LinkedMinnesota Subgroups Launch Party (like it was 1999)

Thanks to everyone who made it to the LinkedMinnesota Subgroups Launch Party tonight! It was great to meet everyone (and do that thing called “networking”).   We love social media and LinkedIn – but nothing beats what “breathing the same air” with someone brings you.

For those of you local to Minneapolis, a reminder the Looking for Opportunities Subgroup Monthly meetings (held on the 3rd Thursday of the month) begins in October.   So come join us on October 18th for the inaugural meeting.   It’s a chance to network with peers, hiring managers and staffing professionals in the Twin Cites as well learn and share all aspects of the “looking for opportunities” lifecycle (even if you’re not looking right now).

Thanks also to Joule for hosting and  and Leeann Chinn for sponsoring (and catering some awesome food).

Facebook Strip Search

Having just successfully completed a job interviewing cycle, and having gone through more than my share of background checks for employers/clients (that required me to hand over my fingertips or a bottle of pale yellow liquid from time to time), I’m all for qualifying candidates.  I have often used “the Google”, Linked In or other tools on the “interwebs” during my hiring process (as have people that I have worked for – I know because they often have mentioned this blog during an interview).

Cutting to the chase, given the hue and cry in the news, I’m pretty sure I would think twice before giving my login credentials to my Facebook account during an interview. 

Let me be clear – I have nothing to hide on Facebook (which has mostly an open profile).  I assume that anything on my Facebook page is public – or may be  (“the web is forever”).   Therefore – sorry ladies – there’s no pictures of me shirtless on Facebook.  As my Facebook friends can tell you – my posts are mostly “tame” (and more often than not – much like this blog - obtuse and random).

The Right to Chose 

My pause to produce my Facebook passwords during an interview is based on – like the Bozo Interview Question – I don’t know why you care or what you intend to learn from my timeline?  Do you want me to dig up my high school yearbook so you can see what folks wrote in there (other than “stay gold”)?

How I look at it - unless I am applying for a job that requires top level clearance (TSA) or the job as your Social Media Director – it is likely not germane.  That being said – let that be a choice between me and the person interviewing me.  If you REALLY want to ask me for my password and I REALLY want the job – then you may get lucky and see pictures of my cats (who by the way – also have Facebook pages of their own).

Trying to write a law (Bill Would Put Facebook Off Limits To Employers) is silly and not needed. To quote my good friend Joe – “the marketplace is brutally efficient” and will take care of this hiring manager.  Companies will properly screen many candidates this way – which is to run away.

p.s. Max (the cat) said he’d also give his credentials to you for the right opportunity (such as Cat Food Quality Control Engineer).

Job Search: Matchmaking is not paper-based

I just go crazy when I read blog posts like Seven Reasons Why IT Recruiters Instantly Reject Resumes.  I’ve seen so many of these types of articles the past two years.   With a scolding tone up front in the mix, they are written by (what sounds like) weary recruiters complaining about how candidates resumes are making their life difficult and getting in the way of their payday.  

This latest post is littered with pandering prose:

If a company is going to pay a recruiter a significant retainer fee, they expect a perfect match…

If candidate is in medical software development and the job is in financial development - the recruiter will not be calling...

Any good recruiter can find a candidate with that current familiarity…

Companies are not paying recruiters to help candidates transfer their skills from one field to another…

Although these statements are based in truths (you never want to give anyone a reason to reject your resume) – it is just looking at the problem the wrong way and it diminishes the extreme value that top staffing professionals provide the customer and the candidates.  

Even in tighter job markets like today – talented talent-finders remain as busy as ever.

Analog solution in a digital world

It’s no all about the resume.  Here’s 7 of my own points on the subject.

1. Let’s get something straight up front: Companies are not paying a “significant retainer fee” to someone to sift through a pile of resumes.  For that skillset – they get an intern.  I can search Linked In, too.
2. The most successful recruiters I have employed are relationship based for the long-term.  They maintain these relationships from job-to-job (town to town, up down the dial) with people.  They get to know both the hiring manager and candidates very well.  It’s those relationships (and not a bullet in a resume) that allows them to make the perfect match. 
3. Recruiters know their market.  They know which companies are hiring for what kinds of skills and who and where people that can do it are (or want to be).   If I need a UEX maven with Dreamweaver experience  – I know who to call today that knows where one is.
4. Successful recruiters rarely have carpal tunnel.  More time at Starbucks and less time in their cube or on the “interwebs” is how they roll.  They are constantly networking with candidates and hiring mangers alike (attending user groups, professionals association meetings, or breakfast meetups).  It’s all about eye-balling people more than resumes.
5. Good recruiters are creative and do not stick to absolutes.  They often (with great success) match companies and candidates that may not seem a fit on paper to one another.  We know culture/team fit can be as (if not more) important than some industry/technical experience (obviously to a certain point).  Numerous times – I’ve interviewed and hired candidates based on the recruiters recommendation that I “must meet Jill – she’s a perfect fit for your team”.
6. As with any service business,  if you are focused solely on cost - and not value to all sides of the transaction - you’ve already lost.    Even when I have worked at companies that had internal recruiters and had policies against “agency fees”, I still have employed outside recruiters for key positions if needed.  I say it all the time to staffing pros I work with:  find me the right person, and I will make the case to get the fee.  Finding the right people fast is a such a competitive edge that the ROI is an easy sell.
7. Top recruiters value both candidates and companies.  Why?  Well today’s hiring manager is tomorrow’s candidate and visa-versa.  If my candidate experience with you feels shopping at Walmart, I’m probably not going to employ you to find candidates for me (and worse yet – your candidates will not refer future hiring managers and candidates your way). 

Conjunction Junction – make that your function

If I was to sort and group my email Sent folder by Subject text, “30 Second World Famous Introduction” would be one of the most used texts.  I just finished sending another one of these networking “blind dates”.

I talked about this in a longer post in 2009 (20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know | #4 How do I start to network?) but I wanted to hit this specific topic again (because it is so important).

To quote that post (and myself): 

(Connecting people) is something I strongly believe in (and do at least once a week). This is all about hooking-up folks whenever you can - WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Whether you call it pay it forward or Instant Karma (as I prefer to), connecting others in your circle expands your circle, too.  So if you know two people that could benefit from meeting each other – hook them up. 

I often hook-up people with my “Blind Date Introduction” email I am fond of sending (just did it last night). 

The email comes in 4 parts and goes something like this:

• The set-up:  Why I think you two should meet
• Person 1 Bio:  How I know you and why you are special
• Person 2 Bio: How I know the other person and why they are special
• Contact: Provide each others contact info with a note to contact the person (or not) as they both see fit

If you do only one thing in 2011 to grow your network – make connecting people that one thing.

Start what you (want to) finish

As I finish an awesome first week at the new job, a recent drawing (bottom) from Nicholas Bate’s blog came to mind.  As Nicholas often does, it quickly and simply paints a business reality (in this case - getting stuff done).

As simple as it is, so often folks overlook the reason that they have not finished something yet –– because they haven’t started!  Hello!?!

I had two recent personal projects this year that followed this simple methodology:  running a half marathon and landing a new job opportunity.

Put one foot in front of the other

This year, I decided to finally get serious about my running passion and take the first step (as it were) toward my ultimate goal of completing a (full) marathon by first completing a half-marathon.   There were a lot of excuses to overcome (had gotten WAY out of shape, time crunches, whatever). 

But, I gutted it up (or more accurately dropped the gut) by getting a plan, applying focus (getting up at 3:00 am to run in the dark before work requires focus), making a decision (mix in a salad, big boy), abandoned excuses (it’s too hot, I am tired, I am sore) and got started (as slow,painful and embarrassing as running 1 minute/walking 1 minute in public is).  

Without starting, I would have never reached the finish line (literally) - which I did.

Westbound and down (loaded up and trucking)

This same, simple process was in play for my job search project.  Do you need to find a job?  It starts with a plan (network, network, network), focus (triangulate the search on opportunities that fit your passion, your talents and what there is a market for), a decision (Curtain #1, Curtain #2 or Curtain #3), abandoning all excuses (the economy, too much competition, I hate wearing a suit, change is scary) and then it comes down to just starting (and for those that know me - all my job searches start in the same place).

So – if your next big thing is floundering (your new project, your new program, a new product, going after a new market, starting your own company, getting your MBA, a job hunt, a house hunt, a spouse hunt, writing a blog post, writing a book, cleaning the house or that weight loss plan that keeps losing out to Ladies Night), there’s one thing to do: start by starting. 

You can’t finish, if you don’t start.

Job Search Extra Point: Christmas Cards (The Most Networking Time of the Year)

I hope the reports of the death of Christmas cards have been greatly exaggerated (Are Christmas cards still relevant in a digital world?). There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a waxing gibbous mailbox this time of year with missives of good tidings from family, friends, colleagues, classmates, your local (authorized) Jeep dealer, and folks you can’t believe you ever dated from Christmas Pasts (or in some cases, Christmases Passed Out).

According to the aforementioned report, folks are going digital for the annual family update in a large part to be green and to a larger (more honest part) to save money. Not the kind of news that causes sugar plums to dance in the head of the US Postmaster.

But as the late Sonny Bono once told us, the beat does go on. So like the typewriter, phone booth and Oldsmobile before it, the snail mail Christmas card is on the endangered species list. Even me, the traditionalist crank on this topic, broke bad and went 60%/40% digital on the nearly 300 holiday wishes that I sent out this year.

But I come to praise the Christmas card – not bury it (that’s the second time I artistically bludgeoned that Shakespeare quote for my own purposes in a post).

So while they are still relevant, I’d like to share my favorite Christmas card story and of course, there’s job search/networking tie-in.

Do you see what I see (me!)

So if you’ve been reading these posts (or have ever talked to me for more than 15 minutes), you know I am very passionate (bordering on obsessed) when it comes to networking. One of the themes I talk about in my coaching sessions with my clients is you never know where your contacts will take you. To illustrate this point, I tell the “Christmas Card Story”.

A few of years ago (the picture gives a clue to as just when), I sent this Christmas card out. As is my standard MO, in addition to the normal family and friends circle, I sent it to former and current co-workers/clients. So it is always part glad tidings and part direct mail campaign (that decade of CRM consulting sticks with you).  Of course, for the business connections, I also tucked in my business card and a personal note.

This Lycra® heavy (I also have an Under Armour® obsession) Christmas card campaign did well that year:

• One former client who got the card needed some work done and was prompted to call and signed me with my new company (thanks Darren)
• Another former client – the Carolina Panthers - unaware I had moved companies, requested a follow-on bid to a project I had done for them at my former company
• Someone called me and offered me a job opportunity (even though I declined in the end, we had a few lunches and talked about it)
• And – oh yeah - I met my wife

All I Wanted For Christmas Was Not Even on the List

One of the places this aforementioned card ended up was on the refrigerator of a 75 year old, long-time friend of the family (that I have known all my life). Of all the people in the world I had (up until that time) pictured being a Yenta in my life, it was not Lauretta (being a devout Catholic does makes it hard to be a Yenta, I would think).

The story goes that my future wife (Sara) was visiting Lauretta during the Christmas season. Lauretta noticed her looking at my Christmas card on the fridge and hatched the eHarmony like plan. Although she had known both my wife and me for all of our respective lives, it was not until that moment (and opportunity) that the light went on.

Even more shocking was – when my Mother called her long-time bachelor son and started “Lauretta knows someone that…”, I didn’t hang-up the phone. But applying the advice I also give my job search clients (always go on an interview if asked – even if you are not looking) to my dating life, it translated to “take every blind date”.  At the very worst (I thought), it would be a 60 minute dinner and if it wasn’t a fit, no harm done (as my wife will tell you – I can small talk for hours, and hours and hours…)

Sara and I met up a few weeks later (after I returned from a business trip in the Quad Cities – a certain kind of Hell that cannot be explained if you have not experienced it) and the rest is history (not to mention matrimony).

Put one foot in front of another

So – let’s review the object lessons of this Christmas Story:

• Keep people advised of where you are and what you are doing.  In other words – if you are looking for a job, DON’T KEEP IT A SECRET.  Pride don’t pay the bills, Son.
• You want people that know you connecting an opportunity to you. Be that a job they just heard about, a good plumber that can fix the leaky sink or (in my case) even a mate.
• When opportunity knocks – you need to knock back. If someone sends you a job lead, your next steps are clear:
• First - thank them (and I don’t care if you had already seen it on Monster earlier in the day). It so rude to reply “yes – I already saw that”. That motivates people to not help you and it’s just tacky, Jethro.
• Second – if it is fit for you (even if you are happily employed), follow-up with it. Have coffee with the person. At the very worst, you might just have a new contact and peer in your field.  Or who knows, maybe even a date to the Sadie Hawkins Dance.
• And – if it is not a fit for you, pass it on to someone you know who would be a better fit (and is in need of a job).
• Make it your business to connect people to each other in this world. That’s how we get people working (and buying work boots). You never know where it may lead you.
• Birch trees are prone to disease and don’t live long (I had to cut down the one that is pictured).

Job Search Extra Point | Don’t Hide From Your Network (Destination Unknown)

Recently, I attempted to pass on two leads to folks in my network (one for a job and another for a business opportunity). I was unable to connect with either of these missing persons – so the leads went elsewhere.  These two examples illustrate a cautionary tale of thee proper care and feeding of your network.

The Tale of Vendor Gal

In this first case, I made a call to a contact at a company my company partners with. The phone call went like this (the names have been changed to protect the bozos):

Receptionist Boy: {ABC Company}, this {Receptionist Boy} can I help you?

Me: Good morning! This {me} from {my company}. Is {Vendor Gal } there?

Receptionist: [Nervous paper shuffling, followed by a very awkward and pregnant pause] One moment, I will connect you

Me: [Aside to myself: Well I don’t know what happened, but I sure know {Vendor Gal} had a bad day recently]

Unknown Person: This is {Unknown Person}, can I help you?

Me: [Aside to myself:  Maybe if I say the same thing again, this person will have a clue]. Good morning! This {me} from {my company}. Is {Vendor Gal} there?

Unknown Person: [another pause] {Vendor Gal} is no longer with {ABC Company}. I can connect you to {Another Person at This Company I Never Heard Of} who handles your account

Me: Sound good [as I feel like I just pressed Google’s Feeling Lucky? button]

Another Person at This Company I Never Heard Of: [VMM answers] This is {Another Person at This Company I Never Heard Of}. I am currently away from the….

Me: [Click…the sound of one phone hanging up]

Two things to note here:

1. If you have to lay off people at your company, I suggest maybe giving your receptionist person a script to follow (so I don’t have to endure two unnecessary phone transfers).  Be respectful to past and current employees as well as your customers
2. I think I need a new vendor for this particular partnership

Given that last point (that I am never calling back there), I thought perhaps {Vendor Gal} might be able to help me out with her new employer.  Unfortunately, I only have her company email and cell phone number in my contact list, so I headed to Linked In.

Two things I found out:

1. She hadn’t updated her Linked In profile to reflect her new status (whatever that might be)

2. Her contact email was her business email (which I am sure she no longer receives, but instead it is routed to {Another Person at This Company I Never Heard Of} – and that won’t help me)

Needless to say – we didn’t connect (and she lost the opportunity).

 

The Ballad of Contract Programmer Boy

The other Glengarry lead I had was for an awesome contract development gig. I instantly thought of my former colleague, {Contract Programmer Boy}. I tried to reach him by the last cell I had (disconnected) and the last email I had for him (bounce back).

So – what to do?  Oh – I know!  I headed out to Linked In. I found the email address on his profile was not only older than the one I had for him – but it was his work email from many years ago at company that no longer exists.

Needless to say – we didn’t connect (and he lost he opportunity).

Destination Unknown

Given these two stories, I’d like to pass on a helpful tip. Are you listening? Come a little closer, I’ll whisper it your ear. Ready? Here it is: IF I CAN’T FIND YOU – I CAN’T HELP YOU!

Said another way:

• You (hopefully) spent some time and effort building your network, don’t hide from it when you need it most
• As you make a transition in your career (voluntary or compulsory), make sure to let your network know where you are and what you are doing
• If you have a Linked In account, make sure you update it when you switch jobs (or as soon as you legally can if there are non-compete or severance stipulations). And ALWAYS use your personal email address. Never use your work email.

Or if you prefer, we can sing my advice:

life is so strange (Destination Unknown),
When you don't know (your destination),
Something could change (it's unknown),
And then you won't know (Destination Unknown)

p.s.  Vendor Gal and Contract Programmer Boy, if you think this post is about you, send me an email and let’s reconnect.

Job Search Extra Point | Don't take a holiday from job hunt

Great story in the Star Tribune today (there’s a clause you don’t hear every day) about NOT slowing down your job search during the last 45 days of the year.  Just like folks who delay their job hunt in the summer so they can hike through Yellowstone and find themselves, that is a HUGE mistake. I always say find your job, then yourself.

Some highlights from the article:

• Don’t buy the myth that companies aren’t hiring in November and December. That’s simply not true. Companies often gear up for a new fiscal year (with FTEs in their Christmas stocking)
• The article describes a woman who was applying for a retail job but refused to work Black Friday or weekends. Seriously? That’s your strategy?  Good luck with that
• The article also chronicles a person who would not take a 90 day contract because they wanted 6-7 days off at the end of the year. Guess what? Your competition will take that (and already did). Which would you rather have, 6 days off at the end of this year, or 365 off next year?

Don’t Stop Believing

I know it can be a very depressing time of year. It’s dark, it’s cold, and when you are unemployed and short on cash, the commercialization of the season is a constant reminder of what may not be in your stocking this year. That simply sucks. But muster some of that spirit of the season, and take the many opportunities given you this time of year (e.g. your wife’s office party) to meet new people.

As I mentioned in 20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know | #4 How do I start to network, focus on hooking up other people and helping them connect (conjunction junction that’s your function) with no strings attached. You’ll feel better, you’ll help someone out who may need a lift more than you do, and just maybe open a door for yourself. 

It’s a good read – check it out.

20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know | #3 Why do I need to network when I can find my job on Monster.com?

A: Because most of those jobs are NOT real (or have already been filled).

Okay – so I don’t have the Monster.com or CareerBuilder police after me, there’s no way of knowing how many jobs on those sites are real. It’s not that you want to ignore those sites --absolutely not! You need to have daily agents running on all of the major job sites (and any others sites that are specialized to your industry). But with studies indicating that approximately 70% of all jobs are found through networking, you need to spend most of your hard-hitting energy playing the odds (spending quality time where it will most payoff).

The what before the how

We’ll cover how to start network in an upcoming post (since I am trying to get one of these 20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know posts under 1,000 words - since I was clowned for verbosity earlier today) but here are 4 key thoughts that ran through my grey matter on why networking is so darned important:

Never look for a job by yourself  You’ve only got two eyes – and you can’t be everywhere. However, your network has a much wider reach. The saying used to be never read the want ads alone – but that’s a tad stale (and gone the way of the horse and buggy, IBM Selectric typewriter and the VCR). There are now so many other places to look (seen and be seen) it can be staggering.  Ergo – you need some help.

What you want is someone in your network to think of you -- and connect in their mind you and an opportunity (for a job, or to network with someone new) when they have one. Some examples of how your network can be of help to you:

• They receive a job referral that is not a fit for them and they pass it to you
• A hiring manager who interviewed you in the past that now has another opening that you are even better suited for sends you an email (since you already had coffee at Starbucks scheduled for next week)
• Your Mom’s company has opening (don’t laugh – it works).  Hopefully she calls you first and doesn’t tell the hiring manager who smart you are and how cute you were as a baby
• A sales guy at your last company is working with a prospect that has a hiring need in your wheelhouse and she DMs you on Twitter
• The Rotor-Rooter guy who cleaned the poop out of your tub tells you his son just got a job at company that still is hiring a lot of folks that do what you do for a living (I had a real gabby Roto-Rooter guy last time)
• Someone you are on a committee with at church works for the hiring manager that you want to interview with and she gives you his email address
• Your wife sees a Help Wanted sign in the window of one of your target companies (Hey! Low tech is here to stay) and sends you a text

Repeat after me: Networking is not who you know but who knows you

Screens keep more that flys out Your primary mission during your job search sorties is to get a sit down with the person who has the job (the hiring manager). You also want to do so with talking to as few people beforehand as possible - because these folks can work as a screen to keep you out. These screen come in all shapes:

• The junior HR intern who doesn’t understand the open job requisition so he doesn’t know what’s on your resume that matches (nor the cover letter you added to do just that).
• The evil (future) peer who either (1) wants the job for themselves and is pissed they are considering your sorry ass and/or (2) wants someone less talented than they are (to avoid competition). Either way – they will attempt to U-boat you before you get one foot in the door.
• All the other external candidates that are King Of The Hill-ing you (and are better at networking than you…at least for the moment)

Simply put: You want the hiring manager picking up the phone and making the first call to you when they need a body (before HR or before some chowder that already works for them). It’s that Pavlovian response that is the money shot of the job search.

You personal AWACS reconnaissance mission There is more to networking than connecting you and opportunities – it can also help you seal the deal. Use your network to supplement the research you have done on the company already and (more importantly) to get downlo on the specific folks you will be working with and for. We’re not talking email addresses and cell phone numbers  – but what makes them tick, what do they look for in candidates and what really peeves them. This intelligence can be your secret weapon against the competition (that is all the other rubes who applied for the job).

An example:  Last year, I referred a (talented) former client of mine to the company I was working for at the time.  During her candidate process, we spent hours on the phone (most of mine from a gate at JFK airport) going over the personalities and desires of each person she was to interview with. This was detailed reconnaissance (down to buzzwords they liked). The result?  She got the job, I got a referral bonus (yessir!) and my (now former) employer got a fantastic, well-prepared employee. 

This is an extremely powerful aspect of networking that is often overlooked.

Instant Karma’s Gonna Get You I am a big believer of the karma wheel (d/b/a pay it forward).  It is all about love and math.  The more you hook-up people, the larger your network grows and the greater number of folks there are in the world (and more importantly the workplace) that are walking (Faberge Shampoo-like) commercials for you. But the latter really needs to be subtext. You need to hook-up folks (no strings attached) and let the karma take care of itself. It is not as subtle as it may sound (if it is – then you’re not in the right place when you’re doing it)

 

Up Next: How do I start to network?

 

Disclaimer: As with all job search advice you receive (from here or elsewhere), results may vary – use at your own risk. You must be the captain of your own career. The last thing I say to all my career coach clients is “ignore what you want, use what make sense to you – and if something works for you – pass it on”.

20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know | #2 Should I use a recruiter/headhunter?

Answer: Absolutely (part of our Malcolm X-esque by any means necessary approach to the hunt).

As I talked about in the last post – times (and the market) have changed significantly. With a few exceptions in the green and healthcare verticals (Great job openings, no candidates), most job seekers are not going to have staffing professionals beating down their door begging you to come interview.  Unfortunately in the current job market - demand is obliterating supply.  However, engaging with key staffing professionals can give you a boost, a partner in your hunt as well as preparing you should land an interview at one of your Glengarry (job) leads.

Here are a few observation and tips (that have rocked my world over the years) to get the most out of your relationship with a recruiter:

Build Relationships Make it a true partnership. Seek and find awesome recruiters in your industry and get to know them. These partners will not only broaden your contacts base – but if they get to know what makes you special (and you deliver for them), that increases the chances of them thinking of you when opportunities pop.

I’ll this in  nearly every posts on the job search topic: The secret of networking is not who you know – but who knows you.

Don’t forget you need to build and nurture your network before you need it. Make sure you are making (what we call in the CRM world) touches (good touches: calling, meeting for coffee, playing jarts) with folks not just when you need a job or something else (it can be considered rude – since it is).

That segues us to….

Love is a 2-way street  Like any healthy, valuable relationship, you want to ensure both parties get something out of the deal. Help them out however and whenever you can.

For a example, I make it a practice with all the professionals I work with (whether as a hiring manager or candidate) to see if there is something I can do for them (unrelated to my direct needs at the time). I end each phone call or meeting with (something like) “Is there an opening (for another client) you are having trouble filling that my network may be able to help you with”?Also let them know when you are not a fit (don’t waste everyone’s time).

Target Preferred Vendors/Corporate Recruiters Get to know the folks who do the recruiting for the companies you are targeting. This may be an internal HR professional or a third-party. Many companies have exclusive or preferred vendor agreements (so if you want in – that’s the only way). Do your research and find out who you need to be talking with to unlock the front door.

Get The Downlo Most top shelf recruiters will already do this – but make sure you pump them for every piece of information about the opportunity, the company and (most importantly) the personalities and wants of the hiring manager. As mentioned above, recruiters often have a long time relationship with the hiring manager and can give you insight into the intangibles of the position (which – as you should know – often swing the difference between candidates). Remember – the recruiter may work (directly or indirectly) for the company that is hiring – but you have a common goal: to present the hiring manager with the best (and best prepared) candidate. Work together with the recruiter to make that person you.

Rent To Own Often recruiters will be used in Contract- To-Hire opportunities (especially in soft markets like now – where FTEs give some hiring managers the willies). This is a great way to get into a company and show value (and make the company find a way to hire you). During the contract phase, often the recruiter will be good source of feedback from the client (to allow you to perfect your perfect fit).

 

Up next : Why do I need to network when I can find a job on Monster.com?

 

Disclaimer: As with all job search advice you receive (from here or elsewhere), results may vary – use at your own risk. You must be the captain of your own career. The last thing I say to all my career coach clients is “ignore what you want, use what make sense to you – and if something works for you – pass it on”.

20 Job Search Answers You Need To Know | #1 Where do I look for a job?

Prelude

Late last week, more proclamations filled the virtual airwaves that that the recession is now over. Thanks everybody for playing – now go spend wildly and hedonistically once again!

Are you buying it (so to speak)? As NPR put it, it might be over if you are an economist, but not if you are a politician. I would also add that if you are currently that 10-17% pool of the unemployed – let alone under employed, you are probably not dancing around the maypole just yet.

Last week, I met with 3 folks as part of the career coaching that I do. I was glad to hear that 2 of the 3 individuals had strong leads and promising second (or third) interviews. Does that very informal and highly unscientific poll (not to mention small sample size) mean things are getting better on the job front? I don’t know – but for folks that are in transition (such a sanitized word for what is for a lot of folks prolonged months of terror), it doesn’t matter.

The job market is what it is – and there is only one market (if independent wealth or relocation to Tibet are not part of your options). It is not easy and it is not fun but if you find yourself on the hunt, you must navigate your way through this current storm and learn and enhance the tools you need to get to the other side in one piece.

Recently, I conducted a workshop here in the Twin Cities on job search/networking skills (very boringly and verbosely) entitled 20 Questions (and Answers) about Job Search/Resumes/Interviews and Networking. Over the next few weeks (perhaps months), I’ll be reprising these topics (20 more post hooks already in the bag!) with a slightly sexier title.   I am not sure what the over-under is on getting all 20 out before the end of the calendar year (but stretch goals are always good for a body).

Question #1 | Where do I look for jobs?

This one is simple: where the jobs are.

If you have not been in the market for a new gig in the last 8 years (since the last major job recession) – let alone the last 2 years (with the explosion of social media), then it is a far different landscape than the last time you were out there.

A story I retell often is one I nicked from a gentleman at a job support group back in 2001 (when I was in transition myself). To stay positive and energized, the man cancelled his daily newspaper subscription to force himself to shower, get dressed and walk the mile to the convenience store every day to buy it in person (and then take it home and comb the want ads).

Unfortunately that story had a shorter shelf life than the Ho-Ho’s that were next to the paper stand. Things have changed: (1) Newspapers are folding and downsizing faster than Valerie Bertinelli   (2) they don’t have many want ads (which causing problem #1 in the first place). So if you are still circling Wants Ads –that’s not going to work very well.

Change is constant. This is a good news/bad news deal on the job hunt. Good news – there’s a greater number of avenues to connect you with someone who is hiring (that’s your first goal). The downside is there is a greater volume of noise for you to sift through, greater competition (I don’t have to read your local grocery store shopper to know about a job in your neighborhood) and also constant vigilance required on your part to stay ahead of it all.

Where or where can they be?

So where are the jobs – and where do you need to look?  Start here:

• Networking On our way to 20 questions, I will have a number of posts specifically talking about networking. By far – this is the most important channel of your job search that you need to focus on. Impossible to prove, but depending on who you listen to, it is estimated 50-85% of the job requisitions are filled through networking (e.g. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts it at 70 percent). This doesn’t mean you ignore the other avenues, but you really want to spend 70-80% of your search time and effort here. Remember – this is not just for white collar (slick sales guy) jobs. Networking is just as important all across the vocation spectrum (it is how I got my first job at Musicland…another thing that dates me….a record store, what is that?)

 

• (Target) Company Websites Hopefully you’re not (solely) shot gunning your job search and that you have identified companies (1) that are hiring – or will be hiring soon and (2) that have positions that you could fill. On their websites, check the careers page - register for email updates of new posting if they have that. Also check the PR portion of their site. If they are getting new VC money (theoretically it still happens) or they are announcing new business units – those are signs they may soon be hiring.  Also look for notices of layoffs (sadly - that sometimes indicates current employees are being sacrificed to hire new ones).

 

• Business journals Like the company website above – this is a good source of business intelligence. Subscribe to the regional and industry business journals in your target market (like the Business Journal) to keep up on what companies are doing. Most offer RSS or Twitter feeds as well.

 

• Job boards (Monster/Career Builder, etc) Yes – the successor to the Wants Ads. Every time I tell folks that (again – unsubstantiated statistic) 75-85% of jobs on that board are not real, they first (1) freak-out (2) the light goes on why they never hear back from all the resumes they submit. You don’t want to ignore any channel in your search (real leads are on there), but limit the time on the less successful avenues (this is more of quantitative that qualitative channel). Further – set job agents on these sites (to fish wider and quicker).

 

• Recruiters If you think it is 1999, and 15 recruiters call you a day with a boatload of opportunities, the game has changed (have you noticed?). However, this is an extremely valuable resource (for candidates and companies). My next post will specifically talk about this conduit.

 

• Professional associates Another form of networking – leveraging your peers. Either meetings you attended (you do go to meetings of your peers, don’t you?) or websites/social sites where your kind congregates is great for leads.

 

• Online/Social Media sites This crosses a few lines (with the items mentioned). You can use it to track your target companies, your industry and also job boards that use these tools (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, RSS, etc). You can also use these sites to broadcast yourself (e.g. updating status on LinkedIn or Facebook letting the world know).  Be careful what you post (remember this marketing – not therapy).

 

• Onsite Yes. People still put Help Wanted signs in their front window.

 

That’s a few places to start – not an unabridged list (have you talked to your Mother lately?). Whatever it takes and wherever you need to go, make sure to leave no stone unturned.  However, try to limit the number of rocks you lift up that have nothing (or nothing for you) under them.

Disclaimer: As with all job search advice you receive (from here or elsewhere), results may vary – use at your own risk. You must be the captain of your own career. The last thing I say to all my career coach clients is “ignore what doesn’t feel right, use what makes sense to you – and if something works for you – pass it on”.

 

Next up: Question #2  | Should I use a recruiter/headhunter?