Communication Strategy For The Job Search

Establish balance in your life.

Searching for a job can be stressful. That's why you need to start in a state of balance, spending some time each day prospecting but also on other activities, such as exercise, taking a class, networking, working part-time, spending time with family or friends, pursuing a hobby, building new relationships, going to the library, visiting a museum, etc. Stay balanced.

Listen.

Ask the questions: Who am I? What do I really want to do?

Meditate, asking answers to these questions.

"You need not do anything. Remain sitting at your table and wait. You need not even wait, just listen. You need not even listen. Just learn to be quiet and still and solitary, and the world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet." (Franz Kafka)

A reporter once asked Einstein how he was able to make such incredible discoveries in physics. His answer: "You don't think I did it myself? I simply asked the universe the questions, and the universe gave me the answers."

Develop and post your resume.

Before: List your skills, define your job and career goals.

Write a resume that is clear, punchy and attracts the attention of a potential employer. Check well for typos, misspellings, etc.

Use a standard format for most jobs, but be creative.

Near the top, put a clear, concise statement of your strengths -- sell yourself -- a little exaggeration is okay and expected.

Consider hiring a professional -- but remember that a resume will not get you a job -- only an interview.

Post your resume with monster.com and other Websites and mail in response to ads. Tailor your resume for specific jobs.

Write a brief, enthusiastic cover letter.

Develop a 30-second commercial about yourself.

This is a concise, imaginative statement of who you are and what you do. It is intended for meetings where people stand up and introduce themselves but can also prove help for personal introductions and interviews.

Network.

"Networks are like contraceptives -- they should be in place before you need them." (Dolly Parton)

Go to as many meetings of groups related to your field -- or even not related -- as you have time to do so. Take plenty of business cards and ask for others'.

Call and send letters with your resume .

Contact some of the people you meet, thus expanding your network of contacts.

Interview.

Do this both to attract a job offer and to hone your interview skills.

Prepare well in advance. Research the company and have some questions to ask. Practice answering potential questions. Dress appropriately. Bring 3 copies of your resume, work/code samples, references, and pens. Plan to arrive a little bit early. Smile. Relax.

Essentially, interviewers have two questions in their minds: Can you do the job? Would you be a pain to deal with?

During the interview, be in your best state of mind. Visualize in advance a successful interview. Remember that everything you do sends a message.

Chief factors in a speaker that most influence an audience: body language (55 percent), tone of voice (38 percent), and words (7 percent) [Source: Silent Messages, Dr. Albert Mehrabian

Build rapport, bond, with the interviewer. Speak simply, clearly, and with sincerity.

"Act as if you were separate from nothing, and no one, and you will heal the world tomorrow. This is the greatest secret of all time. It is the answer for which has searched for millennia." (Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch)

Be patient with yourself and others, and keep going forward.