Probably your mom, like mine, told you not to talk to strangers.
But in certain situations when you’re networking, you may want to think about ignoring mom. Just for a moment. You may also want to ignore Linkedin’s scary (did the Linkedin mom write this?) rule: don’t connect with people you don’t know. Yikes, isn’t connecting with people I don’t yet know one of the huge advantages of this fabulous networking site?
Networking in all its flavors is the key to getting into the hidden job market.
Today’s social networking makes it possible and relatively easy for you to find the people you want to network with. It doesn’t matter that today you are total strangers. Take the opportunity to connect with them to begin building a relationship. As the two of you get to know each other, it is likely that both of you will benefit.
On many social networking sites, and Linkedin is a great example, you may already know someone who knows the person you’d like to meet. So you and they can feel more comfortable because of that mutual connection. Because you can see information about the person you want to meet, you will know other things you may share with them.
Building a relationship is really the place to start.
In the list below, you will notice I did not say to start out by sending a resume to someone who is connected to the hiring manager or recruiter for a position you’re interested in. While they may not say it, many people will simply feel used.
Social networking sheds light on the contacts you never knew you had as well as those you would like to create. Of course, you must take action. As long as we’re breaking mom’s rule, here are some ways to leverage your expanded community of “contacts” to assist in your job search.
• Search for old connections to reconnect and catch up
• Find people with whom you’ve only had a brief connection and strengthen that relationship
• Build business relationships with hiring managers as well as other people you should know in your industry/function/geographic area
• Identify and meet (on line and off line) recruiters, people in your target companies, prominent people in your industry or function
• Follow, learn from and connect with thought leaders
• Increase your web visibility and credibility which makes it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to find you
• Find out what your target companies are doing, their business issues, competitors, etc.
• Be better prepared for all your networking calls, calls for informational interviews, etc.
You can buy mom flowers to celebrate your new job!
Tim Collins is founder and President of Toronto-based Stafflink Solutions, a full service permanent and contract IT recruiting firm. I’m delighted to have had a chance to talk to Tim Collins recently about how he got 4 jobs through the hidden job market mechanism. And how networking has helped his company, Stafflink Solutions, have its best year ever!
Please listen to Tim’s great tips and ideas. They are fabulous. Start implementing the ones you like right away–no reason to delay. Enjoy!
Click for a transcript of this interview so you can refer back to all his techniques!
I highly recommend his blog for job seekers: http://www.stafflink.blogspot.com/
It can be very frustrating and/or intimidating to want to talk to someone in the course of job search networking, only to have the gatekeeper shut you down. Most advice is to try to get around the gatekeeper or get past them as quickly as possible. This article is about doing the exact opposite, and the tremendous rewards you can get when you try it this way.
I’d like to encourage you to stop trying to get past a gatekeeper. In reality, these people are not a fierce negative force. They can be your best ally in getting what you want—a meeting with the boss.
Make the receptionist a friend. Make the assistant a friend. Remember and use their name. Have some sympathy for their job and busy day and tell them so. It doesn’t take long. You can benefit from the fact the people who are typically thought of as “gatekeepers” are actually real people. You can also benefit from the fact that most job seekers calling for a meeting don’t bother to make the gatekeeper a friend.
Be ready with a brief and truthful statement about why you want to talk to their boss. Let them know you just need a few minutes. You’ll be amazed at how helpful some of them will be.
Will everyone try to help you? Probably not, but see how high a success rate you can get. If they don’t, then you can network in other ways to meet the executive. But don’t say anything negative to either of them. If you underestimate the power of the assistant, you could just end up as toast.
I typically call very senior executives during the course of my recruiting. I write down the assistant’s name as soon as I hear it (my brain cells seem to be dying at an alarming rate these days!). By taking time to remember the assistant’s name and being truthful (and brief) about why I was calling, I found a lot of them went out of their way to get me some time on the boss’s calendar.
Whenever possible I compliment the executive on their assistant, and email the assistant my sincere thanks. I’ve never regretted taking a few minutes to make them a friend.
In one case I called an executive three times. The assistant and I had fun brief conversations each time. The first two times, the assistant told me she would give her boss the message, but he didn’t call. The third time she went in to his office and told him he had to take my call! How much better than that does it get?
Everyone you talk to is a networking contact. Instead of rushing to “get past” take a few moments to create a relationship.
I hope this helps in your job search networking into the hidden job market.
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 28, 2010 · 2 Comments
I will freely admit that in addition to being a reluctant job search networker, I also hated small talk. Slam bam whammy a double curse!
When I became determined (ok, desperate) to learn how to do networking in ways that felt comfortable for me, I started interviewing people who were master networkers. That research is how I learned all the networking secrets I love to share.
Since that strategy worked so well to learn how to network, I decided to take the same approach to learn how to do small talk. I didn’t expect to learn to like small talk, just to learn some ways to sound as though I liked it. As I learned some techniques that actually worked, I started to like small talk in spite of myself!
Let me share some of what I learned, just in case you hate small talk, too!
First I had to learn and then accept there is a purpose to small talk. It gives you and the other person a chance to find something that you have in common. That is the beginning of building a relationship. And you’ll want to be a master of creating a relationship quickly since they are the foundation of your job search networking success.
So here are some quick tips to make small talk easier for those of us who kinda hate it and/or don’t do it particularly well.
• Make your first remarks quite neutral and non-threatening. Remember, the purpose of opening remarks is to let people process the sub-text that says you like them.
• Say something relevant to the situation. You may build agreement right away. For example, you may say “Beautiful place for this event, isn’t it?” This would encourage your conversational partner to start agreeing with you from the first moment. This is good!
• Say something pleasant, complimentary or empathetic because your first sentence is 100% of their experience of you at that point. If your first comments are boastful, complaining, negative or sarcastic (no matter how witty or intelligent), that will be their impression of you, and it will be a difficult task to change that impression.
• You will find that acknowledging them for something they have done is a powerful way to melt the ice.
• Say something that is easy to agree with. This provides sub-text that says “we agree, we’re alike, we have something in common. We can now move on to more meaningful conversation.”
• Save your jokes, strong opinions, clever remarks for when you know the person better. The sub-text here says “look at me; appreciate me.”
• You want your sub-text to say “I see you and I appreciate you.” Keep that thought in your head and it is conveyed easily in your small talk.
I know these may seem to be in the “well, duh” category. But I’m always amazed at how they help me feel a little more like a smooth schmoozer. I hope they help you if you hate small talk, too!
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Introverts may think they cannot do networking. Yes, they can. And in a way that works for them.
Extroverts may not recognize just how many networking skills they have—and how to best leverage them.
Introverts: Your Unique Strengths
• You are sensitive to what’s happening around you and can pick up and relate to other people’s needs and feelings, resulting in others sensing you are empathetic.
• You come across as thoughtful and focused because you take the time to think before you speak. You are often able to quickly develop rapport and trust.
• You are skilled at sensing how to respond to people most effectively.
• You don’t always feel as though you need to be talking, making you are an excellent listener.
If you’re introverted:
• Realize that you have great information, and other people want and can use what you know.
• Give yourself permission to network in ways that make you comfortable. Remember that some of the most effective networking is done in a venue in which introverts shine – one-on-one.
Extroverts: Your Unique Strengths
• You are at ease with small talk and can easily engage others in conversation.
• You think things through by talking, so people know what’s going on with you.
• Because you ask easily for what you would like from the other person, you tend to get more of what you want.
• You are an excellent brainstorming partner because don’t force yourself to think things through before speaking.
If you’re extroverted:
• Because you are self-confident and can easily talk to people, be on the lookout for those times when you will want to ask other people a question. Find out what they want to talk about and get a sense of how they are feeling.
• Remember to switch gears beyond the social aspects where you clearly shine to take advantage of making connections and leveraging the job search networking possibilities.
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Does today’s tough job market have you stressed? With the high unemployment rate job seekers must use more imaginative ways to uncover job openings. We’ve all heard stories about great jobs found in unusual ways – a strange coincidence, word of mouth, a conversation overheard in the grocery line. How can you cash in? If you must leave your job, go out fighting for the best benefits you can get.
The Challenge
It’s true that about 80% of all jobs aren’t advertised. Although most job hunters spend hours every day responding to online openings, let’s face it: it’s probably easier to break into the Pentagon than to be noticed via an online job application. If your resume doesn’t have exactly the right key words, it lands in the hiring manager’s trash folder. And speaking of hiring managers, let’s take a moment to recognize that they’re just as overwhelmed by the stack of online applications they get as you are by sending them. That’s why hiring managers are, in fact, looking for you elsewhere - by asking their current employees, colleagues, recruiters and friends.
1. Plant Many Seeds
Being on a job hunt is a lot like being a gardener: you must plant many seeds, because you never know which green shoots will surface. So, here are a few ways to tap into your secret job market:
2. Start with Your Own Contacts
Make a list of all your closest colleagues, college buddies and past employers. Don’t forget Uncle Harry – working relatives can be a great source of job leads! Send your contacts a copy of your resume and ask to network with them. Be sure you’re prepared with a professional resume and an idea of what position fits your skills. Call everyone on your list, and don’t hang up the phone until they’ve given you at least one new referral. You’ll quickly build an impressive network of new job lead sources.
3. Join LinkedIn
Social networking is a great way to expand your network. Set up an account on LinkedIn and post your profile and resume there. You can look for former colleagues, alumni, professional associations and other connections. Recruiters frequently search for applicants on LinkedIn, so put your best professional face forward.
4. Look for Temporary Work
Taking a temporary assignment has multiple benefits. First, it gets you out of the house and into a professional environment, which keeps your spirits high during a long stretch without work. Secondly, it generates income. Thirdly, you’ll add another employer to your list of references. Finally, temporary assignments can often lead to full-time job offers. Head to your local temporary job agency and sign up.
5. Share Job Leads with Other Job Seekers
It may sound counter-intuitive to give leads to your competitors, but who’s more up-to-date on the latest job openings than fellow job hunters? These folks have their ears to the ground and might know of a job that isn’t a good fit for them, but could be for you.
7. Tell Your Tennis Buddies…
… or your golf buddies, or your book club friends or whoever else might be in your social circle. Even if they haven’t worked directly with you, they still know you pretty well. They can recommend you for those qualities you exhibit socially, such as a good character, a positive attitude and a sense of team play.
8. Ask for Help
If you’ve applied for a job, ask those in your network if they know anyone at your target company. A call made on your behalf to a company “insider” can elevate the visibility of your resume and credentials, which is especially important in today’s highly competitive environment. Those in your network are happy to help, especially if you can clearly give them a specific task to carry out.
9. Unearth Exciting Job Opportunities!
With persistence, creativity and a little luck, you, too, can tap the hidden job market and unearth exciting job opportunities from the oddest places.
10. Network, Network, Network
Join us for the next SPEED NETWORKING on April 22nd. Go to www.speedpitt.com to register
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment
copyright (c) 2010 by Kevin Donlin
Fact: The advertised job market is literally the tip of the iceberg.
Fully 70-80% of jobs go unadvertised by employers, who fear being deluged by hundreds of resumes from applicants, most of whom won’t be qualified.
With that in mind, it makes sense to spend about 80% of your time cracking this “hidden” market of unadvertised jobs. And a good way to do it is to contact hiring managers at companies you want to work for. Your aim? To prove that hiring you would be a terrific investment, one that makes or saves them more money than they would pay you in salary.
So, where do you find a list of these hiring managers?
You can’t find one. You have to build your own list.
Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to do.
So say two experienced recruiters, David Perry (author of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0″) and Mark Haluska (principal of recruiting firm Real Time Network, in Pittsburgh, PA).
First of all, what level of decision maker should you talk to about creating a job or hiring you for one that’s unadvertised?
“You want to contact the individual two levels up from the position you are applying for,” suggests Haluska. “There are two reasons for that. First, the person two levels up has the bigger picture. They may actually be looking to replace the person below them, who would be your boss.”
“Second, if you’re really good and you contact the person you would work for, if they are small-minded, they may be threatened by your credentials,” which can kill your chances, according to Haluska.
In the Darwinian world of office politics, this makes sense. If you display more initiative than your next boss or outshine someone they recently hired, you risk making that boss look bad, which is not a recipe for success.
Next, when seeking out hiring managers, what title are you looking for?
“If the company has 250 or fewer employees, target the president, owner, or a vice president in the group that you want to work in,” advises Perry.
“If it’s over 250 people but less than 1,000, go after the VP of your department. If it’s over 1,000 employees, go after the senior director or the VP in the division where you want to work,” says Perry.
Once you know the title of the hiring authority you seek, how do you find their name?
“I would call into the company to ask the receptionist, or visit the company’s Web site,” says Perry. “Those each take 15 seconds.”
If those tactics don’t pan out, try Google. Search for the following three items together:
1. the name of the company;
2. the words “Vice President;”
3. the name of department you want to work in.
Example Google search: Ace Novelty Company Vice President engineering
This will return the names of current and former employees in the role of Vice President of that department. You may find their actual resumes, their names mentioned in press releases, or their listings in social networks like Spoke.com
Another research tool is Google Alerts.
“It’s simple. Visit www.Google.com/alerts for instructions on how to set up automated searches for the keywords you choose. Google then alerts you by email,” advises Haluska.
The service seeks out the latest information from blogs and news stories online. You can create a Google Alert to search every day for such keywords as “Ace Novelty Company Vice President Marketing,” for example.
“If I’m looking for a job title at a company, any time anything comes up regarding that company, they start rolling in by email every morning from Google Alerts,” says Haluska.
Now. What’s the final step after you find the names and titles of executives who can hire you?
“Reach out and touch them with a customized resume and cover letter, printed and sent by mail,” says Perry.
“Your message is simple: ‘Dear Mr./Ms. Hiring Authority, I’ve studied your business. I know all about your problems and opportunities. I’ve produced results before like you need now, and here are specific examples — boom, boom, boom. Can we meet for coffee?’”
In the end, the faster you can humanize your job hunt and make contact with the right hiring authority, the faster you’ll find work in this economy — or any other.
Resource: Need a better resume to impress hiring managers? You can get instant access to job-winning Guerrilla Resumes here: http://YOURNICKNAME.gjobnow.hop.clickbank.net/
Kevin Donlin is a frequent Career Jockey contributor. He is also a co-author of Guerrilla Resumes. This is a recommended Career Jockey resource for writing a resume that will make you stand out and get noticed.
You can learn so much about this author by clicking here.
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 14, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The hidden job market really isn’t all that hidden.
It’s actually right in front of you, and all you need to do is network your way in. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to assist. You can accelerate getting into the hidden job market when you are prepared for networking.
So if you’re going to a networking meeting—coffee with someone, an association meeting or conference where you will meet people who can hire you, an informational interview phone call—please have these things in place first.
First create your search strategy.
I’m amazed at how many people ask to talk to me about their job search without having defined who they want to meet, companies they would like to work in, etc.
I was talking to one job seeker and told her that I was really unfamiliar with her job function. But I might know people in her target companies so could perhaps help by introducing her. I asked if she had a list of companies where she wanted to work. What was her strategy?
Her response was that she was hoping she could just network and not have to create a strategy. When you have a strategy defined, you know exactly what to ask for. One way to guarantee they won’t be able to help you is to say, “Well if you hear of anything I might be interested in, let me know.”
Creating a strategy takes some time and perhaps some introspection and honesty. It’s time well spent.
The second essential is your career brand.
This is how you become memorable. By having your brand statement, you help people talk about you! You stand out and capture their attention.
Sadly and surprisingly, most job seekers today cannot tell a recruiter, hiring manager or networking connection what is compelling about them—what makes them the candidate to hire. In today’s economic climate, it may feel as though experience and skills are just commodities. What can put you in the lead, make you memorable to your networking contacts and irresistible to the hiring manager is all built around your brand.
If you are struggling to create your brand, please get my free report available on my blog.
It shows you how to have others help you uncover your brand–easier and you get some networking in at the same time! Please try it.
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 14, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Posted by Katherine Moody on April 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment
This is the 4th article of 1212 project. In case you miss them, read them from here: 6 Ways To Destroy Your Personal Brand, How Dubai Builds Brands & ALTAEE Wikipedia: Brand, Branding, Personal Brand and Personal Branding.
After the successfulness of my guest post 15 Personal Branding Tasks You Can Do Everyday, I’ve decided to continue this type of posts so I used Twitter to tweet the best career experts in the world and asked them: Give me a task a job seekers can do once per month?
Many 
said the question is not easy, I agree. The reason I asked for that is to be realistic and not to impose many daily tasks on job seekers, I want it to be once per month so job seekers can plan in ahead and use any of them to improve, update, or track their job search strategies. This question inspired Jason Alba to write a blog post about it which is shown in task #31
You can follow the career experts using my Career Gurus Twitter list. I asked everyone in the list and only got the answers from the following so thank you for sharing part of your experience and hope that all job seekers can benefit from these tips.
1 – Attend a networking event that is targeted to their industry or to business professionals (not just jobseekers). ~ @ResumeStrategy
2 - Review all applications, results and look to see how to improve the percentage of interviews. ~ @scotherrick
3 - Do an eval of your network (people, groups and organizations). Stop using resources that are non-productive and add new ones. ~ @TimsStrategy
4 - Cultivate his/her social network. Just takes 10-15 minutes a day. GREAT results! ~ @ErinKennedyCPRW
5 - Update your resume. ~ @heatherhuhman
6 - Review his/her job search traction (activities/results) and CELEBRATE then find something NEW/different to do to shake things up. ~ @ValueIntoWords
7 - Stay active and building relationships online! ~ @MsCareerGirl
8 - Attend a trade association or professional association meeting to network with others in your field. ~ @eExecutives
9 - Keep track of performance on a daily basis … evaluate progress at month’s end. ~ @billiesucher
10 - End your resume to 5 friends/connections asking for feedback and any suggestions, great icebreaker and people will want to help. ~ @kufarms
11 - Customize resume / cover letter to *specific* position. Way too much competition in market today for one-size-fits-all approach. ~ @EmilyBennington
12 - Job seekers should evaluate the things they’re doing monthly, and figure out how they can do them daily. ~ @WalterAkana
13 - Get a haircut. Important to maintain appearance (& self-esteem). Everything else in search must be done MUCH more often. ~ @DawnBugni
14 - Prepare and deliver a 5-7 minute speech in front of at least 20 people, to keep the confidence going. (Try Toastmasters!) ~ @JorgenSundberg
15 - Keep an on-going tally of job successes, so updating one’s resume is less painful and more effective. ~ @teenarose
16 - Every month go through their database + note when was the last time they connected with someone, then connect. ~ @mariaduron
17 - Connect with people on linkedin. Review lists and see who you can contact. ~ @GayleHoward
18 - Once/month job a seeker can convert her physical connections into Linkedin connections. ~ @laurentbrouat
19 – Get out and network! (should be more than once / month-but a good starting point). ~ @KristenJacoway
20 - Assume wider duties in line with brand: mentor a coworker that lacks your strengths or suggest initiative centered on your expertise. ~ @resumeexpert
21 - Join an association in their field and network. ~ @DarrylRMSG
22 – Connect with & give back to their network to tap into the hidden market. Lot’s more tips here http://bit.ly/4oumVv ~ @annemariecross
23 - Keep reference suppliers up to date with a copy of latest resume version, and list of jobs applied for. ~ @ExpertResumeMan
24 - Get two new referrals from every contact you have. ~ @LindaNoland
25 - Start a blog and add one posting per month. ~ @animal
26 - Strive to learn something new once a month (or every day) & continuing to learn ramps up your options in. ~ @JulieWalraven
27 - Attend local networking events – and bring your career-seeking business cards. ~ @HeatherEColeman
28 – Write at least 1 Linkedin recommendation, 10 #FollowFriday tweets, and 30 blog comments for people in your network. ~ @maltaee
29 - Sit down for 5 minutes and go through your file special accomplishments and customer/peer/supervisor/president feedback and thank-yous to remind yourself that the people who know you, think you are great. You have great value. Landing that new job is a matter of “when,” not “if. ~ @CareerBranches
30 - Look at your contacts. Are there key people you haven’t talked with in a while? Reconnect, finding a way to add value to them. ~ @TheJobQuest
31 - What’s on your Chicken List? ~ @JasonAlba
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