Get a Job Faster by Applying Some Business Principles in Your Job Search

Conducting a job hunt is very much like running your own business or campaigning for public office. You have to create an innovative business plan or strategy that will help you achieve your goal of finding a new career. Consider this as sort of a new age method of looking for work, applying traditional entrepreneurial methods to your job search.

Today's workplace requires different ways of thinking when seeking a new career. And no, not all of them involve the Internet. As newly elected President Obama proved during his campaign, there is nothing wrong with using mass media: TV, radio, newspapers and perhaps most importantly, the global cyber blogosphere. But that did not preclude him from taking a more traditional approach as well, going door-to-door and making countless appearances to stump for votes and get his message out.

The same applies to your job search, where sending out your resumé to dozens of employers or posting it on various job sites, such as HotJobs or CareerBuilder, can take seemingly forever to yield results. If you're not in a hurry to find a new job, then by all means use these methods. But if you are looking for a faster outcome, instant gratification as it were, treat your quest as if it were a business or campaign. Much like Obama or successful business people like Meg Whitman (eBay) or Larry Ellison (Oracle), you need to think outside the box. You can't wait for jobs to come to you. Find ways to go to them.

Research is as crucial to a career search as it is to starting a new enterprise or comtemplating a run for office.

Just as politicians form committees to gauge the viability of their campaign, so must you compile as much information relating your job hunt as possible. No doubt you will find copious bits of data on the Internet, since it's a sure bet that prospective employers have their own website. You can examine the company's history and work culture through that site, learning what services and products they offer. There are countless other sites where you can pick up tips and techniques for resumé writing and interviewing, or find out what job sectors are booming. Be sure you save or bookmark all the sites you access for later review, along with any digital files you download.

Online help is only part of your researching needs, since one of the best resources you have is just around the corner: your local library or college. Even in the digital age, you can't disregard the old ways. Libraries can supply you with detailed information on who's who at various employers, i.e. the decision makers. You may likely even find some job leads while at the library. The same holds true if you pay a visit to your local community college or career center, where you can talk to people who are plugged into the local job market and get access to resources you won't find anywhere else.

Once you're satisified with your information gathering, start separating the chaff from the wheat. Narrow down your list of potential jobs, starting first with what geographical area you wish to work in. Then, keeping in mind your work experience and interests, examine the goods or services provided by the employers in your region.

When you are done, you should have an extensive list of firms that fit with the demands of your career search.

With your checklist in hand, now you can pursue perhaps the most vital research. Just as in business and politics, in job seeking it's often who you know can be just as important as what you know. Find out who makes the hiring decisions at the companies you are interested. As this person could be your next boss, it's useful to know who you'll be dealing with. Yes, company websites can possibly provide this information, but as with Obama going door-to-door, don't be afraid to use other more traditional resources, service groups such as Rotary, Elks or VFW or headhunting firms. This data may prove very useful when you go in for an interview.

Bringing some entrepreneurial spirit to your job search will vastly increase your chances of finding that dream job. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will find a job quite that quickly. But by using these stratagems, it need not take you very long. You, too, can rock the vote, at least as it applies to looking for work.

*Hotjobs Board, Hotjobs.com

*Careerbuilder.com

*Headhunters Directory, HeadhuntersDirectory.com