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Job hunting nowadays is a different task than it was even 10 years ago. Employers are more stringent in requirements, and do a huge amount of pre-screening of applicants before an interview is even proffered. As the salary level rises, the difficulties for the job hunter only increase. With the availability of the Internet, even non-job related information is taken into consideration. The uninformed job seeker is at a HUGE disadvantage in today’s job arena.

The Search Begins

Having been in the IT field my entire life, moving to on-line resources for searching for the next job came pretty naturally. It seemed like a great improvement over perusing through the want-ads on a Sunday paper to find my next job.

One thing the Internet has caused is the SIGNIFICANT decrease in high-paying jobs that are advertised through ‘old fashioned’ methods (mainly print media). With the world going at ‘Internet Speed’, by the time an article or classified ad goes out, they could have already received hundreds of resumes electronically. It’s no longer cost effective to search for employees this way, so search firms have steadily dropped it.

Searching for jobs the Internet way has boiled down to a game I call the N2 Game.

Numbers - Searching for that perfect job consists of sifting through a number of sources of job listings, and then sifting through jobs that fit the criteria you’re looking for. Becoming a guru of on-line searches is a job hunter’s necessary skill nowadays. As there are thousands upon thousands of jobs out there, finding one that you fit isn’t that easy. Searching multiple sites and coming up with keywords based on your experience and desired job duties is paramount.

Networking - Even with all the searching you’ll be doing, there are still a significant number of high-paying positions that are NEVER listed. They hit the internal newsvine, and are snapped up by friend-of-a-friend references. You have to cultivate and maintain a good working reputation with as many people as you can. If you’re leaving a position, don’t burn any bridges if you can, you never know if you might be working for that company, or someone that USED to work for that company. Web sites for professional networking have been springing up (LinkedIn.com being the largest at the moment) as well as job listings on social networking sites (MySpace.com and FaceBook.com for example).

Preparing Yourself

The first step for the serious job-seeker is to sit down and answer a few questions.

1. What do I want to do from now on?  Ideally, you should be taking a long-term view of your career. Each job should be a stepping-stone in the path to getting where you want in life. The less detours you take, the faster you’ll reach your goals. Sometimes you have to take the pizza delivery or burger flipping job, but don’t make it a career.

2. Am I qualified to fulfill that career/job?? Just like people find out (seemingly the hard way), not everyone is destined to be on American Idol. Enthusiasm for a career won’t completely make up for a lack of skill. Realistically assess whether you have the necessary skills, or even if you can EVER acquire the skills. There’s not that many 5ft 3in professional basketball guards playing pro ball for a reason. Don’t take it personally, just re-focus on something a little more realistic.
   • If so, what are my TOP qualifications?  Know what skills to emphasize with a prospective employer, and which to skirt-around should need be.

   • If not, what can I do to quickly acquire the skills/qualifications I need? Sometimes, some additional training, certifications, or some hands-on experience is necessary to make the jump to that new position. Decide what you need to do to get the abilities to handle your chosen career and GET IT DONE!
3. Am I willing to relocate for the right position? Not all parts of the country have the positions you want or are suited for. As salaries increase, so does the likelihood of having to relocate for a new position. High paying positions many times are located in corporate headquarters, which may be in an entirely different city or state than where you presently live. Finding a six-figure consulting job in a town of less than 5,000 people is probably not in the cards.
4. What is the minimum salary/compensation I would need for this work? This will be different from person to person, as there are various factors involved.
   • Education - Higher Education usually earns higher salaries.
   • Experience - Years of experience also earn higher salaries.
   • Cost of Living - Where you live will in some way dictate minimum salaries. $100k in the mid-west is $225k in New York, for the same lifestyle.
   • Existing bills/commitments - You’ll have to make enough to cover your existing lifestyle, or pare the lifestyle down prior to the job change.
   • Feeling of Worth - Also known as "Hey, George makes X thousand a year more than me, I’m quitting". Ultimately you have to feel that you are being justly compensated for what you do, otherwise you’ll end up being unhappy and disgruntled. Make sure that your salary is at least ‘on par’ with your peers.

Next - "The Resume"

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