Free Job Search Coaching: The Recap
This week, I held a day of free 1-on-1 coaching sessions. It’s the first time I’ve done this and there’s no doubt…I will be doing it again. What I’d like to share are anecdotes and trends I took away from talking to these 23 job seekers. My hope is that it might provide some perspective and help to what often feels like a pretty solitary journey: the job search.
Relocation tips: Several people had questions on how realistic it is to find a job in another location. While it’s not easy, it can be done. Make sure you have a local address you can use or leave it off your resume all together. Get a free local number that will forward to your cell phone through Google Voice.
Transitioning Careers and Industries: A lot of people are convinced that you cannot transition industries in this economy. I complete disagree. The key is to be connecting with hiring managers, talking about the pains they are experiencing and how your track record of fixing problems applies to what they need. You are going to have a tough – if not impossible – time making this case with recruiters.
Remember to focus on what’s in it for them.
How you are Defining Yourself: If the first words out of your mouth are: I’m looking for,” then you are likely defining yourself as a job seeker. You have to stop doing that right now. That is never going to be the reason you get hired because a) it doesn’t translate into any type of value for a prospective employer and b) it doesn’t matter.
Imagine you needed to hire a peer to work with you today. Close your eyes and who comes to mind? Former colleagues, friends, those in your industry with great reputations, etc.. You didn’t need a resume to make a short list and you don’t even think about whether or not they are employed. It simply doesn’t matter. Ask yourself this: Is it more important that they know you are looking or know that you are the most qualified?
Age discrimination: There are all types of discrimination out there – age, race, sex, weight, etc.. Here is what I would tell you – embrace who you are and don’t try to fight bias or corporate cultures. It’s like swimming against a riptide. Put out there who you are, what you do well and be consistent in your messaging. Instead of focusing on the companies who aren’t your cup of tea (and vice versa), focus on those that want what you have.
When I was a software sales headhunter, most of our clients were small to midsized companies (<$20 million in revenue). They wanted 20+ year veteran sales professionals because they lacked the time and infrastructure to train. Go where they want you.
Frustration with recruiters: Instead of rehashing this one, check out the blog and video I put together on this topic.
Over 50% wanted advice on their resume: As you know, my approach is all about your resume becoming a roadmap for your interview – not expecting it to be the procuring cause. Make sure you are quantifying and qualifying everything on your resume. Use the “so what” litmus test with the bullets on there. Is it fluff or does it equate to value you will bring to a new organization (i.e. demonstrating how you will make or save them money). Remember that it’s just a piece of paper and you are more important than it. And, above all, it isn’t the tool you should be relying upon to help you stand out. Which is a great segue into the #1 topic of the day…
Standing Out in the Job Market: With one exception, this was a consistent question and theme in every conversation I had. As a result, I’m holding a webinar next week where I will talk about just that – how to stand out in the job search. Plus, I have some free tools I’ll be giving out that you can put to use today to get immediate results in your search.
To register for this FREE webinar (and get signed up to get all the freebies that come along with it), just enter your information below. Don’t worry if you can’t make it – I’ll send you a recording of the webinar. But you have to be registered to get the recording and the free resources.
**not sure you can make it? Go ahead and sign-up and a recording of the session will be sent to you**
Question of the Week: Help Me Make Sense of Working with Recruiters
This week’s question isn’t so much a particular one as it is a collection of questions I’ve been getting around one central theme: recruiters. How do I work with them? When should I work with them? Why aren’t they calling me back? Are they a waste of time?
In today’s Q&A column I’m not only going to tackle many of these topics, but I’ve created a FREE video (100% content you can put to work for yourself today – nothing is being sold here) for you that will help you figure out when its most beneficial for you to work with a recruiter and how to get the most out of the relationship.
- Kevin
Between this article and the video, we are going to cover a lot of ground when it comes to recruiters and arming you with the information to get the most out of your relationships with them. This isn’t a bashing session. I am a huge advocate of developing strong relationships with a handful of top-notch recruiters. But, all recruiters are not created equally. I spent almost a decade in the recruiting business having managed at a Fortune 1000 search firm, owned two boutique search firms (one of them actually specialized in placing recruiters – crazy, I know) and consulting on talent acquisition and internal recruiting for Fortune 100 companies. I share this so you know where this information is coming from. Frankly, there are very few parts of the recruiting process that I haven’t touched.
So, here are a few tips…
All Recruiters Aren’t the Same – There are corporate, contract, contingent, retained, permanent and temp/consulting recruiters. Know who they are and their relationship to the position in question are extremely important in determining if you are going to move forward with them. Do you know the difference and how it can impact your chances for an interview?
Unemployed? Proceed with Extreme Caution – It’s not news that a hiring bias against the unemployed exists in some circles (see 2009 WSJ and 2010 Yahoo Finance). With search firm fees running between 20-30% of your base salary, you have to ask, “If a company wouldn’t look at me because I am unemployed, how does an additional price tag help my cause?” Simply put – it doesn’t. In the accompanying video, I explain why this happens and how to find out if the recruiter call is representing a job that is the exception or the rule.
Litmus Tests – Do you have any? Let’s face it – there are no barriers to entry in becoming a recruiter. As my first boss used to say, “All you need is a phone.” As a result, the field is a mixed bag (as are most professions). Finding a great recruiter is tough. You not only need a plan to figure out who the good ones are, but how to build great rapport once you identify them. I explain a few techniques you can start using today to do just that in the free video.
Can’t Get Them to Call You Back? – Remember, they don’t work for you. So, just like with any networking, you need to start with “What’s in it for Them?” Instead of sending endless emails and voicemails asking if they have anything, give them a reason to call you. Position yourself as a hub for information. Let them know you have been actively networking and you are happy to be a resource. The good ones will take you up on this. What do you get out of it? Every time they get a search that’s close to your space – they will call you to talk about it. Win-win.
Is it a Real Job or Not? – This is one of the biggest rubs is that many times the jobs represented by recruiters aren’t real. “Real” can be defined a number of different ways: It’s not open, they don’t have a chance of getting you an interview, you aren’t really qualified, etc.. You might think, “What’s the harm in giving it a shot?” Well, there is a huge downside that can keep you from being considered for future opportunities. The good recruiters will let you know this up front, but remember – all recruiters aren’t created equally. I explain in the video how to protect yourself here.
Thoughts about the video? Want more advice? Please share your thoughts below.
In order to get the FREE video (100% content, no sales pitch), just enter your information below. In it, I cover all the topics listed above PLUS more tips and techniques so you will know when involving a recruiter in your search will help, not hinder you!
The Career Attraction Weekly Wrap-up – July 23, 2010
I don’t know about where you are, but it’s been bloody hot here. I guess it’s the yin to the yang of having had over 40″ of snow this past winter.
When I start thinking about the heat, I think about our men and women serving overseas in spots where it’s even hotter (and that’s the least of their concerns!). Remebering what those 120+ degree days with 80% humidity were like when I was in the Persian Gulf puts it all into perspective for me. A constant reminder to seek out the half full instead of the half empty.
I hope you are staying cool and having a great weekend.
Now, here’s what happened this past week at Career Attraction:
Facebook versus LinkedIn – This past week I opened up the NEW Career Attraction Facebook Page and LinkedIn Group. I also made an announcement that when we hit 1000 members, I’ll be giving away some FREE memberships to my Career Attraction University! So, if you haven’t joined – please do so. If you have, invite some friends to join both. The sooner we hit 1000, the sooner I can give away these memberships. I’m ready – how about you? Click here to join our Facebook Page. Click here to join our LinkedIn Group.
Update on Coaching – Last week I filled the two spots I announced were open for my Private Coaching. Mike and I kicked things off last Wednesday and are already moving forward with a plan. John is on vacation this week, but we will begin when he returns.
The response was huge, so I’ve developed another program: my Group Coaching Circle. I will be announcing the full details and registration next week to the general public. If you’d like to get the skinny first, email me for more information. It combines everything those interested in coaching have asked for: accessibility, customized answers, ongoing support, affordability and more. Click here to be one of the first to learn about the Group Coaching Circle.
Lemonade: It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page – I love documentaries. My brother-in-law is a filmmaker…I think I’ve single-handedly crashed Netflix’s servers with my overusage…I’ve got what some might call a problem. It’s as simple as that.
So, when I stumbled upon Erik Proulx’s film “Lemonade,” I had to watch it. Simply described, it’s a collection of 16 advertising professionals’ stories about how they “lost their jobs and found their calling.” It’s relatable, relevant and inspiring. I’ve never recommended a movie before on my blog, but this is a MUST SEE. Click here to read more…
Q&A: Help me Make Sense of Working with Recruiters - This week’s question isn’t so much a particular one as it is a collection of questions I’ve been getting around one central theme: recruiters. How do I work with them? When should I work with them? Why aren’t they calling me back? Are they a waste of time?
In today’s Q&A column I’m not only going to tackle many of these topics, but I’ve created a FREE video (100% content you can put to work for yourself today – nothing is being sold here) for you that will help you figure out when its most beneficial for you to work with a recruiter and how to get the most out of the relationship.
Read my response here…
Next week in Career Attraction University:
- 1-on-1 Coaching Sessions – Wednesday, July 28. You can sign-up in the members area.
- Monthly SME Webinar - Everything You Need to Know About Working with Recruiters – Wednesday, July 28 at 12:00pmEST (Invitations will be emailed on Monday for Career Attraction University members). You can send your questions in advance to university@careerattraction.com or ask them LIVE on the webinar.
- More Training Videos are coming this week too!
Not a member of Career Attraction University? For less than one dollar a day you can access all this information and more. Sign-up here and get started today!
2008 – 2010 – Career Attraction – All Rights Reserved
Connecting with the Hiring Manager – No Recruiters, HR or Gate Keepers
LinkedIn is, without a doubt, one of the greatest tools for job seekers in finding potential employers. But, if you view it as your primary way of connecting with potential contacts versus a robust resource for information, you could be making your search more difficult than it needs to be. Let me explain what I mean as I walk you through this “how to” session.
I want you to think of LinkedIn like your personal White Pages. The more first degree connections you have, the larger your phonebook. I’ve written before about my philosophy that out of quantity, quality is born. The tool I highly recommend to all my clients for building a vast 1st level of likeminded networkers is OpenNetworker. After signing up with them, you will see your connections grow exponentially…as well as your ability to find the people with whom you want an audience. In my case, simply by signing up, my connections went from around 1000 about 18 months ago (which took me almost 4 years to build) to over 10,000 as of this blog…connecting me to over 17,000,000 LinkedIn users.
What I am going to walk you through today is only one of the techniques I teach in my Bootcamp. Adopting this approach, I want to show you how you can get in front of more hiring managers and take control of what they are hearing and seeing about you:
1. Getting Started – Here are the basics that you need:
• The name of the company,
• The role (you can select more than one, if you are uncertain) to which you would be reporting. You are looking for decision makers here – not HR or recruiters. In the video, I walk through this step-by-step (there is more information on this below).
2. Searching on LinkedIn – Using this criteria, conduct a search on LinkedIn to find the right point of contact – who you would be reporting to in your ideal role. Write down their full name. If you are on the fence about who your ideal contact is, take down all the possible options you can find in LinkedIn.
Tip: I recommend starting your search as broad as possible. Run it by company only, and then start adding in criteria like location, title or keywords. It’s always better to cast a wide net to begin with and then narrow your search.
3. Googling the Email Format – Since you are going to be reaching out to this contact on your own, we are going to move from LinkedIn to Google. If you think you might have a good contact to use instead of making your own introduction, that’s fine. But, I recommend using my “Litmus Test” in the tip below before relying on someone else to get you in the door. You need to know exactly how good an advocate they are going to be.
Tip: When trying to decide whether you should use a connection for an introduction or go it alone, use this easy litmus test. Ask your connection if they are willing to make a call to the contact you are trying to reach. If they are reluctant to do so and only offer to email – or worse yet, put your resume in front of someone in HR – politely thank them and go it alone. Someone with a solid relationship that bears weight won’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Anything else is simply an introduction with no teeth and a missed opportunity to make a meaningful first impression.
Using Google, add the “@” sign in front of the URL of the company in the search box. In the video, I use the example of Applied Robotics. You can see below what that search looks like.
You may need to dig through a page or two of search results to find the format. I also share some secrets on uncovering hard-to-find email format in the video walking you through this technique. If you enter your name and email below, I will send you a link to the short video that includes more tips and walks you through this process step-by-step.
Once you have found the format, use the contact name you found through LinkedIn and apply the format to it. You can then reach out directly to this potential hiring manager without being concerned about HR, recruiters or any other gate keepers.
As always, share your comments below. I always want to hear that you think!
