Michelle Dumas asked:


You’ve heard it before: at least 80% of all the jobs are found through the “hidden” job market, also known as the “unpublished” job market. These are jobs typically landed through word of mouth and referrals as opposed to the hit-or-miss method of answering ads, posting your resume to internet databases, or other techniques meant to target the remaining 20% of all jobs in the published market.

It stands to reason that if the vast majority of the jobs are to be found in this hidden market, that you should spend the majority of your job search time working to ***** it. But, as you may have reasoned already, accessing the hidden job market requires that you take charge of your search, reaching out and building strategic relationships, taking proactive initiative, and making yourself visible in the right circles.

That’s right. It requires that you use networking strategies. And, the thought of networking leaves many people feeling nervous and unsure. For an introverted or shy person, the idea of networking can even cause serious anxiety and fear.

What is networking exactly? If you believe, like many people, that networking is simply approaching everyone you know to ask for a job, it is no wonder you feel uncomfortable! That isn’t what networking is. True networking is about building strategic relationships that involve a win-win, reciprocal exchange of information, support, and/or referrals.

When defined in this way, networking ceases to be so scary. But, it also requires that you expand your view of networking. No longer is networking just something you do every now and then when you are conducting a job search; building and strengthening your network is something that you should be working at all the time. But, if you find yourself facing an immediate job search, and your networking skills are rusty, don’t fret. Here are some tips to get you moving.

1) When you first start out to build your network, it will be helpful for you to think of networking as a research project. Networking isn’t just about the quantity of contacts; it is about the quality. Don’t be afraid to reach out to decision-makers and people “in the know” within companies and industries of interest to you. These are quality contacts. Explain your career plans and ask them if they would spend 15 minutes talking to you and answering some questions. Most people will be flattered and say yes. When you do get in front of them, NEVER ask for a job, but DO ask for advice and referrals. These meetings are traditionally known as informational interviews.

2) As mentioned above, your networking efforts should emphasize building quality relationships. But, don’t discount the importance of quantity. As much as possible, you should also expand your network. Friends, relatives, people you went to college with, contacts you have made in your community, doctors, the salespeople you come into contact with…they are all part of your network. You won’t want to spend a large amount of time on this, but at least make a comprehensive list and call or send a letter reestablishing a connection, informing people of your search, and asking for advice or referrals. Again, notice that it isn’t about asking for a job. Just ask for advice and referrals.

3) Prepare, prepare, prepare for your networking meetingsespecially those that take the format of an informational interview. Prepare lists of questions about the company or the industry. Do your research so that you know something about the person you are meeting with and the company they work for (you might be amazed at what a simple Google search will turn up). For some people, role playing is helpful. If you are working with a career coach, this is something they may be able to help with. But a friend or close family member could also help you. There is no better antidote for nervousness than being prepared. 4) Getting out from behind your desk and making yourself visible is crucial. Join and then take part in events held by professional associations and other groups. Attend workshops and trainings in your field or industry. Attend job fairs to meet directly with hiring decision-makers. Volunteer your career-related skills in your community. If you are an expert at something, offer to speak on the topic to various groups. Job searching can be a time of anxiety and diminished self-confidence for many people, but don’t hide at home behind your computer. Get out and meet people.

5) Yes, I just told you not to hide behind your computer, but the internet will play a role in any comprehensive networking campaign. Creating and maintaining a blog on your area of career expertise is an extraordinary way to build your credibility and visibility. Social networking sites like LinkedIn, MySpace, and FaceBook are increasingly popular ways to expand your network. Consider writing articles on industry and profession-related topics and then offering them as free content to webmasters (make sure the article is credited to you and includes a way to contact you). You can also participate in online discussions on topics related to your career focus. Just remember that you shouldn’t “hide” behind a fake name like many people do. Your purpose is to expand your visibility and credibility, so you must use your real name.

6) Finally, show your appreciation and follow up on every single contact with a thank you note. True networking is based on cultivating and nurturing long-term relationships, so you should always be thinking of nice things you can do to show your appreciation, or ways that you could return a favor. Besides being common courtesy, your efforts in this regard will pay you back by further strengthening your relationships and helping to keep you visible.

Happy networking! Even if it feels a little uncomfortable at first, just get out there and do it. Make networking a part of your daily routine and plan to spend the majority of your job search time on networking activities (approximately three-fourths of your time is a good estimate). The more you network, the faster your current job search will come to a successful conclusion and the faster and more successful any future job searches will be.



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PAUL BOWLEY asked:


You’ve heard of “word of mouth,” right? If you’re job hunting, it’s another way of saying “job search networking.”

Advertisers know that word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways of getting a product known. Well, it applies to job hunting, as well. And, if you can see yourself as a product, then you can take advantage of the remarkable tool as part of your job search.

Unfortunately, most job seekers don’t use job search networking . . . or they misuse it. But, if you can master it, you can turn your time looking for a job into a matter of days instead of spending weeks or months pursuing old-fashioned job search methods.

So, whether you’re looking for a new job or making some other career change, the way you go about finding the majority of available jobs is to take advantage of “word of mouth.” That means you systematically employ the proven job search strategy called “job search networking.”

Very simply, it’s a vital tool for gathering information, talking to the right people and locking up an opportunity that’s right for you. Now, you can try to do that by distributing or posting your resume . . . and waiting for the phone to ring

Or you can discover how quickly you can make things happen by accessing other people, especially ones you already know I It’s really quite simple and straightforward. The only complication is your reluctance to look like you’re asking other folks for a job. But that’s a no-no in this application of job search networking.

For example, if you can put that notion of asking for a job aside and, instead, approach others for “advice,” you’ll be amazed at how helpful folks are willing to be to “advise” you.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of job search networking:

1. Have your ducks in a row. Know precisely what you are looking for that’s consistent with your talents and capabilities. And practice representing yourself out loud before you approach anyone.

2. Never ask anyone for a job or to find you a job. Always ask for advice. It puts you and your contact at ease. And they will feel much more comfortable opening doors for you if they don’t feel under pressure, and you don’t appear as desperate.

3. Prepare a contact bank. This is list of people you know who would be pleased to offer advice. Or they can introduce you to someone who can be helpful.

4. Be an assertive listener. Your task here is to acquire as much information and insight as possible. And then, when appropriate, ask your contact to introduce you to other people who can advance your networking. Some of these introductions may mean direct access to a decision-maker who may have an opportunity for you.

Your job search blues can be quickly resolved when you master the skills of networking. When you do it right, you can dramatically move the odds in favor of locking up a good job in a matter of days!



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Michelle Dumas asked:


I frequently talk to potential clients who tell me they have been conducting a job search for X months without any success, or that they have sent out X number of resumes with virtually no response. When I press for more details, I hear stories about resumes posted in online resume databases and resumes sent in response to ads found on online job boards.

What is wrong with these job search techniques? Well…nothing is fundamentally wrong with them. In fact, they play an important part – a small part – in most well-constructed job search plans. However, these are extremely low-payoff job search activities, and if these are the only techniques you are using, the chances are far greater than not that your job search will generate disappointing and slow results.

If you are unhappy with the results of your job search, it is time that you took an objective look at your job search techniques. Are you spending too much of your precious time and energy on low-payoff job search activities while you ignore those that will produce the positive results that you want and deserve?

While the more effective job search activities – such as networking -usually require people to step out of their comfort zones, the returns generated by your investment of your time and energy will almost always be worth it.

So, if you find yourself stuck in a stalled, ineffective search for your next job, here are some high-impact tips.

1) Take a hard look at your resume. Like it or not, your resume is your first introduction to most employers, and your only chance to make a good first impression. Effective resumes are focused marketing pieces that are strategically written and designed to sell YOU as THE best solution to a potential employer’s needs. Your resume should be written to illustrate your unique value proposition, with succinct “stories” that differentiate you from your competitors in the job market. Does your resume accomplish these goals? Is it focused effectively? Does it accurately present you in the way that you wish to be presented? If not, it is time to rewrite.

2) Now, take a hard look at your methods. Do the methods you are using in your job search convey professionalism at every step? Is your approach courteous and does it illustrate an understanding of common business protocol? For example, do you always send at least a brief letter of introduction when you send a new contact your resume? I can’t tell you how many times a prospective client tells me he isn’t getting calls on his resume, and when I quiz him he will tell me that he has been sending his resume as an attachment to emails, and then admits that he has not been including an introductory note. In this day and age, when everyone is concerned about viruses and spam, do you honestly believe that a recipient will open an attachment that arrives with a blank email? Of course not! Or…Does the message on your answering machine make you sound like a polished professional or a party animal? Is your email user name a professional-sounding one or a cutesy one? You have tough competition in the job market. Details matter! Courtesy and business protocol matters! Everything you do in your job search should convey an impeccably professional image. My best advice: Apply some basic common sense and remember your manners.

3) Ramp up your networking efforts. Of all of the possible job search methods, networking is the most effective by far, and yet it is the method that the fewest people use. I know that you don’t want to hear this, but no matter how uncomfortable it might be for you, networking is absolutely crucial and is the fastest way to your next position. Remember that when you are networking you are not asking people if they know of an opening or to give you a job, you are just asking for referrals or advice. Would you be upset if someone you knew contacted you to inform you of their job search and asked if you might be able to offer any advice or point her in the right direction? Of course you wouldn’t. In fact, you might even be flattered. This is the same reaction that your personal and professional networking contacts will have. If you don’t have frequent face-to-face contact with your network, the quickest way to jumpstart your search using networking is to send your resume and a brief letter to every single one of your contacts, and then follow up with a phone call a few days later. In most cases, people will be more than happy to help you out. But whether they are able to help you immediately or not, follow up with a brief handwritten thank you card. This is a gesture that will make a lasting positive impression.

4) Do your research; don’t just blindly and indiscriminately send out your resume. Research the geographic and industry areas that interest you and identify the companies and opportunities that seem most promising and intriguing to you. With the vast quantities of information available on the Internet, you really have no excuse not to research thoroughly. Identify the hiring decision-makers and learn all you can about them and their company, their competitors, their challenges, and their future potential. This is a great time to call on your professional network. Who do you know who knows someone who knows some else at the company you are interested in? Once you have an “in” through a referral, it is time to make sure you are absolutely clear on your value proposition. In what way do you feel you could add value to the company? How would hiring you be beneficial? What is the return on investment that the company could expect if they hired you? Once you have the answers to these questions clear in your mind, it is time to approach the targets.

5) Consider a targeted e-mailing of your resume to headhunter/recruiter firms. But don’t just use one of the cheap broadcast services that send your resume out to some unspecified list of 1000s of supposed recruiters. If you are going to do this, use a high-quality service that uses an up-to-date database of recruiting firms that they can break down and segment based on the firms’ specialties. Approaching the distribution of your resume to headhunter firms in this way ensures that the recipients of your resume are individuals who have a sincere interest in learning about you and your credentials. They will try to match you to their current searches, and if you are a fit, you will get a phone call right then. Otherwise, they tend to database your resume to search in relation to future recruitment assignments. Of all the suggestions, this is the most passive and the easiest for you to implement with the least amount of work. But, passive or not, if you are in a profession that is among those often handled by recruiting firms, you should definitely make this a part of your overall job search strategy.

Finally, I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to follow up. Be assertive and approach your job search as if it is a job in itself. Schedule your activities, keep track of the contacts you have made and the resumes you have sent, and follow up regularly and consistently.

Yes, there is no doubt that job searching can be a highly stressful time. But you do have choices about how you will spend your limited time and those choices can have a profound impact on the success of your search. Choose to focus on the high payoff activities and you will find yourself back to work, in the job you want, much faster than you thought was possible.



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