Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life

Chapter 12. Maximizing Instant Availability Announcements

The IAA (Instant Availability Announcement) is another super way to get you interviews while you're out interviewing.

These announcements have traditionally been in newspaper classified pages under "Help Available" or "Work Wanted" sections for a variety of services. Sometimes, they're in magazines too.

But they're surprisingly effective for getting management and professional positions as well. You can post yours on the Internet. Or you can fax it. You might even consider paying for an ad. (There's a little more to know about that, so we'll deal with it in a moment.)

Explaining Yourself

The way to penetrate with an IAA is to specifically state what you want and what you have to offer.

An example is:

Seeking executive chef position. Five years experience in Westchester County. Willing to relocate for the right position.

It doesn't take much space or many words to announce the two things you want.

Leave out:

Past salary

Current salary requirements

Any salary range

Information that will identify you. (You want to attract, then decide. Just like help-wanted advertisers.)

IAAs tend to draw sophisticated offerors.

Placing a Classified IAA

Since everyone uses the Internet, newspaper help-available sections are much smaller than they used to be. That's what makes them so terrific! The reach isn't worldwide, but the audience is local, and the staying power of print advertising is far better than through screen transmission.

Moreover, you can remain ...