In my last post on Job Search Voyerism, I mentioned that I would explore each of the 7 Steps in more depth. In future posts, we’ll jump into even more detail about each of these steps.
Step 2: You have my permission to “lurk” or “kibbitz” for two weeks. After that, you must promise to become active in the group. There are approximately 1500 members in this group who network with each other in their job search, share ideas and strategies about jobs, interviewing, networking, salary negotiations, and much more. Many members of the group also pose questions for help, such as asking who knows someone in a particular company, how to overcome a negative in the interview, or how to prepare for a homework assignment.
Step 3: Start to comment on job search articles and sites in the news tab that other group members have shared. Start to comment on the discussions that other group members have started. Start your own discussion point, ask a question, and make a request for help on some element of your job search.
Step 4: Follow Brad and Barry on Twitter. Check out the variety of tweets, useful job search articles, and comments we make about postings by candidates. Start tweeting about your job search.
Step 5:Sign up to receive our Career and Job Search Blog in whatever feeder you use to read blogs. I highly recommend Google Reader. Make sure to post comments on the blog articles Brad and I write.
Step 6: Now that you’ve joined our LinkedIn Discussion Group on Job Search and you’ve practiced and gotten the hang of being an active community/group member, start joining other groups that fit your function expertise (ie marketing or financial management), industry specialization, and alumni group. Become active members of these groups.
Step 7: Now that you’ve subscribed to our Career and Job Search Blog, you understand how to read blog postings in a feed reader like Google Reader, and you’ve started commenting directly on blog postings, start subscribing to a few blogs that are in your functional expertise, industry specialization, alumni group, and in the area of job search, job hunt, interviewing – basically anything to do with finding a job. Become an active contributor on those blogs.
These are just a few small steps in beginning to create a personal brand for yourself, improving your job leads and referrals, strengthening your job search networking, and starting to make your voice heard to “differentiate” yourself.
Tell us what you’re doing right now in your job search that is similar or comparable to the steps laid out in this post. How are you making your voice heard?
Engaging recruiters is an important component of one’s job search. As recruiters with over 50 years collective experience we discuss the best way to ensure recruiters respond to you. It is more than just sending in resumes and hoping you get the call. This show discusses concrete things you can start doing now to build a relationship with recruiters. In addition, there are many types of recruiters and a lot of different reasons to engage some but not others. In less than one hour you can find out how best engage the right recruiter for your career.
Many candidates join groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, Ning, Yahoo and on a variety of other platforms to languish in “lurker” land. What’s the use of joining a group unless you’re willing to actively participate? Is not one of the major reasons for joining groups on-line or off-line to network in your job search?
One of the most powerful methods of networking for job hunting is to become known to other group members through your posting of job search-related articles, sharing of informational links/sites (a major element of active Twitter networking), that might help other job seekers, and commenting on the posts by others. Learn about networking in our 5-Step Career Success Methodology.
Through your active “voice”, others in the group get to know you, trust you, and start to go out of their way to help you when you become a valued member of their community.
For those who are a little shy, reserved, and introverted, what better method exists to let your voice be heard? You don’t have to engage in physical groups, you don’t have to formulate a response on the spot (you can think about it, analyze, and carefully craft your on-line message). and you don’t have to portray yourself as an extrovert in a live setting.
Allow me to offer a starting point for beginning the journey of letting your voice be heard on-line to improve your job search networking:
Here are Seven Steps you Can Take to end job search voyeurism:
On Friday from 9 – 10 AM PDT we often conduct free “Candidate Open Forums.” These are conference calls open to all of our candidates, in which we discuss topics and answer questions directly from you – our candidates. Unfortunately, we are limited to 50 people on the line at one time, so often we can’t get to all of the questions submitted ahead of time via email.
We believe these are important, so from time to time in this blog we will discuss the topics and questions we, 1) don’t get to during the conference call, 2) are asked over and over again (so these are probably on your mind too), and 3) just consider important for you to know.
1) Chronological vs. functional resume?Easy answer – NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, use a functional resume. In my almost 30 years of recruiting I have never had any recruiter or hiring manager support the functional resume. I have also been on many panels where all of the panelists agree to NEVER use a functional resume. Functional resumes just scream out,”Try to figure out what I’m trying to hide.” See our free audio file on resumes.
2) How do we overcome negatives such as age, turnover, time between jobs, etc? We believe you address them head on. If you have a negative, avoiding it doesn’t make it go away. We have a blog entry “Preemptive Strike” which you should also consider reading. If you have a negative item, you should bring it up straight away, discuss it openly and then whatever happens, happens. Don’t assume, “They didn’t bring it up so it must not be a problem.” They didn’t bring it up because they already settled it in their mind. You need to preempt any preconceived ideas before they come into play.
3) What is the best method and frequency for following up on a resume?For us, as recruiters, we prefer via email or one of the social media forums, Linkedin or Twitter. Recruiters have reduced staff just like many other companies, while the number of calls from candidates has skyrocketed. It isn’t possible to call every person. Email allows us to reply late at night, on weekends, or even while waiting in the lobby of a client. I can’t do that with phone calls. Regarding frequency, if in fact you are dead on perfect, then after two weeks send a follow-up email.
4) With so many top level executives in the market, how do you differentiate yourself from the pack? This is the 64,000 dollar question. We believe the best answer is to have a very compelling resume which is targeted specifically to the position. A generic, one size fits all resume will not differentiate you. That is what “generic” means. In today’s market our clients and therefore recruiters, are seeking very specific backgrounds. We are not looking for the proverbial, “Jack of all trades,” we are looking for the, “King or Queen for a specific role.”
5) Is negotiating with the employer different today due to the economic situation, and if so how? There is a difference given today’s market. For example, most companies will not relocate today especially in a large market area. Also, companies tend to be closed to severance agreements. If you aren’t working, they figure there is no reason to give an agreement and they are in control. You have to pick your issues and know where to compromise. This is all part of the pre-planning process for a job search. What issues will you compromise on and which ones should you dig in your heels?
This is enough for now, check back regularly for more Q&A.
We realize not everyone will agree with these answers and that is healthy. So if you don’t agree, or wish to comment, we encourage you to do so. Just click the link below.
We offer a wealth of free resources to anyone in a job search. To see what is available to help you simply CLICK HERE.
I coach High School Girls Basketball and I’ve noticed that the most successful girls love the physical contact of playing basketball – they attack defenders, they draw contact going to the basket, they get physical underneath the basket, and they don’t escort dribble-drive penetrators to the basket.
Job Search is like basketball (my HS daughter who also plays basketball frowns ever time I tell her I’m making another basketball metaphor – I just can’t help myself)
Candidates who are job hunting must seek out the face-to-face contact with others to conduct a successful job search. It’s not enough to sit behind a computer screen all day reading emails, answering job postings, and participating in on-line discussion groups. Learn the fundamental elements of job search networking and personal face-to-face contact through our 5-Step Career Success Methodology.
Here a 5 key thoughts to begin an introspective look at whether you’re doing enough in the physical contact element of your job search:
1. Do you belong to a job search networking group that meets at least every other week in your local community with people at the same level as yourself?
2. Are you asking for and obtaining information interviews with hiring managers who currently do not have any openings?
3. How many meetings are you doing every week with the “A” list of your network – those who are strong connectors and influencers – those with extensive networks – the 20% of your network that will generate 80% of your job leads and referrals.
4. Are you active in at least one non-profit group in your local community by which you’re making a valuable contribution and as a side benefit expanding your network?
5. Do you attend the meetings of the professional networking groups and local chapters of trade associations in your local community. For example, if you are a Controller or CFO, are you attending the FEI, FENG networking meetings. If your company is a manufacturer, do you also attend the local chapter meetings of APICS – the American Production and Inventory Control Society?
When you start getting out of the house and meeting people – one-on-one, in groups, at events – great results will start to happen. One of the basic elements of networking is that people are uncomfortable making referrals and giving you leads until they trust you. To gain trust, you’ve got meet and know people on a more personal level than email, twitter, Facebook wall postings, and lurking in discussion groups.
If you’re looking for a job, are you are frustrated that you’re NOT getting enough job referrals or job leads from your network? We explore the mistakes, errors, and frustrations candidates experience in trying to generate job referrals or job leads. We offer five key ideas in job search networking to guarantee you’ll generate an abundance of job referrals and job leads. Stop crossing your fingers and using hope as your primary strategy to obtain leads and referrals. Listen the best practices that can reduce your job hunt by half.
Do you get enough job referrals in your job search?
Are you willing to roll the dice on your network?
Is the quality and quantity of job referrals based more on hope and luck than a consistent and focused effort on ensuring you’ve got the right network in place to deliver the outcomes you absolutely must have?
When was the last time you gave your network a check-up?
One of the services we offer is a Networking Assessment and Strategic Networking Plan to measure the strength of your network and recommend solutions. Through this service, we’re stunned by the lack of proactivity and initiative in a job search by candidates to continually tweak and improve their network.
Here are a five key questions you should be asking yourself about the quality of your network. We’ll discuss these 5 questions about your network and much more in our weekly Internet Radio Talk Show on Monday June 8th at 11 AM PST on LATALKRADIO.com. Join us for an hour of an in-depth discussion around “Generating Job Referrals in your Job Search“.
1. Do I have a large enough network to generate the referrals needed for the type of job I’m interested in obtaining?
2. Are there a significant number of hiring managers in my network who hire for this type of position?
3. Is there a significant number of people in my network who know on a 1st degree basis the hiring managers who would hire for this position?
4. Are there trusted advisers in my network who provide services to my ultimate boss that might hear of opportunities and make job referrals (One example might be a advertising account manager selling advertising services to the marketing promotions manager who would be your direct boss at a consumer products company. Another example might be the CPA auditing a company who is working directly with the Controller who might be your potential new boss?
5. Are there a large number of people in your network who are not competing directly with you for the position, but might hear about the job opportunities due to their proximity to the type of work you’re interested in obtaining (For example, the engineer in the R&D function might be aware of a product development role in marketing or the materials specialist role in the supply chain department).
Try ranking yourself on these 5 core questions about the strength of your network on a scale of 1-5 (1 being you’re a long way from completing your job search and 5 makes you a rock star in networking). Which one of these 5 components of an effective network should you spend time developing.
Are there gaps in your network that you should be focused on filling?
I hope these questions stimulate your introspection about the quality and strength of your network to generate good job referrals.
Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, of TheLadders.com, Inc. recently sent out an email that didn’t surprise me as a recruiter, but may surprise many candidates. Marc indicated, “About 5% of the resumes we review get an “A” from us. The vast majority are “B”s and “C”s.” Given this statistic it might help candidates understand why their resume isn’t getting noticed.
As recruiters we often review upwards of 300 resumes for a search. Of those 300 hundred on average only 30 will get calls from us and 5 will go forward to the client.
The main reason for the low number of calls is too often candidates leave off so much important information, the reader just doesn’t have the full picture needed to go forward. This is basic information I’m alluding to. It is not reasonable to expect recruiters or hiring managers to call every person to determine if they excluded some vital information from their resume.
Having an “A” resume is the candidate’s responsibility. PERIOD. It is not the reader’s responsibility to try and figure out your background.
I applaud Marc for clearly stating what most recruiters already know.
We have a free 1 hour audio available to help you make sure you know what vital information to include on your resume. To download this free resource CLICK HERE and it will take you directly to the download.
Dale Dauten had a post the other day on the Career Realism Blog that caught my eye. Dale is a well-known author and blogger on networking. In his blog post, he “turned” a couple of phrases that really caused me to start thinking about why networking fails for most people – particularly candidates in a job search.
He suggests to “Stop Being Beige”. Dale offers metaphor of don’t wear beige and lean up against a beige wall. STOP being invisible in your job search, in your career in the office, and taken to an extreme — in life.
This conjures up images of fading into the woodwork of your network, being invisible in groups as a lurker, and hiding behind your mother’s skirt when you were 3. You don’t have to be the life of the party or the center of attention – but you do have to engage with others. Great things come from engagement with other people. If you’re uncomfortable in group gatherings (an important element of networking is getting out meeting others in groups), take some courses to overcome your fears and discomfort. Practice with your friends.
Risk a little – go a networking event (conquer your fears Geronimo – If you haven’t read the children’s book series on the mouse that conquers his fears I would encourage reading them – if the mouse can do it – so can you! Social Media Sites and On-line Social Networking is great – but no substitute for classic face-to-face “pressing the flesh” and physically meeting other people.
Dale Carnegie offers courses. There are hundreds of on-line resources about conquering your fear of engaging with others – blogs-webinars-articles-coaching. Toastmasters is one of the best places to build confidence speaking in front of groups – one of the best things I ever did in my 20’s was to participate in a Toastmaster’s Chapter for a couple of years.
My daughter plays on a high school varsity basketball team. Up until the last year she had pretty much mastered the art of being beige. Now she can’t be beige. She craves the play time on the varsity team. She’s learning at a very early stage in life that if there’s something you really want – you can’t afford to be beige – or you’ll ride the bench and observe from the sidelines – that’s no fun.
Read a new book once a week. Job Search, Networking, Personal Branding, Self-Help – the list is endless. Are you learning how to avoid being beige. What’s the last great book on job search or networking or personal branding you’ve read?
Brad and I moderate an Internet Talk Radio Show and cover a wide range of job search frustrations, mistakes, and best practices. Have you entered our virtual library of archived radio shows and listened to the programs on networking.
What are you doing right now to change and transform yourself from being beige?
Why is it that so many people don’t get started creating their personal brand?
Is it lack of time, fear of failure, not knowing what to do?
I don’t get it! Story after story, case study after case study, success example after success example -thousands of stories, case studies, and examples have proven that personal branding works
So – we cycle back to the original question – Why is it that so many people don’t get started creating their personal brand? Brad and I cover personal branding for your job search frequently in our Internet Radio Talk Show. Check out some of the previous broadcasts from our Radio Talk Show Library.
What are known for? What subjects and search terms would employers use to find you on the web?
If employers typed a particular search phrase into Google, would you appear as one of the top 10 listings?
Trends are beginning to show that companies are using job boards less and search tools/social media sites to find candidates. Are you still conducting a job search like it’s 1999 or are you conducting a job search leveraging all the tools now available in 2009?
Tell us why you haven’t started your strategy of personal branding yet – here’s some tactics top talent candidates use in personal branding – are you doing any of these?
Signing up for accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Digg, Friendfeed, Google Reader, Google Profile
Completely filling out the profile information on each of these sites
Frequent updates and particpation in group discussions, answering questions, posing questions, offering recommendations and ideas
Creating a blog and posting everyday about your subject matter expertise
