In the current job environment, chances are that when you find your ideal job, you will be competing neck and neck with one or two other candidates for that coveted position.  Imagine, you and your competition have equally impressive qualifications and experience, you all do well in the interview, and you all are a good fit for the company.  So, how do you get the advantage and take the lead in the job race?  One way is to draw positive attention to yourself by attending to the little things that others often ignore.  Here are a few suggestions:

1.    Wear a suit to the interview. Now that business casual has become commonplace, some career experts will tell you to sit in the parking lot of the company, observe how the employees dress, and dress slightly better than they do for your interview.  I disagree.  Wearing a suit to the interview shows that you respect the interviewer and that you are a professional who takes the job search seriously.  (Note:  Before you put on that suit that has been hanging in the back of your closet for years, make sure the suit is currently in style, that it fits you well, and that it is in excellent condition.)

2.    Send a handwritten thank you note*. If you want to send a thank you note by email immediately following the interview, that is perfectly acceptable.  Make sure you touch on one or two things that came up during the interview and try to provide an additional brief story that you didn’t have a chance to bring up during the interview that reinforces your value proposition.  But don’t stop there.  Sending a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours is another opportunity for you to get your name in front of the interviewer.  Additionally, making the effort to write a second note and getting it mailed shows that you are willing to go the extra mile.  Be sure to send separate notes to each interviewer.

3.    Follow up. At the end of the interview, ask when you should expect to hear something.  If you haven’t heard anything by that time, follow up with the interviewer.  Don’t be a pest, but follow up often enough to let the employer know that you are still interested in the job.

These tips alone are not enough to secure a job offer, but when the decision between candidates is close, sweating the small stuff may be just enough to put you over the top.

*If the company is “green,” send only electronic thank you notes.

The other day I ran across a discussion on LinkedIn about a job seeker who was thinking about hiring someone to send out 8,000 résumés for her.  Whoa! That is just crazy on so many levels!  First of all, the job seeker probably isn’t even interested in working at 99 percent of those businesses.  Second of all, any résumé sent this way would have to be very generic, which would generate no interest whatsoever.  And lastly, if a company did respond to an unsolicited résumé that arrives by fax or email and isn’t personalized in any way, it is doubtful that it would be a company anyone would want to work for.

I hear people say that the job search is a numbers game, but that can be a very misleading statement.  The more résumés you submit, the more people you talk to, or the more LinkedIn connections you make will not necessarily result in more interviews and subsequently more job offers.  A productive job search needs to be targeted and planned out.  The successful job seeker will know exactly what type of job she is looking for and have a list of companies she is interested in.  She will focus her time and effort on making quality contacts and asking questions that will move her toward her goal.  She will spend her time building relationships with a manageable number of key people, not making brief contact with many.  She will have better luck conducting 20 informational interviews at companies that interest her than submitting 420 résumés through the job boards.

While it is true that the more times you practice networking, interviewing, and your job search techniques, the more comfortable you will be and the better you will become; please be careful how you interpret the “numbers game” statement.  Don’t fall for the scam of the résumé blast.  If you feel like you need help, spend your money on a good career coach who can help you focus your job search.  And when someone tells you that you absolutely must tell everyone you meet that you are out of work and looking because you never know where a job lead might come from, you can mostly ignore that advice.  Tell your hairdresser because hairdressers always have great information, but skip the teenager bagging your groceries and the tollbooth operator.  It’s really less about numbers and more about taking aim at a well-defined target.

Would your job search be different if you thought of yourself as self-employed?  I often talk with job seekers who perceive employers as having the upper hand and holding the power in the employer-employee relationship.  These job seekers seem to think they have to convince the employer they are worthy of being hired.  They are not nearly as discriminating about the employers they will work for as the employers are about whom they will hire.  When it comes to salary, they tend to think more in terms of getting as close to their previous salary as possible rather than thinking in terms of their market value.

So, how does the mindset of these employees differ from the mindset of someone who is self-employed?  Here are a few descriptors of those that tend to think of themselves as employees:

1.    They are applying for jobs they aren’t sure they’re qualified for but think they could learn if given the chance.  Or they are applying for jobs they know they are overqualified for.  They have thoughts, such as, I could do that or That would be an okay job.

2.    They aren’t familiar with the industry but are willing to learn it if they are hired.

3.    They need a job and/or benefits.  Although they won’t accept just anything, they aren’t too concerned about the specifics of the job and the company.

Here are some descriptors of someone who is self-employed:

1.    They know their qualifications and the benefits they have to offer their clients.  They have to know or their clients won’t buy.

2.    Even if they don’t know their clients’ industry, they know their clients’ needs and can clearly articulate how their skills and talents will fit and meet those needs regardless of the industry.

3.    They stay at the top of their game and seek out clients who will value their contributions.

Employment is – or at least should be – a partnership.  Employment is an exchange of value.  The employee contributes a service in exchange for pay.  The employer needs a high performing, reliable employee as much as the employee needs a salary and benefits.  Both parties have a lot at stake.

I encourage all employees to adopt the mindset of the self-employed.  Know and be confident in your abilities and the value you have to offer.  Know how your skills, talents, and experience will benefit the employer and be ready to tell them.  Choose your employer wisely, make sure they are worthy of your time, dedication, and hard work.

If you approach your job search with the mindset of someone who is self-employed, your résumé and cover letter will become marketing materials describing the benefits of your services for your potential client (the employer).  Your interviews become exchanges of information between equals looking for the right fit.  Your salary negotiation becomes a discussion about your true market value and return on investment.

Approach employers as a potential business partner.  Come to the table fully prepared to meet the employer’s needs and know what your services are worth.  This will accomplish a win-win situation for you both and a much happier future career.

You know you need to approach finding a job as a full time job but you find yourself distracted by other things that need your attention.  You keep telling yourself that you will get focused tomorrow or next week or, absolutely, you will get serious starting on Monday.  You want to get back to work, you need a job, and you can’t figure out why you aren’t motivated?

Often, lack of motivation is really lack of clarity.  Do you know exactly what type of work you want to do?  Do you have a list of companies you would like to work for?  If not, take some time to clearly define exactly what you want to do and where you want to do it.  Once you have identified your target, it will be much easier to map out the path to get there.  Get off the carousel today and start moving toward your future!

A reader writes:

I have been out of work for some time now, and had to move back to Wisconsin for financial reasons. My finance and possessions are still located in Las Vegas, NV and I am hoping to move back there.  However, it has been difficult finding an employer especially in these times that will consider waiting and working with an out-of-state job seeker.  I talked to a local recruiting company today that seemed very interested in me and would have liked to interview me for a potential position that I was very qualified for, however when he heard that I was out of state he quickly dismissed me.  Would it be best to go out there for three weeks and try to get something landed?   Are there any possible tips I can look for when seeking out a position that is out of state and too be considered for a position?  Thank you

My reply:

Looking for a job in another state is a challenge but definitely doable.  I think spending three weeks in Las Vegas making yourself available is an excellent idea.  There are several things you can do before your trip to make the most of your time while you are there.  (1)  Identify the companies you are interested in working for by using Hoovers.com or your local library.  (2)  After you research the companies, use your network to find contacts in those companies.  Sometimes you have to be creative about finding a connection.  (3) Through your contacts, schedule informational interviews with those companies for the time you will be in Las Vegas.  (4)  During your informational interviews, don’t ask for a job, ask for advice as to how you can find a job in your field.  It will be understood that you want a job.  (5)  Be positive, confident, enthusiastic, and prepared.  Talk about the value and benefits you can offer a company.  In other words, talk in terms of what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.  (6)  Of course, if you can schedule some job interviews before you go, that would be great too.

As with any job search, you want to make a plan and then implement it.  When you are looking for a job in another location, let employers know that you will make yourself available.  Best of luck!