The New Normal
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“The job search game has changed--has your strategy?”

Welcome to the Global Economy

In the last three years, productivity in the United States has increased dramatically (at a rate of around 6.8% per quarter), but where are the jobs? The recession was supposed to be over in the Fall of 2001, yet there is relatively little hiring. Earnings are on the rise but not sales. Demand for goods and services is relatively weak and GDP is low.

Jobs are going overseas. Worse yet, no one knows when companies will start hiring again. Translated: if you are out of work now, chances are that your old job is not coming back. Economists tell us that this is a structural change in our economy, not a cyclical one. We’re on a whole new playing field, and if you’re going to succeed, you need to change how you play the game.

What are companies looking for?

Companies are hiring solutions not people. Every company wants to increase revenue and become even more productive. They look for solutions to meet these goals—internally and externally. The focus of your job search should be on how you address these two issues. How will you be a solution? When you demonstrate how you can solve a company’s problem, you dramatically raise your chances of getting its attention and being hired.

Creating revenue

You can be a solution for an organization in three ways: on a full-time permanent, part-time, or a short-term project basis. And while a good resume is important in the job search, it’s not a good tool for these three approaches. Its limitation is that it only offers a permanent solution. Gone are the days where you ask the organization to see if there is a match by sending in your resume. “We are not hiring” is the common response from most organizations. Translated: “We are not hiring full-time.” Yet every company wants to increase revenue and become productive. What about a part-time or short-term project solution? On this new playing field, you must be open to working part-time and on short-term projects—it pays the bills and increases your chances of being hired full-time when something actually does come up.

The importance of values and talents

When seeking employment your work skills (education, experience, training) are important. Equally important are a congruence of values and a utilization of your talents. Values are what form your decisions every day, and you want the organization to have similar values—to prize what you prize. Talents are what you do that has always come naturally, what’s fun and easy. When a company honors your values and fully recognizes your talents the decision-making process becomes a lot less stressful. The top candidates applying for jobs are values-driven and cognizant of their natural talents. They fully utilize their knowledge and natural talents to offer solutions to problems.

Networking – your key to creating revenue

Currently, up to 80% of job seekers obtain jobs through networking. The other 20% is comprised of recruiters, job boards, company websites, classified ads etc. It’s “face time” that matters in the job search—up front and personal, because networking is all about building relationships. Doing research on the company is critical, and that means more than just going to the company website. You have to dig deep for information and find out where the company is hurting--when you “go to the pain” there is opportunity for you to contribute as a solution to alleviate that pain.

Seek to answer the question, “With my unique skills, values and talents, how am I a solution for this company?” That’s the new game to play in the global economy.