by Leslie Ungar

Created on: August 13, 2009

Change the Outcome of Your Job Search
Five Steps for Executive Level Warriors

The thank you note came in the weekend mail. The handwritten cursive conveyed the message that this was not a bill. Once opened, the thank you note began, as a result of our meeting, I have gotten my hair cut, a make-over, researched acrylic nails, played dress up in some clothing stores, and made your suggested changes to my resume.

A woman, like millions of others, looking for a job, wrote this note. She had come to my office to take advantage of a free consultation. The night before I had tossed candy bars into the audience of now unemployed executive level warriors. The candy bars with the business card attached received a free consultation. Following are five steps to make your job search as short and successful as possible.

Five Steps to Change the Outcome of Your Job Search

Answer the hard questions

Do the hard work before you begin to search. The more work you do before you start your search, the less work your interviewers will have to do. Audiences are lazy, all audiences are lazy and interviewers are no exception. Your job as a candidate is to make the choice of YOU as clear and easy as possible. No one wakes up in the morning with the mission to get you a job except you. It's not that people don't want to hire you. Your full time job is to make the selection of you a clear one. And you do that by being clear as to what kind of value you bring to a business.

How do you find out what your value is to others?

Ask yourself the hard questions. You have to ask yourself, but you don't have to answer by yourself. You can get help, ask others.

How are you different than others in a same or similar position?
Was the economy REALLY the only reason you were downsized?
What are three of your current deficient behaviors?
How are you different than you were 5 years ago?
How would you be different in this position than others?
What is your clear and compelling value?

After you have asked these questions of yourself or others, your value will begin to emerge. Identify this value and learn how to communicate it in one or two sentences.

Communicate your value

Practice talking about your value so that it is as easy as falling off a log. We live in a soundbite society, we get our information in soundbites therefore we need to learn to give information in soundbites. You may even be interviewed by someone in a younger age group. They communicate in text and tweet so it is especially

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