Building A Winning Strategy
“Barack Hussein Obama’s journey to the White House began in Boston a little more than four years ago, when he electrified the Democratic National Convention and captured the imagination of so many in the television audience…” (The Boston Phoenix, Editorial, 1/23/09)
To think, four years ago in Boston, I could have been sitting at some Newbury Street salon and seen a then unknown Michelle Obama sitting under the hair dryer. If my stylist had leaned over and said, “The woman in that chair is going to be First Lady in 4 years,” I would have slapped $100 and the keys to my car on the counter and taken that bet.
Needless to say, today, I would be short $100 cash and walking to work every day.
The article went on to add, “There was, however, nothing inevitable about Obama. When he announced his presidential candidacy after only two years in the United States Senate, his dream seemed, if not improbable, certainly presumptuous.”
These words probably echo many of your own sentiments about finding a job in the current economic climate market. However look at what Obama managed to accomplish in the face of that which seemed “if not improbable, certainly presumptuous.”
There is no question that Obama’s campaign will be one for the record books and not just due to the historic nature of the election, but also due to the strategic and focused campaign effort. Just yesterday, I sat in on a presentation where one of the speakers highlighted the four prong winning approach to The Obama Strategy.
· Deliver a clear and compelling message
· Maintain a spirit of openness
· Stay ahead of damaging messages
· Use a multi-faceted approach in addition to traditional vehicles
So let’s see how The Obama Strategy can work for you.
· Deliver a clear and compelling message: What does your resume say about you? Does it scream financial analyst or does it tell a lukewarm story about a gal with some waitressing and analytical experience?
· Maintain a spirit of openness: So you always thought you’d be a market researcher, but can’t seem to find any jobs at ad agencies. Dream a new dream! Have you looked at hospitals? Biotech? Construction? Tons of other industries need market researchers/accountants/analysts/whatever… Don’t get so locked in that you fail to realize that whatever it is you want to do can be done in another industry or type of organization.
· Stay ahead of damaging messages: As Bubba Sparxxx once said, “Get it right. Get it tight.” Your resume and/or cover letter can do more harm than good if you don’t get it right and get it tight. So make sure the messages you are sending out aren’t damaging to your career quest.
ALSO: Sure you are no political pundit, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a reputation or a brand that is being (mis)managed on the worldwide web. Check your facebook/twitter/blog/MySpace/del.icio.us pages and make sure there is nothing on there that could make you less attractive to employers. Because believe me they’ll check. And if you don’t want to pull that stuff down, be sure to adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
· Use a multi-faceted approach in addition to traditional vehicles: Studies have shown that job seekers who use up to four different methods of job hunting, are more successful than job seekers who use only one method or two methods. Did you know only 4% of job-seekers find their positions through internet job boards alone? How do you think the other 96% find jobs? (Answer: multi-faceted approach!)
Finding a job today is not impossible. Heck, it’s not even improbable and it certainly isn’t presumptuous. Be like the Obamas. Stare this job market in the face and shout to the world, “Yes we can!” So turn that frown upside down and start building a strategy that will work for you.
Yes, you can.
Monique