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Dedicated cell phone and e-mail for your search

December 15, 2008 By

I recommend a dedicated cell and e-mail account for your search – you want both of them to last longer than your search.

Using a work cell or e-mail will cut yourself off to all the networking contacts you’ve made once you change jobs.   Also, you may not be able to take your cell number with you when you leave.

A dedicated e-mail is helpful so you don’t mix up important networking e-mails with kids soccer, book club, etc.   Also, an e-mail that is just your name looks more professional. 

LESSON LEARNED:  I’ve got 500 business cards with my old work cell number if anyone wants one – I found out after I had them printed that our corporate agreement did not allow me to take the number.

Filed Under: D. Organize Your Networking Tagged With: ,

Resume Tip #1– You are not a job description

December 15, 2008 By

Do not describe yourself by a job description.

Someone hiring for a Controller, Marketing Executive, etc., position knows the functions of the position.  What they want to know is if you can succeed. 

People judge the ability to succeed by looking what do you bring to the company in terms of skills, drive and personality.  

I find that most people have three or four key skills they have used again and again to get things done.

So identify the 3-4 skills that are unique to you and put it at the top of your resume.   This will set the tone for the rest of the resume and allow the hiring manager to know who you are and what skills have made you successful. 

Filed Under: B. Getting Started - Your Story Tagged With: , ,

E-mail address – Considerations for selecting

December 15, 2008 By

Depending on your networking contact’s style, e-mail can be a great vehicle to set-up times to meet/telephone and to stay in touch.

Most people use personal e-mail accounts for managing their career search.  I seen fellow job seekers with e-mails addresses that range from clever (e.g.  yournamehere@…) to cryptic (e.g. bbk43437@…) to ‘all in the family’ (e.g. billandmarge@…).

While these addresses may be unique or clever, they can reduce the professionalism and effectiveness of the e-mail.

Recommendation: Use an e-mail address that begins with or contains your full last name.

1) Looks professional

2) Makes it easier for the contact to see who sent the e-mail – especially in a follow-up. 

3) Blackberries usually display a portion of the e-mail address and title – why start with your last name.

Most importantly, people to whom you have been introduced or met will likely remember your name, they will not remember your e-mail address. 

Also, until you network regularly, you are less likely to have a spot in their contact list - so your name will not appear in the “From” line, just your e-mail address.

Make it simple for your contacts to help you.

Filed Under: D. Organize Your Networking Tagged With: , ,

TXT MSG Networking leads to XME

December 15, 2008 By

It is easy to use the short messages of Twitter, texting, blackberry, etc., as the standard for communications.   But when it comes to networking, when being clear matter most, we often speak or send e-mails or that only communicate

 

incomplete thoughts. (Okay, I know that was a cheap parlor trick)

A few years ago, I saw Edward Tufte (www.edwardtufte.com), who is an expert in communication of information, and how he disliked Powerpoint bullet points – because of its limits on communication.

I found that is what is going on today.  At more networking meetings than I care to remember, I find myself asking questions not for more information, but simply to clarify what I heard.  Excuse me?  Sorry, XME?

I am the first to tell you to avoid excessive detail when networking.   Be you must be clear on the key points you need to communicate (see my post “The 3 Question Test after Networking”).

My recommendation:  Write out your key pitch.  Taking a lesson from Mr. Tufte, it can be more than 30 seconds, if done well.  Also, it’s still called networking, not Twittering, for a reason.   Ask a friend to listen to your pitch to help call out incomplete or unclear thoughts.  I know it can be a bit embarrassing to ask a friend sit through the pitch.  But, it’s well worth the time and effort.

 

Filed Under: H. Watch Out - Curves Ahead Tagged With: , ,

#8 – You get it done

December 15, 2008 By

Here’s something I did right from the start, I assumed control of all aspects of my search.   It’s not that I did not rely upon anyone or ask for help.  I made sure that I was responsible for every aspect of the search.

Expectation setting #8:  You plan, you schedule, you meet, you take notes, you follow-up.  Repeat.  No wait, you repeat.   Oh yeah, you find a job!

Filed Under: A. 12 Search Expectations Tagged With: ,

Preparation for a Meeting

December 15, 2008 By

Think of every networking meeting as a sales meeting.  You’ll never catch a good salesperson just ‘winging it’ – they plan every meeting.   They find out what they can about who they are meeting (this is where LinkedIn comes in handy).   They plan the outcome and how to reach it.   They respect that someone has granted them time and use it effectively as possible.

You are competing against budget requirements, project deadlines, and anything else that is filling your networking contact’s day.   Good advance planning will help cut through all of this and help you make the most of each meeting.

Before each networking meeting, plan the following items:

·         Purpose of meeting – what do you want the person to do for you (provide some contacts, connect you into a specific firm, etc.)

·         Connections with this contact (your colleagues, same school, etc.)

·         How do you want to position yourself to this contact (e.g. role in large company, role in start-up, etc.)

·         Contacts you can provide

·         Contacts this person can provide to you

I wrote down these items and brought them with me to the meeting – nothing too fancy, just a few items for each item.

To help you understand more about the company the person you are meeting does, see “The question that ends a meeting quickly”.

Filed Under: E. Meetings: Before, During & After Tagged With: ,

Before you begin – Organizing Your Story

December 15, 2008 By

A marketing plan is the start of an effective pitch as it provides the context for telling your story.  

Start with the position you seek, and then begin to build your case on why you are qualified for filling it.

Focus on the key elements of the role – no more than two or three – then how your skills and experiences support the key elements.

Pitch overview:

1-30 Seconds:                    Role you seek

30 – 60 Seconds:               Key elements critical for fulfilling the role

60 – 120 Seconds:            Key element #1 – how your skills and experience fill in

120 – 180 Seconds:          Key element #2

180 – 240 Seconds:          Key element #3

Remember this is your first pass.  As you continue the conversation, you can expand the details that seem fit to share.

Filed Under: D. Organize Your Networking Tagged With: , ,

It Seems Like Recruiters Have All the Jobs

December 15, 2008 By

Back to the initial expectations, 75-80% of roles come from networking -the percentage will vary by both the company and the level of position they are filling.

So why does it seem like recruiters have all the jobs?

1.        20-25% of open position is a pretty big number.

2.       You are more likely to hear about a role from a recruiter, because they openly use their network or advertising.

3.       Many people don’t really care to broadcast that they are in transition, so you may not hear the source of the job change.

Filed Under: M. You & The Recruiter Tagged With:

Keep that e-mail and cell phone

December 15, 2008 By

You have spent all the time and effort in building your search network.   Keep the door open by retaining your dedicated e-mail and cell phone you used during your search.  People in your network:

·         My need your help in the future

·         Hear of opportunities that you may be interested in

·         Send someone in their network your way (usually someone looking for new role)

Filed Under: N. Post Search Tagged With: , ,

Resume Tip #2 – The What and the So What

December 15, 2008 By

Everyone has accomplished a good deal on their job, so make sure you show the results.  

To accomplish this, make sure every bullet point covering your experience has both the WHAT and SO WHAT.   The best way to explain the difference is with an example.

·         WHAT ONLY:  Led merger integration team for $100 million acquisition

·         WHAT and SO WHAT: Led merger integration for $100 million acquisition and achieved $10 in cost savings as planned.

The WHAT is the action.   The SO WHAT is the accomplishment.

Filed Under: B. Getting Started - Your Story Tagged With: ,

Signs You Should Take a Break

December 15, 2008 By

I was a few months into my networking when I met John Rahja who’s first question was “Have you had your ‘What am I doing here’ moment?”   He explained it’s that moment when you wonder if all this networking is doing any good and do not feel like going to your next meeting.

He talked about his moment and recommended that when it happened to me, that I take some time off.  Better to reschedule than waste a potentially valuable networking contact.

Here’s another angle to think about this: If you get an hour of 1-on-1 time with someone, it’s probably more than someone on their staff.   This person has agreed to help you when they took the meeting – so make it count – for both of you.

My moment hit two months later on the way to yet another 7 a.m. meeting.  I took the meeting…barely.  I went home and cancelled the rest of the day. 

If you get someone’s moment – do them a favor and tell them to take a break.

 I experienced someone else moment.  I arrived at the coffee shop, the person I was meeting with said hello and immediately followed with “Look we know why we are here; I just need three names – so no need to get any coffee”. 

Other signs that you might need a break:

·         Find yourself dismissing what a potential contact might be able to give you – before you meet them

·         Start to ‘wing it’ versus preparing for meetings

·         You do not take any notes for a meeting

·         You cannot remember what was discussed at a meeting

·         Follow-up notes start to go out more than 72 hours after a meeting

·         You’re generally cranky as all get out

Take a couple days off from meetings.  Just stick to filling up with future meetings.

Filed Under: H. Watch Out - Curves Ahead Tagged With: ,

Know the Hiring Periods

December 15, 2008 By

There are natural periods when hiring is slower because people are not in the office – summer (especially if it’s a European firm in August) and the holidays.  

Beyond these periods, before you make contacts into a company that does not have an opening, learn what you can about their hiring practices, yearend (read: new budgets) and busy times. 

This is where LinkedIn or your network comes in very handy to find former employees who can give you the insight needed.

There are two reasons why I encourage you to learn this information:

1)      Effective use of your time – I worked like mad to get into a firm to learn they only hired people in finance with MBA from a handful of schools.   My result was not only no potential role but all the lost hours in making those contacts.

2)      Timing your pitch for maximum effect – A strong referral may get you into a company during the busiest time.  The problem is that it may be literally a few months until your contact can do something with your information.  Once your information goes into a drawer ‘until later’ – its likely going to stay there.

Of course, if there is an opening, then get in quick.  Strike that, get in now!

Filed Under: G. You're Rolling Now! Tagged With:

Get an introduction to improve your odds

December 15, 2008 By

You have your immediate network, so to get started, you should ask them to make your initial introductions.   Those introductions lead to more introductions which will lead to opening doors critical to putting the odds in your favor.

Job search is not always fair.  The best candidate does not always get the job.  In fact, their resume may not even get reviewed.    Why?   They did not get a chance to tell their story.

 So get an introduction to networking contacts to help you get in the door.

Filed Under: F. Getting Out There Tagged With: ,

Celebrate with Those who Helped You the Most

December 15, 2008 By

Time to celebrate.  You’ve reached the other side.  A firm believes that you will bring value to them.

Most likely, your friends, colleagues, spouse, etc. where a big reason you reached the other side.

So invite them to celebrate with you.

Make it meaningful as you will likely be back to ask for help again.

Filed Under: N. Post Search Tagged With: , ,

Who is your network?

December 15, 2008 By

Identifying your network begins with a simple exercise – writing down people you currently have connection.   To organize your thoughts consider placing each person into a category, which is how I got mine underway.    I focused individuals who could help me in my search due to their current position held, industry, etc.   I used this list to begin my networking.

Caveat #1:  There is also an informal network that comes from telling other people what new role you are seeking.  I got several good connections from friends of my wife, because I told them about my situation. 

Creating your initial list:

·         Family

·         School (High School, College and Graduate School) – former students & teaching staff

·         Former employers

·         Service providers to your companies (bankers, lawyers, etc.)

·         Colleagues from competing companies (hey, they are not competitors anymore!)

·         Boards

·         Social Groups

o   School associations

o   Sports associations

o   Volunteer Groups

o    Religious

Caveat #2: Don’t try to edit it too much, just fill in as many names as possible.  Once you get it completed, then you can sort out how to prioritize each person.

Filed Under: C. Getting Started - Your Network Tagged With: , ,
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