I recently interviewed author Ford R. Myers on my BlogTalkRadio show about the economy, the job market and his brilliant new book, Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring. Ford called me today to let me know that the book is now available on Amazon, so of course I had to go take a look! I already had it because Ford had sent me an author’s copy which is now seriously annotated and bookmarked. It has sticky notes sticking out all over the place. Now you know that is an indication that there is some seriously helpful information in there.

So what does a book on finding a job have to do with the Virtual Assistance Industry? Much more than you would think at first glance. Even though many of us are independent contractors and small business owners, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to sell our services by finding and retaining clients. This book teaches you how to take charge of your career in hard times. For instance, chapter 40 is titled, “Networking is Not Part of Your Job Search — Networking IS Your Job Search. All good virtual assistants know this rule by heart! Another very important chapter in my view is 33; Accomplishment Stories Are Your Most Powerful Selling Tools. Ford lays out your path to career success for the rest of your professional life and I highly recommend this book.

Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring

You CAN find a good job in a bad economy - but NOT with conventional search strategies.

New Rules for a New Reality

Today’s job market is the toughest in recent history, and the challenges are here to stay. Even so, you CAN get the job you want - IF you discard conventional approaches to the search. Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring is the ONLY career book that:

• Explains the special strategies necessary to land a job during an economic crisis
• Integrates comprehensive, practical guidance on both job search and career management
• Provides an extensive online “Job Search Survival Toolkit” to augment the book
• Addresses the realities of this job market with real-world, actionable steps
• Positions this downturn in the economy as a positive opportunity to develop a much better career

In Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring, career expert Ford R. Myers maps the new world of job search and reveals essential strategies for your success. You’ll learn how to seize opportunities that aren’t posted yet … how to make yourself an instant asset to potential employers … how to clearly stand-out as the best candidate … and how to leverage social media, blogs, and other Web tools.

Best of all, you’ll learn how to “recession-proof” your career for the long term. Can YOU Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring? With this powerful new book - YES, you can!

From the Back Cover

You CAN find a job in a bad economy-but not with conventional search strategies

To win a job now, you need a recession-proof plan. Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring explains why your chances are better than you think, gives you the strategies to land your dream job, and includes:

• The twenty habits of effective job-hunters in a down market
• Why your resume is your least important job-search tool
• Tips on building an online career identity with blogs, web sites, and social media

“Ford Myers’ excellent Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring shows you clearly and realistically how to be one of the millions of people who land a job rather than the millions who lose a job. His book should be required reading for anyone facing unemployment.”
-Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books

“Mounting a strategic job search can be confusing, especially when compounded by the emotional toll of job loss and an economic crisis. Myers’ book explains how to find a job that fits your long-term career goals. Armed with renewed confidence and a strategic plan, a good job is attainable.”
-Robyn Greenspan, Editor in Chief, ExecuNet

“If you feel alone in this tough and puzzling job market, Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring is a must-have. No matter where you are on your professional journey, this book will show you step by step how to reinvent, reignite, and reestablish your career.”
-Beverly Kaye, CEO and Founder, Career Systems International, and author of Up Is Not The Only Way

If you missed my interviews with Ford you can still hear them here: May 29, 2009 and June 11, 2009. Download them into your iPod and listen while you are driving to and from job interviews, or are between client interview calls. You will be amazed at the quality of information that Ford so freely offers during these calls.

Now, more than ever, people are looking for a way to supplement the household income or create a thriving business using learned skills and core competencies. There has never been a better time to become part of the fast growing virtual assistance industry. But are you really ready?

These are some very important questions that you need to answer as you create your business model. Answering these honestly and without flinching will go a very long way in shortening the learning curve as you begin your entrepreneurial journey.

Why do you think you have the mindset and self-discipline to effectively work from your home?

How tech-savvy do you consider yourself?  On a scale of 1 to 10, how computer literate are you in regards to the following programs? Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office Suite)?

Do you know just what type of services you want to offer? Have you analyzed your skills to determine where your niche market is and that your experience is fully up to the task?

Do you know if you want to work part time or full? Have you decided just how much energy and time you have to commit to your new business?

Do you know how to find your new clients, who they are, where they are and how to gain access to them?

How well do you handle rejection? Can you overcome objections?

How would you describe your work style? When working, do you approach things in a linear way, having a set timeline and way of doing things, or do you work in a more circular fashion, knowing the big picture and jumping around as needed?

Are you teachable? Becoming a successful online entrepreneur requires times, persistence and on-going education.

Becoming a highly successful virtual assistant requires that you have a good marketing strategy. Do you have one? Are you a social media marketing expert? If not, you will need to become one very quickly, for yourself and for your clients!

If you were your ideal client, why would you hire you?

Take the time to sit down and make a complete list of the programs and systems you can currently work in. Do you have experience in shopping carts or can manage email campaigns? Identifying your strengths and weaknesses will go a long way towards determining if you are ready to launch out on your own or if you should partner with a flourishing multi-VA firm to bring your skills up to speed. If you need help with this list, download the core competencies document that I created for myself when I took this career path. It needs to be updated, but will give you an idea of where you can start. I am willing to bet that you will find that you know much more than you think you do!

Is your home office adequately equipped with the equipment that you absolutely must have to effectively operate your home office based business? Is your home office perched on your breakfast counter or do you have a dedicated (and quiet!) office space?

• Computer (preferably with dual monitors)
• UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). We recommend Belkin.
• DSL or other high speed internet access
• Shredder
• Telephone with caller ID, speaker and mute button
• Copier / Scanner / Printer
• Filing and other storage
• White Board
• Office supplies - postage, copier paper, etc.

Remember, we are always here to help. If you have any questions about the Virtual Assistance Industry you are very welcome to email them to me at info at virtualassistantindustry.com

I am a fan of Ford Myer’s work which hardly makes me unique in that I am sure that his fan base runs into the thousands. I particularly appreciate his free Career GPS Assessment which quickly identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your career goals, plans and strategies. These days as more and more people are leaving their jobs voluntarily or otherwise, it seems imperative to determine just what your career goals are. A job is one thing, a deeply satisfying career is something else altogether.

I recently interviewed Ford twice on my BlogTalkRadio Show, “Your Partner In Success”. Ford’s new book carries that attention-grabbing title of: “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring“. If you missed these very informative shows you can still hear them here:

Denise Griffitts Interviews Ford Myers, 5/29/2009

Denise Griffitts Welcomes Back Ford Myers, 6/11/2009

What does this have to do with the Virtual Assistance Industry? Plenty. We receive hundreds of resumes each month and I must say that too many of them don’t grab or hold our attention. We are finding that the increase in resumes that we are seeing signals panic rather than entrepreneurship. People are reading about the explosive growth of our industry and deciding without much further research that this is just the “job” for them. Virtual Assistance is not a job. It is a career path and requires that special entrepreneurial spirit.

So just what is a Virtual Assistant?

We are online entrepreneurs. Online entrepreneurs are people who took those first steps down new roads armed with nothing more than their own vision. We are people who are enchanted with our own imagination and curiosity.

We possess an unbridled anticipation for learning and exploration. We are our own authority figures. Plunging into the unknown as we do almost daily requires a cast iron stomach and an intuitive ability to deal with the fog of uncertainty. We are often blissfully in ignorance of the most likely consequences of our actions (failure) since this is not an automatic thought process for us. We work with people who see business as hugely creative and exciting.

We work with online entrepreneurs who took those first steps down roads armed with nothing more than their own vision. They are excited and passionate about what they do and they bring tremendous creativity to the table in working with our virtual assistance and web development clients.

After reading Ford’s very timely book, it occurred to me that this is a resource for all people who are taking a new job path. No matter if you are seeking a salaried position, or are ready to shine with your own entrepreneurial fever, this book has answers for everybody.

Would you like to win a free copy of this book? Ford has agreed to give me a few copies to give away which makes me very happy indeed.

You are cordially invited to become a member of our free Virtual Assistance Industry Community. The Virtual Assistance Industry is experiencing explosive growth and we are here to help you whether you are a new or practicing virtual assistant or an entrepreneur who is desirous of partnering with a highly technically savvy VA to build and grow your business.

We invite your participation in this community as we travel our entrepreneurial path while helping each other along the way.

I just read a great post on the 11 Things Every Successful Website Needs and wanted to share it.  If you are a Virtual Assistant you need this information for your own business website. If you assist your clients with their web presence you need this information to assist them with their business websites.  This is a very helpful article and one that I highly recommend.