
Praise for
Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring
Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring offers solid advice to help job seekers adjust their mind-sets while improving their skill sets. Beyond offering a comprehensive set of exercises, this book provides the tools to get you on track and keep you moving forward during these challenging times. Ford Myers street smart techniques will help you take control of your career and succeed in your job search!
Cheryl Bonner, Director, Penn State Alumni Career Services
Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring does two critical things as you navigate the toughest employment landscape in recent history: It sets real-world expectations and presents real-world solutions. Ford Myers book does both of these things at a level of thoroughness that readers will really appreciate!
Dave Opton, Founder and CEO, ExecuNet
Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring is a timely and important book that teaches you how to take charge of your career in hard times. Ford Myers is a master at transforming complexity into action and results. This down-to-earth, practical book lays out your path to career success for the rest of your professional life. I highly recommend it!
Richard J. Leider, Founder, The Inventure Group and author of The Power of Purpose and Repacking Your Bags
Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring is the ultimate guide for helping job seekers find better jobs in these extraordinarily difficult times. Its packed with practical, easy-to-understand instructions that walk the reader through the entire job search process. Equipped with these insights, you will be able to beat out your competition, land a better job, and earn more than you thought possibleeven when it appears that no ones hiring!
Michael T. Robinson, Owner and Creator, CareerPlanner.com
This book is dedicated to my parents, whose constant
support has seen me well through the journey.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my appreciation to the people who helped in the development and publication of Get the Job You Want, Even When No Ones Hiring.
To David Newman, Consultant and friend, for contributing so much to the books content and structureand for helping to bring the original vision into reality.
To Bob Silverstein, Literary Agent at Quicksilver Books, for his steadfast belief, loyal support and wise counsel.
To Richard Narramore, Senior Editor at John Wiley & Sons, for seeing the merit of this project and providing keen editorial insight.
To Ann Kenny, Editorial Assistant, and Kate Lindsay, Production Editor, both at John Wiley & Sons Inc., for facilitating the process and keeping things moving along.
To my clients, whose honesty, courage, commitment and hard work continue to inspire me.
ABOUT YOUR JOB SEARCH SURVIVAL TOOLKIT
On page 32, youll see the first reference to this web link: www.CareerPotential.com/bookbonus. This link appears many times throughout the rest of the book. Visiting this web page gives you instant access to your Job Search Survival Toolkit, which includes a whole array of downloadable examples, exercises, and forms. These interactive resources will make it much easier for you to develop your own Toolkit, and theyll also save you an enormous amount of time and effort. Be sure to take full advantage of these value-added, online elements of the book, all of which are designed to help you get the job you want, even when no ones hiring.
PART I
The Psychology of Job Hunting in a Down Market
Yes, The Job Market Is BadReallyBad!
As of this writing, the United States is experiencing its worst economy since the Great Depression. The stock market just had the largest one-day drop in history and fluctuates wildly based on the daily economic news, which seems to get increasingly worse. Investors have already lost more than 7 trillion dollars, and the shockwaves of the credit crunch are reverberating across the country and around the globe.
Governments are being forced to bail out entire industries and invest directly into financial institutions to keep them afloat. Our very notions of government agencies and private businesses are in the process of being redefined.
Millions of U.S. citizens cant pay their mortgages or are actually losing their homes with an unprecedented number of foreclosures and bankruptcies. Parents cant pay their childrens tuition bills. Entire retirement funds are being decimated on Wall Street.
The job market is weaker than it has been in 80 years. The U.S. recession has claimed more than 4 million jobs to date. More than 4 million jobs have been lost in a one-year period. One hundred forty-five thousand positions were recently eliminated in just one week, with nearly 650,000 jobs lost within one month. Unemployment continues to expand with more layoffs and downsizings. As the economy shrinks, debt soars, and the headlines proclaim one financial meltdown after another. Worst of all, it seems that no ones hiring!
Perhaps most startling of all, the United Nations International Labor Organization estimates that the current financial crisis will add at least 20 million people to the worlds unemployed, bringing the total to 210 million by the end of 2009.
So let me be clear: if youre feeling that something is very, very wrong with your quest to take charge of your career, find a job you love, and earn what you deserve, youre right. But its not your fault. We are in the middle of a perfect storm, and its almost surely going to get worse before it gets better.
Its Okay to Feel Frustrated, Depressed,Afraid, Helpless, or Disoriented
No one knows whats going to happen next. For working people everywhere, these are very challenging times indeed. Everyone is concerned, even those who still have jobs. Some folks are terrified, especially those who have been out of work for a while.
If youre feeling frustrated, depressed, afraid, helpless, or disoriented, youre certainly not alone.
These reactions are understandable and to be expected. If youre feeling frustrated, depressed, afraid, helpless, or disoriented, youre certainly not alone. You might even feel angry or victimized. Perhaps youre saying things to yourself such as, This shouldnt be happening to me! I got a good education. I worked hard. I always did the right thing, and I dont deserve this. I never thought Id be in this situation. Maybe this is what happens to other people, but not me!
Sound familiar? This is what Ive been hearing from many of my career coaching clients in recent months. Its like a nightmare that were all hoping to awaken from. Quite candidly, several clients have spent their recent career coaching sessions crying, and my office has been going through a box of tissues every few days. Believe me, I get it!
My clients need comfort and reassurance. My guess is that you do, too. So, let me tell you the same things Ive been telling my clients. Its okay to have all of the reactions listed earlier and any other emotions you might be experiencing. Theres nothing wrong with you, and you didnt do anything to bring this fate upon yourself. Youre still a good person, and you still have all of the qualities, experiences, and credentials you had before. Although it may be difficult to believe right now, this awful employment situation will come to an end, and your career