Wednesday, March 16, 2011

My Friend Joe, and How to Find Your Competitive Edge - Part 1

How to Find Your Competitive Edge in Today’s Job Market

My friend, Joe, is a derivative accounting professional specializing in hedge funds. I have to admit that I had never heard of that job position until I met Joe. I understand that only 5 – 10% of all accounting professionals in the U.S. specialize in this area.

Do you think Joe has a hard time finding a job?

Absolutely not!

Jobs find him.

Recruiters look for guys with Joe’s expertise. When he applies to jobs on the internet, his resume doesn’t go into a black hole like so many others; he’s one of the lucky job seekers who receive an immediate response.

When I think of Joe, I am reminded of the story about Dr. Joyce Brothers. When she wanted to get on “The $64,000 Question” program back in the 1950’s, she realized she needed a competitive edge in order to be chosen to be on the program.  She knew that being a female psychologist was an asset, but she gave herself an even better competitive edge by becoming an expert in boxing trivia. There certainly weren’t many female psychologists who were boxing trivia experts in her day, if any at all.  Brilliant! She was quickly chosen for her unique area of expertise.

The same can be true for someone looking for a job.  If you develop a niche within your industry where there aren’t many experts, you’ll be in high demand - like my good friend, Joe.

Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter where I’ll let you in on other ways to find your competitive edge in today’s job market. 

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