The Job Hunter's Tool Kit

My Dad was a handy man who took on all kinds of home improvement projects. I can remember when I was a kid, assisting him with mixing concrete for a patio project. Painting the front porch. Digging the backyard for a larger swimming pool.

In our basement, he had an area where he kept his tools. Today, in my basement, like my Dad, I have a tool bench where I keep all my tools. Some of which I inherited from him.

How about you? Do you have the tools needed to achieve your goals? If you are a job hunter or a career changer, it's important to have good tools.

Here are five of the essential tools of the handy job hunter:

Your objective - The importance of knowing what you want cannot be stated enough. As the great motivator Tony Robbins has said, in clarity of purpose lies your power.

Your weekly schedule - If you are out of work, you have time on your hands. Another way to look at it is that your time is yours to allocate. How will you use it? What activities will bring you the greatest return?

Your elevator speech - Can you communicate concisely who you are and what you have to offer? Can you differentiate yourself from the pack? Can you convey your unique value proposition?

Your LinkedIn profile - Are you fully exploiting the power of this online tool? Do you have a summary of your work history and accomplishments? Have you highlighted your specialties? Have you joined several groups of interest to you? Are you following companies you are interested in? Are you growing your connections every week?

Your business card - Do you have one that not only provides your contact information but also your brand?

Recruiter and coach Jeff Altman, the Big Game Hunter, is an expert in job search. He said that the skills you need to find a job are NOT the skills you need to do the job you are looking for. It's a great point. Job search must be learned, practiced, and honed.

I would add that the tools you need to find a job are fundamentally important. Make sure you have them...and are using them.

Terrence H. Seamon is an organization development consultant and coach who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. His third book, Change for the Better, will provide leaders with a guide to navigating through organizational change. Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website:http://about.me/terrenceseamon