Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring: Take Charge of Your Career, Find a Job You Love, and Earn What You Deserve

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xiii

About Your Job Search Survival Toolkit xv

Part I The Psychology of Job Hunting in a Down Market 1

1 Yes, The Job Market Is Bad-Really Bad 1

2 It's Okay to Feel Frustrated, Depressed, Afraid, Helpless, or Disoriented 2

3 This Has Happened Before, and It Will Happen Again 3

4 Why Your Chances Are Better Than You Think 3

5 The Number-One Secret to Job Search Success 4

6 Tough Times Highlight the Difference Between Your Job and Your Career 6

7 Most Job-Hunting Advice Doesn't Apply in a World Turned Upside Down 7

8 You Can't Stop the Storm, So Learn to Work in the Rain 8

9 How You Can Get A Better Job Faster When Times Are Tough 8

10 When No One's Hiring, Focus and Clarity Are More Important Than Ever 9

11 Your Attitude and Assumptions Will Dictate Your Career Fate 10

12 Seven Truths of Career Success, for Both Good Times and Bad 10

13 How Employers React When There Are More Workers Than Jobs 17

14 Twenty Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers in a Down Market 18

15 Hidden Sources of Career Support, Information, and Advice 23

Part II From Desperation to Career Strategies for Tough Times 25

16 What Do You Really Want to be Doing When the Economy Turns Around? 25

17 The Pay My Bills Strategy 25

18 Why You Can't Afford Note to Have a Strategic Plan 28

19 In a Bad Job Market, You Must Work Backwards to Reach Your Goals 29

20 Career Success Is an Inside Job 29

21 The Start at the Beginning Strategy 30

22 The Dream Job Strategy 37

23 The Ideal Workday Strategy 38

24 The Stepping Stone Strategy 42

25 From Exploration to Execution 45

26 Excellent Tools to Help You Get a Job When No One's Hiring 45

27 Narrowing YourChoices Is Easier Than You Think 46

28 The Employer Wish List Strategy 46

29 You Must Be Crystal Clear on Your Perfect Job Before It Can Become a Reality 49

Part III Leveraging Your Core Job Seeker Materials 53

30 The Best Tools Get the Best Jobs, Especially in a Down Market 53

31 Surprise: Your Resume Is Your Least Important Tool 53

32 Survival of the Fittest Is the Law of the Job Search Jungle 54

33 Accomplishment Stories Are Your Most Powerful Selling Tools 57

34 Verbal Presentations: What to Say and How to Say It 61

35 Your Professional Biography Will Be Your Most Frequently Used Tool 65

36 Developing a Target Company List Builds Your Momentum and Focus 66

37 Deploy an Army of People Who Can Help You: Build Your Contact List 72

38 Professional References Help You Prove You're the Real Deal 73

39 Letters of Recommendation Demonstrate Your Bottom-Line Value 74

Part IV Job Search Tactics to Use When No One's Hiring 81

40 Networking is Not Part of Your Job Search-Networking is Your Job Search 81

41 Great Networkers Are Not Great Talkers; They're Great Listeners 82

42 Never "Wing it" When You're Networking-Use an Agenda 83

43 Meeting with Hiring Managers Is Your Number-One Speed Advantage 85

44 Masters of Networking Use a Networking Script 88

45 When No One's Hiring, the Best Way to Get a Job Is Not to Look For a Job 88

46 Tracking Your Networking is as Important as the Networking Itself 90

47 The Networking Mini-Newsletter Helps You Stand Out When No One's Hiring 92

48 The Number-One Way to Get Hired When No One's Hiring 94

49 Create Your Online Career Identity-Blogs, Personal Web Site, and Social Media 96

50 Beyond Monster. com: Making the Most of the Web When No One's Hiring 98

51 An Outstanding Resume Is Not Difficult to Create-if You Know the Code 101

52 You Can Package a Strong Resume in Many Formats 102

53 How to Use a Resume Addendum 115

54 The Most Obvious Ways to Find a Job Are Usually the Biggest Wastes of Time 115

55 Write Your Own Book on Career Success 118

56 Every Company is Hiring All the Time, Even in a Down Economy 120

57 A Strong Cover Letter is Designed to Get Your an Interview 121

58 Cover Letters That Open Doors for Any Situation 121

59 Recruiters Are Not in Business to Help You 132

60 Interviewing: Psychology, Strategies, Tactics, and Practice 136

61 Interviewing Survival Guide for When No One's Hiring 138

62 Seal the Deal with Testimonials 151

63 Negotiation: The Rules of the Game Work in Any Economy 152

64 Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate in A Down Market-Be Afraid Not to 155

65 Twenty-One Rules of the Negotiating Game (No Matter How Bad the Job Market is) 156

66 The Simplest Formula for Negotiating Success 157

67 Salary Negotiation Made Simple: What to Say and How to Say It 157

68 Everything Is Negotiable-Yes, Everything 162

69 The Number-One Most Important Salary Negotiating Fact 164

70 Comparing, Accepting, and Rejecting Offers 166

71 Congratulations! You Got the Job (Even When No One Was Hiring) 170

Part V Bulletproof Your Career, Once and for All 171

72 Landing Your Job Is Not the End-It's the Beginning 171

73 Celebrate Your New Job 172

74 How to Avoid Winding Up on the Street Again 172

75 Perpetual Career Management Is Your Insurance Policy 173

76 Learn from the Past, Build Toward the Future 175

77 The First 90 Days Make All the Difference 176

78 Relationships Keep You Moving Up in a Down Economy 177

79 Establish a Reputation for Producing Tangible Results 177

80 Communicate, Communicate, Communicate-Then Deliver the Goods 178

81 Review and Fine-Tune Your Job Description with Your Manager 178

82 Maintain a Healthy Balance Between Your Work and Private Life 179

83 Never Feel Helpless Again-No Matter How Bad the Job Market Gets 180

Career Resources 181

Thirty-Seven Strategies, Tips, Ideas, and Reminders for When No One's Hiring 181

Weekly Productivity Tracking Charts 183

List of Great Web Sites to Assist in Your Job Search 183

Senior Executive Opportunities, $ 100,000 Plus 183

General Career Opportunities 186

General Career Support 186

List of Web Sites with Useful Career Articles 187

Forty-Two More Smart Questions to Ask at the Interview 188

Words to Work By 190

About the Author 193

How to Reach Us 195

Index 197