Your Job Search Questions and Answers

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.

Remember, we are retained executive recruiters so the answers and thoughts come strictly from that perspective.

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.

Do You Avoid Contact in your Job Search Networking?

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.

The very best job search networkers reduce their job search time by half or more through turning the job hunt into a contact sport like basketball. Discover the best practices of master networkers who make job search networking a contact sport.

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.

Barry

photo credit karenphotos

Job Referrals – Do you base them on luck and hope?

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.

Barry

Networking Failure – Stop Being Beige

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?

Have you read our book, This is NOT the Position I Accepted, which  has an entire chapter devoted to job search networking.

We offer as a service a Strategic Networking Plan for Executive Level Candidates –  have you asked for an initial assessment to determine if you’re a victim of being beige?

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?

Getting the ‘Dirty Ear’ When You Network? (You Better Hope Not!)

Barry

Why Networking Fails Most of the Time

Many candidates wonder why they don’t get more job lead referrals and opportunities. Many assume that if they get an account on Twitter, Facebook, and Linked, attend networking meetings, and call all their friends/relatives/former co-workers – the referrals and opportunities should have the phone ringing off the hook.

Not likely!

Even if you have 2000 followers on Twitter, 500 on LinkedIn, and attend two networking meetings a month.

One of the desired outcomes from job search networking is to obtain qualified referrals and opportunities for jobs for which you might like to apply. Why then do very few of these trickle through your network?

The reason very few people are willing to refer job leads and opportunities is because they don’t yet trust you enough to make a referral.

Now you might ask, how do I gain that trust.

One of the ways to gain trust is to start giving back to your network before you start taking. This might take the form of referring job leads you hear about (that you’re not interested in) to others in your network. It might take the form of helping someone in your network develop a better 30 second elevator pitch. It might take the form of tweeting useful tips and suggestions from the job search you’re currently conducting.

The more people in your network see you as a giver, a “connector” of others, and a resource for information, the more they will begin to trust you and want to be givers to you.

This process of building trust within networking to generate referrals takes on average 3-6 months of very active and disciplined work. The result is that you can reduce your job search time dramatically.

We’ve got a very active discussion going on in our LinkedIn Discussion Group for Job Search regarding networking. Join us for that discussion by clicking here.

We also frequently discuss job search networking in our Internet Talk Radio Show on a weekly basis. Grab one of our audio downloads and start networking more effectively. You can listen and download the audio programs from our weekly show by clicking here.

Comment on this blog post about how you go “above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty” with your network to be a giver/connector/resource. Post a comment about the plan you just put together to change the way you network to generate referrals.

Barry

graphic credit Nima

Building Relationships Gets Job Leads

STOP NETWORKING TO FIND A JOB. Instead learn how to develop relationships so you have people marketing and selling you. Interview with Dave Elliott. Learn how to convert networking contacts that forget about you, into a relationships that become advocates for you. The key to successful networking is getting a 100 or 200 people that know you to become your sales team. Dave Elliot will show you how he does it and how you too can take networking contacts and turn them into relationships.

Every Monday from 11 – noon Pacific time, on www.latalkradio.com you can listen live as we discuss every aspect of your job search.

To download and listen to this show and all our radio shows just go to our audio library.  CLICK HERE

STOP Job Search Networking: Complete Waste of Time

Networking is one of the most important first steps in a job search. However, the manner in which most candidates approach job search networking is horrific. It’s useful, ineffective, and frustrating to watch. STOP conducting traditional job search networking — it is a complete waste of time.

In our LIVE Interent Radio Talk Show, we’ll show you how to build a powerful job search network that quickly begins to yield an abundance of job search leads, referrals, and opportunities. If you missed our LIVE Internet Radio Talk Show which we conduct every Monday 11-Noon PST on LATALKRADIO.com, you can still listen to the audio recording. We post all our Job Search and Career Management Radio Broadcasts within 24-48 hours after the LIVE show in our FREE Job Search Audio Library.