What can you
do for me?

(John) What are the free services that you make available?

(Lydia) First, we provide each person with a professional analysis of their resume and suggestions for improving it.

Second, we'll also show them the new style resumes that work best today... along with samples of outstanding personal marketing websites that have worked for others.

Third, we also give people access to a short marketability profile that they can complete. When they do, they can instantly download a copy of a marketability comparison report. This compares them to 2,000 others in the job market at their income level. It also gives them a two-page summary of how they can expand their marketability.

The fourth and most important valuable free service we offer is a 28-minute online video that can be viewed worldwide. It educates them on the job market and explains what we've learned from developing our new capabilities... and from pioneering a completely new way to look for a job. Many people tell us they learn more in a half hour than they have in years.

---

(John) How much work do your clients have to do?

(Lydia) It's up to them as to how many contacts or openings they want to respond to. We'll make recommendations, based on our past experience, for generating the maximum number of right situations.

---

(John) What did you mean earlier when you said "we do the hard work of job hunting"?

(Lydia) John, we start by developing a marketing plan for people... the same way that Apple Computer and Procter & Gamble approach their new products.

This marketing plan includes such things as pinpointing the industries that people should focus on... the transferable skills they should sell... their specific goals... and so on. Of course, the end result is we provide a step-by-step action plan to guide each person's search.

Then we professionally write several resumes, 12 marketing letters and develop a personal marketing website for each person.

We then continuously connect them to the openings, leads and job market intelligence they need, and we place their credentials for them... to key recruiters, key employers, growth firms and venture capitalists. And, we back them up with continuous research support. We also provide ongoing team support... expert help in all interviews and negotiations.

---

(John) Exactly what are the main reasons why people retain your services?

(Lydia) Many people simply want to take advantage of the speed and convenience that we bring. Others reach a point where they want to make a dramatic move up... or perhaps change industries.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified what they referred to as a career "red zone." In most situations, careers reach a point where peak earnings in real dollars are achieved. This usually falls between ages 38 and 55.

When they reach a significant crossroad... and are in this red zone... the vast majority find that their real incomes begin to decline for the balance of their working lives — unless they make the right career move.

---

(John) What if a search takes more time than the average... and people need special help?

(Lydia) As a rule, our marketing plans are designed to work over an 8 to 10 week period. Of course, there's no perfect way to predict how long a specific search will take. We will work with people for up to 6 months... if their search ever took that long, but it rarely does.

Most importantly, during every search we are there to help our clients on anything that comes up, including the most unusual and special situations. Obviously, this varies for each individual.

---

(John) Some people say they do the very same thing that you do. Can you comment?

(Lydia) Anyone considering job hunting assistance needs to understand a number of things quite thoroughly. There are hundreds of career and outplacement counselors who offer advice... but you have to do all the work. If someone claims to offer what we make available, you should consider this.

Do they put everything in writing? Will they give you a suggested marketing plan to begin with... of everything that needs to be done? Are they specific about what they will and won't do? Do they provide you with a book on their philosophy and do they have hard services like our Job Market Access Center and our resume placements, or are they really just offering a counseling service?

Other considerations include... do the representatives imply a verbal guarantee... or do they offer precise written guarantees? How much do they disclose about the history of their firm... and their investment and their capabilities? Do they have thousands of success stories?

Does the firm do an impressive job of marketing themselves? If they can't do that... they won't be able to do it for you. Basically, you need to be diligent in your evaluation. It's too important to risk making a mistake.

---

(John) The totality of your service seems so powerful, can't you simply guarantee people a job?

(Lydia) John, it would be unethical to guarantee something we simply can't control. Every person's situation, and the market for their skills, is not only unique, it is constantly changing. Besides, everyone has to do their own interviewing... and while we can provide them with our best help on interviewing... we can't be there to do it for them.

Our record is very strong, but past performances with different individuals can't be used as the basis for a guarantee of one person's future performance. As we see it, that might be like a stock broker guaranteeing you'll make money this year... because so many of their clients made money last year. There is no ethical way to do that.

You also have to recognize that our goal is not simply to get people "a job." Rather, it's the right job. We don't ever want to be in the position of having to urge people to take the first thing that comes along, because that is often not in the client's best interest.

---

(John) Isn't it true that many executives can get jobs through networking... rather than using your approach to get so much market exposure?

(Lydia) There are different statistics out there relating to the ways that people find jobs. Before the new wave of technology came along in the last decade... networking was the only way people looked for executive jobs.

Please don't misunderstand. We recommend expanded networking as part of every overall marketing plan that we suggest, but we don't advise networking in the normal way. Our methods are more guided, precise, and positive and they take advantage of Job Market Access Center's capabilities. This means that people can deal from strength when they network. Importantly, however, we would never want anyone to limit themselves to networking.

Of course, 97% of all professionals are really unaware of our methods... and furthermore, they would not have the time, know-how or resources to use them. Unfortunately, most take relatively few actions as part of their search. So they still rely on networking until they find something they settle for.

---

(John) When it comes to job hunting, what are the major pitfalls that professionals need to avoid?

(Lydia) There are 10 major things that can put a person's entire job search at risk. They include some very obvious things such as... not having superior materials... relying on old methods from a decade or two ago... not knowing your industry options... not being able to handle any liabilities that may be apparent to prospective employers... and just selling your background and accomplishments... instead of your transferable skills.

There are also 5 other things that can slow down or derail a job campaign. These include not being able to access the right openings... not accessing leads to jobs before they become public... failure to get your credentials placed with your best prospects... not experienced in high level interviews... and not being skilled at negotiations.

---

(John) What single piece of advice would you give someone who is entering the job market today?

(Lydia) John, the main thing people have to do, is open their minds to a new view of job hunting. So much has changed, that even if you're a senior executive, you need to use some new approaches when it comes to marketing yourself.