I’ve written before that you need a list of employment targets — companies where you’d be happy working. To wit:

Embarking on a job search with no list of ideal employers is like going to the grocery store without a shopping list … on an empty stomach. You’ll grab the first things you see and probably end up regretting it later.

To illustrate the importance of having specific employers in mind when you start your search for work, here’s a success story from one of my clients, followed by a series of questions to ask yourself if you’re serious about finding the right job fast …

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A little humor can go a long way in your job search.

If you’re feeling a down at the mouth about your employment prospects, here you go — this “fauxtivational” poster is a guaranteed guffaw.

More importantly, though, let it be an idea starter for you.

Ask yourself, “How could I be having more fun in my job search?” Really.

An effective job hunt CAN be fun. Let your imagination run wild and try to think of at least 5 things you can do, starting tomorrow, to put more smiles into your search for work.

Until then, aim high …

Here’s a question from one of my readers with implications for you if you want to turn your next phone interview into an in-person interview.

I have a telephone interview this Thursday for a Marketing Coordinator position. I am very interested in working with this company and I would like to know if you have any helpful hints in turning a half hour telephone interview into a face to face meeting?

- K.F., New York

Here’s my response:

Your goal must be to go into that phone interview armed with information that proves to the hiring manager how valuable you will be. Research the company and its competitors, and use the information to deliver tremendous value during your interview.

If you can say something like, “This week I talked to 3 of your competitors, 4 of your clients and 3 of your employees and they told me 5 things about your business that may surprise you. May I come to your office on Monday to show you my findings and possible solutions?” they WILL want to meet you.

There’s no way you can fail to impress a smart employer if you do this.

It’s human nature to be selfish. We care about ourselves first and foremost.

And, since hiring managers (the ones I’ve met, anyway) are human, they care more about themselves and their problems than about you and yours.

With that in mind, you should know that approximately 98% of the cover letters I read could be instantly improved by making one, simple change: Turn all the mentions of “I, me, mine” into “you, You, YOU.”

Example — don’t write this: “I’m applying for a job where my skills will be rewarded with the opportunity for advancement …”

Peh.

Write something like this: “You will benefit from my 11 years of experience, which will help me make a rapid contribution for you.”

For validation, we turn to the world of classical advertising, back when ads used to be written by salesmen (as opposed to today, when ads are  almost universally written by “creative,” funny people … who couldn’t sell cheeseburgers to Michael Moore).

Worth recounting is the story of Max Hart (of Hart, Schaffner and Marx) and his advertising manager, the late and great George L. Dyer. They were arguing about long copy. To clinch the argument Mr. Dyer said, “I’ll bet you $10 I can write a newspaper page of solid types and you’d read every word of it.” Mr. Hart scoffed at the idea. “I don’t have to write a line of it to prove my point,” Mr. Dyer responded. “I’ll only tell you the headline: “This page is all about Max Hart!”
 

Did you get that?

To test whether your cover letter is any good, ask yourself, “Is this about me, or the reader?” If the reader thinks, “Hey, this is all about me!” you’ve got their attention, and most likely, a job interview, too.

If not, you don’t.

While this advice applies specifically to the cover letters you write and send, it should also shape every contact you make with employers. If you can convince them that you’re “all about them,” they will be happy to listen to whatever you say … and the job offers will follow.

Because your competition will still be sending cover letters chock full o’ crap like, “My skills include, but are not limited to …”

But not you, right?

For years, I’ve written and urged people to follow up with employers after submitting your resume or interviewing, to demonstrate your desire to work for them.

But it’s not enough to just follow up every week with the same message — “Did you make a decision? Have you hired anyone yet?”

That gets old, fast, and can make you look like a stalker.

Instead, you need to give employers another reason to hire you with every contact you make.

Here’s a nice article along those lines. Key quotes:

Now that you’ve met, your goal is to drop periodic bits of strategic data to help the employer understand more deeply what you offer.

For example, let’s say you’re wooing an employer for the position of wellness adviser. Instead of just calling or e-mailing to remind the employer you’re out there, feed her information that shows your stuff.

In this case, you want her to see how your problem-solving mind works and how current and informed you are. So because you are indeed staying current, this morning you just read about a new study that found stark racial disparities in how diabetic patients are treated — a major issue this employer deals with. But the study says the different treatment is due to a systemic failure to tailor treatments to patients’ cultural norms — not overt racism, as they had thought. Do you have ideas on how they might institute a program to address this issue? Share a few key points.

Besides demonstrating your value, you’re paving the way to reach another goal — to open up opportunities for more conversation with this employer.