Is there anything more to it?

Today I logged on to my MSN Messenger account so I can chat with the whole world (I feel like I suffocate without this cool little communication outlet) and, as usual, check out the news and articles for the day. And, as usual, there was one from CareerBuilder.com on how to “land a job.”
Hm, how can I phrase my thoughts on the content of this article (I’m trying to be nicer, cleaner, etc.)…. ok, how about insulting?

Maybe its just me, and I’ve been in this mode since January, but most of this is just a summary of the obvious. Where is the beef (ok, sorry, that was too close to yesterday’s post), er, meat?? What really are the 10 things that I should do to help me land that job?

Here’s my try, not in any particular order (I do like some of hers, but it certainly doesn’t read like a top 10 list):

1. Network. Have networked. Starting a long time ago. Ever hear of the book “Dig Your Well BEFORE You’re Thirsty”? This title sums it all up.
2. Build your brand. Got a website? Got a blog … make that, a professional blog? You don’t have to have one, of course, but if you can create yourself as a Subject Matter Expert it may really make you stand out.
3. Use JibberJobber. Of course I had to put that in, but hey, I’m a believer. I’ve heard too many stories and talked with too many people, where JibberJobber has made a real difference.
4. Shift your paradigm. This includes understanding that you *may be* looking for a new job every 2.8 years.
5. Understand “who you are”… if you are selling something for a company you should know the ins-and-outs of the product. When I was in my job search it was a week or two before I realized that one job title that I should have been looking at was “product manager.” But I had been so busy doing my job that I never really understood that I was doing more “product management” than anything else – and that is what I really enjoyed!
6. Keep up on current employment trends. If you are going to be changing jobs with frequency (that is, more than every 40 years) shouldn’t you understand the job search space? I’d keep up with certain blogs (see my blogroll) to get daily rants and raves… two of the best and most current are CM Russell’s and George’s job seeker blog, or Joel Cheesman’s for overall industry stuff.
7. Help others in their job search. I think that staying in a helping frame of mind is great, and understanding other people’s issues will help you keep up with tactics and techniques.
8. Volunteer. It is a great way to get to know other people (aka network), to get known (aka network), and to perhaps find or develop other passions or skills. And service is always good, right?
9. Have your own elevator speech ready. Whether you are employed or not, when you first meet someone, be able to concisely get their attention with a great “me in 30 seconds” or something like that. Of course you don’t have to leave it at that, but impress them with your ability to communicate. This comes in handy every day for all kinds of folks.
10. Ok… go ahead and read Laura’s article on msn.careerbuilder.com. I’m not sure what the real link is (this might work)… but it does have stuff to consider.

Hm, how’s that? I didn’t get paid to write this, and actually just did it in a few minutes – but I wish I would have heard this 8 months ago (before I got laid off), and it would have been more helpful than the MSN list of 10 things.