You're Fired No Hired

There is a funny Burger King commercial in which the boss announces that he bought lunch for everyone. But then he adds that this is the last time they will all be eating together, as downsizing is forcing him to let someone go. He turns to the young assistant, who is standing next to him and nodding, and asks him to pick a number. The oblivious young worker says, “4” and the boss immediately says, “You’re fired.”

That’s not a totally unrealistic scenario. At least theoretically, an employer could tell each of his or her employees to pick a card from a deck of 52, and then fire everybody who doesn’t draw face cards. Perhaps drawing the joker gets you the CEO position.

But here’s a very important point. A few years ago, when the Microsoft CEO announced that they would be eliminating 5,000 jobs, he immediately explained that the company would simultaneously be hiring 3,000 new people for “new positions to support key investment areas during this same period of time.”

Please be aware that a company that just announced layoffs is a great target for your job search. Your unique skills may be just what they’re looking for. Read more here Many Companies Hire as They Fire. Companies are constantly adapting to changing needs and the skills required now may be different than those needed last year. I’m amazed as I drive around here in Franklin, TN and see the hundreds of signs announcing – “We’re Hiring.”

Don’t just look for a job. No one wants to give you a job. But if you are clear on your unique skills and can describe them in 30 seconds, there are companies waiting to bring you on as part of their team.

Here’s the 48 Days job search strategy that continues to secure offers:

Identify 30-40 target companies.
Send a letter of introduction to each company.
Send cover letter and resume — one week after letter of introduction.
Phone call to follow up. Very important. My experience is that only about 1-2% of job-hunters do this. It is very easy to bring your name to the top of the list if you just do a follow up call. Don’t be afraid of being persistent!

Keep in mind that if you just send cover letters and resumes (#3), you need to send out 254 to have a statistical chance of getting a job offer. If you combine that with a phone call, the number drops to 1 out of 15, a dramatic difference. Adding to that and introduction letter and the results will amaze you. This is a SELLING process. We use a 3 time repetitive process because of understanding marketing principles. If you are selling recliners, having someone see or hear about them 3 times will increase their response. In this process you are selling a product, and that product is YOU! Just commit to the process and a time line.

(Complete process in Chapter 8 of the 10th Anniversary Edition of 48 Days to the Work You Love)