As 2010 comes to an end, we are very happy to announce that Debra Feldman, the JobWhiz, is the newest member of the Job-Hunt Experts. Debra has been helping job seekers with their job searches for over 10 years. As the JobWhiz, Debra is an executive talent agent who helps senior executives find their next opportunities.
Debra is Job-Hunt’s Job Search Strategies Expert.
A prolific author, Debra’s advice appears in traditional and new media. She writes feature articles, guest blogs, and posts tweets (@Debra_Feldman) and has contributed to more than a dozen resume and career books. She has been quoted in and interviewed for countless blogs as well as print (Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Fox News, Reader’s Digest, Greenwich Time, Hartford Courant, Yahoo careers, The Boston Globe, etc.).
As Debra describes 21st century job search -
“Job search is not about you or what you want but about exceeding the employer’s expectations, removing their doubts, increasing your credibility, and making them recognize your potential for them and that you are trustworthy – their first choice, the go-to expert.”
On Job-Hunt, Debra will help job seekers of every organizational level understand how to job hunt more effectively online. Topics Debra plans to cover include:
- Job search as continuous career marketing.
Job search is no longer limited to when you are in transition anymore, but is a purposeful promotion process. Make connections. Establish a network. This is your career insurance – no more job security from employers, too few openings and too many applying. Now, job seekers must source leads by personal recommendations . - Positioning.
Look at where you are, where you want to be, and describe how to get there. Do a SWOT analysis. Every successful campaign project starts with a roadmap. Create an effective plan, identify your goals and objectives, and identify possible roadblocks and solutions. - “Network Purposefully” (Debra’s special term and specialty) Part I.
Identify your unique value contribution in terms that prospective employers will appreciate. Turn this inside out and take the employer’s perspective: what might they object to or might make them hesitate about you that could limit your progress and prevent swift landing, how do you fall short of their expectations, how are you going to explain away and mitigate any negatives/obstacles threatening your job search progress? - “Network Purposefully” Part II.
Identify target companies where they need your skills, talents, background, experience etc. Name specific inside contacts and how you are going to get their attention and enlist their help to promote you as an asset. - Package yourself for your job search.
Prepare your presentation to attract employers attention. Package yourself attractively. Set salary, responsibility, authority, resources, and expectations. Customize resumes, develop individual presentations to demonstrate you are the ideal resource, use bio vs resume to be more partner than desperate job hunter. - Promote yourself. Be visible.
Promote yourself to capture the interest of hiring decision makers using traditional and new media channels. Describe how you are going to make contacts inside your target employers. Toot your horn, publicize your wins, share your victories, congratulate others, seek interaction, get known outside of your company, participate in industry events both IRL and virtual. Networking today is 24/7/365 so maximize your influence, look for ways to help, and be generous. - Follow up and repeat.
Keep expanding your connections. Ask for intros. Make matches within your network. Success today is a continual process to stay on the radar, do great work and report remarkable results, be remembered, give more than you expect back. Successful job search includes outreach to establish a relationship, steps to grow the relationship and steps to maintain the connection ( polite persistent pings) to stay on the radar. Seek mentors. Be a mentor. Stay connected not just when you need to find a new job but to help others and be remembered so that you are recruited and don’t have to volunteer or ask for a new job.
This should be great information for job seekers learning the “new reality” of 21st century job search. Or is it 21st century career management?
If you want to contact Debra directly, connect with Debra on LinkedIn or on Facebook. You may also email her (DebraFeldman @ JobWhiz.com), or contact her via her website, JobWhiz.com.
Stay tuned for a great ride!
More Job-Hunt Job Search and Career Experts.
Email This Post
Loading ...