How to Find a Job: When There Are No Jobs (Book 1) a Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market (Find a Job Series) (8 page)

Creation of a Networking Newsletter

My youngest brother created a newsletter that I think is a very ingenious networking tool he calls I.N.E.P.T., an acronym for “International Network of Exceptional Professional Thinkers.” The newsletter, written and edited by my brother, is sent out free of charge to a membership of several hundred people. The organization consists of individuals my brother has made contact with through his business and personal relationships. The newsletter’s purpose is designed to be a networking tool to keep all members informed about each other’s career path and anything that might affect each member’s career.

This type of newsletter is an invaluable tool for career advancement and can develop over a course of each member’s career. This is an excellent idea and career-networking tool for anyone who wants to remain in contact with business associates, friends and family. You might consider starting a career newsletter of your own or register with any number of national and international networks on the Internet such as LinkedIn.com and enhance your network web.

Securing an Interview

A
ssuming you have thoroughly researched your target list of fifteen to twenty companies, it is now time to secure interviews with as many of them as possible. Proper planning and perseverance will be the key to securing a quality number of interviews. It is vitally important to maintain a positive attitude throughout the process of securing interviews. There will undoubtedly be times during this phase of your job search that you will become very frustrated and want to quit. However, giving up at this point in the process will get you nowhere except back to where you started.

It’s a common practice for many companies including search firms not to respond to your letters, resumes and phone calls during this part of your job search. Unless they have an interest in your background, they are simply inundated with resumes and lack the resources to respond to every applicant. Learn to expect rejection at this point of your search and try not to take it too personally. Continue on with your search and do not give up just because several people have not responded or simply indicated that there is no interest in your background.

Rejection: Simply Just a Way of Saying No, For Now

Rejection is simply a “No” answer, for now. By properly following up on a rejection letter you may find that the company does have a need for your skills and invite you in for an interview. Should you receive a rejection letter pertaining to a position for which you have applied, you should immediately write a letter back to the employer addressing it to the hiring authority. Indicate in your letter that you understand and respect their decision, however you feel confident that you may be an asset to their company. Be specific and explain how your experience and background can benefit their company. Indicate that you have done a great deal of research and have respect for their company’s products or services as well as their corporate goals. Follow-up your letter with a telephone call to the hiring authority. It is very important that your letter and phone call be sent to a key decision-maker for the position you seek.

Speculation and the Law of Averages

Your ability to find and secure the job of your choice is a speculative process. You can increase your chances of a successful search by adopting and working with a principle called “The Law of Averages.” A career search method that utilizes the “Law of Averages” is what I have termed “The Bullet Approach.” This approach is based upon a systematic method of sending resumes to key decision makers using your target list of fifteen to twenty companies. By using this approach you dramatically increase your chances of securing interviews with companies specific to your interest and skill match. If your particular skills and experience match those of a company you have targeted, the opportunity for a successful match increases significantly.

Another career search method that is often used but provides poor results is called “The Shotgun Approach.” This approach also uses “The Law of Averages,” but does not use the law properly to achieve a statistical advantage. “The Shotgun Approach” works on a principle similar to that of a real shotgun where a large number of pellets are propelled out of the gun in somewhat of a uniform pattern hoping to hit part of the target. Applied as a job search method, you literally present as many resumes as possible to companies hoping for a response. It is nearly impossible to effectively follow-up with such a large number of companies versus the fifteen to twenty I have advocated with “The Bullet Approach.” 

When you apply “The Bullet Approach” to your job search, you are not limited to the initial fifteen to twenty companies you have selected. It is wise however to try and limit the number you target at any one time. If you target too many companies you may not be able to properly research and follow-up with each company. As you begin to follow-up with companies on your initial target list, continue the process of researching other potential companies of interest. Begin to add other companies to your target list in the same proportion of those you eliminate. 

If you target a company where your experience and skills do not match a particular job profile, your chances of securing the position is limited. A job match is similar to an organ transplant, where there must be a near perfect tissue and blood type match. If there is no match, the body will reject the organ. For example, if you are a computer sales representative selling computer hard drives, the probability of securing a position with another computer company selling hardware is significantly enhanced. This opposed to trying to obtain a position outside your known field of selling chemicals to the food industry.

However, if you want to change careers, you will need to present and sell your talents and skills in a different manner. Suppose you have made the decision to seek a sales position with a company whose products are unfamiliar to you. Emphasize your sales skills, including your ability to build a business. Emphasize your sales achievements and all other related sales skills including your exceptional negotiating and closing abilities.

You have taken an important step in your job search by identifying and researching companies that meet your career requirements. The next step in your job search will be to secure an interview with the proper hiring authority at each of your target companies. Making contact with a hiring authority is an important key to the success of your search. View this essential step of the process as if you were a private investigator trying to locate a missing person. Who are you trying to locate? What is that person’s name, title and function within their business?

If you are a sales representative seeking a sales position you should make contact with the Vice President or Director of Sales. If however these are positions you seek, direct your contact to an Executive Vice President or President of the company. The most effective method for making contact with company managers is to start high on the company’s organizational chart, i.e., President, Vice President, Director, etc. It is always beneficial to be able to indicate to a Director or Regional Manager that the Vice President or President of their company has asked you to make contact with them.

This type of referral represents a higher level of authority and gives you instant credibility with midlevel management. This important telephone call enables you to establish a one on one conversation with the proper hiring authority. The more personal contact you have with the hiring authority either by telephone, mail, email, personal meetings, etc., is key to securing the position you desire.

Develop a system to follow-up on each telephone call to a potential employer or contact. It may be beneficial to create a spreadsheet on your computer using a program such as Microsoft’s Excel. Create your own form indicating headings such as: Date, Contact, Title, Company, Address, Email, Web, Telephone and Fax numbers including a Purpose/Results section. In addition to developing a spreadsheet to track your contacts, there are a number of very sophisticated contact databases such as ACT, which are excellent tools for tracking your contacts and any action taken with them.

Because you have targeted fifteen to twenty companies you should make at least fifteen to twenty follow-up telephone calls after sending your resume. How well you handle each follow-up phone call to a proposed hiring authority may determine whether or not you will secure an interview.

Human Resources, Proceed with Extreme Caution!

You may want to make contact with the personnel office specifically with the Vice President, Director or Manager of Human Resources within the company you are interested. Proceed with extreme caution when making contact with a company’s personnel department! A friend of mine commented during his job search that he often felt the personnel department was like a giant black hole, where everything was sucked in and nothing came out. Without entirely degrading personnel, as they do have a function, it is my view that you should initially avoid the personnel area. Your first contact should be the hiring authority and if they are interested in your background, personnel will be copied on your background and will become involved. It is my experience that individuals involved in the personnel department tend not to fully understand the intricacy of hiring, as this is only a small percentage of their total duties.

I have only had the pleasure of working with a few true professional personnel individuals who understand the complexity of hiring people. The problem is that most personnel managers do not view people as individuals, but rather as a stereotyped group of people called applicants or candidates. If you decide to send your resume to a company’s personnel department, it is important to address your letter to a specific individual ideally a senior manager within the department rather than simply “Personnel.”

As previously indicated it is important to develop a system of follow-up with your company contacts. I often hear about job seekers sending out cover letters and resumes but never personally following up with a telephone call to their contact. Your follow-up telephone call is one of the most important aspects of the job search. It enables you to establish a one on one conversation with the proposed hiring authority. Without direct personal contact with the hiring authority you will not be able to secure a position.

Before you make your initial follow-up call, I have found it very helpful to write out your proposed conversation. Your notes will act as a script that will assist you to stay focused on the purpose of your conversation. A key factor for any follow-up telephone call is to determine the purpose for your call. Realize that you are selling yourself, your skills and knowledge to the prospective employer. Ask yourself the question, what is my purpose for calling this person, and what do I hope to accomplish. Try to anticipate any questions the employer may ask you and what your response will be. If you have ever played chess, checkers or any other game requiring strategy, you understand that the ability to anticipate a challenger’s move is an extremely important aspect of winning the game.

An example of an initial follow-up call after you have sent a cover letter and a resume to the hiring authority known as Mr. Robert Morris, Vice President of JEM Computer, Inc. may be as follows:

“Hello, Mr. Morris, my name is John Powell. I recently wrote to you regarding my background in the area of computer hardware sales, specifically in the area of high- resolution computer screens.” (Your specific product or service experience stated should be of interest to Mr. Morris and his company.) “The purpose of my call is to introduce myself as a potential candidate for a sales position within your company. I recently sent you my resume. Do you have a moment where I might discuss with you how I can be an asset to your company?” Stop! Let Mr. Morris respond to your initial statements. A myriad of responses from Mr. Morris may follow your introductory statements. He may simply say, “Yes, I am in receipt of your resume, and although you have an excellent background, we do not have a position available at this time commensurate with your experience.”

Don’t give up at this point in your discussion. Ask Mr. Morris if he foresees, in the near future, a position where your background in the area of high-resolution computer screens may become available. Consider the fact that it is possible that the position you seek with JEM Computer, Inc. may open up in the near future. If Mr. Morris says, “Yes, in fact a position may be available in about a month, however this particular job is within another division.” Ask him what the specific duties of that position are. Who does the position report to? Can you speak directly with that person? Is it okay to indicate that Mr. Morris referred you to that individual?

In addition, ask Mr. Morris if he is aware of another company that may be expanding or have specific personnel needs where your background would be a potential fit. If Mr. Morris recommends a company to you, ask him if he has any contacts within the company. If he refers you to a particular contact, ask him if it is okay to indicate that he was the source of the referral. This approach will give you instant credibility with the referred company and may be the key to securing a new position.

Finally, it is always wise to send a thank you note to Mr. Morris expressing your appreciation for the time he spent with you regarding his company and your potential role within his company. You should also express your continued interest in his company and a desire to speak with him further should a position become available. If Mr. Morris was able to refer you to another company, thank him for his referral as well. 

Depending upon the level of rapport you have developed with Mr. Morris during your conversation, you may also want to ask him if he has some time to meet with you. You should indicate to him that you have done some research on his company and that it is a firm you are very interested in working for. Even though there isn’t an open position at the present time, you would like to learn more about his company should a position become available in the near future. If you are able to arrange a meeting with Mr. Morris, treat it as any other interview you have secured. You may be surprised by the results. Mr. Morris may like you, and he might create a position for you within his company. If he does not have a position commensurate with your background at this time, you may want to ask him if it would be okay for you to speak with his Director of Computer Sales, Sales Manager, or both individuals. They may be able to direct you to other contacts within the industry that may lead you to other job search leads.