In yesterday's post I introduced myself and I explained I was going to take one thought from my top 10s lists.
Today's article comes from my The Top 10 Ways A Job Hunter Must Think article and the topic I will write about is that The job hunter focuses on the opportunities.
In every economic cycle there are winners and their are losers.
Companies grow and companies fail. Even 100 year old companies fail. On the world stage we have seen GM and Chrysler bite the dust.
In Canada its Nortel.
A couple of years ago it was Eaton's and Simpsons.
Its sad and for the people who work at these companies its horrible.
But all these companies have been replaced.
People continue to buy products and services, they just change suppliers.
Its just like a forest. Old trees fall and new trees come up.
For years people thought forest fires were evil (its called the Bambi syndrome), but the latest forest management techniques allow forest fires to rage, the forest fire is healthy for the forest and for the environment.
Unemployment has the same potential, unemployment is traumatic, its painful, and its massively difficult in the short term, but unemployment has the potential to be exceedingly healthy in the long term.
Think about your role in the current economic forest fire, are you going to see it as opportunity to grow or a situation where you are going down in flames?
Ok, so how does this help you in your job hunt?
With the right mindset you can and will see opportunities everywhere.
Let me show you a few:
- Identify companies that are losing market share. These companies are looking for ways to stop their loss of market share. If you have one or two proven ideas that grow market share - don't you think they are willing to listen? Use some of the ideas from yesterday to apply to get the doors open.
- Identify companies taking market share. This of course is the opposite of the previous opportunity - these companies are growing, therefore they are expanding, therefore they need you to help them keep their gains. Again, use some of the ideas from yesterday to get on track.
- Identify the low cost players - This is the easiet solution. These are probably going to be the next leaders in the industry. When times get tough - people want to save money. The low cost providers are the ones that grow. Usually they are smaller companies with less overheads, or they are companies that have figured out how to save money. In any event - the low costs guys are the ones that are going to grow.
- Identify Changing Technologies - This is two opportunities for an expert in a field. Take a long hard look at what new technologies are taking a shot at the established old guys. These new companies already understand how the technology is going to wipe out the old guys - but they probably are so excited about their ideas that they don't understand why people keep buying from the old guys. The second is the old guys - you can help them fight the new technology. Not but down playing it - but by absorbing it, creating it, or buying it. In any event - you can be the savior of the old guy. This is all about using your knowledge about the early and late majority. If "early majority" and "late majority" was babbly-gook check out the technlogy adoption curve. I highly recommend Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm for more on it.
- Consider Alternatives To Job Hunting. Maybe its time for you to consider starting your own business. Maybe you can take advantage of some of these opportunities.
I hope this was helpful and gives you some things to think about.
You can read more of my ideas at http://www.ZaleTabakman.ca
Zale
