The rules of job searching have changed. You can typically expect a job search to last an average of 12 to 14 months. But you can cut up to five months from your own job search if you follow these eight rules.

Rule 1: Don’t Lead with Your Resume

The resume used to be the most important tool in a job search. In some ways it still is. But its use has changed.

The Problem

In the old days, recruiters and employers checked resumes for positives. Today, they’re scanning the resume for negatives they can use to disqualify the candidate. From the candidate’s perspective, this new dynamic significantly diminishes the value of the resume. “In today’s job market, the fit between a company’s detailed job specifications and a candidate’s skills and experience must be very close for most candidates to be even considered for a position,” explains executive coach, Bob Sloane.

Think about it. The basic rule is that a resume should be no more than two pages. Longer resumes often end up directly in the circular file without getting a glance. But it’s often impossible for a two-page resume to do justice to all the skills and responsibilities a candidate has accumulated over the years. To make matters worse, every position calls for its own unique skill set.

And it gets worse. One of the old rules of resumes still does apply: You should never hide dates of employment or education. But including dates reveals a candidate’s age. And, although age discrimination is illegal, sadly it remains a fact of life.

The Solution

Handing or sending out resumes to new contacts when you first engage them is no longer advisable. In the 21st century, job candidates should keep their resumes in their pockets for as long as possible.

Here’s the alternative strategy Bob and fellow executive coach, Tucker Mays recommend. Lead with a positive letter written by you, or better yet, by somebody with credibility recommending you. That letter should describe your skills and what you can do to help the company. A phone or face-to-face conversation making the same points will also suffice. The letter or conversation will prepare the employer to read your resume in a positive light. Then, only after the groundwork has been laid should you produce your resume.

Rule 2: Don’t Rely on Recruiters

Recruiters only account for about 10% of all executive and management hires. So relying too heavily on them is a mistake. Recruiters themselves admit as much. A general manager of one of the world’s largest executive recruiting firms recently told me: “Any job seeker who is spending more than 10% of job search time on recruiters is spending too much time with them.”

Relying on recruiters is especially problematic for those not currently holding a job. Recruiters say that for every seven candidates they propose to an employer, only one is unemployed. True, executive turnover has increased in recent years; and, true, among corporate circles, there is less of a “stigma” attached to being out of work than there used to be. Still, recruiters seem to prefer the job candidates who are still employed to those who are “in transition.”

Rule 3: Networking Works Best with the People You Don’t Know

Most job seekers believe that the best people to network with are the people they know: classmates, friends, business colleagues, recruiters, etc. But this is not usually the case. The people you know are apt to stereotype you based on a past, often outdated impression. Old contacts aren’t generally familiar with your new skills, experience and accomplishments.

Consequently, the best use of networking resources is to focus on the people you’ve never met. According to Tucker, contacts with new people that the candidate didn’t know before starting the job search are responsible for 80% of all executive jobs.

Rule 4: The Tighter the Objective, the Shorter the Search

In a competitive job market, it may be tempting to widen the scope of your job search to uncover as many opportunities as possible. But a broad approach to job searching generally fails for several reasons. As noted above, job specifications nowadays tend to be tight and quite specific. Employers are willing to consider only those with the most relevant skills and experience. So, unless you’re credentials match the position, pursuing the opportunity is basically a waste of time.

Bob and Tucker say that the average executive job seeker wastes three months attending “courtesy” meetings with recruiters, companies, venture capitalists, private equity firms and networking contacts that have little or no interest in hiring him or directing him to those who can. Three months of lost income is very costly when major expenses like mortgages, healthcare and college tuition have to be paid.

Conclusion

I’m running long. So I’ll finish up with the final four rules next week.

Wishing you career success,
Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com

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