Need a Job? Put a Gun to Your Head

A legendary marketing genius once said that, if he had to write a killer sales letter, he would imagine he had a gun pointed at his head and that he would be shot if his advertising didn't deliver.

This motivated him to create some of the world's most-profitable ads.

Example: one of his sales letters was mailed more than 300 million times in the 1970s and produced up to $300,000 a day in sales. Not bad.

So I got to thinking, if I had a gun to MY head and had to get a job fast, or risk execution, what would I do?

I quickly came up with a list of three things ...

1) Meet more hiring authorities.

It's been said by at least one employment expert (OK, me) that nobody in human history was ever hired by a computer. Sure, you can use a computer to find job openings, and employers can use computers to find you. But ultimately, you'll have to go belly-to-belly with a live human to get a job offer.

So why not stack the odds in your favor and start meeting more people who can hire you, starting today?

It boggles my mind to see how many folks can find 20-30 hours a week to answer Internet job postings, yet can't find another two hours to meet with networking contacts over coffee.

I think it's a fear of rejection -- or plain old sloth -- that keeps most job seekers chained to their keyboards, furiously firing off electronic resumes, when they could be pressing the flesh and building their network until they meet a hiring manager with a job offer.

Whatever the reason, if I had a gun to MY head, I'd spend about an hour a day on the computer and the remaining 7 hours calling, talking to and meeting people. Because they're the ones who can hire you.

2) Do only what works. Dump the rest.

Last week I got an email from an irate New York man who's been unemployed for nearly a year. He wrote: "I've sent out 430 resumes and received only one interview since last September!" To which I could have replied, "Why did you wait nearly one year and 430 resumes to bring this to my attention?"

Doing anything more than 400 times and expecting your results to suddenly improve qualifies, I think, as mild insanity. It's what can happen when you lose sight of what you're really trying to accomplish in your job search. Do you want to send out as many resumes as possible, or do you want to get hired as quickly as possible?

If the latter is your goal, then it behooves you to analyze what you're doing at least once a week. Have an actual meeting with yourself. Sit down with a pad of paper and ask yourself these three questions:

1) What am I doing that's producing job leads? Do more of that.

2) What am I doing that's NOT producing leads? Change it or stop doing it.

3) What am I going to do next? Plan your week so you can do more of what's working.

Note: when you analyze what you're doing, assume nothing and look at EVERYTHING: your resume, cover letters, how you answer the phone, your voicemail message, how you follow up with employers, etc.

3) Ace the interview.

There's absolutely no excuse for writing the perfect resume, applying for the perfect job, getting called for the interview ... and then blowing it by showing up unprepared.

Two points here.

First, you should never, ever have trouble answering common interview questions like, "Why did you leave your last job?" or "How much salary are you looking for?" The answers are out there. Try this web site for a start - interview.monster.com.

Also, it takes all of five minutes to visit Amazon.com and check out the reader feedback on top-selling interview books. If a book has multiple four- and five-star reviews, buy it or check it out of your local library. Cost to you: a few minutes and a few bucks (no charge if you use the library). Potential payback: thousands of dollars in new salary.

Second, you should never, ever walk into an interview not knowing the company, its products, its problems, its opportunities and its competitors. Again, the answers are out there. Use Google or your favorite search engine and spend an hour digging up enough facts to help you talk intelligently to your potential employer. Failure to do so will mark you as a half-hearted candidate ... and you will lose out to other, better-prepared job seekers. Every time.

So there you have it. Three things I would do to get hired if I had a gun to my head.

I hope your situation is never so desperate. But imaging a worst-case scenario like imminent execution can concentrate the mind wonderfully -- and turbo-charge your job search.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes.

Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.

As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com


More Resources

Job Interviews: Ill File a Grievance!
I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party.
Getting Your Online Health Care Administration Degree
Are you thinking about getting your online health care degree but don't know where to start? Afraid of choosing the wrong college or school? Here's a simple guide to help you get started building the career that you've always wanted.Making the decision to get your online health care degree is not any easy one.
Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design
There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.
Ten Great Careers For Single Parents
The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of the home for 40+ hours per week to work and raising a child at the same time can be nearly impossible.
Power Resumes - Writing Your Objectives
A powerful resume starts with a good statement of objective. This is the headline of your advertisement promoting yourself.
Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs
Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance.
Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic
A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light.
Waiting For the Official Job Offer
At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, "Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR.
Opportunities in Automotive Services Industries - How To Cash In
I believe it would be safe to say that the transportation industry is one of the highest revenue producers in today's modern economies.Millions upon millions of private passenger vehicles rule the highways and rural roads in countries around the world.
Resume Posting: Tips for Jobseekers
Recruiting firms, like most businesses today, must embrace technology in order to prosper. Part of modern recruiting is understanding the value and benefit of internet job boards.
Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?
Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of the 5 to 10 criteria that are most likely to guide the employer's choice - then summarize your qualifications in a way that speaks directly to the employer's interests.
Looking for Work in All the Wrong Places
The Question: After identifying a potential employer, I get contact information, do my research and send out my resume and cover letter, requesting an interview for a management or human resource position. I am listed with recruiters and staffing agencies and call them every week.
Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.
How to Choose Your Ideal Career
They say that most people do complete and total career changes at least once often twice in their lifetimes. Very few people chose the ideal perfect career for themselves when they're in high school and blissfully happily work those same jobs for the rest of their lives.
Common Résumé Mistakes
Using a general résumé.DON'T DO IT! You cannot successfully use the same résumé to apply to several different jobs.
In Control - Inside Tips on Interview Success
No, you can't control how the interview will be conducted, nor can you control the outcome. But you can influence it greatly by the way you present your personality and your skills.
How To Effectively Present All Of Your IT Skills
Effectively present all of your IT skills with the IT Technical Skills Summary - an exceptionally powerful document that should form part of every resume submitted.The IT Technical Skills Summary ensures that every IT skill you have acquired - computer software, computer hardware, applications software, and so on, will be indexed in resume databases or viewed by hiring managers or recruiters.
Dont Get Caught In The Security Trap
The day you begin to think of your job in terms of the security versus the opportunities it provides is the day you start to put the brakes on building your career.Time was when a young person entering the workforce could reasonably assume he was signing a lifetime security covenant with his employer.
7 Steps to Interviews that Win the Job
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
A Career With The FBI
Do you have what it takes to become an FBI special agent? Do you have a sincere desire to enforce federal laws and investigate crimes?This job requires hard work and can often times be dangerous and stressful. You'll undoubtedly be in close contact with crimminals and victims of crime.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Job Interviews & the Magic of Music
Can music help you with your next job interview? It just might! Here's how. First, it can help you during your research, preparation and practice.
What A Former Stay At Home Mom Knows About Creating A Stunning Resume That You Dont
Recently I was asked to touch up a friend's resume. Her challenge was simple.
The Recruiting Truth...Time Is Not On Your Side
In today's marketplace things are constantly changing and so are the needs of just about each and every organization. Whether your company is growing organically or inorganically, whether your company is growing domestically or internationally or for one reason or another you just have pain, your organization must be in a position to attract top talent and attract it quickly! But attracting it is only the first part of the equation.
Telecommuting Website (Part Two)
Last article I discussed why a telecommuter would benefit from starting a website, and what you should include on the website. This article, I'm going to cover how to market the website and the basics of getting one set up.
Choose Your References Wisely!
So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task, right? Sure, you could contact three of your closest friends and ask them to be your references.
Independent RN Contractors Are Taking The Nursing Profession
Nurses wake up and take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Are you tired of having no input in your career, little money in the bank, lack of respect for your profession and little compensation for the long hours and years of dedication? Independent RN Contractor is a great way to renew your interest and rejuvenate your nursing career.
Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
Is it a Scam?
I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to make my fortune online.
Job Search - Understand Employers
Think like an employerTo be successful in your job search campaign you must think like an employer or a recruiter. If you are going to do this right, you need to appreciate the ways that employers sift through the flood of resumes.
Career Discovery - Pinpoint Your Ideal Career
Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment withyour values, passions, and talents--and discover the workyou were born to doCareer discovery is the process by which a person identifiestheir ideal career path, thus saving themselves a lot oftime (and money) by not pursuing career choices that theywill ultimately find unfulfilling. To find your truecalling, you need to dig around and find the things that areimportant to you--now, and in the future.
How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews
Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice, practice, practice.There are plenty of websites that offer lists of popular job interview questions, and knowing the types of questions to expect can be very useful.
Seven Ways to Say You're Fired and What to Do When It Happens to You
Today's employers scramble for creative ways to advise employees of their unexpected departures. The days of employers being loyal to their employees are long gone.
Do You Have a Hotsy-Totsy Resume?
I begin this article with a bit of slang description. Whatdo I mean by a "hotsy totsy" resume? I mean one thatdoes the following for you, the job seeker and apossible employer.
How to Insure Job Security
The attorneys I coach have one common problem. They don't have enough hours in the day to do everything they need to do.
Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic
A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light.
Make a Great First Impression
Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of writing a résumé, networking in your industry, and applying for jobs can leave anyone shaking in their tracks.
Taking Your Words Seriously
When we ordered the stained glass window as an accent piece for our home, the artist-proprietor told us he was a bit behind. "So," he said, "to be on safe side, plan on six months.
Serious Business Networking
As they always say "It's not what you know, it's who you know."Of course just knowing people doesn't necessarily get you the job, or the promotion, or the contract you wanted, but it certainly can help; so long as people don't think you are using them.
The Top Ten Ways to Jump Start Your Career
1. Do What You Love.
Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You?
Petite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller.