I’ve written many times since 1996 that every job search is really a sales campaign.

In sales, you identify, qualify, contact and convince people to buy your product or service.

In a job hunt, you identify, qualify, contact and convince employers to buy you, i.e., hire you. 

So, the more familiar and comfortable you are with sales, the faster you’ll find work … in any city, country, or economy.

That’s why I subscribe to about 20 different sales ezines and magazines — the more I can learn about sales, the faster I can help my clients get hired.

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That was the experience of one reader, who posted the comment below. 

If you’ve ever dealt with half-wits in your job search, read on for ideas to help unlock your creativity and solve the problems you will inevitably face.

Because, as they probably say somewhere, don’t get mad — get hired …

Dear Kevin,

I appreciate your advice about responding to rejection.

I am wondering what I should do in this situation:

I live in Michigan and this has been such a difficult time for our state. I have been unemployed for over 8 months now.

The economy here has been terrible here for several years, and it’s tougher to find a job than ever before.

I had an interview last Friday with a PR firm for an Account Exec position. The main partner got stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it. I ended up meeting, very briefly, with the other partner for about 5 or 10 minutes, while we waited for the other person to show up.

I hardly had a chance to talk about my qualifications or anything I could add to the company, after which, I waited in a conference room for almost 40 minutes, alone.

Finally, they said that the other partner was not able to attend. I wrote a thank you email to the man I did meet with within two hours of my interview, thanking him and letting him know that I was very interested in the opportunity and that I looked forward to continuing our discussion when we could all reconvene. He emailed me back and thanked me for my time, then said they’d be in touch (nothing concrete).

I called Monday and left a message with the person who set up the original interview, letting her know I would like to reschedule.

It is now a day later, and I still haven’t heard anything from them.

What would you do at this point if you were in my position? I don’t want to be a pest.

Thanks in advance for your help.

– Anne

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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.

Sorry about the mangled golfing analogy, but you get the idea, right?

It’s nice to get a job offer. But it’s really nice to get a job paying the salary you deserve.

Mike Thomas over at The Daily Machete has some negotiating tactics you need to know about if you’re in the job market right now:

Your chances of a fatter payday during a recession will improve if you either personally know the person with whom you’re negotiating OR you were referred to the company by someone who knows the hiring manager. As such, your recession salary negotiation starts with your network. Before you head into your work search full speed, build and nurture your network

Read the whole posting here.

I never post twice in the same day, but I wanted to include this postprandial pic with a good friend, to prove I was actually at the CMA conference today.

That’s Carole Martin, The Interview Coach, with whom I’ve worked on several written and audio products for about 8 years.

This was the first time we’ve ever met. She’s even funnier and more passionate about her work in person! (I’m shorter and balder.)

Funny how often you can go without meeting someone, when you have online working relationships stretching back more than 12 years, as I do. (What does that tell you about how you might network better? Meet, greet and eat ASAP, I’d say.)

She’s forgotten more about job interviewing than most people will ever learn. I’ve paid her to coach my own family members and can’t recommend her too highly.

Visit her site and bookmark it, lickety split.