From the moment you meet the recruiter, the question of ‘fit’ is upper most in the recruiter’s mind. Dress conservatively. This is not the time to test your fashion sense; neat, clean,tailored, boring clothes are just fine.

A candidate for an important position arrived looking frumpy. No other word works. This position is frequent public facing, representing the company to the external  community and her resume looked  perfect. But this candidate shot herself in her sandal-covered foot.  The recruiter just could not get past the question of ‘fit’.

Get some help. Ask a friend or family member to give you the once over and be ready to accept some tough feedback…and change your clothes.

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A colleague is in the fortunate position of weighing two job offers. Both are in his field, the pay is similar, and both are with reputable organizations. One is a key position with a small team in a local organization and the other is as a member of a large, professional department of a national operation.

This job seeker choose the local organization primarily because of the good chemistry between him and his prospective manager and other executives in the organization.

Does this really matter? Of course it does! How you feel about the people with whom you work is vital. You will be spending most of your waking hours with this team; if you don’t like them everyday will be difficult. Try to work with colleagues you enjoy.  It certainly will make the job a lot more fun and, most likely, will result in greater success.

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It is so hard to stay motivated by a long job search. Keeping your morale strong when it appears all of your efforts are failing is the most challenging component of a job search. Be prepared.

Find a job search partner or job search support group and ask for help when you are feeling frustrated or discouraged with your search. It is quite helpful to talk to others who also are struggling and to be a listener to others. Helping another is the most helpful way to help yourself. You will find yourself re-energized and refocused on your goals.

Get away your computer and talk to live people…help others and help yourself.

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You meet someone who extends a hand, offers to pass along leads, and asks you to follow-up. And you don’t follow-up. What?  You must pursue any and all offers of help. One of those offers may bring you the exact position you desire.

Recently a colleague passed on hiring a manager because she did not see ‘initiative’ in the candidate. In a later conversation with him, I offered my assistance and asked him to call. Weeks later, I still have not heard from him, although I do know he is not employed. Was it lack of initiative? Certainly looked like it.

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Yes, find a local job support group to be part of your complete job search strategy. Job support groups can be invaluable in helping you with moral support on those though days when progress is slow. A fellow job searcher will the friendly voice that will take some of the sting out of the day.

But job support members often bring known job openings to share with other members. As you and others are working hard to find the right position you will invariably stumble upon other openings that may be a good fit for a fellow members.

We need to help each other win the best possible job. Get involved with your local job support group. Today!

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The ‘T’ cover letter makes the reader’s work easier; easier to see exactly where your skills match the requirements of the position…in less than 5-6 seconds.  The quicker the reader decides you are a viable candidate, the more you improve your odds for landing the interview.

The ‘T’ cover letter is where you create two columns to directly compare your skills and experiences to the requirements of the position. You are doing the work for the reader and not expecting him/her dig through your letter and resume to determine if you are a possible fit. Help the recruiter help you.

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It is so difficult to stay focused on your goals when you are worried about bills, savings lost, image: you name it, you’re worried about it.  Spend time with your partner to walk through all the options: Can you borrow from family? Have you cut every possible cost? Have you thought about short-term contracting? Can your partner ramp up work? Put every option up for discussion.

Accepting a poor job offer when you are anxious may seem like a good decision. Almost always, it is not. And it will hamper your real search. Stay the course for the best possible outcome.

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Once again, I found myself talking to a job searcher who had not done the necessary homework.  She was not clear on what work she was seeking and it was back to the starting point.  Don’t waste your contact’s valuable time and interest on work that should be completed before you meet.

Do your soul searching with close friends and family…ask them to help you work through your confusion about the right job; accepting that some  confusion is normal. And the most important homework is to search your heart, experience and skills and zero in on the best possible match for you.

For more insights see Job Search for Managers.     Purchase the Job Search For Managers Workbook