How to Mend Your Parachute

By: Anni Layne RodgersWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:40 AM

Like many things, the notion of career planning and job hunting has changed dramatically since September 11. Here, acclaimed author Richard Bolles offers five strategies for finding meaningful work in the face of an economic recession and a national crisis.

Jump the Gun

The traditional job hunter sniffs out a fresh trail of help-wanted postings. The successful job hunter doesn't wait for a vacancy sign to appear in the window. She identifies the industries most attractive to her, researches top companies in those fields, and then finds contacts at those companies. Regardless of whether the companies are officially hiring, Bolles says the successful job hunter arranges to meet with executives for information interviews -- a sure-fire job-hunting strategy offered in the first edition of Parachute.

"If you start out with you, and not the job market, you won't have to contort yourself to fit a job description," Bolles says. "A worker who is in a job, a place, and a field that he enjoys will always outperform a worker who settled. The key is attitude and enthusiasm."

In addition, Bolles says, the best jobs are seldom advertised to the outside world. Often, companies begin looking for replacements internally or find themselves too inundated with work to post a classified ad immediately. If you walk into a company during the hiatus period after an employee's departure, you may be the only applicant for a job that hardly anyone knows about, he says.

Don't Back Down

Congratulations, you've landed a sweet job with a fast company. Now, where else can this position take you? Which employers are seeking your skills? Who will hire you next? When will you move on?

Especially since September 11, workers everywhere are learning that nothing is certain anymore. Jobs are liquidated, staffs are reduced, and companies change hands with little or no warning. The talent market is in upheaval.

"I know one guy who turned on the radio during his commute to work and found out he lost his job," Bolles says. "The day you start your present job is the day you should launch your hunt for the next gig. Don't wait until you get fired to think about your job hunt. Everyone who holds a job now should be asking about the next step."

Anni Layne Rodgers (arodgers@fastcompany.com) is the senior Web editor for Fast Company. Learn more about Richard Bolles on the Web.