Networking to Find a Job
Below are excerpts from Damian Birkle's book, Career Bounce-Back! Please use the links below to jump to your section of interest:
Find the 80% of jobs that are not advertised
Step-by-step instructions for how to network in-person
When and how much time to spend social networking
The Visible Job Market
Less than 20% of all jobs come from the Visible Job Market. Although the percentages within the visible job market may change from year to year, the overall percentage remains at 20%. Regardless of the type of technology used to publish a job opening, the market ranges of jobs you see remain consistent. No matter how you “slice and dice it,” available positions job seekers see remain the same year in and year out; only the publishing channel changes. These channels include:
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Job Boards (like Monster.com)
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Job Aggregators (like SimplyHired.com or rival Indeed.com)
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Company websites
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Newspapers
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Trade Magazines
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Job Fairs
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Other emerging medium where everyone sees a posted position
So what does this mean?
When you know that less than 20% of all jobs come from the visible job market, allocate your time accordingly. Continue to job search on the Internet, but significantly reduce your time by automating your job search using job aggregators mentioned in prior chapters.
Automating your online job search will reduce distractions and eliminate the hop scotch phenomenon™. The hop scotch phenomenon occurs when you “hop” from page to page; website to website. At the end of the day you will be astonished at just how far you have strayed from your job search. It far easier to become sidetracked to non-job related websites (background noise) than to focus on your job search. Discipline yourself to fight the urge to waste the day away doing low impact, trivial activities that do not help you move forward. The more automated this part of your job search is, the better. In this case, less is really more. Concentrate instead on high leverage activities including:
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Reaching out to a minimum five people daily (by phone)
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Sending 5 -10 Letters of Approach requesting Informational Interviews
(Details on Letter of Approach – Chapter 16; See: Exhibits 16-1A and 16-1B)
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Conduct at least 3 Informational Interviews per week
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Research
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Follow up on potential leads
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Follow your Target Companies (online and in print)
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Reading your local business newspaper (paying special attention to job promotions which may translates into position openings; and companies or key employees profiled by the paper (because everyone likes recognition and a congratulatory note could lead to a future Informational Interview)
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Improving your skill set
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Participating in online discussion groups
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Attending support group meetings
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Going to Chamber of Commerce events
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Volunteering
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Exercising daily
BUILDING JOB SEARCH MOMENTUM OVER TIME
INSERT ARTWORK – Job Search Momentum – Bell Curve
Although networking will be discussed in detail in Step 6 – Chapters 15-17, it is important to understand the bell curve of job search momentum. As you begin to invest 5 to 8 hours a day, your job search will gradually pick up energy. I know of no other way to effectively build momentum than to devote this amount of time, day in and day out.
There is no easy way to job search. It is a collection of small tasks put together over time that eventually will lead to your next position. But, don’t plan to be chained to your computer either. Instead plan to be out of the house at least three days a week. It won’t happen overnight. As you begin your informational interviews and other networking activities, your job search momentum will gradually increase. From an overall time perspective, you want to budget your time in the following ways:
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Informational Interviews (45% of your time)
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Networking Events (5 % of your time)
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Social Media and Research (30% of your time)
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Online Positions and other sections of the Visible Job Market (20 %)
The Bell Curve’s Long Tail - EXPECTATIONS
Over the of your job search, you will create a resume, get feedback, incorporate that feedback, and develop all other components of communication. This includes your bridge statement, career summary, business cards, 30-second commercial (SEE: Chapter 9); your resume and cover letters (SEE: Chapter 10), and letter of approach for informational interviews (SEE: Chapter 16). It takes time to create and revise these documents; then get comfortable using them. While you are creating the execution portion of your marketing plan, you will be doing extensive research to pinpoint target companies and potential contacts within those companies. If your job search goes like mine, the first month is full of humiliation, error, and frustration, but it gets better; not necessarily easier.
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During the next 60 days of your job search, you should begin to learn how to network. By this time you will have worked your way through the stages of shock and denial and some of the anger. It’s important to have your anger under control before you begin to reach out to others (especially if you are lucky enough to be interviewing). Anger is heard in your voice, on the phone, and seen in your demeanor. Slowly, gradually, you will feel less vulnerable and will gather the courage to make your first series of calls to set up initial informational interviews.
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As you automate your online search, you should begin to concentrate on spending more time away from the computer and in the community. Volunteer, go out to lunch with old workmates, reach out to friends and former bosses, and begin to get the word out that you have lost your job.
At some point, during your job campaign, you will feel a shift in your momentum. You will gradually become comfortable reaching out to others and asking for their help ( a job!).You may begin to wonder just how long this whole experience is going to be, but remember - it only takes one job for you.
After you land your next position, you may notice that you will continue to get offers to interview and even job offers for up to 6 months after you have started a new position. This is why there is such a long tail on the bell curve of momentum.
In-Person Networking
In-person networking is the process of making direct one-to-one connections…one person at a time. Another way to look at it is that you are building a series of allies much like a spider builds a web. In-person networking allows you to accelerate your reemployment. It’s a way for you to cut through the red tape and sit down with knowledgeable professionals who can share insights, make connections happen, provide career feedback, and offer additional personal context that might help you find a job.
What are the goals of In-Person Networking?
By going out and meeting people, it significantly increases the opportunity of being seen - being in the right place, at the right time when a job is either planned or may suddenly become available. Goals include:
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Gaining insight or perspective about your industry and the companies in your area.
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Spreading the word that you are actively available in the job market.
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Improving your interview and rapport building skills.
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Receiving personal introductions to other key decision makers in your community.
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Establishing ongoing advocates for your current job search and career future.
How do I start?
Select three people who know you well and you can trust. Your primary contacts should also be well respected members of our community. There are a number of reasons for this:
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They will have high leverage with other members within your community.
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Their good name will open doors you would never find on your own.
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They will help you increase the personal effectiveness of your interviewing by enabling you to connect and establish a “top of mind” reputation with decision-maker. You want decision makers to think of you first as future positions arise.
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Lending their good reputation and connections to your job search will empower, pre-qualify you, and add legitimacy to your job search efforts.
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They will be willing to further utilize their natural network of decision-makers in your area (as you move forward in your job search).
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In-person networking is interactive at business meetings, informational interviewing, going for coffee or lunch (to gather information), and other gatherings where you are amongst people of the community – volunteering, helping others while making your presence known. In-person networking begins with and ripples out from your primary contacts. Use Exhibit 16-2 as your worksheet to build your networking contact list.
How to find Primary Contacts
You don’t have to have friends who are rich or famous; or related to Donald Trump or Warren Buffett. Anybody who you know that makes a living through or with people are potential candidates for primary contacts.
Primary contacts could be your priest, minister, rabbi, accountant, banker, broker, lawyer, dentist, baker, doctor, florist, mechanic, car dealer, beautician, hair dresser, barber, tax planner, favorite restaurant proprietor, or any other small business owner that you may know (and they know and like you). They are the great connectors within your local community. Their livelihood depends on repeat business, a great reputation, and a strong customer base. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask for their help. You may have invested resources in them by doing business with them through the years. Asking for a modest return on your investment is a perfectly fair expectation on your part. This is not the time to be timid or shy. Business is both personal and reciprocal. Too many people have stopped patronizing a business or have changed churches because of an unjustified embarrassment or shame after asking for much needed help and counseling. For whatever the reason, you should not be embarrassed or ashamed.
Leverage turns a cold call into a warm call…. It's a combination of getting help from people you already know and learning who else to meet with to gather additional information. In 90% of the time, you will be calling someone at the recommendation of a known acquaintance - making a “warm call” instead of a cold call. The person you’re calling should be far more likely to meet with you because of the acquaintance you mutually know.
Primary Contacts will ask you what type of people you want to network with. You should be looking to network with people who are a minimum of two levels above your current position. You do this for a number of good reasons:
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Your primary contact would not send you if this person could not help you.
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You will be talking with key decision-makers.
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Managers or executives usually have an assistant screening their calls; and assistants work directly with their bosses’ calendars.
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They will not feel threatened by your request to talk to them.
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Their view or perspective of the industry is much different than yours.
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More often than not, they will remember what it was like when they were networking into different industries and/or positions.
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The people they refer you to will be at their level, not yours.
How to Begin the In-Person Networking Process
As you begin to work out from you primary contacts, follow this proven formula for networking success:
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Have a finished resume and cover letter template
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Develop and be comfortable discussing your career summary
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Know the companies you’re most interested in targeting
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Know which professionals you want most to meet and why you want to meet them.
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Ask questions that will further your understanding of critical issues, business conditions, practices, changes and trends within specific industries particularly as they relate to your area of expertise. Prepare 5-10 “Igniter Questions” for this interview
Sample questions about business trends and critical issues:
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What are some important long-term trends affecting this industry (sector)?
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How do you see these trends affecting marketing strategy (or other functional areas of the business)?
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What are the critical issues facing your industry today?
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What are some important sources of information I could use to keep up-to-date on this important issue?
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Overview of the In-Person Networking Process
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Receive referral
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Mail a Letter of Approach (SEE: Exhibit 16-1A) in a business-sized, stamped envelope; or if your contact is a personal acquaintance, email an abbreviated Letter of Approach (SEE: Exhibit 16-1B) enlisting all the etiquette of a written letter of approach (as noted below).
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Follow the Golden Rules of Networking
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Be patient as you follow-up with attempts to schedule the meeting
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At the meeting, be sure to ask your igniter questions
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Request 3 additional referrals
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Send a thank you note within three days after the networking meeting
Letter of Approach
Most business communication is sent via e-mail. Because of the sheer volume of emails sent back and forth, many times an email will sit unread especially if it comes from someone unknown to the person (or name not recognized by the person). On the other hand a well written, folded letter sent through the US mail in a business-sized envelope will stand, out and get read.
A well-written Letter of Approach includes:
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In the first sentence - the name of the person who referred you.
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In the second sentence - indicate why this person referred you.
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Second paragraph - make a clear statement that you do not expect them to know of or have a job; that you are requesting information only.
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Third paragraph - request 20 minutes of their time. Highlight briefly the most important questions you would like to ask.
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Conclusion: “I will follow up with you shortly to arrange a date and time which is mutually convenient.” Don’t forget to let the person who referred you know you have sent a Letter of Approach (in case your new contact speaks with your referee).
Telephone Communications
Effective letters of approach can create a polished and professional first impression. But to continue communicating by way of postal service is often labeled “snail mail.” Telephone (cell phone) or electronic communications, however, can create a much more efficient and quicker response to:
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Set up meetings
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Confirm information
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Keep in touch on a regular basis
Telephone communications means the human voice using proper telephone etiquette and techniques. Effective use of the telephone requires thorough preparation. Remember - the primary mode of communication is sound; or more specifically the spoken word. Preparation, therefore, consists of carefully choosing words, phrases, and sentences relative to your subject; then planning how to use them for maximum effect.
The major goal of pre-planning is to eliminate wasted time: yours certainly, but more importantly that of the person you are calling. A well thought-out phone call will sound focused and professional and will duplicate that same professional image you created in your letter of approach. An impactful telephone call will produce a more cooperative response than would an off-the-cuff, unprepared call requesting unorganized information.
TELEPHONE FOLLOW-UP: PREPARE – PREPARE – PREPARE
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Always use the name of the person who referred you
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Be prepared to deal with gatekeepers… it is their job to screen calls
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Be friendly, but be persistent
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When telephoning to set a time to meet, always ask if your target has a moment to talk. If not, ask when a better time to call back is.
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Your primary objective is to arrange a face-to-face meeting (20 minutes)
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Establish a meeting time and place (be creative)
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Be prepared to do your information meeting on the phone then and there, if that is your only option.
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Have your calendar available
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Thank your contact and confirm the agreed upon meeting details
SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT – SETTING UP AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW
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Use this script as a starting point and modify in your own words and circumstances.
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You have less than 30 seconds to make a positive impression and communicate your purpose.
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To sound confident, standup while you are talking. Make sure your voice pitch goes down at the end of your sentences. If it goes up, you will sound unsure and tentative.
Greeting and Reference to Referral | "Hello (contact's name). (Referral's name) recommended I contact you"
Purpose | "I am currently researching (industry, function, etc.) and (referral’s name) thought you would be an excellent resource for me to find out (information you are seeking). The reason I am interested in this information is…
Reassurance | "I want to emphasize that I am gathering information at this time in my job search. I clearly do not expect you to know about any job opportunities. My intent is to benefit from your knowledge and experience in (industry, function, etc.)"
Ask For Meeting | "Would you be available to meet with me to discuss these issues for 20 minutes sometime next week? Would (e.g. Tuesday morning) be convenient, or is there a better time for you?"
Confirm Meeting Location | "I will meet you at (time) on (date) (in your office) at (location) on (day/date)."
Thank You | "Thank you for your time. I’m looking forward to talking with you."
The Golden Rules of Networking
Regardless of how badly you want a job, to be successful at in-person informational networking, you must follow the Golden Rules of Networking:
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Never ask contacts for a job
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Never expect contacts to have a job for you
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Never expect contacts to know of a job that would be right for you
The Golden Rules of Networking are important because
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It immediately lets the person “off the hook” in terms of them feeling any responsibility to have a job for you.
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By following the rules you can relax and truly learn about the person you have worked so hard to meet.
Following-Up
Be patient as you follow-up with attempts to schedule a meeting. It is easy to become frustrated when your letter goes unanswered and your follow-up calls unreturned. However, your patience will be rewarded eventually. Each time you meet a contact you build another advocate in your job search. Every referral you receive helps build your credibility, your personal brand, and your knowledge of the job market.
Follow the Rule of 3/30
When it comes to following-up on Letters of Approach, utilize the Rule of 3/30. The Rule of 3/30 is that you want to make 3 contacts every 30 days. This translates to about one follow-up call every 10 days and communicates that you are persistent, but not a pest.
A week before the Meeting
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Send a quick email reminder with the Subject: Confirmation. After a brief greeting, confirm the date, time and location of your meeting in the body of the email.
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If available, provide a meeting agenda with questions you want to ask. If your questions are not prepared at this point, send another email no less than 2 days before your meeting with your most important questions. Cut, paste, and update your original Letter of Approach to include your key questions of interest. SEE Sample Questions to Ask – Exhibit 16-3
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Make sure to include your cell phone in case there are any last minute changes.
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Re-emphasize the Golden Rules of Networking.
At the Meeting
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Begin with a quick update regarding the person who referred you
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Thank them for seeing you
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Mention you plan to take only 20 minutes of their time
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Review the Golden Rules of Networking
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Lead into the agenda for the meeting by referring to your latest email
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Make sure you have a copy of your resume and cover letter in a manila folder (to provide only if asked)
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Dynamics of Interviewing (Details covered Effective Interviewing)
You have worked long and hard to get to this point. It has taken weeks or even months to get on the interviewee’s schedule. Twenty minutes of quality time will fly by. Realistically, if you get two or three of your questions answered, you have done well.
Watch the time
If you said you were going to stay for only 20 minutes, at 18 minutes - close your notes and begin to end the interview by saying something like “this has been a wonderful meeting, I really appreciate the opportunity to learn from you. I mentioned I would only stay for 20 minutes, and I don’t mean to take up any more of your time.” Stand up, extend your hand, and be prepared to leave. Fully expect to end the interview by saying something like “I have learned so much today. Thank You!” In my experience, the person you are interviewing with will ask you to sit back down. They usually say something like “Please stay - I know you requested 20 minutes, but I planned an hour for our appointment.”
Don’t Forget to “Ask for the Sale”
If you are invited to stay, be sure to watch the person’s body language. Your extended visit will soon be over. When they start to look at their watch or clock on the wall, start to fidget, or if they have been taking notes and suddenly close their pad, they are they are communicating to you that the interview is over. Thank them and as you are ready to close say “Before I go, one last quick question - are there two or three other contacts you might recommend I connect with to have a similar conversation regarding the industry?” This is your rapport check. If they willingly provide additional contacts for you, they have signed on as members of your job search team. Their willingness to lend their good reputation to you after just one meeting is a strong indicator of just how successful you were at building rapport. If not, when you write your thank you note that night, be sure to mention that you will follow up shortly to see if any other contacts (to network with) came to mind.
Cultivating Connectors
Sometime you may need additional help to cultivate a connector within the community. Marcus, a trailing spouse, joined Professionals in Transition and was trying to network into a major bank here in town. Chris (a graduate of our program) suggested to Marcus he consider getting his haircut done by a particular barber whose shop was across the street from the bank. “Even though I don’t have much hair to worry about,” Chris commented “my barber has become a great friend over the years and knows everybody in town.”
Chris shared that “practically all of the top management of the banks as well as the top law firms downtown got their haircuts by Frankie (his barber) and Frankie had known most of them for many years.” He provided Frankie’s phone number and suggested he call ahead. Chris recommended he use his name but to be prepared for a long wait to get on the much “in-demand” barber’s schedule. It took Marcus nearly three weeks to get on Frankie’s schedule. After his third haircut, the barber asked him what he did for a living. Marcus shared that he was new in town and was a trailing spouse who had worked for a major bank in his old city. Frankie said “I know three people you should talk to, but I’m not exactly sure what they do at their banks these days. I’ve been cutting their hair for the past 20 years since they were young bucks.” He handed Marcus direct dial telephone numbers of who turned out to be the VP of Advertising, the Director of Marketing, and a Senior VP of Finance for several well-established banks. Less than two months later, Marcus was employed as a manager at one of the banks.
Why is this true story so important? Frankie prequalified Marcus by providing a link to key decision-makers at the bank who were his customers for years. He didn’t know the referrals positions at the bank, but thought they would help Marcus in some way. After a series of very successful interviews, Marcus was confident a job offer was forthcoming. However because of a hiring freeze, everything came to a grounding halt.
When an assistant manager became very ill, Marcus was hired (in a temporary position) to help fill the gap that was created. This position opened without warning and because of the sensitive circumstances this position, would never have been advertised. An unfortunate circumstance created an immediate need, and Marcus was there. Even though this was a temporary assignment, the sudden opening gave Marcus the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities which eventually led to a permanent position.
Didn’t Marcus just get lucky? Earl Nightengale, in his CD series Lead the Field, comments “Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness.” Was Marcus in the right place at the right time? Of course - but there was no way for him or the bank to anticipate the sudden need that arose. Once Frankie provided the names of his customers to him, it was up to Marcus to follow-up on the leads given by the barber. Frankie’s relationship got Marcus through the banks’ doors, but Marcus had to prove his worth forward.
As you move through the networking process, you may begin to hear the same names mentioned. The more often you hear them, the greater your sense of urgency should become to go see them. No one, regardless of how high up they are, is off-limits as long as you can get a referral to him or her. Successful people know successful people.
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Always Send a Thank You Note (See: Exhibit 16-4)
It is human nature to want to feel appreciated. When someone has extended you the courtesy of referring you to a contact or reserving time to talk with you regarding an informational interview, you should always follow-up with a short, business toned thank you note - simple, to the point, and promptly returned to the individual.
Depending on the nature of the informational interview (artsy or creative in nature versus manufacturing or laborious), your thank you note can be hand written and mailed or typed in a business format and mailed. It is common, convenient, and acceptable to email a thank you note making sure all parties in the informational interview are copied. (But remember the volume of email received may delay the reading of your good intentions.)
Social Networking
How does Social Networking apply to your job search?
Time is of the essence during your job search. Social networking is not an opportunity for you to invest untold hours of your limited job search time trying to attempt and master a new website that you have never used before (unless it is one of the five key types below). If you are already familiar with a particular social media, keep using it for your job search, but not for games or idle chat.
When teaching, I always suggest a “narrow and deep” approach to social networking as the most efficient use of your time. It is far more effective to have a deep knowledge of a few social websites than to have shallow knowledge of a wide variety of sites. By concentrating on a few select social websites, you will be able to:
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Learn them more quickly
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Use them more effectively; and
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Coordinate them to work together creating a job search electronic umbrella.
Social Networking Sites I would recommend as a must have for your job search (even if you have to learn them) are:
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SimplyHired.com or Indeed.com (both job aggregators that streamline your online job search by utilizing keywords based on a profile you created to funnel specialized jobs emailed to you).
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Skype.com (allows free “computer to computer” calling and conferencing)
What does this mean for you?
LinkedIn is an online business directory of professionals and companies you can use for job searching, networking, research, following target companies, and connecting with people you have worked with or may have known in some other business relationship.
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You begin by creating a LinkedIn profile which serves as a mini resume. This will give you an immediate Internet presence; and in my experience, your LinkedIn presence will always be listed first when your name is searched on the Web.
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Once your profile has been established, business associates/friends can add a recommendation for you regarding your professional reputation and/or skills. Recommendations can contribute to a positive online image that can impact future hiring decisions.
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LinkedIn will also allow you to search for other professionals which comes in very handy when preparing for job interviews or networking meetings.
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One helpful attribute of LinkedIn (especially if you’re geographically bound to an area by choice) is the ability to focus on a particular position you may be looking for. LinkedIn will call up positions posted within a specified parameter (you have set) and list people that you know or is known to work for the company where a job is posted.
Log into your LinkedIn account; then into your SimplyHired account - when you click on positions listed in SimplyHired, it will show you people already registered at LinkedIn that you know or others that work in the company who belong to LinkedIn. The listing will be in the right-hand column with the headline: “Who Do I Know?”
You can also join LinkedIn Groups and participate in conversations that are topic driven further increasing your online visibility.
I recommend reading a great series of articles written by Allison Doyle on LinkedIn located at The Balance.
Susan Adams in a Forbes Magazine article on how Employers and Recruiters utilize LinkedIn summarizes the process in the following way: “Recruiters find potential job candidates based on mandatory requirements including: geographic, number of years of experience, degree, qualifications…It’s the tangibles, the nuts and bolts and vetting candidates against the core minimum criteria…Often the first contact is short and informal…Usually it is a short e-mail, with additional, more detailed e-mails that follow… This helps the recruiter get a better understanding and decide if additional interviews will follow.”
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Why are Job Search Aggregators so important for your job search?
Here is what the undercoverrecruiter.com has to say: “The main reason for you to use an aggregator is that you will search through all jobs in one go. You will not find as many results from your search anywhere else. The comprehensive search will pull up results from job boards, newspaper’s job sections, company career pages, recruiter sites and more…The other reason to use a job search engine is that you save lots of time. Instead of hopping through 10 job boards per day, just use your favorite aggregator and rest assured that you have all bases covered. The time you save can be put to good use for the other aspects of your job search.”
Source: UndercoverRecruiter.
You will know that the job aggregator you choose is doing its job when you see duplicates of the position posted across multiple websites. Be careful to only post once for the position, regardless of how many times it may appear. The top two aggregators are Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com. Feel free to use one or both.
Remember - job aggregators are dependent on the profiles you build. The profiles are built on the keywords you use. Be sure to periodically check industry specific job boards (like Dice.com for Information Technology or SalesGravy.com for Sales…) to insure you stay on top of emerging trends, correct names of positions, and that keywords you are using are current to positions being posted.
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The Importance of Skype
Skype® is widely known as a software application (now owned by Microsoft) which allows you to make free or low cost calls across the Internet to other Skype users, cell phones, and VoIP lines. If you are job searching, setting up a Skype account will enable you to do informational interviews (with out-of-town businesses) and also be able to confidently conduct video interviewing (if a potential employer asks.)
But Skype® is about more than just making free calls from your PC. With Skype® you can send and receive instant messages, collaborate and share documents, and share desktops.
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Google.com is a search engine designed to find information quickly and efficiently from multiple online resources. For a complete picture on how to use Google®, I would recommend reading: Search Engine Land’s Guide to Google available at: http://searchengineland.com/guide/google
If you have never used Google before, start with: http://searchengineland.com/guide/how-to-use-google-to-search
A Google + account will also allow you to:
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Create a professional job search-only email address which should contain your first name separated by a period and last name if available (I had to settle for birkeldamian@gmail.com - this email address should appear on your resume and all professional correspondence).
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In addition, you are able to upload (from your computer) all documents you may be using in your job search. Copying documents from your laptop to your Google+ account is a snap.
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Additional features include: a calendar; the ability to pull contacts from other computers; and the ability to access other search engine email accounts. You will also see links to your calendar and your documents.
Source: The Balance
What about the “Social Directory” - Facebook®
In addition to the many things Facebook® has provided to over 1 billion users, it has recently launched a Social Jobs application in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, DirectEmployers Association, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. The app has job listings from other online job boards like BranchOut, DirectEmployers Association, Work4Labs, Jobvite and Monster.com. Right now, users can browse through more than 1.7 million openings.
Like many job search engines, Facebook’s Social Jobs app allows users to search for jobs by keyword, job category, subcategory, and location. Clicking on a particular job in the app brings up the details on the Facebook page of the service through which it's listed. There users are able to learn more about the posting and apply if interested.
Source: CityTownInfo.com
For more information on how to use this Facebook app, See: https://www.facebook.com/socialjobs/app_417814418282098
Remember - Facebook is used both socially and professionally; LinkedIn is strictly business. There have been cases where people have lost jobs because of updates posted on Facebook; and employers are being sued by employees for demanding Facebook passwords/profiles.
Source: Wired.com.
Bottom line - Job Seekers Beware…ABC News reports: “It's become standard practice for employers and schools to peruse potential applicants' Facebook profiles. But in some cases, they are going even further: Some have demanded applicants hand over their passwords so they can view individual's restricted profiles…” "It's an invasion of privacy for private employers to insist on looking at people's private Facebook pages as a condition of employment or consideration in an application process," said Catherine Crump, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, on the ACLU's website. "People are entitled to their private lives.”
Source: ABCnews.com.
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Be Careful what You Say on Facebook® and the Pictures You Upload
More than one interview has been cancelled as a result of poorly managed Facebook pages. My cousin is the Director of Engineering, Career Development, for a major university in Kentucky - he has seen numerous times when a student has made it to the final interview list only to be crossed off the day of interview because of his Facebook contents.
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Why Only Five Websites?
When it comes to job searching, it is important to concentrate on the critical few (20%) that produce the greatest results. Equally important is to avoid the 80% of websites that waste your time. This is an illustration of the Pareto Principle better known as the 80/20 Rule. Here is why:
LinkedIn.com
The more you use Linked in.com and the better you become at using this application. The site allows you to proactively reach out to people who may be able to help you with your job search through informational interviewing, insider information, knowing the culture of your target companies, and possible insight to the hiring manager of the positions that you seek.
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SimplyHired.com or Indeed.com
Set up your profiles. Periodically check your keywords and let these sites do the work for you by having them email jobs to you.
Skype.com
Create your Skype account and utilize for follow-up calls. This comes in particularly handy if you are searching outside of your geographic area. If this is the case, you may want to upgrade to the paid service which will allow you to call landlines as well as cell phones.
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Google.com or Google+
Utilize Google for in-depth research and Google”+” to organize your job search.
Jibber Jobber
Another option which allows you to manage and track relationships, integrate contacts + companies + jobs data, and create and get action item reminders (for follow-up) is www.jibberjobber.com. Choose one or the other - Google+ or JibberJobber.
Facebook.com
Utilize Facebook Social Jobs app available at https://www.facebook.com/socialjobs/app_417814418282098
How Much Time Do I Spend on Social Networking?
Most job seekers spend too much time on the computer practicing social networking. Valuable hours are wasted that instead could have been channeled more productively away from the computer. Personal time invested in meeting people and giving back to the community by volunteering are far more productive and rewarding. Time spent nurturing contacts (attending business events, helping others, or participating in informational interviews) are more beneficial than the incredible amount of time required to learn a new social network site from scratch.
The importance of in-person networking rather than social networking (as it applies to your job search) really hits home when you review "The Multi-Generational Job Search" a study conducted by Millennial Branding and Beyond.com. The study reveals that all generations spend almost their entire time job searching online instead of offline (person-to-person networking).
Even though 80% of all jobs come through the Hidden Job Market and are obtained through relationships established through in-person networking, the study showed that Baby Boomers spend 96% of their job search online while Gen X and Y were not far behind. Another way to look at this is that only 4-5% of job seekers’ time is spent on in-person networking.
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What Does this Mean to You?
There is no one right way to find a job. At Professionals In Transition®, I like to mention at our weekly meeting the importance of “having as many torpedoes in the waters of reemployment as possible”. This means you want to have as many torpedoes firing at the same time as possible, like responding to positions online, attending job fairs, volunteering, attending church, and other public events...
Social Networking is just another tool in your job search toolbox. Use it wisely.