I received this note two days ago:
Hi, Dan,
I have read your book, 48 days, and I wanted to know does your job search process really work? I have been told that approach, mailing through the mail is old school, takes too long, people toss letters like that in the trash, email is faster, people keep emails as oppose to paper, etc.
I have been out of work for 4 months now. I am totally petrified. I have tried networking, passing out my resume to family and friends, etc., and still nothing.
I am not a fan of picking up the phone. I have a mental block when I pick up the phone for some reason, I just cannot shake.
Would you please explain to me, so that it can calm my fears. Does your job search process really work and why? I live in a small market with a limited amount of companies around so I have to make a good first impression, otherwise I will go through the companies with nothing to show for my efforts. I am 60, scared and afraid of making a mistake. So, I would please appreciate if you would help me to understand why and how your job search process works so I can be calmer and get a job ASAP, and my wife would be more at ease.
Thanks, I do appreciate it in advance.
Sincerely, Bill
My response:
Bill,
Yes, the job search process I lay out in 48 Days to the Work You Love works exactly as it reads.
If you listen to the naysayers you’ll be convinced an innovative approach doesn’t work, the economy is horrible, you are in a small market, you’re too old, no one is hiring, etc. But companies are desperately looking for people who are clear on their value and are ready to join their teams. Identifying 30-40 companies allows you to not wait for someone to have an “opening” or for that company to take the initiative to advertise a position. That’s how we find the 78% of jobs that are never advertised anywhere.
But then having found those companies and sent out your introduction letters and resume – you have to be aggressive about making personal contacts. Ultimately, it comes down to a personal meeting and selling yourself effectively. No reputable company will hire you based on seeing your resume only. You have to be creative about getting in front of the decision makers – phone calls, walking in the front door, waiting in the parking lot in the early morning are all legitimate ways to make those personal contacts. You cannot sit at home and wait for a job offer to come in. Tweet This
If you committed to walk in the front door of 8 businesses every day next week in your local community, I’m confident you’ll get multiple job offers. No, this isn’t the complete process, but it’s a quick and effective way to get things moving. The first offer may not be exactly what you want, but by offer number 4 or 5 you’ll have your confidence back and be able to negotiate for what you really do want.
You can do this. You’re not too old. You’re not in too small a market. You need to present yourself with confidence and optimism, and you’ll find the world is waiting for what you have to offer.
Just remember, no one cares as much about your success as you do. No one will be more enthusiastic about having you on their team than you are. No one will take more initiative for getting you a position than you do. You are selling a product, and that product is “You.” True, selling is simply sharing enthusiasm, so you have to be excited and enthused about the product you have to offer.
Pull out the Job Search worksheet, jump into the process and be confident of the results. The 48 Days process is just information. YOU have to take action to make it work. But then you can join the thousands of others like Stephanie from this week’s success stories:
***************************************
Hi Dan! Excited to share my success story. Six years ago, I read and followed the plan you lay out in 48 Days to the Work You Love. I went from a $10 an hour job, to a 6-figure sales management position. In that job, I led a team of young professionals & walked alongside them in personal & professional development.
In September 2015, I attended Coaching With Excellence & met many amazing people, including Jevonnah Ellison. I’m now a member of her mastermind and have launched my coaching business. I work with young professionals who want to advance their career.
Stephanie Andrews
***************************************
Keep me posted on your success!
Dan
P.S. If you’re coaching people to higher levels of success, check out Coaching Mastery to position yourself as a reputable and prosperous coach.
Bill and everyone else out there looking for a job…..DAN MILLER IS 100% SPOT-ON!!!!! DO THIS AND YOU WILL LAND A PERFECT JOB. I have used this for every job I have had over the last 20 years — EVERY JOB WAS CREATED FOR ME AND MY SKILL SETS. I was making six figures before I turned 27 ( I HAVE NEVER HELD A SALES JOB AND I DON’T CONSIDER MYSELF A SALES PERSON — I HATE ASKING PEOPLE FOR THINGS, BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE TO FIX PROBLEMS AND WHEN I PITCHED MYSELF TO MY FORMER EMPLOYERS I PITCHED MY GIFTS AND WHAT I COULD DO TO HELP. ALL OF MY FORMER EMPLOYERS AND COLLEAGUES ARE VALUABLE REFERENCES WHO WOULD HIRE ME AGAIN IF I DIDN’T HAVE MY OWN BUSINESSES TODAY 🙂
#DanMillerisaROCKSTAR
Danielle – ah you are so kind. Thanks so much for that raving endorsement. And CONGRATULATIONS to you for taking massive action. Getting out there with enthusiasm about your unique skills in certainly attractive to potential employers. Now I’m curious – what kind of businesses do you have now?
Business #1: A construction material supply business with over $35M in sales.
Business #2: A company that fulfills a contract processing long term care claims for CalPERS.
Businesses 3, 4 & 5: All in the incubation stages — one is a fun/lifestyle blog; second is a recruitment firm and third is a consulting firm
KEY: I don’t really “work in” my businesses, I get them going and hire the right people to do the $20/hour labor.
***BONUS: I have taught entrepreneurial classes at my children’s schools (ages 8 and 10) because I was inspired by yours and Joanne’s podcast on “How to Raise Entrepreneurial Children.”
I eagerly look forward to your podcast every Friday!
Funny thing….I grew up in the OC, went to Vanderbilt and settled in Nashville after graduating. Opened an ad agency at the ripe old age of 25 in Nashville in 1998; lived in Franklin, TN until 2007; then moved back to the OC in 2009. Your references to the car lot on Katella in Anaheim and the hot spots in Franklin make me feel like we are virtual neighbors!
Thank you for all you give — you are extremely generous with your wisdom and inspiration!!!!
Nice Danielle!
That is so encouraging
Dan’s book is an excellent road map for going through the new job process. I read an earlier edition and it is solid information.
Six months ago I was working a dead end job for the county that was killing me physically, mentally and spiritually. A year ago I had taken on a part-time, as I was needed position in my wife’s company. Along the line the HR administrator left her company and I was asked to kick up my part-time hours and fill in where I could until they could get someone full time in the position. In October I was able to take service retirement from the county and go full time in the HR position.
Though I am not professionally train in HR I can tell you I appreciate a nicely presented resume, but it is the follow up that is going to sell me on someone or make me drop them like a hot rock. I like a resume that presents the basics and yet grabs me with the experience. I don’t have a problem with people using a template for their resume, but please, please, please customize it with YOUR information. Here was the objective statement I received on a resume this morning, “OBJECTIVE: To secure a position that utilizes my skills and energy toward producing a quality product or service.” And I have received that exact objective statement on 90% of the resumes I receive. Or I will receive an objective statement that reads like the applicant has a true objective in finding a job, but it is obviously not a job opening we have…like one I received where the objective was to be in the healthcare industry. Wonderful, but I hire for six companies, none of them are healthcare related.
I do 90% of the resume and application exchange through email, but I am not against getting paperwork mailed in or dropped off. If I have a moment I will turn a drop-off as a form of informal interview. I send out an application whenever I get a resume asking the recipient to return it at their earliest convenience. I do this for a few reasons, first there are some questions I want answers to that are often not in a resume. Secondly it is an informal test I administer. An employee is going to be asked to do countless tasks in the course of their employment. To me if the candidate will not undertake the simple task of filling out an application I can’t count on them to do real work for the company. I hate getting applications where the applicant puts “see resume” as their answer to questions on the application. That gets a one-way-trip to the reject pile. I use the application to flesh out holes in the resume. I had one applicant who had a work gap of six to eight years on their resume. Were they in prison during this time? I had no clue to those missing years until I saw their application where they were raising their kids and those were key child raising years. I immediately knew that woman had her most important job ever in that missing span of time and it raised her in my evaluation. The third reason I send out applications is also a test. A test to see if they are really interested in getting a job with us, or are merely satisfying their case worker at the unemployment office. I have posted several listings to fill various bookkeeper positions and I will get a handful of resumes from the same applicants who I have come to realize will never send me the application back. Now they automatically go to the reject pile. Not showing up for an interview will also get them put on the reject list.
I know some people will have unique ways of presenting themselves or their resumes, but shape it towards the audience and know about the company first. Our weirdest interview we had happened when the candidate showed up with Starbucks for the interview panel. In the right setting this might have wowwed the panel. Instead it made most of the panel uncomfortable. Part of it was from the candidate’s statement that she had come from her current job and ran by Starbucks to get herself a drink and didn’t want to show up without something for everyone. There was a noticeable absence of her drink. Everyone was reluctant to even take the drinks, and all of us ended up passing them on to other people.
Bill one thing to keep in mind is don’t sell the company short by thinking you might be rejected because of your age. While we have certain jobs that are geared toward a younger back and fresher muscles, we look for seasoning and experience. Most of the recent hires in the office where I work have been in their late 40s to mid 50s. We actually love getting experienced workers in the office because they are also less likely to bring drama with them to work. Dan’s book is a great handbook, but if parts of it don’t mesh with your personality use the parts that you feel will work. As for not liking the phone, neither do I. When I get a message left on my phone and it is someone saying, “I’m interested in your opening, call me.” my gut reaction is “no thanks, call back when I am here or follow the instructions on the ad for getting our application.”
A final note Bill. Don’t worry about making a mistake. You will. We all do. Be honest in the interviews and in the paperwork. Be able to admit short comings and weaknesses as well as what makes you the go to choice. We recognize people in our companies will make mistakes, we want them to learn from them and move on. We also want the mistakes to be new ones each time.
Excelente articulo para ayudar a seguir luchando por encontrar un mejor puesto y una mejor vida
Quiero saber donde puedo adquirir el libro en español?
Sólo teníamos el nuevo décimo aniversario edición traducida al español. Debemos tenerlo listo para junio 1st. Gracias por preguntar – Dan
Me encanta tu español Dan!!!
COMO PUEDO COMPRAR LA ULTIMA VERSION EN ESPAÑOL?
Estará listo para el 15 de junio
who do I send the introduction letter to? how do I find out the hiring manager’s name? thanks!