When I began my career in credit management, my employer's computer system was an IBM 360-20. Input was by IBM punch cards and IBM card readers (if you are old enough to remember them, you definitely want to "click in" and read Part IV of this series). Daily transactions were processed overnight in a "batch-balance" mode. Output of the prior day's activities was generated on a "line printer" and received on that wonderful, wide green bar paper that many of us learned to love or hate (that also created the need for the first pair of glasses or bifocals). This is all presented as background information to create a historical frame of reference for a four-part series of articles on the subject "Job Search In The Internet Age."

I have personally experienced a lot of changes during my years in the credit profession and observed the affect such changes have had on others; down-sizing, right-sizing, mergers and acquisitions, and out-placement. What ever the term, such changes impacted and hurt a lot of good people. Along with the organizational changes, we have had to contend with increasingly rapid technological changes and improvements. With fewer of us to do the job, we have had to develop new ways of dealing with internal and external customers. Unfortunately, many individuals couldn't make the adjustment to rapid changes in technology, processes and attitudes. They either couldn't or wouldn't learn new skills and technology to enhance their jobs ("I'm too old to learn how to use a computer!"), developed or learned new processes and subsequently lost their jobs.

With an increasing number of candidates for each available credit management position, job seekers must make every effort to create an advantage or an edge over their competitors, to stand out. Recently a recruiter told me that he received one hundred twenty-five resumes in answer to an ad for a middle-level credit management position. If he only selected 5-6 individuals for the interview process, you can easily see that your odds for being selected are slim. Professional recruiters indicate that approximately 64% of all open positions are never advertised. They are filled through direct referrals - word of mouth, or direct contacts. 22% of all jobs are filled through indirect referrals or networking activities. 9% through recruiting. Only 5% of all available jobs are filled through answering ads. These statistics alone should tell you that to successfully find a job in today's market place, you must change (improve) your job search techniques. The techniques presented below and throughout this series of articles are not necessarily new, but, are "field-tested" and have worked for many individuals:

Pre-search Activity

Job Skills Inventory: On a lined pad of paper (or on an Excel spreadsheet if you must), prepare a list of your job skills. Do not limit the list to those skills you are only using in your current job. List the skills you have developed throughout your entire career - no matter how short or long. After you have completed your list, go back and place a double "XX" by each skill in which you are very strong. Then go through the list again and place a single "X" by those skills in which you are moderately strong. Once more through the list to place a small "x" by those skills in which you are the weak. Now, on a separate sheet of paper, list those skills bearing a "XX", followed by the other categories, so that you have three separate sections. As you review this list, take a moment to consider the skills in which you are most strong. Think about how you developed those skills and feel good about your accomplishments. Then, go down the list until you get to those skills in which you are weak. Consider the importance of these skills to your present job and what you would need to do to improve your skill level. Keep this list handy, because it will play an important part in your job search.

Where am I in my career? Where do I want to go?: On another sheet of paper, list the jobs you have had during your career(s). Then, list what you accomplished while working in each job; what you enjoyed most about each job and finally, what you enjoyed the least about each job. After you have completed this exercise, list all of your accomplishments, the "good" things and the "bad" things. Considering the results, now give some serious thought as to what you want to do next. "What do you want to do when you grow up?" "To some, the answer will be simple: "find a job in which I can do the things I really enjoy doing, and get paid for it at the same time."

What industry or specific company do I want to work in or for next? Yes, you guessed it, you need another sheet of paper. List the industries in which you think you want to work and why you like them: i.e., internet - rapid growth. Next, list any specific company you are attracted to and why: i.e., Microsoft - worldwide operations.

Research!: Now, the fun really begins. Today, access to the Internet is a must if you want to be competitive. First, look up all information you can find on the specific industries on your list. As an example, through one of the web browsers like Yahoo, you can do keyword searches to pull up growth predictions, quarterly and annual financial results, as well as geographical results (global, regional or local) on most industry of your choice. You can also obtain similar results by visiting the home web pages of most major companies of the world. Publicly traded companies are very proud of themselves and their achievements and their web sites reflect this pride. Most companies also include a section on available jobs in their web pages. In addition to obtaining industry and company results and/or conditions from the Internet, there are a myriad of job search web sites to investigate. The most commonly used sites today are: HotJobs (www.hotjobs.com), Careerbuilder (www.careerbuilder.com), Monster (www.monster.com), Head Hunter (www.headhunter.net), Flip Dog (www.flipdog.com), Dog Pile (www.dogpile.com), Job Factory (www.jobfactory.com), America's Job Bank (www.jobsearch.com) and Credit Jobs Today (www.creditjobstoday.com). Each web site lists various jobs that have been posted by major corporations (many of these job ads can be answered online through the web site); offers you the opportunity to post your resume online and offers a variety of advice on conducting a job search. Through their web site, www.nacm.org, NACM (National Association of Credit Management) offers links to their affiliates such as CMA Credit Services, NCAM Tampa, NACM Mid-Atlantic and NACM New York to list a few. Many of the affiliate web pages list open credit positions and offer candidates the opportunity to post resumes. Other job search sites can be found through www.jobing.com which offers candidates the opportunity to search by city and/or state. Another search method is to look at the web sites of specific companies whom you may have an interest in. Most firms today, even smaller ones, have web sites won which they post open positions. Remember, the results of your job search will be directly related to your research efforts.

 Sample Resumes and Cover Letters, Part II
 The Interview - Selling Yourself, Part III
 Job Search By Workers 50 & Over, Part IV