Dear Liz,

I am in a happy state of shock because I have two job offers at the aforementioned time! I am a recent follower of your job search advice. I've used 3 pieces of your advice in my job search and that's how I got the 2 job offers I'm because at present.

I was task-hunting for vi months and I didn't become fifty-fifty one interview during that time. I completed over 100 online job applications. Even equally I was filling out the forms I felt that it was a helpless, useless procedure. All of the online applications are the same, no matter which visitor you apply to work for.

Lookout man on Forbes:

They all want to know how long you lot worked at each task and they all ask nigh your Tasks and Duties. Isn't it obvious from your task title what your Tasks and Duties in the chore were?

When I started to read your columns I stopped completing online task applications and I started writing Hurting Letters instead. I sent out half dozen Pain Letters at first and I got ii replies.

Ane was a very overnice email from a hiring managing director who isn't looking for any help right now (I had not seen a job ad from her visitor, just I thought the company sounded interesting) and the other reply came from the HR Managing director in a 2d visitor where I'd sent a Pain Letter to the hiring director.

The HR Director, Paula, said that the hiring manager I had reached with my Pain Alphabetic character didn't accept whatsoever chore openings but 2 other managers did. I interviewed with Paula's company and met both managers, and that's where my offset chore offer came from. The second job offer came from my third batch of Pain Letters.

All in all I accept sent out seventeen Hurting Letters now, I've had 6 job interviews and I've got two job offers to decide betwixt. I think I am going to take the offer at Paula'southward company considering the people there were both extremely smart and very nice during the entire interview process.

I call up the culture is healthier in that location than it is in the other visitor where I have a job offer. It'south a great company too, but why non work in the healthiest place possible?

I am 34 years old and I was raised to follow rules. I guess most people were. I take never cleaved rules  before the way I did in this job search. I guess anybody who got one of my Pain Messages and didn't like information technology didn't respond to me, and that'southward perfectly fine.

Here are 3 major pieces of your communication that I followed:

• I stopped applying for jobs online, and started sending Pain Messages and my Human-Voiced Resume straight to hiring managers, instead. Along the way I got a lot ameliorate at using LinkedIn to conduct research!

• I got a consulting business card and started to give it out at networking events. I haven't had any consulting projects yet only I've grown my network a lot and I've also grown my confidence.

• I stopped beingness so shy and timid at interviews. No one is going to know what I can do for them unless I tell them. I used my LinkedIn research to go inside the heads of each of my hiring managers, and I'g certain that'south why I have two task offers now.

The managers who did become back to me weren't the to the lowest degree flake bothered by my direct arroyo to them. They were glad. They said that it's really  difficult to detect people to fill their positions. I figured that was true but considering we hear so much about "talent shortages" y'all start to think that your skills are a dime a dozen.

Now I know that's non true. Thanks for your encouragement, Liz! I don't expect to go dorsum to rule-following in my task search for a long time, if ever. I know that CEOs and other executives don't make full out online job application forms, and then why should I?

Thanks Liz -

Yours,

Corrie

Dear Corrie,

Yous are a super star! Most of us were brought upwards to follow the rules. As adults we accept to obey certain authorities -- police force and judges, for case. We don't have to follow rules written for job applicants. You are non a chore applicant anymore! You are a consultant now.

You lot have learned a huge lesson during your job search. Your mojo is your most important asset! Employers won't value you lot until you value yourself. Hats off to you for stepping out of an old box and taking charge of your career. I don't call up you'll always go back in that box again!

All the best to you,

Liz