In the past it was much easier to find sales jobs and get calls for phone interviews with multiple options for the sales professional. You would simply visit a large job board, post your resume and wait for the calls to come in. Nowadays with the economy hitting every sector and job category negatively, as well as technology changing the way we communicate and interact has created a perfect storm that has changed the way we search and land sales jobs. The problem is, most people are doing the same thing, without getting any results. If this is you, read on and learn how you must change things up so that you are evolving with the changes in how people are getting interviews and landing jobs.
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY
Are you only depending on your resume to land your next sales job? If so, take a look around and see how people around you communicating with one another. Do you have a Linkedin account, and if so, is it doing you any good? In today’s market, you have to evolve with technology as it has changed the way we find, and land jobs. One of the blessings of technology changes and improvement is the sheer volume of options you have to choose from. That is why it is so important to mix some of the old techniques with the new, and to develop a strategic job search strategy that will land you an interview. If your resume doesn’t get in the hands of the hiring sales manager, how would you ever expect to be considered for an interview?
The major shift in technology and the way we communicate is through social media. Take a look at this cool social networking recruiting infographic that shows you the numbers. For example, in 2012, companies are expected to social media to recruit for 80% of job openings. Recruiters have even changed the way the look for talent, with 98% using Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. If you are using the old method of passively sending your resume and waiting for things to happen, you might be waiting for quite some time. Not only that, you will limit yourself to the available jobs that are posted if you keep using the same old technology.
It is time to evolve and change the mix of how you find, and pursue a sales job opportunity to land an interview and a sales job offer. Don’t ditch the old method all together, but do mix it up and find other ways to get your resume in the hands of the hiring decision maker or get more interviews.
INCREASED COMPETITION
You read about it in the news everyday, layoffs here and layoffs there. No sector or industry is immune to the effects of change happening. With many qualified sales professionals looking for jobs, you will be up against many others going after the same jobs that are posted on the job boards. Give yourself a competitive edge by changing the way you approach your job search and get back in the game of building your network, meeting people face to face and developing it over time. Technology and all the advances is not the single answer, you will need to reach out and connect with people online as well as in person. For those sitting at home sending out their resumes, it will sit in a database with hundreds of thousands of others vying for the same job. Develop a strategy that will get you in front of the decision makers or those connected to the decision maker to help get you an interview or learn about jobs that are not even posted.
Heres and example, I recently spoke to a sales professional who has a very successful career of 9 years. When he got laid off from his last job, he went 6 months without even getting a call for an interview. When he asked me for some advice, I simply asked him, how has he been searching for a job and since he hasn’t been in the hunt for the past 9 years, he reverted back to the way he landed his last job 9 years ago. I then coached him to mix things up and to develop a strategic plan to use new technology, social media and face to face networking to help with his chances. We also worked on getting his resume customized for each sales job he went for, created a brag book, practiced for the phone interview and he landed a job within 3 weeks of the changes.
CUSTOMIZE FOR THE BEST RESULTS!
When you send out your resume for an opening, do you customize it based on the job or do you still use the shotgun approach and hope it hits something? Now more then ever, you have to focus on quality over quantity and to customize everything, your resume, your cover letters and approach to finding and landing the best sales job on the market. Believe me, there are many jobs available as companies still need revenue and sales talent is the way to make things happen. But if you using the wrong approach to a new system, then you will be the one not being considered for the job.
Customize your entire job search strategy and analyze the results. If you do not have a job currently, then your job is to find a job. So you must treat it as so. You now must put some effort in your job search, because many others are figuring it out.
SHARE YOUR STORY
How did you land your last sales job? Please share by voting on a quick survey and view the results. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your job search.
Cast Your Vote: how did you get your last sales job? Or Contact me so we can do a quick phone or email interview so I can share with others to help them find and land their next sales job. Click here to contact me.
