If You Want New Results, Try Something Different.

{Click here to read the original article on Career Enlightenment.}

A few years ago, I wrote a guest post for Career Enlightenment about my one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. If you’ve never seen the episode, the character George (who, along with Elaine, are possibly my spirit animals) decides to do the opposite of everything because nothing is working for him. And, everything in his life starts turning around! Well, isn’t it about time you start doing that if your job search isn’t working?

I broke down what I consider the “old way” of the job searching process versus some new, modern approaches to try:

OLD WAY
Be overwhelmed with the entire job search process and go it alone.

NEW WAY
Gather up a team, whether that is a career coach, another professional, or a trusted friend to assist you in your search.

OLD WAY
Apply to as many jobs as possible.

NEW WAY
Create a targeted companies list. Selectively apply to jobs that match your targeted companies with a custom application package.

OLD WAY
Submit only online applications and hope for the best. That counts, right?

NEW WAY
Submit online applications, but also find the name of the hiring manager or another company contact and send them a custom email with a copy of your resume. Go the extra mile.

OLD WAY
Only practice interviewing in person.

NEW WAY
Practice all types of interviews — phone interviews, Skype, FaceTime, and group. Be ready for anything!

OLD WAY
Interviewing is a formal process.

NEW WAY
Think of interviewing as a conversation! You are interviewing the company as well to find the best fit for you. Use your investigative skills to research the company. Don’t want to work late every night? Swing past the office at 7:00 pm and see if the parking lot is full. That will tell you more than on-line research will — so will the person at the front desk.

OLD WAY
Resumes are a “career obituary” — a list of everything you’ve ever done.

NEW WAY
Resumes tell your career story and how you can help a potential employer and alleviate their pain points.

OLD WAY
Your resume should look like everyone else’s.

NEW WAY
Resumes are personal – make it your own. There are resources on both Career Enlightenment and the author’s site, 9 to 5 Project to help you with this process.

These are some of the ways the job search process has changed. I’ve had many clients who have thought “outside the box” and were successful. For example, one client wanted to work at a particular company on her targeted list, so she would stop by with her resume to drop it off with the hiring manager (along with a note.) As I recall the story, they either interviewed her on the spot or thought she already worked there since she was always dropping by the office! At least, that’s how I remember it. I love that story!

If your job search is not going the way you want it to, try doing something else — just like George on Seinfeld. I bet you’ll have different results!