A Brief Guide to

The New Rules of Job Search

*8 Simple Secrets Nobody is telling you*

Career Coach & Strategist Founder of Springboard Talent Creator of Your Own 360 Program
*THIS E-BOOK IS 100% NON-COMMERCIAL AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY AFFILIATE LINKS*

By: Ngee Key

Please feel free to post this on your blog or email it to whomever you believe would benet from reading it. Thank you.

2011 by Chan Ngee Key. A Brief Guide to The New Rules of Job Search by! Springboard Talent LLP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs! 3.0 Singapore License.! Creator of Your Own 360 Evaluating Opportunity Program!

Important: If you have access to a printer, please PRINT this e-book. Youll get a lot more out of it if! youre not reading it from a monitor. Take it to your favorite caf or read it at home in your! comfortable chair. You can also write your own notes easily on the large white spaces.!

You have quit, whats next?

Youve just decided to quit your job due to unhappiness or ofce politics. Or worse youve just been red. You look at the rest of your life, suddenly an open, lonely road. Who will save you? What else do you have left now? What use are you to society? To your family? To yourself? How will you nd your next job? ! If any of these questions ring a bell, and if you nd yourself nodding and thinking, Ive been here before, or, I am experiencing this right now you need to know, at this exact moment: you are not alone.! There are many working professionals who are not happy in their working environment. It can be loss of career direction, horrible boss or is not align to your passion.! Welcome. This e-book will reveal 8 simple secrets you can use immediately in your job search process.!

Losing your job can be a blessing

Losing or quitting your job is not the end of the world.! You dont have to say sorry to yourself. It is not what happens to you, but it is more important to know whats best for you in your next career move.! Contrary to what youre thinking, your newfound freedom is the rst step towards discovering a lot of fresh and creative opportunities out there that you might not even think of. ! You are now open to explore a different career path that aligns with your talent, skills, knowledge, passion and purpose.!

You Need a Plan

For a lot of job seekers, a career transition is usually one of the most challenging and easier said than done stages in their lives. ! There is a famous quote by John L. Beckley. Most people don't plan to fail; they fail to plan..! We have observed this for years, having interacted with and helped a lot of professionals, managers, executives and others to get back on their feet. ! Throughout this time, this is what weve learned: people need a plan to better guide them in their job search, but most importantly, they need to reect deeply about their experience, skills and goals in life in order to identify the direction they want to take.! So lets get started on the 8 simple secrets you can use immediately for your job search project.!

Secret 1: Identify List of Targeted Companies

Fact - the vast majority of available jobs are not advertised. World Wide Survey estimate 74 to 85% of available jobs are never advertised. The responsibility is upon you to take the initiative if you wish to nd employment.! Compile a list of the companies that you can see yourself working for a type of wish-list. Whether you have heard of an available position at the company is largely irrelevant. After all, if a position is vacant at a certain company but the idea of working there is most unappealing, it is probably not worth pursuing.! Think carefully and see if you can imagine yourself proudly saying, "I work for company X."!

Secret 2: Read & Research on Targeted Companies

Don't judge a book by its cover! Although you may think you would like to work for a particular company, it is important to do your homework. Only you can be the judge of what is best for you.! The Internet is a valuable source of corporate information. Check the nancial strength of the company. Is it doing well or struggling? How does its salary and benet structure compare to similar companies? Is there a high degree of employee satisfaction or have many employee legal complaints been led? ! Read about company annual reports, press releases, news, and products. What is the companys mission statement, vision, values, direction and also its challenges ahead. ! Finally, does the company endorse certain policies that are not favorable to you? What is the style of Management or leadership? Does it appeal to you?!

Secret 3: Informational Interviewing

Before you meet with a potential employer, invest time conducting informational interviews. This is a highly important process in which you interview people already employed in a certain position or a certain company. The purpose of these interviews is to gather as much useful information as possible.! Attempt to nd out the pros and cons of the job. What expectations should you realistically have? Uncover information about specic employers or places of work.. Learn facts about the actual responsibilities of specic positions.! Use this process to arm yourself with facts and gures before your own interviews.!

Secret 4: Ofine Networking

Long before online social networks, the best way to meet people was face to face. Surprise it still is a vital source of information!! Invest time going to places where you can meet people afliated with your line of work. You will be amazed how much practical information can be obtained through direct and face to face discussions. ! Seminars, lectures, professional conferences, exhibitions these are but a few of the many places where you can meet people and they can meet you. ! When you are looking for employment opportunities, the more people you meet, the better the chances of nding, or being found. !

Secret 5: Online Networking

Social media platforms such as Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others are a highly effective method of yelling to the world, "I am here! in the world wide web.! Even if you are not overly extroverted, use the various online networks and forums to make yourself known. Get involved in professional discussions. Pose questions to other professionals. Initiate discussions that focus on your opinions. Offer advice that will shine a bright light on your knowledge and capabilities.! Always keep in mind that you want to become known. This is free advertising for you at its nest!!

Secret 6: Create Visibility

Finding the right job for you may not be an overnight process. Like a ne wine, sometimes time and patience are required.! Use time to your advantage. Make yourself highly visible in order to become known to as many people as possible. ! Seek opportunities to speak to professional groups. Attend conferences and seminars and participate as much as possible. If you're in the audience, stand to introduce yourself and ask a question. Let everyone know that you are here, there, and everywhere. ! High visibility will create mental association between you and the eld of employment.!

Secret 7: Contacting Potential Employers

There's an old saying if you want someone to answer the door, you have to knock!! In a highly competitive world, the aggressors get ahead. If you want a particular job, or would like to work for a certain company, you have to take action and go after it! Take the initiative and contact potential employers. Sell your skills and expertise. Explain why you would be a valuable asset. Convince the other party that they will benet from associating with you, and you with them.! Many employers appreciate initiative and may be willing to offer you a position that they were reserving until they meet "the right person.!

Secret 8: Referrals and Connections

Often, it's not a question of what you know but who you know. ! There is no substitute for personal connections. Make sure that friends and colleagues know that you are available for work and actively looking. ! Don't be shy about asking for personal referrals. Try to get people you know to make introductions for you. Ask friends or colleagues to pass on your CV. !

When all is said and done

At the end of the day, your success depends, to a large degree, on the amount of "noise and branding that you make. The more noticeable you are, the better your chances for securing the job that you want. ! Become recognizable. Let the world know that you are here and are ready, willing and able. With determination, focus and a little bit of luck, you will be well on your way to achieving your career goals.!

8 Simple Secrets Nobody is telling you about Job Search

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Identify List of Targeted Companies! Read and Research on Targeted Companies! Informational Interviewing! Ofine Networking! Online Networking! Create Visibility! Contacting Potential Employers! Referrals and Connections!

About the Author

!Ngee Key is a Career Coach, Strategist and Founder of Springboard Talent who helps unhappy employees in corporate to discover meaningful and fullling jobs. A former corporate manager for more than a decade, he deeply understands the questions and concerns faced by working professionals. His expertise in personal and business change was developed through many years of professional experiences inside corporations such as Hewlett-Packard and Hewitt Associates (Aon Hewitt).! !You are spending almost 30 years of your life working and I believe they should be rewarding and fullling. Having a career that aligns with your talent, values and passion at its heart is aligning your purpose for being here that you simply must act on it, despite the challenges or worries that hold you back, says Ngee Key. ! !A world traveler to 22 countries and 60 cities, Ngee Key speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Certied by Career Coach Academy (ICF Accredited, CCMC) under the mentorship of Susan Whitcomb, I have worked with many clients who have faced challenging career decisions you face now and moved them to better, meaningful and fullling situations. !

Get Connected
I hope you enjoyed this e-book and it gives you some food for thought.! If you want to learn more, check out the following. !

Own 360 Program, Personal Career Coaching! or book Ngee Key for Keynote Speech, please contact him at www.yourown360.com!

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Connect with Ngee Key!

Career Coach, Advisor and Strategist! Founder of Springboard Talent LLP! Creator of Your Own 360 Evaluating Opportunity Program.! Phone: (65) 91824111! Email: ngeekey@springboardtalent.com! LinkedIn: http://sg.linkedin.com/in/ngeekey ! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ngeekey ! Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ngeekey!