Job Hunting: How You Will Really Land Your Next Job

After 8 years with one employer, I found myself suddenly back on the job market. I had found myself knocking at the 6 figure door, but the loss of the contract I managed for the company and its downsizing due to some other problems meant that I was out looking again. I followed all of the requisite advice on Monster and careerbuilder. I was applying for almost anything and everything that I was either qualified for or was interested in doing if I switched fields. I also did the cold email approach: Sending resumes and cover letter to all of the companies in my area within my field. None of this yielded results. In one case, where I even called the HR manager to 'follow up' several times, I never got a return phone call or email. 

In the meantime, I reached out to some former professional peers, friends, alumni networks and former bosses. It was here that I started getting the hits. But even with this good news came a down side: Significant drop in pay. Once job in particular I would have loved to have done, but the pay was 3/4 what I needed to keep paying my mortgage.

During the down period, so I wasnt reduced to sitting on couch, drinking bourbon at 1 p.m. and watching Springer, I started volunteering at a local golf course. I also printed off resumes and put them in the back seat of my car in case I met anyone who could help me. Believe it or not, I did give a few out.

After two months and some persistence, I finally got an offer from the company where one of my former bosses was the VP. The kicker to this job, was that I had actually interviewed with him and the President a year ago!

Okay, so now you are job hunting or are looking for the next big move. My advice:

If you have a job, keep it, even if it stinks, but it pays the bills.