Get a New Job in 3 Easy Steps

A friend of mine just scored a new gig not long after being given the heave-ho as a contractor for the Google Help Desk.  It's been said before but bears repeating: Google's like any other company if you aren't in the executive stratosphere and is capable of the same type of pointy-haired-boss maneuvers any other large company does.  It's not really surprising, but I'm just saying...shouldn't "Don't Be Evil" apply to your contractors, too, guys?  I had lunch with him and gave him a few pointers, a few smacks and ended it with "now get out there and do it!"

That was last Monday.  He has a job now...he starts next Monday.

What worked for him can work for you, regardless of your current job search activity or however difficult you might think it is to get a job 'in this economy'.  Let me clue you in: there are always tons of IT jobs out there.  Always.  Go out and find one or stay home...but never tell me you 'can't find a job because it's too hard'.  I'll tell you what I told him: If you think it's too hard then it will be.  In a war where your attitude counts, you can't afford to limit yourself.  Get that through your skull and then read on for a few pointers on scoring your next gig:

1.  Carpet Bomb - use every avenue available to get your resume out.  Every job board, every headhunter, every social networking website...leverage them all; there is no such thing as having your resume in too many places.  I recommend working with the good people over at Boylston Group, Atlantis Partners, Remington International and Macarthur Associates along with Robert Half, Teksystems and Net Polarity.

2.  Believe - You must be your own greatest supporter.  You must believe that you are right for the job.  If you can't do those things, your lack of confidence will come through in the interview process and you'll find yourself losing lay-up opportunities because you're projecting yourself as a sad-sack.  Don't do that.

3.  It's a Numbers Game - It breaks down like this: x amount of resume's equal a first-round interview.  X amount of first-rounds equal a second-round.  X amount of seconds equal a third and/or a job offer.  So on and so forth.  Don't get bent out of shape when an opportunity falls through, the right one will come along eventually.

My friend starts Monday and he's very happy...he's giving his friend over on the East Coast the same pep talk/butt-kicking I gave him.  I wish them well...I wish you well, too.