Job seeking from a hunters perspective Blog

Networking etiquette December 4, 2009

What is networking etiqette?

Should I call it etiquette or protocol or process? It does not much matter what I call it there is a right way and wrong way.

There are a number of us that are unemployed and we are not only looking for ourselves but trying to help others. I am one of these people. Sometimes at a networking meeting you have bad days were we get nor give help and there are good days when we give as well as receive. It is during this time of having an exceptional giving day that we get caught up in the emotions of the moment and forget the protocol. It can make for an awkward moment for all involved.  The giver having been caught up in the emotion of the moment takes the receiver to the the contact person and without any prelude drops the proverbial bomb on the unsuspecting contact. Viola! The awkward moment for all.

Now I can understand the situation and do not lay blame, but I can also see that this could harm the relationship the giver has with both other parties involved. We are creatures of comfort and do not like to be taken out of our comfort zone. We are also creatures that enjoy feeling good about ourselves especially in this depressing time of being unemployed. So it is very easy to get up in the emotions of the moment. Being a forgiving and understanding person I cannot be upset at this type of situation. I am also a person who likes to teach, although that is not my profession, I will afterwards in a private conversation with the giver explain the error. It is basically dealing with professional courtesy.

Lets look at the scenario once again from the right approach.

The giver in conversation with the receiver realizes that at the same meeting is the contact that the receiver needs to speak with. The giver asks the receiver to follow them to find the contact person. When the contact person is located there is a couple of things that could be happening that will dictate what happens next.

If the contact is in conversation, do not interrupt, wait for the conversation to end. Then give the contact a brief discussion as to why you have brought the receiver in tow to meet them. An example; Hi Joe, I have brought Paul with me to meet you, Paul is an engineer who is interested in one of your former companies. I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk to him. A brief explanation as to how yo know Paul is also helpful. Joe this is Paul, Paul this Joe.

The emotional situation plays out like this, Hey Joe, Paul is looking for contacts at your Company Z  I told him you would help!

From a relationship standpoint this is wrong on so many levels. While some are obvious I will point them out anyway.

The giver has made a number of bad assumptions having been caught up in the emotional moment.

They have taken for granted Joe’s respect and reputation.

They have put Joe on the spot, having taken him off guard and placed him outside his comfort zone.

They assumed that Joe is willing to help a total stranger and greatly risk his reputation with his contacts at Company Z.

NOTE: We have to remember that Joe has put time and equity into building a relationship and reputation with is contact at Company Z. One bad referral can ruin all his efforts and cause damage to the relationsh

ip.

The giver has caused damage to the trust and respect Joe has with them.

The giver has put the receiver into an awkward situation now as well. All the same facts stated above also apply to the giver/receiver relationship.

Our networks are valuable to us and we must have trust, respect and have a good relationship with everyone in our network. Network connections can be fragile and easily broken. When damaged, the damage can be hard to repair or be destroyed.

So if you find yourself caught in the emotion, take a deep breath, think about the situation about to unfold and handle it in a proper manner. It will become beneficial to all involved.

Happy Anniversary…..NOT! Well maybe! December 1, 2009

Well fellow job seekers I have been unencumbered by employment for a year now.

Should I celebrate the fact that I have had the time to read books on management to enhance my skills?

Should I celebrate the fact that I have been able to attend networking events without having to ask permission or take time off to attend?

Should I celebrate that I have helped others by providing lectures and a workshop?

Should I celebrate learning all the nuances of social media while unencumbered?

Should I celebrate that Christmas is upon us and my finances are very low?

I am sure that I am not alone in these feelings.

However, I do feel that I have been given a great opportunity to reflect on who I am and what I can give to the company that hires me.  I have not lost my focus or purpose. I am still as energized about finding the right career for me.

I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet so many new friends and business acquaintances.

That I have had the chance to further my knowledge in how to be the best manager. One who knows how to retain the best talent and is not afraid to rid the department of the worse.

On GMA this morning they highlighted 3 individuals over 50 that found the work they enjoyed doing .  Some were complete career changes.

I love the field I have chosen and the position that I seek. I have a list of target companies and I have networked into some of them. So I guess my New Years resolution is to network into all of them.

I get new ideas everyday in how to enhance my job search. One I heard the other day is to keep a file of all articles that pertain to your target companies. When you are networking to share your views and ideas about the articles.

I am working as a technical advisor(also called sweat equity) for a startup company and that is keeping my skills up. We are 3 unemployed individual with very limited capital so we continually search for a funding stream. This presents a new skill to my basket of talent. It also helps enhance my presentation skills. I am also practicing how to protect the IP of the company but explain the product in a manner to get others to understand what we are trying to do. What is it that we are trying to do? We are working on fire suppression with out the use of chemicals or water.

I guess what I am trying to say in this post is, that even though things look bleak, stay focused and optimistic, constantly seek new techniques, find ways to keep your skills up, enjoy life.  There is a job or career out there for us we just have to work hard and find it.

Remember who you are, what you have accomplished and what you can offer. Advertise it while networking, make up a single page professional profile (with an executive summary, value statements, accomplishments) use that as a piece of marketing material while networking.

Enjoy your family and friends!

Who am I? I am Joe Mullin, Engineering Manager, my field is electronics and I turn concepts into products.

What constitutes a target company? October 29, 2009

While at a networking meeting for unemployed professionals this morning, I realized that a number of the members di not fully understand what a target company is.

A target company is not the one that you just sent your resume to.  They may or may not be the ones close to your residence or in your geographical area.

A target company is one that you know about, that you have heard about, a company that you would love to work for.

It also may be a company that is not currently hiring.  Does that mean it would be a waste of your time not to send your resume.  If that is the attitude then the company is not a true target company.

A target is that company that you would love to work for and that the time you spend working on landing that position is well worth the effort. This is the company that you should be networking your way into. It is a company that you want to keep these contacts fresh and informed. It is a company that you want to help even though you are not working there yet. This will work in your favor in the end.

I was talking with Phil about one of his target companies. The one we talked about had products that he was really interested in. The company also had a community program that was inline with Phil’s personal beliefs. This company does not have a position open currently. That is not going to stop Phil from developing a plan to stay in their radar without being a pest and will eventually land a position there.

My target companies are Ahura Scientific and Design Continuum. Ahura is a medical industry company and I like their products because of the manner in which they help people. I like their mission and vision.

Design Continuum is a company that helps other companies design better products, a more efficient process, a cost effective product to realize better profit margin. They help other companies achieve things that they themselves do not have the resources for.

So sit down and write a list of companies that you think you want to work for. Then do research on these companies. Look at their websites, if publicly traded look on sec.gov for their 10K and 15K reports, talk to people in your network to find people that work for these companies. This may eliminate some companies on your list. This is okay because your list should be no more than 15 companies, 20 maximum.

Check on these companies once a month , check the website, look at the news, and talk with contacts.  Record new things that you learned so you will be prepared when the interview comes.

Remember this is a company that you really want to work for. So if you are working and get the offer from your target company, you need to be prepared to make the move or you will give up any chance of working for that company.

I have been without a computer for a week, I felt lost! October 29, 2009

Have you ever had that happen to you? You are in the job search and trying to find that elusive career. You are like one in the same with your computer. You are inseperable. Then bam your computer dies! I was smart enough to keep all my important documents on a thumb drive so I wasn’t at a total loss. However, it still feel like you just lost a close friend, you are quite sure what you should do, you wander aimlessly in the house trying to figure out what you can do now.

Being a job seeker I have access to the local career center computers. Have you ever used their computers. I can tell you at times it is frustrating especially when you have signed up for a webinar and they have the network and computer set up so you cannot access it.  You just sit their cursing that you should have your own computer so that you can stay up on all the latest job search techniques or other important webinars about your profession.

Well I am back to being almost elated. I was told by tech support that they would be able to transfer all my data to a new drive.  Well they lied, they didn’t so I spend a few hours reloading a lot of software and hardware drivers. I had to reload Google Chrome which I find a god send for what I can do with it that IE cannot. The speed is worth the switch.

I can have multiple pages open and switch between them with no delay.

Well I am back and will try to get back to job search techniques and hints next week.

Since You are not busy. SAY WHAT!!! October 14, 2009

I was having dinner with my girl friend the other night and she wanted me to do some research for her on the net. Granted she has a full and a part time job so I am glad to help her out. But to start the conversation with,”Since you are not busy” just set me off. It also got me thinking, how many other spouses and significant others think or feel that we are “not busy”?

Do you have one of these? Let me know and maybe I will post your story here or you can add comment to this blog.

To continue her next line was, “Well since you have more time than me”, my reply was, “Excuse me!”.  Any way she got deeper on the next sentence and I just told her to stop and just tell me what she wanted me to research.

To job search in this economy takes more work than it has ever had to in the past. Between finding the right opportunities, researching the company, the job, networking your way into the company, writing , phone calls, meetings, etc. I guess she was right we are not busy. That is on top of forming strategies and finding out what works and what doesn’t.

Half joking I tell people that I am looking for a job because my current job(hunting for one) doesn’t pay well for the amount of work that I have to put into it, has lousy benefits, no room for promotion(except landing a job), keeps me busy so I have no life balance(like I could afford one) and so I am looking for a easier position with good pay and benefits.

Currently besides looking for a job I am also a technical advisor to a possible start up company. I am researching technology and physics to develop a product so we can get funding and I can have that easier job that I am trying to find.

Then again my girlfriend thinks that I am not busy. Well since you other job seekers are not busy either let me hear what you have to say. Be nice to my girl friend she meant well.

How do I find jobs to apply for? October 13, 2009

There are many ways to find jobs these days. I am using a few myself.

Company web sites. I hope that you have a list of target companies that you really want to work for. You should go to their sites and then bookmark them. Then once a week revisit them. Stay up on the news bulletins and positions.

There are newspapers and magazines ( I don’t use these)

Online biz journals and techwires. If you are willing to relocate these are ways to keep informed about what is going on in your target cities or regions. It gives you information like who is getting funding, who is getting a contract, who is laying off, who is buying who and who is getting promoted. This information will tell you who might be hiring and who to not bother with for a short period of time.

Trade Publications ( You can find some good jobs in these)

The job boards, Careerbuilder, Hotjobs, Monster, Startuphire etc I have lost faith in them even though I use them)

The job aggregators, Indeed, Simplyhired, Jobradar,Linkup, etc ( I use aggregators it is like one stop shopping) These make your search effective and efficient.

Social Media; LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc (These are the top 3 by the way) ( I use LinkedIn heavily)

Networking; Online (See Social media), Chambers of Commerce, Professional organization meetings, Career Fairs, WIND ( networking meetings for unemployed professionals in Massachusetts), Safe Harbor (same as WIND but in  Colorado), etc.

Agencies and Recruiters. Make sure that you interview these two avenues. Remember they do not work for you!!!! But, they might be representing you to a client. You want to make sure that you will be represented in a professional and truthful manner. After all it is your reputation and you need to know that you can trust the person you are letting represent you.

Job Boards If you are using the job boards and you post your resume….DO NOT use the resume you posted to apply for a job on t he board. You need to tailor the resume to the job. The resume you posted on the board is a generic resume not a targeted one.

Job Alerts use the advanced feature and be specific as you can for the jobs you a re seeking. It will keep you from sifting through a number of jobs you do not want.  In a profession like mine I have found out the search engines are not that intelligent.

Job Aggregators These have the same features as the boards.

LinkedIn Has a job search section. You may also find jobs in the group discussion areas. Usually under groups that are associated with your profession or alumni.

You thought job searching was easy didn’t you? Wait until we get to researching jobs and companies.

I just got laid off now what do I do? October 9, 2009

Loosing your job is like loosing a friend or loved one. It is a very emotional time. Give your self a day or two to grieve and understand the loss. Then move on.

The next day or two may be ones of anger towards the old company or manager(be easy on the manager it may not have been his fault remember he reports to a higher authority)and this is okay. How do you handle it in a healthy manner? You have to get it out of your system. Sit down and write the most scathing nasty letter that vents all your issues on the lay off to the company and the manager. Once you have finished the letter, pour yourself a drink, relax then put the letter in the shredder.

Okay  I have grieved and vented what next?

Now it is time to get down to business! This could be a great opportunity for you if you decide it to be.

First you have to decide do I want to stay in the same position or do I want a challenge and move up a notch. Do I want to stay in the same industry or try something new.  Once you have decide that then sit down and write out your skills and accomplishments. Do they fit your new plan? If they do not quite fit then what. Then it is time for researching and networking to gain more insight into the position you are seeking.

Once you have accumulated all this information it is time to form your game plan. Treat it as a project with objectives, milestones, dependencies, interdependencies, and rewards. Now execute the plan.

This will get you  started.