Write A CV

Begin with these three tasks:

Prospecting

Is the first. Finding the right people to talk to about subjects you want to discuss. Going out to look in the right places. These forays are planned and not something done on a whim.

Qualification

Of the prospects is next. Finding out which of those prospects are worthy of further consideration.

Approaching

Those prospects worthy of further consideration is the next step. The step that leads to a meeting or the first move towards one.

To do anything with anything you have to find it first.

Finding prospects is central to the task of hunting for a job

Sure as hell prospective employers are not going to go out of their way to beg you to work for them. It happens, but not very often. What you are looking for is companies, and in particular people within those companies, who have the authority to hire and fire.

I shall cover where to look in a later section.

What to look for is as follows:

a) Solid, well known and respected companies in the particular industry you have targeted. Don't wear blinkers when you are looking; remember to cast your mind across the spectrum of jobs you might like to do.

b) Companies who have someone working for them whom you know. They don't have to be in important or influential positions, just positions where they can keep their eyes and ears open and report happenings, or non-happenings, back to you. Inside knowledge is strength and, if used correctly, can give you an edge.

c) Companies who are "on the move". By that I mean companies who have just been reported in the press for winning a big order, who are opening new depots or branch offices, setting up new production lines or for one reason or another are in the limelight. Your local daily or weekly paper is a mine of information for news of this sort. See sample letter example 5.

d) Follow through. A company which has placed an order or awarded a contract is just as good a prospect as one in receipt of it.

Prospecting is what you are about. The discovering, gathering and recording of information. This is the task that, at the beginning of your JOB HUNT is of paramount importance. It is the task that needs the most generous allocation of time and one that you neglect at your peril.

A hundred is about right. One hundred prospective employers who might, however tenuous that might may be, employ someone in the foreseeable future. Having reached your target of a hundred and faithfully recorded the information correctly you can start to grade them for quality.

The gathering of your hundred is done in a variety of ways:

a) Inside information. Someone who knows someone who knows someone you know.

b) The subtle direct questioning technique that is so ideal for a face to face situation. You look the bozo straight in the eye and say firmly "I've heard a rumour that you are looking for people to appoint as beverage tasters. Is it true? When will you be holding interviews? I would like to apply".

c) The telephone. Same technique: direct questions. Don't give 'em time to think. Come right out with it and state exactly what you want to know.

Take for granted they will tell you and they will.

Few people will lie or procrastinate when confronted by a direct question. They simply do not have the time to think. If they splutter out an answer you can see straight through then take it as a yes, pause for a few seconds, lower your voice a couple of notches and say:

"When are you holding interviews? Is it still under wraps? Tell me when and who to write to and I promise not to say where I got the information".

Having put your contact on the spot let him/her down nice and gently.

You often have to use a direct approach when you want information; a lot of people are naturally secretive. The "I know something you don't know" syndrome that is a legacy of our childhood is still buried deep within us. As often as not the source of your information is expendable. It often doesn't matter if you do upset someone so don't be bashful about it if you feel you need to. It's a trade off, information in exchange for rattling someone's cage.

However it is obviously better if you remain on good terms so that you can go back for more if necessary. When you have the snippet of information you were after, and only then, say something like:

"You can trust me you know. I need all the friends I can get and hold on to right now, I'm not going to say anything to anyone about who supplies me with information am I? If I did it would stop, and then where would I be?"

People, certain people that is, like to be trusted and form allegiances. That phenomenon is also a quirk of human nature. Use it to advantage. If you make progress as a result of a snippet of information remember to let your informant know. Thank them but don't say too much, just enough to make your point and cement their loyalty. Your informant's brother may have lost his job since the last time you spoke and in doing so altered your informant's priorities.

Golden rule: play your cards close to your chest.

Tell everyone you are embarked upon a job hunt by all means, but never reveal who you are talking to and exactly where you are with any particular prospect. And that applies to an informant who may have set you off on the trail of a particular job. Turn any question around. If someone asks you how you are getting on with Bloggs and Company say something like:

"Great as far as I know. The ball's in their court at the moment".

Before they have a chance to proceed with the line of questioning say something like:

"How long have you been in your job - what exactly do you do?"

Few people can resist the temptation of droning on about what they do for a living. It's like the weather - the English just cannot resist talking about it. Once the conversation is under your control you can move on to extracting any other useful information that might be up for grabs. Father, mother, sister, brother - find out what they all do. You never know, one of them might own a gold mine, in one form or another. Ask direct questions. Say why you want the information. Let it be known that you are a special, unique and talented individual worthy of being hired. When you believe it you will stand a better chance of convincing others.

Don't ever moan or winge about your predicament. Nobody wants to know.

Letters are of course only one way of first contacting a company but several others, some quite ridiculous, have effectively been used as attention grabbers in the past. If you want to use a gimmick, fine. Dream up your own. I have never used any; I have never needed to. Some I have heard of have been quite effective but only as a way of getting noticed.

I have never heard of anyone getting a job by using a gimmick as an opener.

I have heard of letters written in rhyme, as limericks, in a variety of coloured inks, on cardboard, on plywood, letters delivered by special liveried messenger, by a girl in a bunny costume, on horseback and some others that don't bear thinking about.

I know of a man who wrote a letter, a different letter, every day from the first approach to the job to the vacancy being filled, a period of several weeks, and even that superhuman effort did not get him the job.

All of these things serve to divert attention from the very place where attention should be focused: on the job candidates talents and suitability.

Any distraction to this is counter productive.

Your sense of humour, and I hope to heaven you have one, may be allowed or even encouraged to come out when you are building a relationship with people who hire and fire. It should not, in my view, be employed to give the impression that you are prone to outbursts of clown - like behaviour.

Employing people is a serious business and most employers treat it as such.

If they get it wrong they have two choices: they can fire you or put up with an employee being less effective than the job requires.

The direct, business - like approach is the only approach I would ever consider using. I suggest you think most carefully before you try an alternative.

Smile for everyone's sake. No employer, however dour is going to deduct Brownie points for that. Just lay off song and dance routines for now. Wait until you are in the job before you start planning a slapstick comedy spot for the firm's dinner dance.

Remember:

Broadly speaking there are only two personality types: happy and unhappy.

Which of the two do you think a prospective employer is going to favour?