Find Work in Today’s Job Market: Two (More) Approaches

There are four ways of finding work in today’s economy. That’s right. Just four ways.

The other day, I shared two approaches with you: traditional and targeted.  Traditional is when you package yourself up in a resume and put yourself out there, hoping to be seen and hired. Targeted is when you determine exactly what position or role you would like to be hired for, and then package yourself (resume, LinkedIn profile, conversations) as the perfect person to fill that role or position.

You might notice that each of these ways is what I call “reactive” or “responsive.” What I mean by that is that you are reacting or responding to a position that has been created by someone else.

In this article, I will share two new approaches for finding work in today’s economy. They are “proactive” ways of creating work, based on who you are and what you have to offer the marketplace. Here they are:

1. Consultative: This approach requires that you know who you are and what you have of value to offer the marketplace. What do you do? What do you have to offer that is valuable to the marketplace? The key is to figure out who has a need that you can fill? Who has a problem that you can solve?

EXAMPLE: Early in my career, I coached a client in the marine insurance industry. There had just been a legislative change in Washington, DC and companies were scrambling to figure out what it meant for them. He had helped his company to navigate through these regulatory waters and so reached out to other companies – in a consultative way - to see if they needed help. This approach is so effective because you are essentially identifying a problem and offering a way to help.

You will need first to identify what you have to offer and then determine who needs what you have. Once you identify a potential client/employer, you need to have a consultative conversation where you articulate who you are, what you do, how you think you can help them, and share proof of where you have done this in the past. 

2. Make it Up and Charge For It: This option is my favorite. This is where you create something for sale to the marketplace. It can be a product or a service, such as, in my industry, a book, coaching program, online course. You create it and determine how and where to sell it. Leverage your intellectual property.

These proactive approaches to the marketplace are the most effective. If you can either use your talents to help a company solve a problem, or sell a service or a product to inform, your chances for finding paid work are great! Create your own way in today’s economy. That is the secret sauce to success!

And, if you need help with this, reach out and let’s set up a strategy session. Click here to apply.