Accelerate Your Search™ Now

I believe landing the job you want fast means helping a potential employer hire you.  Here are a few tips I would offer all candidates about connecting your references and potential employers:

Prepare your references: Be sure your references have a copy of your résumé and keep your references posted on your job search progress. After each interview that moves forward schedule a call with your references to review the position, your background and why the job is a great fit for you and what you can offer to the position.  Don’t forget to review how your past accomplishments demonstrate what you are going to do for your next employer.

Help your references connect: Find out who will call your reference and provide that information to your references.  If you reference are hard to reach, help with the scheduling if needed, suggest the best times and best methods to connect your references.

Follow up: It is critical to follow up with your references to see how the conversation went.  What should you be aware of, did the employer have concerns or are there red flags, points, or items you should know about, affirm or address with your future employer.

Thank your references: Drop a personal note in the mail to each of your references to say thanks for their help, and the time they invested in you and your career.  You would be surprised how many people forget to say “Thank You” to a reference.  Don’t forget to also let your references know when you land and start a new job.

Believe it or not your references can tip the scale in your favor or break the deal ensuring someone else is the finalist for the job you want.

What additional suggestions do you have to prepare your references?

If you read the last post, you have answered the important questions.  If not to do so go to the last post and answer the questions.

It’s time to be clear about what networking is REALLY all about. To do that first let’s look at what networking is NOT.

It is not about asking people you don’t know, don’t want to know, and don’t care about for a JOB!

It is not about being slick and sleazy to get someone to take your résumé to their Boss, HR Manager or someone else in their company or finding the name and number of the one person you can “sell” to get a job.

It is not about going to meetings with a goal of grabbing a bunch of business cards so you have more people to “Tweet”, add to your LinkedIn contact list, or promise to email leads from your favorite job board, or call to talk about yourself, how great you are and your job search woes.

It is not about expecting someone to help you find a job or a new client!

It is not about showing up to an event, listening to a speaker, eating and drinking, dropping a business card in the basket for a free gift, then leaving.

Okay, if networking is not about these things, what is networking REALLY about – it is about building relationships!

That is not rocket science and you have heard it before reading it here.  Why is this so tough?  First, when you are without a job, you may feel needy or unsure of your value.  If you are new to networking or rebuilding a network, you may be asking “why would someone want to build a relationship with me”, “how can I help”, “I have no extra money”, or “what can I offer”, etc.  STOP IT!

People build relationships, offer referrals, leads, share “insider information” and help people they know, people they like and people they trust.  Think about the first day of school, you were in a room full of other kids, most of whom you did not know.  You did not yet know if you liked them, and did not know if you could trust them.

By the end of the school year, you had some type of relationship with each student in your class.  You might define those relationships as the person in my first grade class, the “kid in the back of the room-name unknown”, the “know-it-all” in my first grade class, my classmate (someone, you knew, liked, trusted but not a best buddy), your buddies, your friends, your best friend, the people you have known since first grade and stay in touch with or still have a relationship.  You had different relationships with each member of the class. Those long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you are “your network”.

Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you.  Those people become your connectors, people who can attest to who you are, what you do and people who are your advocates and business partners.  Those people are “your network”.

Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you and building long term relationships with people you know, you like you, you trust.  Your network allows you to be an advocate for others and allows others to an advocate for you.

Networking is about getting to know people and helping people, and connecting people in your network with each other. The beauty of doing so is that those in your network will get to know you, like you, trust you and help you connect with others.

How many people are in your network?

How many people in your network are you an advocate?

How many people have you helped this week?

Yes!  No?  Did you quickly answer yes or no?

If you belong to a professional or trade associations, clubs or community organizations, your professional network is robust and you stay connected to your network, I bet you said yes. 

If you said NO, you may have been working hard with little or no time to network.  If you had a long commute, worked long hours, worked “head down, tail up”, were engrossed in family, and day to day life without much time to nurture your professional network, you may need to rebuild your network.  Or the truth is maybe you don’t like networking and are just gripped with fear about reaching out to build a network.

Either way, building, rebuilding, and nurturing a network does not need to take tons of time, money or energy.  It does require doing some basics each week and if you are beginning or rebuilding a network it will take preparation, reflection time and some time to determine what is the best way for you to network and where to network. 

There are no “magic bullets” nor is there a “one size fits all” method that works for everyone.  There are basics everyone needs to master.

Networking is about talking, connecting, meeting, and helping people.  If you this terrifies you, know you are not alone.  But if you know you need to network and you had decided to network, you must overcome the fear or at least find ways to deal with the fear until you overcome it to network successfully.

Do your homework and get prepared to network.  Decide why you want to network, what you have of value to offer those you meet, and how you can help those you meet. 

Why is it important for you to build or rebuild your network?

What value do you offer your network?

How are you willing to help those in your network?

Are you wondering if a Networking Group is right for you? Or if spending your time networking will REALLY help you find a job?

Maybe you are thinking – I could spend the same time at home on the computer, telephone, or sending out resumes and get the same results or why would I want to go meet a bunch of other people many like me looking for work or peddling their wares.  Those thoughts may be your first problem.

There are hundreds of networking groups, professional or trade associations that meet weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly within the United States.  Most of these groups are designed to help you meet people, make connections, and contribute to others.

If you are new to networking you may question the benefits of connecting regularly with other open minded business people in the same room.  Getting hired and being successful in business is as much about “who knows you” as it is about “who and what you know”.

There is magic in the building relationships and obtaining referrals from “Your Network”.  Yes it does help your job search.  Network referrals are the most commonly reported way to find a job.

Employers report referrals make up 26.7% of all external new hires compared to 13.2% of hires attributed to Job Boards according to CareerXRoads 9^th Annual Sources of Hire Study (February 2010).  The numbers speak for themselves.

Networking is one of the fastest, easiest ways to develop business relationships, get referrals and tap into the 70% to 80% of available jobs that are not advertised.  Networking works!

In just a few days I will have been involved in a coordinating a weekly networking group for professionals for five years.  The results, career success stories and lasting relationships are amazing.

Do you want to learn how to make networking work for your job search?

Check back to celebrate five years of “NfP” success I will share the best of the best tips to help you find a group, be prepare to network and make networking work for you.

You thought your search was over.  You have targeted the company and position you most wanted.  You received a conditional offer pending the results of a background check and a drug screen.

WOW! You’re feeling great.  Then the call, it is bad news.  They are rescinding the offer after reviewing the background check.  The nice voice saying good luck with you job search sounds like it is miles away!

Just like that!  What happened?  What do you do next?

Preparation is a key factor in your job search.  Just as you prepare your résumé, cover letters and your references, and do your research on the companies for which you want to work.  You need to be prepared and know what a background investigation will discover.

Are you prepared? What action will you take this week to be sure your offer does not disappear?

“What you have to give is enough – if you give it with all your heart.”~ Chieko N. Okazaki

The quote above was shared with me by one of my mentors and I wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy it.

Every week, sometimes hundreds of times a week, I hear the questions Should I … or Do I need to … followed by: post my resume online, go back to school, retire, take less money, do a different job, change industries, change careers, quit my job, fire my boss, network with others, network online, and the list could go on and on.  Are you asking these questions?

What do you think my most common reply would be if you asked me one of these questions?  My reply would likely be to ask you the question – “What’s important to you?”

Yes, I know by the look on your face, you might be annoyed by my responding to your question with a question.  However usually that is the best place to start if you are asking yourself or someone else these types of questions about your job search or career transition.

First of all, may I remind you that unless, you lost your last job due to misconduct, or lack of your willingness to correct your work performance to meet your employer’s employment requirements, or your lack of willingness or ability to acquire a specific skill or skills your employer required, you were successful in your prior job.   Your experience, skills, knowledge and abilities are probably solid enough for you to be highly marketable and successful again in today’s job market.

Therefore, if you will spend a little time to reflect on your skills, experience and what is important to you before you jump in to a full blown marketing campaign and job search you will know what is important to you and you will be better prepared to accelerate your success.  If you test the market and determine that you do need help or are missing a skill to do what is important to you, you will be prepared to take the best action.

Be careful about using unanswered questions or other conditions as your excuse for inaction.  Are you using the economy, or not defining what’s important to you as an excuse not to move your job search forward?  You must get out into the job market in a BIG WAY!

Excuses, whatever they are can be a deep dark pit!  A costly pit and a pit filled with fear.    A job search can be scary.  You may feel hesitant as you first start to market yourself.  You may fear rejection, and you may fear making mistakes.  I get that – and by the way, you will be rejected and you will make mistakes!

Job searching has a learn-as-you-go component to it, the market place changes, things change, business needs change, and you change over time.  Get busy, get over having to learn everything before you start your job search, and marketing yourself for your next job.

Be willing to learn-as-you-go, to change what you are doing, or to stop doing the things that are not working for you.  Market YOU.  Get out there with who you are, what you have to offer, what makes you unique and different in the marketplace.

Stop using “Should I” or “Do I need to” questions as excuses.  Clarify what is important to you, stop making excuses, and communicate your value to the marketplace.

Excuses stop you dead in your tracks.  Stop making excuses.  Know what is important to you; communicate what you can do and how you are different.   You do have enough to give.

Will you give it with all your heart?

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Hubbard’s words ring true for your job search too.  Be careful that you don’t take your job search to seriously or not seriously enough.  Either end of the scale can be fatal to your career.

I have worked with thousands of people engaged in a job search.  Some are not serious enough about the “job search” and others are so serious about the job search it consumes each minute of the day.

Both of these paths will impact your success.  If you are not serious enough you may lose focus, miss opportunities and often extend a search so long that the prolonged search causes damage to your finances, your career and earnings potential.  Being too serious about a job search can also result in lack of focus, damage to your relationships, lack of balance and tons of effort in the wrong direction.

Do you have the right balance in your job search?

What are you taking too seriously in your job search?

What in your job search should be more serious?

Is the job search you are conducting effective?

Don’t tell them about your warts -

“I have these big ugly warts on my feet.  I have had them for two months now.  Some are small and rough, some are growing together.”

WHAT?

That’s right you would not say that in public or to your friends.  Yet almost daily I hear professionals who are looking for their next gig and trying to connect with other professionals, to get referrals and introductions to the employers they want to work for say things about themselves and their job search that I call WARTS!

If you want to increase your connections and referrals, it is critical to educate your family, friends, and the people you meet so they can become your personal advocates.  Doing so helps you create a mini sales force.

If your friends, family and allies know you, know what you do, know about your experience and what type of work you are interested in doing, they can help you.  When you have a team of people who like you, trust you, know you, and can explain what you do.  It is super easy for them to refer you to possible employers, their friends and contacts,  and to help connect you with the best companies and the best positions for you.

Here is one secret so few people use.  The “update letter”.  Use this tool to connect with family, friends and allies.    Most people will be very happy to hear from you, to learn about what you are doing and most will be happy to help if you tell them how they can help you. Be specific.

This is not a WART LETTER – don’t say

Dear Friend:

Poor me, I lost my job, after all these years of toil and I need a job.  Do you have a job for me?

Signed, Mr. Big Wart.

Any letter, email or conversation like that is a burden on all who receive it.  Telling anyone about your WARTS will make them want to run away from you as fast as they can and/or avoid you now and in the future.

Tastefully done an update letter allows you to connect with your network, share key achievements you since you last connected.  It provides an opportunity for you to let friends and family know what you are doing and asking them to think of you if they overhear of or connect with a situation relating to your current interests.

An update letter also provides you with an opportunity to connect, catch up, and talk about business.  You can connect and discover what’s new and or different in life and in the business of your network contacts as well if there is a way that you can help them.

Does an “update letter” really get results?  Not always, but after four months of resisting the idea, here is what happened for one person who decided to send just 10 “update letters”.

One letter went to a former executive assistant, whom he had not seen in 8 years.  She called him after receiving the “update letter”, he took her to lunch, during lunch they talked about family, old friends, business in general and her new job.  In less than a week she called him to coordinate an appointment with the COO of her employer.   The result, an interesting conversation about a new project within a division of the organization scheduled to start in a few months.  What is next?  Another conversation, then who knows?  This grateful executive is glad he composed and sent an “update letter” and connected with someone in his network and is busy updating other advocates within his network.

Who should you send an “update letter” to?

When you compose your “update letter”?

Let me know about your results.

“Our words reveal our thoughts; our manners mirror our self-esteem; our actions reflect our character; our habits predict the future.”   ~  William Arthur Ward

This week I encountered one of those people who was so angry and so frustrated, he just had to tell everyone within earshot how he has been wronged due to his age.   The clash was over the top when this angry man shouted at two “millennials” about everything from their education, dress, type of cell phone, and ideas on what would be a dream job.

Just as I was stepping forward to ensure there was not an atomic blast, one of the young ladies this man was targeting with his angry spoke up.  Her words spoken with a slight quaver in her voice turned more than a few heads.  She shared that she thought ‘AGE’ was just an excuse.  Then she shared how that excuse had helped her justify for 18 months, what she wanted to do or say without looking at the impact or the result.

She disclosed how she figured out something very important – to get interviews she had to play up her unique attributes and connect those to the employer needs and follow that by downplaying her unique attributes, including her preferred manner of dress that clashed with employer wants and/or needs or she was going to remain without a job and become homeless.

Her message was that when she stopped blaming AGE and started to think of ways to leverage her differences to provide mutual benefit and stopped her personal “WAR” with older candidates, employer systems and the authority of hiring managers she began to get interviews.

Are you waging a war?

Is AGE a blind spot in your job search?

Are you a highly qualified candidate, struggling to prove your value to companies?

Would you benefit from leveraging your value, attributes and differences?

Are your perceptions and expectations about AGE helping you connect with employers or encouraging them to call ‘security’?

What perceptions should you examine this week?

What is your policy?

Most of you know my background is in Business Operations/Management and Human Resources and the systems and discipline learned over the years have served me and those I serve well.  One of those disciplines is to regularly review practices and policies to determine if they need updating and when there is a policy or acceptable pattern of behavior that needs updating to update it.  Times change and you must to this or your practices and policies get outdated.

Okay, before you say WHAT? – “I’m looking for my next gig and will worry about policy stuff when I land.”   Not looking at what you do and how you handle business and your search day in and day can be costly.  Your personal policies and practices drive your results and help you be effective.  Stop, think, and review at least one area a week, if you at not getting the results you want.  This week look at social media.  Think about and review what you doing.  Doing so should help you be more effective.

Social media is changing.  This week I am looking at my practices for LinkedIn and Twitter.  I would encourage you to do the same.  Here are some questions to help you.

Do you have a policy or a practice?

Do your practices (or habits) help ensure you are effective and use your social media time wisely?

How much time do you spent connecting via social media?

Is the time productive and focused?

What are your goals for using each type of social media?

Can you quickly explain how you use social media?

How is social media helping you reach the goals you set for your search?

Can you measure the results?

Now use your answers to review what you do, your habits and what, if anything you should change.

Not being a social media expert, I depend on experts to help me understand, learn and be effective with all the tools and systems I use.  Nancy Marmolejo is one of the experts I trust to help me with social media.  On January 11, Nancy posted a great tip where she talk about the “spin cycle” and shared great information.  Her tips are geared to business owners, but they also apply to job seekers.  After all you are the owner and marketer of your talent, skills and experience.  Read Social Media Tip: Go Micro, worth reading.

If you review your practices and need some help to refine how you use social media to accelerate your job search, do two things.  1) Leave a comment below about what you are doing that works and what you need help with or have questions about, and 2) contact me directly if you need help.