How To P90X Your Job Search

If you’ve never heard the term P90X; it’s a 90-day insane workout that uses weight training, cardio, plyometrics, abdominal work, martial arts and yoga to take a physically fit person to the brink of death. What if you applied an insane regimen like P90X to your job search? One of Tony Horton’s (the creator of P90X) favorite sayings is quality over quantity and I’d like to start my how-to off with that thought. If you are a job seeker, could you please STOP SPAMMING your resume to every open position you see. I spoke to a candidate (and I use the term loosely in this case) today and after asking him why he applied to the job, he replied that he had some time today at work and though he would apply to every sales job in his area. SERIOUSLY? Nothing in the world upsets a job poster more than an idiot that doesn’t have the decency to read what they posted before applying. If the job states this is a junior level position with pay around $40K and you have a double PhD………please don’t apply. Remember, quality over quantity. Next, please pay attention to what you write and how things are spelled. Spell checker can be your best friend (I know it’s mine) but it can also auto-correct in the most inopportune ways. As an example, I received a cover letter today and in it was the following statement: “Over my 15 years with one company during a constant period of excremental growth, I was faced …….”. I don’t think I need to say more about this subject. Take some pride in your application. When I was getting back into the workforce after years of consulting, I printed my resume on high quality paper and made business cards. Then, I put my resume/cover letter/references/letters of recommendation together in a slick portfolio so that I could stand out from the other thousand applicants. If you can afford it; overnight your resume portfolio to the CEO of the company you are applying to and impress them from the top down. Lastly, put some P90X intensity into your search. Don’t make it an effort when you have a few minutes of free time if you are serious about your next job. Just like with P90X, if you give it 1/2 the effort, you will get 1/2 the results. Commit time to your search, research the companies in your area that are hiring, find people in your network that might be able to help you, and go kick some butt. As Tony likes to say, “Do your best, and forget the rest!”