I have been looking for a full-time position for three years. I have been burned by traditional job-search firms. Do you know of any “contingency” career counselors, ones who agree to be paid only if their client finds a job within a specified time period? – David

Kate: No, I don’t know of any contingency career coaches. However, there are plenty of ethical coaches who charge by the hour. That way, if you don’t feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, you have lost only a small amount in fees. I also should add that most career coaches do not follow a researched and tested methodology. You will probably hear things like “network, network, network,” when there is much more to a job search than that.

Dale: Perhaps the reason that “contingency” coaches have not caught on is that one of the biggest problems in trying to help people with job searches is the lack of “coach-ability.” Most people rebel against the rigors and discipline of a search done right.

Kate: Also, most job hunters think, “I’ll know my search was good when I get a good job.”

Dale: That’s a belief that puts the assessment at the back end, after you’ve taken a job – or “settled” for a job – or after you’ve been unemployed for so long that you become desperate. That makes as much sense as a basketball team deciding that they won’t make any changes in how they play until after the season is over.

Kate: You need to be able to determine along the way if you are getting closer to being hired. To put numbers to search statistics, our Five O’Clock Club research shows that you need to identify and investigate 200 target positions in order to get seven interviews and one job offer.

Dale: A couple of years back we profiled Mike Sawatzki, a reader who conducted what we called “the perfect job search.” He kept statistics on his search and concluded this:

“In five months of effort, I tracked every contact, meeting, e-mail, ad answered, etc. The number was surprisingly small: 168. I decided quality was better than quantity. When I first started the process I told myself I would not get discouraged until the number hit at least 350. I didn’t even get close. Toward the end, I was actually enjoying meeting all the contacts.”

By keeping track of his contacts and interviews, he could assess his search and understand when it was picking up momentum. He knew within the first few weeks that he eventually would have a great job, because he was able to see in his record-keeping that he was getting closer to solid offers, week by week.

Special ‘targeting’ guide

Dale: The best way to start keeping records on a job search is to know the number of target jobs/firms identified and contacted. Kate and her organization have helped change the nature of job searching, especially with the emphasis on “targeting” jobs. So, I’ve asked Kate to summarize targeting.

Kate: The key to finding a good job in a reasonable time frame is coming up with “target positions,” which are jobs that would be appropriate for you in one of your desired industries/cities. This does NOT mean finding 200 openings – most of the target jobs you identify will be filled. But as you find the targets, you do so in such a way as to put yourself in a position to be hired. For a senior executive, targeting 200 positions might mean targeting 200 companies. Those at midlevel jobs might find a single firm with 10 target jobs. As you work toward identifying your 200 jobs, you do mailings to people who do the hiring for those positions, along with follow-up phone calls. You also answer ads and talk to search firms. Your goal is this: to let all 200 know that you exist and are looking. There are still all the issues of resumes and interviewing skills and so on, but it’s by targeting that you start to turn the odds in your favor.