"3 Guerrilla Job Search Tactics"

By Kevin Donlin, Jobs Columnist
Minneapolis Star Tribune

copyright (c) by Kevin Donlin

If you're looking for a job in this economy, you need to stand out from the crowd to get noticed -- and hired -- by employers.

It's as simple as that.

And here are three "guerrilla" ways to do it ...

  • Tactic #1: Create a Competitive Analysis

    You can make a huge impact on employers by analyzing one or more of their competitors and then sending your findings to them by Priority Mail -- not email.

    People assume that all companies keep up to date on their competitors, but this is rarely the case. Wrong. Many don't have the budget or expertise to keep on top of innovations and best practices, so your piece will likely be very well received!

    Tips to make this work:

    • Focus on companies that are direct competitors with those you want to work for. Potential employers want to know how to beat the competition more than they want to know what they themselves are doing wrong (Human Nature 101).
    • Use graphs and charts wherever possible -- people would rather look at pictures than read (Human Nature 102).
    • Make your analysis only as long as it needs to be.
    • Ask for an opportunity to discuss your findings with the hiring manager if they're interested ... and they should be!
    • As a teaser, offer to share your primary research with managers -- IF they meet with you for coffee.
    • Try Google's advanced search function to look for PowerPoint presentations done by the competition. I know of several cases where companies have put sensitive information online in PowerPoint that they thought wouldn't get found by search engines. Wrong!
    • Search for competitors' company names and words like "complaint" or "scam" to uncover potential problems you can help your target employer exploit.

  • Tactic #2: Use Thank-You Note Envelopes

    This is one of my favorites and it couldn't be simpler.

    1. Get yourself a thank-you note and matching envelope.
      Remove the note. Keep the envelope.

    2. Start your cover letter like this, "Thank you for reading this letter."
      The rest can read as a very good cover letter should.

    3. Fold up your resume and cover letter to fit in the thank-you note envelope.

    4. Mail to the hiring manager, whom you'll address by name.
      Handwrite the address on the envelope, in your neatest printing.

      Why does this work?

      Only two things come in those small, square envelopes: thank-you notes and party invitations. Both are good things that put a tiny grin on your face as you open them.

      So, when a hiring manager gets your resume and cover letter disguised as a thank-you note, they will feel happy and expectant as they open the envelope.

      To illustrate, here's what one Detroit woman emailed me just two days ago ....

      "I mailed my Guerrilla Resume and cover letter on Monday 9/21 in a thank-you envelope.

      "The general manager called at 5:15 Friday evening to tell me his sales manager was out of town but he didn't want me to go the weekend without knowing I should expect a call early next week. The sales manager called Monday morning. I have an appointment on Wednesday.

      "I had no activity [in my job search] for months. By changing my presentation, I have an interview in less than a week!"

      Pretty neat, huh?

  • Tactic #3: Write an Industry White Paper

    Don't be intimidated by the term "white paper." It's just a fancy name for a research report.

    Writing one is as easy as:

    1. reading up on a hot topic in your industry;
    2. summarizing the opinions of 3-5 industry pundits and
    3. offering your own take on the subject, in a 5-10 page summary of leading ideas.

    It can be effective to call the quotable people you discovered during your research, and interview them for your own piece. Ask them for feedback before you publish. They may even forward your white paper to people they know!

    Tips to make this work:

    • Focus on something important to your target employers.
    • Mail the white paper to employers you want to work for -- do not email.
    • Make it available online for ezines, which can give you a massive audience. Example: submit your white paper to EzineArticles.com.
    • Send it to business magazines and trade publications as a possible article. If published, you'll become a minor celebrity in your field.
    • Post it on your blog, breaking it down into nuggets and spreading it out over 5-10 days. Don't have a blog? Start one for free at www.Blogger.com, then link to it from your online profiles at Linkedin and Facebook.

    Why not try one or all of these "guerrilla" job search tactics today?

    Question: Are you stuck in a frustrating job search? Want to try something new?

    Learn about new Guerrilla Resumes here -> http://gresumes.gjobnow.hop.clickbank.net


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