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WAYS TO REVISE YOUR JOB-SEARCH STRATEGY

SAN ANTONIO, May 6, 2009 - Although signs of an economic recovery are sprouting, job losses nationwide continue to mount, with unemployment in March rising in all 372 U.S. metropolitan areas – and the unemployment rate at 10% or higher in about one-third of them. Even in Texas, which remains one of the stronger job markets, competition for available jobs remains intense, and job-seekers are looking for different strategies or tactics that can lead to an inquiry, interview, or offer, according to OI Partners, Venturion, a global career transition and coaching firm.

"A new methodology, or a way of revising one you are currently using, can sometimes mean the difference between getting a phone call or interview, and not hearing anything," according to Don Huse, Managing Partner of OI Partners, Venturion.

While many jobs are still found through networking, job-seekers may want to try effective approaches that are not as well known to gain a competitive edge. "Everything from the way your resume is written, to how you contact a potential employer, to how you present yourself during an interview, is critically important in a normal job market. But job-seekers need to polish their approaches and be open to trying new and different methods when so many people are competing for so few jobs," said Huse.

OI Partners, Venturion, offers the following suggestions to revise your job-search strategy:

- Send a brief, mailed, one-page letter - without enclosing a resume - to companies you have researched. Summarize your related experience, accomplishments, and what value you can bring to the employer. Address the letter to the company president or a hiring manager, not to the human resources department.

- Form a personal job-search board of advisors. This should be comprised of people who are equal to or above your organizational level. They may be connected to others who can open some doors for you.

- Emphasize what you can bring to an employer immediately. Past accomplishments can be used to illustrate how you can help a new employer solve current problems, but your emphasis should be on what results you can achieve for them in the near future. Limit these to two or three significant needs that you can fulfill within your first three to six months.

- Do not include an objective in your resume, but instead use brief key words that highlight your skills. Using key words, rather than a job objective, will give you a larger range of possibilities with a potential employer, instead of limiting the opportunities for which you could be considered.

- Follow up on each personal or telephone interview or networking meeting. A mailed, letter expressing thanks and recapping your suitability for the job is appropriate after personal interviews. Brief thank-you e-mails are suitable following telephone interviews and networking meetings. But however you choose to follow-up, be sure that you do. It can mean the difference between getting to the next step in the hiring process and not.

About Venturion
Venturion, established in 1998, specializes in job search, career transition, executive coaching and change management services. The firm is recognized for its unprecedented success with individuals seeking professional, managerial and technological positions in today's highly competitive job market.

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Note to Job Seekers: Current economic conditions have lead to a proliferation of job search scams. Venturion encourages those in career transition to read the following:

• Six signs it's a job scam - CNN.com can be found here.

• Avoiding Online Job Scams | Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, found here.