I was speaking in Fabulous Las Vegas at a SAP/Supply Chain conference this year and now I find myself out of a job. WTF? Sure, there are a host of reasons why my position was abolished – big cutbacks across the board, a new Department in India and a new boss – I don’t know for sure. After all expenses paid speaking gigs at SAP and Supply Chain conferences in Orlando and Las Vegas the last two years, I now have a taste to do something bigger and better.
As for the job search I’ve listened to a few professional and government agencies and here is how to look for and land a dazzling new job.
The jobs posted on the Internet aren’t going to land in your lap. Please keep in mind that for every job posted on some social network there may be hundreds of applicants. If you think you are the perfect candidate and the employer will send you a limo as soon as he reads your CV – won’t happen. The competition is fucking fierce out there.
Make sure your CV highlights your accomplishments not your tasks. This is really important. Most people put down “Was responsible for buying expensive stuff” it’s much more effective to put down “ Bought expensive stuff and saved the company xxxxxxx dollars. Show your position and list all your accomplishments underneath it. Employers eat up that stuff. If it’s true of course.
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. This is a tough pill to swallow for some people. In many cases, if not most, people hire their friends or friend’s recommendations. I’ve seen some incredibly talented executives bounced out of jobs and it looked like the boss wanted his friend inside. In a job search, I had previously consulted at one firm and previously worked with a person at another. In both cases I received job offers. Make great networks and be nice to people. And ..um …have talent.
70% of the best jobs are hidden. Companies don’t always post on the Internet because they don’t want to hire a small army to comb through all the CVs. They give the jobs to head hunting firms or just ask around. It’s really important to connect with head hunters and friends of friends in your field and make sure they always have the latest CV from you.
Treat your job search like a job. Finding a new job takes work and I’d recommend you spend 20-30 hours a week just doing that (unless you have decent severance package and want to chill for a bit ) Make yourself standout from others by cold calling your favorite firms. You would be surprised how easy it is to speak to a VP. Use the yellow pages to find which industries appeal to you (the phone number is there too!). Update your LinkedIn profile and ask for recommendations. Have lunch with your networks. Buy them lunch! See? It takes effort but YOU WILL stand out from the crowd.
Terry Vermeylen is an accomplished SAP, Supply Chain and Sales and Operations professional, currently searching for his next big challenge. He owns this website as well as others, and you can find him on LinkedIn tinkering with his profile.