There is another part of the physical package that you need to consider changing at this point-smoking. It is not only hazardous to your health, but according to The Wall Street Journal, "smoking may be hazardous to your job prospects. A survey by Robert Half International finds that one in four employers would reject a smoker competing for a post with an equally qualified nonsmoker."
If you are unsure of your reflection in the mirror, ask for an opinion from your spouse or a friend. Make sure that you ask someone who will give you an honest answer. The best place to go for help with your hairstyle (both men and women) is to a professional stylist.
Depending on the job you have now, you may not have the right clothes for your new career. If your new career requires different clothes, invest in one ensemble that is appropriate for your career change. Say, for example, you are now working as a draftsman. You have the engineering background and enough experience to become a representative for a major construction firm. That job requires wearing a well-tailored suit. Your present position requires jeans and a warm sweater for sitting at a drafting board all day. One set of clothes will not set you back too much, and knowing you look the part will give you self-confidence for in-person calls and interviews.
There have been many books and articles written on "dressing for success." They all agree on several basic points:
Men
- Three suits form the core of your wardrobe: a gray chalk stripe, a navy solid, and a gray solid. Shirts and ties create variations.
- Make sure the suits fit you and the shirts look crisp.
- Suits and dresses for women should be loose and versatile. A navy blazer that can be worn over a skirt or dress is a good example.
- Jewelry should be understated and complement your clothing.
- Buy the best you can afford. Choose fewer pieces of higher quality.
- Wear your clothes; your clothes should not wear you.
You have worked long enough to know the type of environment you want to work in and the type of company you want to work for. You have lived in a geographical area long enough to know whether you want to move or stay. Answer the questions below to define your target market:
- Do you want to stay or move? If you want to move, where to?
- Do you want to work for a large or small company?
- Do you want to work in the public or private sector?
- What kind of product or service do you want to be associated with?
- What kind of management style do you like best to work with?
If you are going to stay in the same city or general geographical area, the telephone book, the chamber of commerce, and professional and industry associations can give you listings of firms in the area. If you are relocating, the telephone company can sell you telephone books for other locations.
Sources of information about prospective companies can be found in magazines, newspapers, business journals, and trade publications. The chamber of commerce and other business groups in your targeted area have knowledge about new and growing companies.
A newspaper from the largest city in your targeted geo-graphical area is valuable in several ways. It has employment ads, which give you an idea of current employment trends. It has articles about business growth and changes, employment forecasts, and interviews with managers of companies that either have relocated to the area or are planning to do so in the near future. These articles furnish you with company and contact names. The name may not be that of your key contact, but this person may be able to refer you to the right person.
Business magazines are of help to you for the very same reason, particularly if you are planning to relocate. Time, Savvy, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times are some of the periodicals that have excellent articles about business news and trends across the country.
Telephone
Now you have your prospect list, but it probably is not complete. You have the names of companies that you have targeted for your marketing campaign, but you don't have the name of the key contact person. The best contact person is the individual with the power to hire you. If you cannot find the name of that person, you should at least be able to get the name of the supervisor or manager of the department you have targeted. Some sources may list only the owner or president of the business. You can be sure that a telephone call to the president will be directed to the right department. A resume sent to the owner will also end up on the right desk.
Waging a Direct Mail Campaign
This is one of the best tools for a mid-career changer who is really busy with a current job and a family. A direct mail campaign is an effective tool in your search-but only if you commit yourself to doing it right. There are experts who do not think much of direct mail as a search technique because it succeeds only if it's done correctly. To do it correctly requires more time and effort than many people want to put into it; consequently, many direct mail campaigns fail. The key to its success is your prospect list.
Select companies to send your resume and cover letter to, using your prospect list. Don't mail your resume and cover letter to every company on your prospect list. Select only the companies that are:
- too far away for you to make a personal call;
- large and have personnel departments; or
- ones for which you have been unable to reach the key contact.
Most organizations experience employee turnover at a rate of 20 to 25 percent per year. Large firms have an additional 5 to 10 percent turnover from employees changing jobs internally through transfers or promotions. Your resume may reach an employer just as a vacancy occurs but before it has been advertised. The timely arrival of your resume could result in an interview if you have the qualifications that the position requires.
Only about 15 percent of all companies are large enough to have personnel departments. Direct mail campaigns work well with these companies if your resume bypasses the personnel department, which functions as a gatekeeper. It keeps applicants away from hardworking executives. It also screens all resumes and applications before they are routed to executives with job openings. You may have qualifications that a department needs, but the personnel department usually isn't aware of a planned change in a department until it has an actual job opening. If you send your resume directly to the key contact, it arrives at that crucial time before the position opens to the public.
There is one other reason that direct mail campaigns can have successful results. Many employers would make a personnel change if they knew the right replacement was waiting for the job. Employers are reluctant to fire problem employees who are vital to the operation of the organization, especially when they may have trouble finding a replacement. A vacancy in such a position can adversely affect the whole organization. Your resume could arrive at a company with just such a problem. If you have the right qualifications, you will get an interview.
