This book, Search Smart, was written specifically as a companion to the Job Search Diagnostic™. The Diagnostic is a unique resource that helps professionals in an active search, especially those in transition, simplify and speed their search — it is an “expert system." If you’ve not yet taken the Diagnostic, we strongly encourage you do so.
And it's FREE.
You can find it at www.jobsearchdx.com. Using these two resources together will provide the most benefit.
How? First, by identifying what’s holding you back, and then by helping you develop a personalized Action Plan so you can improve your search effectiveness.
Both Search Smart and the Job Search Diagnostic™ are organized around our proprietary framework, the 3 Principles & 22 Factors™ that determine job search success. At first, this framework may seem unfamiliar, and perhaps even overwhelming, but if you follow our guidance, we’re confident you’ll soon appreciate how it will actually simplify, streamline, and speed your job search.
The Diagnostic draws upon the well-established Pareto Principle, the “80/20 Rule.” Our experience in working with thousands of professionals in an active search is that despite the wide array of variables (Factors) that can influence one’s success, an individual’s results are most dramatically improved by focusing on the 20% of the variables that will yield 80% of their improvement. Using the Diagnostic and Search Smart together will help you to do exactly that.
Now, of course, this does not mean you can ignore the other 80% of what’s involved in your search. But if those areas are at least acceptable, chances are they’re not limiting your progress; the 20% is. More on this in Part II.
So how should you go about this?
We recognize there are many learning styles, and that different people will approach the same problem quite differently. But we highly recommend you to follow these basic steps in this sequence to get the most benefit out of this system:
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First, complete the Job Search Diagnostic™. This will take about 20 minutes of your time, and we encourage you to be open and candid with your responses so you can get the most accurate results.
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Next, review your Job Search Diagnostic™ report, which is generated upon completion of the Diagnostic. Among other things, your report will show you how you scored in each of the 22 Factors, and also which of these 22 Factors are identified as top Priorities. Your 20%.
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Then, read Part I of Search Smart. This section contains a brief explanation of each of the 3 Principles, as well as additional information for each of the 22 Factors. You’ll note that each Factor write-up also includes a list of potential Action Items to draw from when you develop your Action Plan in the next step. Don’t worry about absorbing everything in Part I right now — you’ll be returning to the most relevant sections when you develop your Action Plan.
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Next, go to Part II for instructions and tools to use in developing your personalized Action Plan. You’ll see that you’ll be using both your Diagnostic report and specific chapters of Search Smart, which you’ll review in detail.
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Finally, refer to Part III for additional resources that will supplement your Action Plan and be helpful throughout your search.
By now, you may be thinking, “Wow, this looks like a lot of work.” Well, sure, there is a lot involved in conducting a successful job search. But taking this disciplined, systematic approach can yield big dividends.
We believe that if you simplify your job search — and search smarter, you will, in fact, get better results — and land faster.