“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want.”

- Steve Jobs

Not being a big fan of empty promises with one-size-fits-all methods for job search strategies, I am reluctant to share my tips and tricks. Although I do not claim that what I just did to get a great job in 48 days will work for everyone, perhaps this information will at the very least inspire YOU that life can be filled with limitless possibilities, indeed.

Here are SEVEN STEPS that landed me a job that seems to be customed-designed for almost every skill I possess. No really. The job I just got has my name on it. And it was not that hard to do. Don’t get me wrong – I did not say it was easy… I am just saying that the concept of something being easy or difficult is relative. Think about that for a moment. Ready to get inspired and nudged out of some of your more stubborn mind-sets to land a job? Onwards…

ONE – Comfort Zones: Get out of your comfort zone for an entire day, and pay attention to your real-time environment. This is the most difficult step because you will need to look at things like possible relocation, wage cuts, fear of change, and your local economy. The big stuff. The wisest thing you can do right now is tell your comfort zones to go on holiday at least until you get a job. Say a tough-love sayonara to what gets you regularly stuck. You can do this.

TWO – Money: Wage gouging is here to stay for awhile longer. How much longer is hard to predict, but it is an employer’s market. If you made 110K for the past 4 years, you may have to wrap your head around earning, say, 70K for the same position, depending on where you live. A recent client almost refused a job offer at an EXCELLENT organization because the salary offered was half her ‘usual rate’. After an hour of intensive coaching, she took the job. The first week made her ego hurt badly. Now, after two months on the job, she LOVES the job, and sees room for growth. A success story.

THREE – Geography: Detroit, where I just lived for the “crash of 09”, is like Ground Zero for the Unemployed. The market is beyond tough there, and I watched dozens of people leave the state to get work in stronger economies. (In fact, whenever I hear my friends from San Francisco or Denver or Switzerland complain about the economy, I politely inform them to wake up and appreciate how GOOD they have it… sheesh!!!). If you have elderly parents, under-valued real estate, or kids who will make your life miserable if you move them, I honestly emphathize. AND… what is your goal? To find a job, right? Is being unemployed for over a year in a very bad geographical market working for you?

FOUR – Forward Momentum: I NEVER get tired of saying this to myself, to my clients, to anyone who will listen! Positive forward momentum is KEY and is the essential ingredient for your daily operations. You are selling yourself, and all great Sales Professionals will tell you that a lack of forward momentum is death. What have you done today to create traction in your search? Everything counts: sending a thank you e-mail, researching one more company, connecting to one more networking contact.

FIVE – Research: Websites can be a façade – companies pay good money to create an image that may or may not be real. And, some job postings already have an ideal candidate, however companies need to do their due diligence and post the job anyway. Yes, they are perhaps wasting your time, however you never know. The Hiring Manager might like you, and keep you in mind for future positions. I would estimate that 75% of the last 48 days in my job search entailed some form of research, including online, books, experts, other networkers, and just good old-fashioned paying attention. I got a great lead on a local company from a local bartender at 1am. You never know.

SIX – Targets: Where do YOU want to work? What kind of position do YOU want? Of course when money runs out, we need to get any job (my friend calls these ‘McJobs’). However, statistics consistently show that 87% of the people looking for their target job (like a dream job) will land it within 18 months. For more stats, check out What Color Is Your Parachute? I just got a job at a company I targeted, in a position that was created for me. They were not looking for someone at the time I contacted them, but they were thinking about implementing some positive changes for future growth, and voila! My resume arrived in their mailbox (I send snail mail resumes and cover letters – another guerrilla method that has worked for me), and Serendipity did the rest. In the past 48 days, I targeted 21 local companies here in New Orleans: I received 4 no thank you’s, 14 no replies, and 3 companies who called me in for an interview. It only took ONE.

SEVEN – Nail It No Matter The Outcome: Negotiating with NOTHING TO LOSE is the most powerful position. This is a fact and can also be backed up by stats (do yourself a big favor and read Negotiate This! by Herb Cohen). I knew I nailed the interviews and felt solid the whole time. The first ten minutes of meeting the owners of the company who just hired me went smoothly, and the rest was just a matter of time. Those first moments are KEY – if you go into the interviews (and into the entire process for that matter!) with the idea that you are going to nail it no matter the outcome, you have now created authentic self-expression and peace of mind, even BEFORE you get started. This is powerful, and good Hiring Managers will sense this inner calm and confidence, too.

Recently, I got an email from a fellow networker and client I met in Michigan and on Linkedin last year. She did a one hour session with me to get an overview of her strengths, weaknesses, successes, and roadblocks. She recently moved to South Carolina where her sister lives, and she is feeling a renewed spurt of optimism as she continues to navigate her job search efforts in her new state.

She wrote: Thanks for the wonderful feedback. My sister moved to South Carolina a couple of months ago. I drove down from Michigan last week and I've started searching in this area. I'm sure that I will be working in this area soon. So, I've followed your lead! I'll write back when I accept a job offer! (Can’t you just FEEL her forward momentum?!).

Ready to get back to work?