Improving Your Job Search

Even in this poor economy, companies are spending millions on "process improvement, total quality management, continuous improvement, or ISO - quality management systems." Under all these names, the idea is the same. To do better in business we must do better in all the processes of the business. I recently heard of one company who have budgeted spending 3% of their annual sales on improving the way they do everything.

We need to be doing the same thing in our searches for a new job. You have a resume. Hopefully a good one. But, are you continuously examining it for improvement? Are employers in your field using different terms to describe what you know how to do? You need to be constantly evaluating that resume and cover letter. You also need to be "de-briefed" after every interview or networking meeting you go to. What went right? What felt flat? What did the hiring official respond to? What seemed to turn them cool toward you? Then improve everything. Whatever works well, keep. What doesn't work, get rid of.

Find an unemployment group at your church or chamber of commerce and meet with them every week to discuss what happened with your resume submittals, job interviews, and networking appointments. Talk about how you can continuously improve the tools and methods of your job search and you'll be that much closer to a new career. Now, wouldn't that be an improvement?