Job Board Detox Challenge

Are you ready for the Job Board Detox Challenge? Yes, that's right! I dare you to take the whole month of August and ignore the job boards. Before you think I am crazy... I am not the first to think of this. My colleague and fellow career expert, Jason Alba, tossed it out to fellow career experts at the end of June when he wrote this to his audience on JibberJobber. I read his article and completely agreed. Here is why I agree with Jason and his ideas. There is too much reliance on job boards. Bottom-line: too many job seekers spend too much time and energy on the job boards thinking it will solve their situation. It won't. They won't. Generally, people don't mean to waste time on the job boards, but before they know it, hours have gone by with little traction. By eliminating the wasted time on job boards, you can spend your time doing more effective techniques. I see many job seekers hide behind the time they spend on the boards. It proves nothing and does nothing. So what do you do instead? Plan and execute a targeted job search.

1. Identify your company "bucket list." Make the list of the companies, whether they have openings or not, that resonate with you and the type of work you want to do.
2. Research each company to find out the challenges and opportunities (not necessarily jobs, opportunities can be market growth/expansion/buying a new business) that you can help them with.
3. Find contacts that can get you connected to the person who has the authority to hire you. Ask that contact to hand deliver your resume to the hiring manager/executive. Yes, this is not easy and it takes work, but it will pay off.
4. Get in front of that hiring executive/manager. Tell them how you can help them with their challenge/opportunity. Show your value. Talk your story. And remember the buying motivators.

So are you game? Job Board Fast for August? You can do it and you'll see results. Don't want to do it alone? Join a community of job seekers helping each other out.