OK, here is one of our secrets. People often come into our office, exasperated with their job search attempts. They may say, "I must have applied for a hundred jobs!" What they don't understand is that the quantity of jobs applied for is not the key. Of course it helps, but what is most effective is the quality of their search.

Frustration
Let's face it. Job searching is not a fun task; in fact, it's probably one of the most difficult, least rewarding jobs you'll have. It may be said that job searching is the only job you'll have in which you are unsuccessful until you're finished.

For most challenges in our lives, we like to take the path of least resistance. That's human nature. But in job search, what you think is the easiest path may turn out to be the most frustrating and least fruitful.

For instance, the path of least resistance may appear to you to be the advertised jobs. Those are the jobs that you approach passively, by crossing your fingers and looking up in the newspaper, state employment office, on-line job boards, etc. Some of our clients do get jobs from these sources, but there are problems with them. They tend to be lower pay, less desirable, and with more competition, than unadvertised jobs. Some studies show there are 200 applicants for every advertised opening.

Control
Most issues in a person's life - be it career, relationships, health, money, family - revolve around issues of control. Are you in control of what's going on in your life? Or, are external forces (other people, your boss, industry trends, whatever) controlling you? The further you are from the locus of control, the more problematic it is in your life.

A key goal in providing career services is to give the job seeker control over their career. Our clients' campaigns don't revolve around whether the classifieds were good or not that day. Most of our activities involve taking control, by finding the hidden jobs.

Hidden Jobs
Most job openings, perhaps 75% of all open positions, are not advertised. The unadvertised jobs tend to pay more, be of "higher quality", and are more desirable. To ignore these means to dismiss the bulk of the good jobs out there. And, remember the study that found 200 applicants for every advertised job? Those same studies show that hidden jobs have only about 8 applicants for every opening.

We recommend strategies for finding these hidden jobs. A step-by-step method of finding these jobs is taught to our clients, with specific, daily tasks, laid out in an understandable, hands-on style. The same principles apply, regardless of whether the job seeker is a professional, executive, manager, clerk or laborer.

During the process of finding these hidden jobs, control is returned to the job seeker. Not only does this feel better to the job seeker, but it is also the best method to find the best jobs. If you are only responding to ads, you are greatly reducing your chances of finding work, and are competing for the jobs other people have already picked over.

Extras
One helpful tool you'll find is that, both individually and during groups, we promise to share this career control with you by demonstrating our methods for finding jobs. We conduct live, real calls to employers on your behalf, to show you how it's done, and to help you get started. (Occasionally, these practice calls actually result in finding suitable openings during our groups!). We are unique in this approach, and we do it because it works.

Another extra you'll like is our personalized campaign strategy. You will have resources to help identify employers, a script for contacting them, and ways to track your activities.

Go ahead and look at those advertised jobs. Sometimes, that is how our clients find the right opportunity. We recommend spending 25% of your time doing this. For the other 75%, follow our special methods for digging out the other gems.