My apologies. My last post might have been sweet to some, but it wasn't short to anyone (even me)!
This one will be.
If you are going to have a LinkedIn profile, and I suggest that you do, have a completed profile. If I "google" you or look for you on LinkedIn and I find a partial profile I might think you aren't committed, you aren't able to follow-through, you aren't detail oriented or you aren't really serious about your search.
Remember that many recruiters use LinkedIn as their primarily source for "hot candidates", so don't miss out!
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Get out of your house! Go, now, yes, immediately...
This will be short and sweet. This isn't new news but if you haven't been in search for a few years and you weren't afforded outplacement services, it's possible you haven't heard this...so here it is. The plain truth. You will not likely find your next new job in your house sitting behind your computer screen.
My suggestion to you is that you spend about 30% of your time in the first few weeks of your search building your job search network on LinkedIn and IRL (in real life) and then cut that time back to maybe 10% for maintenance throughout your search. It will take you a few weeks to get your new resume in order, create a couple versions, establish a few themes and variation of your cover letter and develop a plan on how you will approach the market and your search in particular. Once you've done all of this, most (80-90%) of your time should be spent out of the house meeting with people.
I would suggest a good balance and combination of group networking meetings (join a group or two - there are many to choose from), networking events, informational interviews (contact me if you don't know what this is all about and how to make them productive) and actual interviews.
It may make you "feel" more in control of your search by applying for countless jobs online and scouring job boards for positions that are posted. Keep this in mind. Jobs posted online most likely have a pipeline of candidates ahead of you, so I'm not suggesting you shouldn't apply, but do so with this knowledge. Also, take time to match up your applications with your network...find out who you know that works at the company you are applying to and ask them to support your efforts.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
My suggestion to you is that you spend about 30% of your time in the first few weeks of your search building your job search network on LinkedIn and IRL (in real life) and then cut that time back to maybe 10% for maintenance throughout your search. It will take you a few weeks to get your new resume in order, create a couple versions, establish a few themes and variation of your cover letter and develop a plan on how you will approach the market and your search in particular. Once you've done all of this, most (80-90%) of your time should be spent out of the house meeting with people.
I would suggest a good balance and combination of group networking meetings (join a group or two - there are many to choose from), networking events, informational interviews (contact me if you don't know what this is all about and how to make them productive) and actual interviews.
It may make you "feel" more in control of your search by applying for countless jobs online and scouring job boards for positions that are posted. Keep this in mind. Jobs posted online most likely have a pipeline of candidates ahead of you, so I'm not suggesting you shouldn't apply, but do so with this knowledge. Also, take time to match up your applications with your network...find out who you know that works at the company you are applying to and ask them to support your efforts.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Job seekers not on LinkedIn...don't exist!
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's really true these days. If you are a job seeker...of practically any age or profession/occupation and you aren't using LinkedIn, you aren't on the radar screen of recruiting firms or HR professionals within companies. Now, that's not the only reason to use LinkedIn and I don't consider myself an expert - but I might know a few! What I will say, as a long-time hiring manager and more importantly a professional that has been a job seeker a couple of times over the last seven years, is that LinkedIn has been a real game changer.
In the last few weeks I've met with college interns, professionals early in their careers and old-timers (like me). One thing is true...connecting with people that can help you in your search is a key to success and doing this without the benefit of LinkedIn is painful.
Let's go deeper:
Let's say you are interested in working at XYZ company. You have 50 people that are on your contact list (not on LinkedIn) and you ask them all if they or someone they know work for or have worked for XZY company. All 50 say "no".
Here's the problem. These 50 people certainly know for sure whether they have worked at XYZ company. But can all 50 of those people say for sure that within their contact list they don't know someone at XYZ company or that their contacts don't know someone who works at XYZ company...you get the picture. With a few key strokes LinkedIn can help you determine if you, someone you know or someone they know, works or has worked at XYZ company. It's brilliant and powerful and it works!! (It's a lot like Six Degrees of "Kevin Bacon")
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
In the last few weeks I've met with college interns, professionals early in their careers and old-timers (like me). One thing is true...connecting with people that can help you in your search is a key to success and doing this without the benefit of LinkedIn is painful.
Let's go deeper:
Let's say you are interested in working at XYZ company. You have 50 people that are on your contact list (not on LinkedIn) and you ask them all if they or someone they know work for or have worked for XZY company. All 50 say "no".
Here's the problem. These 50 people certainly know for sure whether they have worked at XYZ company. But can all 50 of those people say for sure that within their contact list they don't know someone at XYZ company or that their contacts don't know someone who works at XYZ company...you get the picture. With a few key strokes LinkedIn can help you determine if you, someone you know or someone they know, works or has worked at XYZ company. It's brilliant and powerful and it works!! (It's a lot like Six Degrees of "Kevin Bacon")
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Arriving Early to an Interview
I do share some of this kind of thing in one of my job finding tips packets, but it's worth a post here. When asked to interview in person...
Scope out the location if you're unfamiliar with the area - saves getting lost the day of the interview and being late.
Get gas and prep your wardrobe the day before so you aren't rushed and so that you don't run the risk of getting gas on your suite, showing up smelling like "Petrol Fragrance #5".
Take water or accept water, but you won't need coffee, you'll already be nervous enough and it's too hard to manage.
Yes, send a thank you note! Hand written or email...that's a style and context question, but always always send a thank you note.
There's more to say, but for today I'll end with this. DON'T be too early. Had someone show up 20 minutes early for an interview this week. That's almost worse than being late. If you arrive early, sit in your car and wait to enter. Ten minutes early is maximum and that's pushing it in my book.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Scope out the location if you're unfamiliar with the area - saves getting lost the day of the interview and being late.
Get gas and prep your wardrobe the day before so you aren't rushed and so that you don't run the risk of getting gas on your suite, showing up smelling like "Petrol Fragrance #5".
Take water or accept water, but you won't need coffee, you'll already be nervous enough and it's too hard to manage.
Yes, send a thank you note! Hand written or email...that's a style and context question, but always always send a thank you note.
There's more to say, but for today I'll end with this. DON'T be too early. Had someone show up 20 minutes early for an interview this week. That's almost worse than being late. If you arrive early, sit in your car and wait to enter. Ten minutes early is maximum and that's pushing it in my book.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Non-Profit Jobs
IMO,...
I was speaking to a job seeker last night and mentioned to him the website Jobs That Serve - Milwaukee http://epic.cuir.uwm.edu/entech/jobs/ - He hadn't heard of it and while I think it's pretty well known, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to share something that might help others.
Remember, Non-Profits don't have a lot of money to advertise, so looking on their website directly is advisable as well. Another way to cultivate leads like these is to search on Linkedin - not just their job board, but within your contacts...you can never tell if you will have a 2nd or 3rd degree contact at the Non-Profit you are dying to work for!
A little on the 101 side, but even if you find a posted position (on a company website, job board, etc) use your Linkedin site to determine if you know anyone there that can recommend you, serve as a reference or give you some intel on the company/organization culture.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
I was speaking to a job seeker last night and mentioned to him the website Jobs That Serve - Milwaukee http://epic.cuir.uwm.edu/entech/jobs/ - He hadn't heard of it and while I think it's pretty well known, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to share something that might help others.
Remember, Non-Profits don't have a lot of money to advertise, so looking on their website directly is advisable as well. Another way to cultivate leads like these is to search on Linkedin - not just their job board, but within your contacts...you can never tell if you will have a 2nd or 3rd degree contact at the Non-Profit you are dying to work for!
A little on the 101 side, but even if you find a posted position (on a company website, job board, etc) use your Linkedin site to determine if you know anyone there that can recommend you, serve as a reference or give you some intel on the company/organization culture.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Have you been searching a while?
I'm going to start a little in the middle. We'll cover other stuff at some point, but I wanted to get a few things out for people to use right away. First - why listen to me? Well, maybe you shouldn't, but I've been a job seeker a couple times and I've been a Hiring Manager my entire career. Read on or don't :)
A few ideas to share today:
1.) If you've been in search for a while - take a vacation. Just like when we have jobs, we need a breather now and then. A chance to recharge. Not a long one, but a day or so.
2.) If you've been in search for six (6) months or more, it's time to take a step back and get some perspective. Call your closest friends together and ask them to evaluate your job search work. Are you doing the same thing over and over again and it's not working? Stop. Do ONE (1) thing differently today.
3.) If you've been in search for six (6) months or longer and you haven't considered: a.) contract work b.) volunteer work c.) internships, do so now. I have found success in contract work and volunteer work that lead to jobs.
Like with anything in life and as Yogie Berra once said "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else." - If you have a plan, evaluate it and make changes to it. If you don't have a plan, get one.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
A few ideas to share today:
1.) If you've been in search for a while - take a vacation. Just like when we have jobs, we need a breather now and then. A chance to recharge. Not a long one, but a day or so.
2.) If you've been in search for six (6) months or more, it's time to take a step back and get some perspective. Call your closest friends together and ask them to evaluate your job search work. Are you doing the same thing over and over again and it's not working? Stop. Do ONE (1) thing differently today.
3.) If you've been in search for six (6) months or longer and you haven't considered: a.) contract work b.) volunteer work c.) internships, do so now. I have found success in contract work and volunteer work that lead to jobs.
Like with anything in life and as Yogie Berra once said "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else." - If you have a plan, evaluate it and make changes to it. If you don't have a plan, get one.
People want to help you, but you have to tell them how! Like the Yellow Brick Road, job search is scary, uncertain and long, but there are people along the way who can help!
You can do this!
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