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83% of Canadian six-figure job seekers don’t know how to execute an effective search.

Graham Management Group’s recent survey, OUTLOOK 2010: Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians, produced quite a startling discovery: 83% of our respondents indicated that they are not sure about how to execute a six-figure search.

Our survey found that professionals seem to be relying on some misconceptions. People are primarily spending their time posting their resumes on job boards and responding to online job postings, yielding few to no results.

Performing a six-figure search is quite different from searching for a lower salaried job. You may recall that when you applied for your very first job, a completed application form accompanied by a resume seemed to work well. In that situation, the resume was a key component to getting interviews. Now that you are applying for senior positions, the resume becomes a supporting document and your personal connections become much more important.

You’ll rarely find six-figure job openings posted on the internet. If they are posted, usually it’s only a matter of policy. Often, the hiring person already has a good idea of the candidate he wants to secure and is only following corporate procedure when posting the job. As you can see, it’s much better to be the person that the company already has in mind than one of many applying to the position online.

If you are serious about landing a six-figure job, looking incessantly on the internet for positions is not the best way to spend your time. It’s impossible to develop relationships and get exposure if you don’t connect with people. And, it’s nonsensical to assume that you will get a six-figure job without speaking with anyone.

Technology makes it easy to hide behind your computer. You need to stop pumping out resumes and start approaching people directly. If you shift your emphasis from applying to job postings, posting on job boards, and broadcasting your resume indiscriminately, you’ll find that opportunities will open up significantly.

When it comes to obtaining six-figure positions, it’s all about who you know. If you don’t start making relationships with “movers and shakers” within your industry, you can be assured that your six-figure career will stagnate.

The survey identified the top three things that you need to do to raise your chances of getting a good six-figure job:

• Develop a strong reputation within your targeted industry, tell colleagues and contacts that you are searching, and contact company decision-makers directly.
• Change your online strategy to include LinkedIn. By posting your profile and actively using LinkedIn you can start to make connections with the right people.
• Start establishing relationships with people who influence what happens in your industry. Contact company leaders at the top of the organizations you are targeting.

 If you are having trouble attracting good six-figure opportunities, you are not alone. Most of the professionals that we surveyed specifically said that they have few relationships and little exposure. Many expressed an overall discomfort with creating career opportunities by cold calling, networking, and uncovering unadvertised positions in the hidden market.

Rise above your peers and challenge yourself today. Step out from behind your computer and you’ll find your next six-figure career.

DOWNLOAD THE  COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT HERE:

http://www.grahammanagement.com/Outlook2010SurveyResults.xpg

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