If you’re job hunting and want to meet more people who can hire you, here are two ways to do it:1) Follow GrowthIf you’re looking for a job, go where the action is — growing companies are more likely to hire than failing ones.And a great tool for finding signs of growth is LinkedIn, according to personal branding coach Otis Collier.“I research companies on LinkedIn to find out who has been recently promoted, which shows whi...

One of the Guerrilla Job Search maxims I live by is this: When in doubt, do the opposite.Because, if most job hunters are suffering, why do what most job hunters are doing?Example: If most job seekers are emailing their resumes and not getting called for interviews, why not try the opposite? The opposite of impersonal email (in my head) is personal hand delivery.Or this: If most job seekers apply only for advertised jobs an...

Last week, I shared an interview I did with a Minnesota man who got a six-figure job created for him. If you want the short answer, he did the following:* he built a new network from scratch* built a list of target employers* then started having conversations with decision makers who could hire him — following Guerrilla Job Search methodsThe following is the answer to an e-mail I just got from “Ted” in New Hampshire. Ted’s...

I just reviewed several hundred emails from job seekers across the country, looking for common frustrations among people looking for work.As you might imagine, many things are bugging many job seekers in this economy.But I boiled them down to two prominent frustrations for this job search article.Here they are, with suggested solutions.Which ones apply to you?Frustration #1: “I submit my resume for a posted job and never he...

You’ve been told that networking is the best way to find a job.But, unless you’ve been hired that way, it may be hard to appreciate how effective it can be.So, recent research on the subject may open your eyes to the power of networking.In a February 2009 survey, 430 members of the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) gave feedback on how they had recently searched for work.When asked how they found the job they eve...

Here’s my reply to an email I just got before lunch today, from a reader in New York who’s flustered by one of my Guerrilla Job Search suggestions.I think it may apply to you, too. Or I may be a dork.What do you think?Regarding your article about hand delivering resumes. You cannot just go into any office building in NYC and many other places. With security they want to know where you are going and who you are seeing BEFOR...

Does your job search need a jumpstart?If so, it pays to sit down and analyze your situation. You should carefully question everything you’re doing. Careful, though -- the wrong questions can be harmful to your career health.Example: Never ask yourself questions like, Why can’t I find a job? Or, Why won’t anyone hire me?Such “Why” questions will prompt your brain to give you excuses instead of answers -- you’re too old/too y...

It's been said that the best new ideas are the best old ideas. In other words, there's no need to reinvent the wheel in your job search if others before you have found ways to succeed.What if I told you there was a success “system,” invented by Benjamin Franklin in the 1730s, that helped create millionaires in the 1930s, when unemployment stood at 25%? Do you think it might help you find a job faster today, with unemploymen...

This past week, I gave two speeches to nearly 1,000 people in my home state of Michigan and fielded dozens of questions from job seekers of all ages.Since time and space are short here, I’ve boiled them down to three job-search questions with broad appeal. How many apply to you and your job search?Question: “How can I stand out in a hyper-crowded job market?”Answer: Try unconventional, “guerrilla” job search methods to get...

The most brilliant job-search plan in the world won’t get you hired by itself.You have to take action.But before you can act, you must decide to act. And that’s where things get tricky.Because your mind can work for you or against you. If you can harness your thoughts and let them propel you forward, you’ll get hired faster than someone paralyzed by negative emotions.Here’s how to smash through two mental roadblocks that sl...