The employment market in the second decade of the 21st
Century is literally topsy turvy. All of
the rules that we have all come to love and respect over the years no longer
apply. It is a new day, a new world and
all bets are off. Unless you have a job,
don’t assume you garner the respect of employers, headhunters and hiring
managers. The only sure fire way of
landing is to be networked, known, accomplished and have a track record that is
virtually visible to all. If you can’t
be found, you do not exist.
Under this duress it is helpful to have faith, patience,
fortitude and a solid saving account that will allow you to endure a lengthy
hunt. Getting back to the faith part, there
are also rock hard principles or commandments you need to commit to memory and
live daily.
I. Thou shalt not sit idle and whine
II. Thou shalt not go after job opportunities without
passion and enthusiasm
III. Thou shalt not have a resume that ignores your
accomplishments
IV.
Thou shalt not overlook the importance of a
network
V.
Thou shalt not only use job boards and
classified ads
VI. Thou shalt not stay cloistered to your computer
and couch, get out and mingle
VII.
Honor thy network and give, not just receive
VIII.
Thou shalt not lie on a job application
IX.
Thou shalt not settle for just any job
X.
Remember to take a break from the search,
perhaps on Sunday
I. If you can’t find a job, make a job and do it
daily
II. If you see a job that fits, volunteer to work
for free for a trial period
III. If you are passionate about your career and work, blog about it, make it
frequent and keep it going
IV. Employ social platforms to convey your passions,
experience, accomplishments and knowledge
V. Get out from behind your desk and join your
professional or trade association, volunteer for duty and shine a light on
yourself
VI. Form a weekly brainstorm network group focused
on your profession and meet weekly for breakfast, lunch or dinner to compare
notes and exchange ideas
VII. Volunteer with non-profits that are related to
your field, industry and/or sphere of influence
VIII. Read daily, including technology trends,
business news, blogs about your field, web sites that cater to entrepreneurs
and global events that may impact your life
IX. Find a mentor, someone who can advise, counsel
and critique
X. Start a business. Consider your abilities, passions and
strengths as building blocks and see if there is a business plan hiding within.
