The ETP System - The Job Search for the Successful Professional ©

by Rod Colon, Founder & CEO ETP Network, June 10, 2008

Step 1: Make the mental conversion from employee to business ownership

• You are running a business and the business is YOU!
• You report to a Board of Directors – Your Family, Your Loved Ones! (This reduces procrastination)

Step 2: Write down your top 5 core skills

• Each core skills must be described in 3 words or less (project manager, nurse, lawyer, marketing manager, etc.)

Step 3: What is the demand for your core skills in the local market?

• Use any job search engine and determine what is the market demand for your core skills (www.indeed.com, www.simplyhired.com, www.dice.com, www.hound.com, etc.)
• Input one of your core skills and zip code and see how many openings are within 50 miles of the location of interest.
• If you find 75 or more jobs within 50 miles - you are doing well.

Step 4: Success is in the Job Description Review Process

• Read the job description once quickly and determine if the location/dollars/overall job responsibilities are of interest to you.
• If you are interested in the job, find the Required Skills Section.
• Copy and past the required skills to a blank page (word document).
• Review the required skills section and determine if you have 70% of what is REQUIRED SKILLS (if you do not have 70% of the REQUIRED SKILLS stop and move on to a new opening).
• If you have at least 70% of the REQUIRED SKILLS do the following.
• Put the required skills in priority order.
• Remove the required skills that are soft skills (verbal skills, communication skills, great leader, etc.)
• The final list should be no less than 4 and no more than 7 of the REQUIRED SKILLS

TIP/HINT: This list is now the left hand side for your EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Step 5: Complete the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Read and apply the tips/hints in document JobAid The Executive Summary (Download this document from www.etpnetwork.com articles section).
• The JobAid document clearly describes the step by step process of developing a powerful Cover Letter (ETP members call this the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY).

Step 6: The RESUME

• Now that you have a powerful EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – DO NOT SETTLE FOR A GENERIC RESUME
• Read every word in your resume and make sure each statement is positive or neutral to the job description
• Use the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY as the basis for the theme in your resume
• Make sure to include parts of the Job Responsibilities section of the job description in the resume (ONLY if you have done these tasks in the past)
• Use a bullets and statements to describe your relevant accomplishments; begin each statement with an action verb
  
• Examples:
• Created a 2.6 million dollar fixed income pricing model using C++
• Triaged 25 patients for the ambulatory care unit
• Managed and diagnosed computer hardware and software support issues for six major financial services institutions
• Remember documents are read top to bottom and the perception is the top bullets are stronger than the rest – so the first bullet in each section will be perceived as your strongest skill set
• Remove bullets and information that is useless or irrelevant to the job description

Step 7: Finding ADVOCATES

• Now that you have done a great job in putting together the cover letter and resume (ETP calls these two documents The Value Proposition) Do NOT submit to the black hole.
• Use LinkedIn’s “Advance Search” page to find the following advocates:
• Corporate Recruiter (Human Resources)
• Hiring Manager
• Agency Recruiter
• Employees working at the company of interest
• ETP Angels (ETP’s exclusive advocate group)
• Now that you are armed with a powerful Value Proposition – make your case to the advocates (As a business owner you are required to do some selling – it is now time to sell YOU!)
• Never single thread into a job (do not rely on one advocate to take you to the finish line; find as many advocates as needed)

Step 8: Role Play/Practice

• Practice the sales call to an advocate with a networking mentor
• Ask questions of your networking colleagues for “Best Practices”

Step 9: Leverage ETP’s Training and Development System

• Engage Rod Colon as your Job Search and Networking Coach
• Join the ETP Network and access 1000s of articles to assist in your job search and networking (www.etpnetwork.com) program
• Join ETP Network’s weekly conference call
• Tap the 7 million professionals available to the ETP Network
  

Referenced Articles:
(You can download these documents from the ARTICLES section of: www.etpnetwork.com):

• The ABCs of the Job Search (Chip Hartman)
• JobAid: The Executive Summary (Chip Hartman)