You Don't Need a Job in NYC, A Job In NYC Needs You!

There is an important fact that is frequently overlooked by those searching for a job. Not knowing about this fact is the reason most job seekers tend to face difficulties in their job search. Here is the simple fact:

Job seekers are sellers. Employers are buyers.

So, what does this mean? And how should it effect your job search and your outlook towards finding employment?
You may, as a job seeker, send out tens, if not hundreds, of cover letters and resumes to employers only to be disappointed with the lack of response. Then you will rationalize this disappointment in your head. You may think to yourself:

• Maybe the company is not currently hiring?
• Maybe the person who normally reviews applications has gone on a vacation?
• Perhaps there was a systems failure that resulted in my application not being sent?
• Maybe it is something that is really out of my control, such as luck or karma?
• Perhaps, etc…

The truth is however, these causes are seldom the reason for lack of response. Employers always have money to spend and hire new people; ALWAYS. The reason they didn’t respond to your efforts is because your offer to them is not compelling enough. You made the mistake of not convincing them that you are worth buying.

What are companies, businesses, and employers all interested in? Simple, it's one thing: money.
To convince employers of buying your service, the first thing you need to do is to refine yourself and specialize in one particular field and then show them that your specialty can bring them the money they crave.

You need to:

• first, examine your particular specialty and your capabilities
• second, market your specialty by targeting your job application to that specialty
• third, sell your specialty by showing employers the benefits of having you rather than anyone else.

Examine Your Specialty

In order to examine if you have a specialized skill, try asking yourself the following question: can you utilize your skills to earn a living independently and without the help of an employer, for example as a freelance consultant, small business owner, designer or writer?
If not, then is it because you lack the particular platform that the employer provides or is it because you are not sure of the value of your skills in the open market?

If you’re not sure of the value of what you do, then New York may not be for you, yet. As I have said in our other employment guides, many New York companies rather partake in minimal training and would rather that employees to hit the ground running. These employers are not out there to discover your hidden qualities and talents. They want you to help them make money and produce.
Furthermore, if you answered "no," perhaps you should take some time off, think about your future, and discover exactly what you enjoy and what you would like to do before coming to New York.
If you answered "yes" then you are probably ready. Now it’s time to put on the hat of the salesman/marketer.

Targeting Your Job Application

In marketing it is taught that targeted messages are the ones that receive the highest response.
However, due to the difficulty that is associated with creating a quality targeted job application, you may instead opt for quantity. In other words, instead of tailoring your applications to a few companies and hiring managers, you may create a type of "template" message that you broadcast to 100s of employers. In reality, however, when it comes to sales and marketing, quality is always more important than quantity. Think about yourself: are you more likely to respond to a spam e-mail that goes out to tens of thousands of people, or are you more likely to respond to an e-mail that addresses you by your name and discusses issues that are relevant to your particular life at the moment? It is always the latter, and that’s what you should do.

For example, you may see a job posted on a job site.  Immediately write down the company name and the department of the company that posted the job. Then use Google or similar search engine and find the contact information for that individual . Then call them up and ask to speak to the manager of the department that posted the job. When you are asked by the phone operator for the reason of your call, say that you have important questions about the posted job description, and you need clarifications. Speak with confidence and authority. When you are connected to the manager (be polite, but don’t let him/her intimidate you; he/she is not your manager, yet. It’s just someone on the phone who may actually be an idiot), ask the questions that you have. Ask him what he really wants in the person who he’ll hire. Ask what traits he likes, etc. Also, take this opportunity to introduce yourself and learn the name and, if possible, the email and direct phone number of the manager. This information will help you target your message to this manager directly.  This will impress.  Of course, if the job states "no phone calls", doing this may be unwise.

How many job seekers do you suppose will go to this length in order to secure a job? The reality is very few. If you follow this procedure, you will have instantly put yourself ahead of all job seekers. Additionally, with the information that you will have acquired through this procedure, you will be able to tailor your application to the specific requirements of this manager and his department. It will be very hard for them to not consider you for the job.

Selling Your Job Application

Now that we have talked about the importance of of targeted messages, we should now address the importance of the particular content of your targeted message. What exactly should you say in your job application in order to sell it?  This can be hard for some people, but anyone can send out a compelling package.
There are two important principles of selling that you should keep in mind when you send out your application

• First, make it very clear exactly what it is that you do. Don’t let them get confused in trying to understand where to place you in their organization.  Be straightforward and honest.
• Second, in your profile whenever you mention one of your strengths, follow it with with a sentence that describes how this strength can be a benefit to their business.

For example, if you have eight years of experience in marketing, in your profile, don’t just say "A dynamic professional with eight years experience in marketing." Instead, emphasize how they can benefit from your eight years of experience by saying something like, "With my eight years of marketing experience, I’m capable of creating and executing marketing campaigns that are guaranteed to enhance the brand and perception of [company name] to increase its long term profitability."
Whenever you mention one of your strengths, make it clear to the reader how this strength will contribute to their profitability and make them a better company as a result. Do not make the reader have to think in order to figure out how you could help them.

If you follow the outlined procedure in this article, you will find that you are ahead of your peers when it comes to finding that dream job that you seek.