3 Job Hunting Tactics for a Recession

3 Job Hunting Tactics for a Recession If you are looking for a job in the current economy, you are certainly not in an enviable situation. You have probably found that there are fewer jobs and more applicants out there. You might have found that the wheels of recruitment are sluggish at best and ground to a halt at worst. Desperate times call for desperate measures and in this article I will give you three ways in which to go about your job search in a slightly different manner than usual. 1. Networking at All Times: Networking has always been valuable, when looking for a job in a recession it’s a prerequisite. Your professional network is made up of the people you have worked with in your career such as past coworkers, managers, clients, suppliers, counterparts and even competitors. You need to make calls and fire off emails to your network, tell everyone what your situation is and what type of work you are looking for. You will experience a great deal of help and assistance from people, especially as they know their number could be up next. There will be opportunities for you to chat with people at trade shows or sponsored events, make the most of these and make sure you have your 30 second elevator pitch well rehearsed. You need to leave a lasting impression; you need to leave the person you speak to wanting more. You also have to think beyond your professional network and grab any chance you get to sell yourself. Regard any interaction with people as an opportunity for you to network. Any interaction means striking up a conversation with people at your nephew’s birthday party or even in the line at the post office, you never know who they in turn might have in their network. By becoming something of a corporate village idiot you will extend your network, have more shots at getting a job and probably have a bit of fun as well. 2. Demonstrate Value WIIFM: Networking is about spreading the word, this section is about what word you spread. At the moment there aren’t many vacancies out there, so what you need to do is to convince a company that they can make an exception for you. Imagine you were the sales manager of a software business, sales figures are down and the competition is breathing down your neck. Along comes a random job seeker and clearly tells you exactly how much of your software he could sell, how much he would expect to get paid and what this would do for your bottom line. Do you think the sales manager will say there are no jobs going at the moment, or do you think he or she will be doing their damnedest to get a hiring approval from their boss? When you tune in to the company’s WIIFM, make it abundantly clear what you will do for them, how long it will take and how much money you will bring in (or costs you will cut). Think about how you can add value. Anyone in their right mind would listen to your proposition and some might actually bring about a hiring ticket and give you a chance. If the company is not interested in hearing you out, never mind and move on. They are probably not worth the time anyway as they can’t spot an opportunity to create value even when it’s served on a plate. 3. Sleuthing and the Direct Approach: Before you can demonstrate your value, you have to find out whom to approach. Applying for jobs online was never going to make you stand out, no matter what economy we are in. At the moment, HR managers are receiving hundreds of applications for one job posting, even if it’s only on the company website. The clever job seeker will find a way to infiltrate the Politburo that is HR and find out who the hiring manager behind the vacancy is. They will do their research and somehow contact this manager direct with the view to attract attention and get on the shortlist. The best recruiters out there know exactly how to do this, they will ask anyone from receptionists to IT support for help in homing in on the hiring manager’s name. You can do this as well, or to make it easier you can try online resources like LinkedIn or sometimes even the company’s own website. Once you have identified who the manager is, all you need to do now is make contact. Most people will send a courteous email to the manager outlining that they are interested in the opportunity, with their CV attached. The brazen job seeker will ring up reception, get the manager on the phone and deliver their pitch. This could either impress or annoy the manager, probably depending on the line of work you are looking for. A salesperson doing this would get an immediate consideration, a data entry clerk maybe not. Call to Action: By networking with everyone including strangers, demonstrating your value and WIIFM and calling up managers direct you will be noticed. Remember that companies like resourceful job seekers, as they make good resourceful employees. If you choose to go down this route, at least you know you have gone above and beyond the call of duty as a job seeker. Instead of a ribbon, you might just end up with a job. RELATED:  What Are the Safest Jobs in a Bad Economy?