Unemployment Chronicles, Day 27: Back to Reality

That picture I posted is actually a relatively famous person working at his desk.  Bragging rights for the first person to figure out who it is.

California is behind me, and I don't have any more major distractions planned -- just a couple of minor ones.  So back to the ten-step job process.

I read the book What Color is Your Parachute? many years ago, and so don't remember it well, but I think the outplacement job search model is similar to that book.  If I remember correctly, the idea behind the book is that the model of preparing your resume, looking for job openings, and applying for everything you are qualified for, does not work.  Instead, you should figure out what companies you want to work for, then find ways to contact the hirng managers at those companies whether they have openings or not, and then something good will happen.  This theory makes a fair amount of sense, because, according to many sources, most jobs are filled through networking rather than through recruiting strangers.

So these are the ten steps:

1. Survey your professional environment.  Part of this step is to update your profile on LinkedIn, so I have concentrated on that.  Did I mention I'm up to 53 contacts?  It's true, so my profile is 100% complete by LinkedIn's criteria.
2. Determine your professional objective.  It took some time, but my professional objectives look like this:  Plan A) Do contracting and take the opportunity to check out some employers.  Plan B) Take a full-time job in manufacturing.  Plan C) Take a full-time job in some other industry  Plan D) Stock shelves at WalMart, if they will have me.
3. Create a communication strategy.  This means being prepared to present yourself, including your resume.  A work in progress.
4. Determine your target market.  Hmm.  I have my preferences, but the truth is, I can work for a great number of companies.  Maybe back to point two.
5. Gather marketplace info.  Closely related to number 4.
6. Get your message out.  Networking.  Not my forte, but I'm trying.
7. Talk with hiring managers.  Ok, this seems like Fantasyland to me right now, but perhaps it will seem reasonable in time.
8. Other methods of search.  Ahh, now you're talking.  Recruiters.  They are pretty common in accounting, and particularly to get temp/contractor work.
9. Interview - Cultivate - Negotiate, and
10. Transition into new position.  Honestly, if I get to 9 and 10, I'll be happy enough.

Truth be told, because I want to do contracting, my search starts with recuiters.  If they can't help me, I'll have to rely on the networking approach above, but it may not come to that.

I attended a  job search workgroup session today.  Mostly it's a chance to network with a few other job seekers.  It's every Monday for a couple of hours, presumably until I find a job.