The Right Mental Attitude

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goals; nothing on earth can help a man with a wrong mental attitude.”

~ Thomas Jefferson

I was at a job seekers event not long ago and I met two people. There were many people there–over 150–and I bumped into one fellow after a breakout session and before the formal networking tables began. He was preparing to leave and I asked him which networking session he was going to, “Steve, are you going to the Professional table, the Executive table or the open networking table?” He told me he was going to leave, that these networking things don’t work, “No one ever has a contact for me. I’ve been out of work for five years, with a couple of contract jobs in between. And no one ever has a good contact for me.”

He went on to tell me that the economy sucks, life is terrible and he was just getting started telling me everything that was wrong with the world. I interrupted him and asked him if he realized that there are many ways to work a formal networking session. He could practice his elevator speech, offer connections and contacts to others or just meet someone new and follow up for coffee and more practice. Steve just didn’t want to hear that and I stepped back and offered him success in his job search. I’ll pass from documenting his response.

Earlier that day, I met Denise. I’ve known her for a number of years and she was at this event representing a Temp Services business in the area. She stopped me and asked a couple of questions about negotiating for a new opportunity she was considering. She loved the job and the people, but the salary was $5K less than she was currently making. We bounced a couple of options around and role played a little and she left to go networking to see who else she might meet.

Later that same day I was given a book on famous quotations and there was Thomas Jefferson pointing out the moral for me to learn that day. No matter how much you want to help, some people won’t change. It you find yourself in that situation, walk away–no, run away–and focus your time and energy on your goals. Surround yourself with people who possess the right mental attitude. As W. Clement Stone once said, “Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you become like them.”

Networking around the Grille

This is probably my 16th posting on networking since I started blogging. Why? Because it’s very important. So, it’s summertime; people are barbequing in the back yard, picnicking and Networking!!! Let’s look at networking again this time... networking at parties, cookouts and picnics.

   Remember the old Nat King Cole song, Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer... but summer is no time to be lazy when you’re looking for a promotion or a new job. It’s really a great time to connect with new people in a pleasant atmosphere. People are feeling good, having a beverage to drink and some good comfort food.

   It’s a great time to connect, but!!! Yes, what do you say to folks? (Well I’m going out on a limb here, against stuff a lot of people before me have told you.) What do you say, not your elevator speech. Yes, you’ve read that correctly. My friend and management guru Joe Takash is quoted as saying:

   Most 'elevator speeches' make the listener want to take the stairs. If you struggle, (which most of us do), in swiftly describing what you do and the value you provide, practice and get feedback.

    Take the pressure off yourself and go the the party, picnic or cookout to have fun. Instead of looking for opportunities to give your elevator speech, look for opportunities to say hi. I like to hang out near the drink cooler or keg. “Hi, can I buy you a beer? By the way, I’m Thomas, here you go.” (I only offer beer or wine to persons over 21 years of age with appropriate identification.) It’s a great way to meet everyone at a party. And by introducing myself, people tend to introduce themselves.

   At many cookouts the “guys” hang around the grill. It’s a guy thing. My wife says that the only reason why men will cook food on a grill is because there is an element of danger. That may be true, or it may be because our ancient ancestors cooked their fresh kills over an open fire and it is in our DNA and it just feels right. Regardless, it’s a safe place to hangout and listen and talk to the fellas.

   At those parties, the ladies congregate with one another over a number of different activities. Sadly, I really don’t have any idea what the women are doing, because I’m a guy and I’m hanging out near the dangerous Weber Grill. But, this is also a great place to say hi, meet new people and connect. It’s been reported to me that women are far more likely to talk and share than men do and I pretty much believe that to be true.

   It doesn’t matter which group you are in, just meet new people and then connect with them. Ask if they are on LinkedIn or Facebook or Pinterest or Google+ or any social media. Then follow up, invite them to join your network, friends, follow your pins or join your circles. Then follow up again and invite them for coffee and there you can share your elevator speech.

Unemployed need not apply

In the 19th century, businesses would have signs posted that said “Help Wanted” and then another sign saying, “Irish need not apply” or “No Irish Wanted.” In the 1950’s and 60’s signs stated “No Colored” meaning that if your were a person of color, don’t even think about coming in. It didn’t matter that the business needed someone with certain skills, if you were of a particular ethnic group you were not qualified.

Today, all throughout the Internet job postings use similar language, “Only employed persons will be considered.”  “Must be employed, no exceptions,” is another not uncommon phrase in job postings. You might be asking yourself, “How can this be legal?” It is legal, unless you live in a state that has adopted a “Fair Employment Opportunity Act.” A company utilizing this practice is not discriminating on the basis of Race, Color or Creed.

Why would a company employ (yes, irony intended) such a policy? For one reason, it narrows the number of applicants that the company need to process. Another reason cited is that people who've been out of work might be rusty and harder to get up to speed than people already working. Still, although  it’s not illegal, it is short sighted since; 13+ million people is too large a group to ignore.

To the best of my knowledge, these kinds of postings have been around since the summer of 2010. And since then, I’ve had dozens, in fact, hundreds of my clients who have landed jobs. Many of them were not employed in income generating work. (Conor Cunneen uses this distinction as a response to his hatred of the word “unemployed.”) They weren’t employed and they found jobs. How did they do that?

Only 20% of jobs are advertised and the “unemployed need not apply” practice is used in a small percentage of posted job opportunities. So many of the folks who have landed jobs were considered based on their experience and not their employment status. However, the vast majority of my clients that have landed since 2010 have found those job opportunities through networking with people in the so called “hidden job market.” Even in those cases where the jobs were posted with an “unemployed need not apply” tag, their resume or application was presented by a person within the company as a personal reference.  

So, if you see a posting for a job that claims not to want to interview people like you who are currently working in the non-income generating area of job search, don’t let that dissuade you from applying and landing the job. Do it though a friend or a soon-to-be-friend. They’ll thank you for the opportunity to make their company better.

New Year, New Career

Hey It’s a New Year

There are two kinds of people in the world... those who make New Year’s Resolutions and those that don’t. One might argue that there are a third kind, people who makes resolutions on January 1st and break them January 2nd. Regardless of which group you fit into, the New Year is a wonderful time to take stock on your career and where you’re going.

Vince Lombardi was famous for beginning the first day of football camp with the statement: Gentlemen, this is a football. Each new season he focused his team on the basics. I suggest this is a good strategy for us, regardless of where we are in our career journey. If you find that you’re 35 years old and haven’t be able to move out of front line management, or you’re 55 years old and hit the ceiling with your company, or you’re 45 years old and you have been looking for work for more than six months, it’s a good time to go back to basics.

Revisit your goals. Some goals are longer term than first considered. If you want a new job or a promotion and you’ve been working towards that for three, four or five months, now is a good time to sit down and review the goal, evaluating your progress and what still needs to be done. Then get to work.

Who can help. Making a move in your career isn’t a solo act. The other thing to realize is that there are people in your life who are willing to help you. You only need to ask for their assistance. It’s been an axiom pronounced by Success Gurus that if you desire success, surround yourself with successful people. Associate with people who have achieved what you would like to achieve because these folks are often in a position to assist you. I’ve found that when people are in a position to help someone, they are hurt or offended if the person fails to ask for their help.

Make some phone calls. It’s a new year, you can call everyone you know just to say Happy New Year. While you’re at it, go ahead and ask them if they know of anybody who could use a person with your skills and abilities. You can ask them if they have any contacts at any of your target companies. When they say yes, thank them and then call the new contacts you were just referred to.

Meet and Network with a lot of people. You can schedule a face to face network meeting with anyone you call who lives or works locally. The more networking meetings you have with folks, the more opportunities you’ll have to meet decision makers... and decision makers are in a better position to offer you a new job or promotion. It’s the new year... make it a successful new year!

Following Up With People You’ve Contacted Before

Job search coaches tell job seekers that they should start out with a list of 150 contacts and build from there. Oh the groans we hear. “Why so many?” “I don’t know that many people.” “What, are you nutz!” These are some frequent comments; so, let’s look at these objections.

Why so many? Simply that’s about how many it takes. Orville Pierson cites in his book, The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search, it takes talking to 15 decision makers to land the job. Plus, it takes talking to 10 folks to reach a decision maker. 15 X 10 = 150.

I don’t know that many people. Well that’s easy; list all the people you do know. If you have a list of 90 names, that’s a good start. If you have a list of 35 names that okay too, you’ll build from there. Even if all you have is a list of ten, ten is better than zero. What’s important is that you have a list of people to call.

What, are you nutz! Well that remains to be seen. Most job seekers only feel that way in the beginning; after they’ve landed a job, they think I’m a genius! (Yes, I know what you thinking; but it’s my story and I’m sticking with it.)
Okay, let’s say that you’ve got your list of 150 names and you’re an excellent and motivated job seeker. Let’s also say that you listen to all your coach’s directions and you’ve made ten phone calls a day and 15 business days later you’re out of names. (It could happen!) What do you do now?

Again, that’s easy... get more names. One way to get more names is to go back and touch base again with the best folks on your list. What do I mean “best folks?” These are the people who have given you names already. You’ve spoken to their previous leads and given them feedback and shared your appreciation. So, they are going to be happy to share other contacts with you.

If you’re not sure what to say, ask them if they have any contacts or connection at a new target company you’re interested in. Then let the conversation go from there. People like to know how you’ve progressed. They’ll want to help some more if you’ve already utilized their first offering.

Getting a job requires talking to people, and doing it more than once. Sometimes our first conversation isn’t at a time or place where people can help us. That doesn’t mean that they cannot help us later. Be open to repeat visits. Be prepared with something new with which to engage them. Always remember networking is about relationships. Relationships take time and repeated contacts. And if you’re not having fun, do it differently, but don’t stop doing it!

Holiday Parties and Networking

I saw this article and I wanted to share it with you all. I really like it when a fellow professional agrees with me. Click here Please note the first and third bullets. I always say that when you're in a job search you need to, "Be yourself and be prepared."


The final bullet point especially hits the mark. Ivan Mister is the author of this post and he's laid out his points in a simple and easy to do way. Just before Thanksgiving I posted "Football, Turkey & Networking..." that took on the subject from a different perspective.  Take the opportunity to network over the holidays and treat it like a business event. Make connections and follow up.

It's networking so remember to S-E-L-L

Smile, Engage, Listen, LinkedIn

Always smile it make you look confident and intelligent. Engage with the folks at the party or gathering. No one remembers a wall flower. Listen to them and make mental note. It's okay to ask for and offer to exchange business cards. This makes it easy to follow up using LinkedIn. So SELL yourself this holiday season and maybe you'll have a new job for Christmas.

Football, Turkey & Networking "Time for a SALE"

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and people are travelling all around America to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. This year the Thanksgiving NFL game with the Lions promises to be enjoyable even for Detroit fans. But for job seekers, large get-togethers are often dreaded. “What do I say to people when they ask me, ‘What’s up, or how’s work?’” runs through many job seekers’ minds.

Yet the coach says, “What a great opportunity to network with people on your list. What a great time to add people to your contact list.” Let’s face it, to career coaches, Thanksgiving (in fact all holidays) are a fantastic opportunity to network. Just remember to 

S-A-L-E (Smile, Ask, Listen, & Eat).

Smile, be warm, welcoming and friendly. Even if you’re visiting and not the host take on the attitude of a gracious host. Greet people upon arrival, the host and hostess are probably busy with everyone so help them out. Smiling will help you to feel good and makes those around you want to smile too.

Ask questions upon your arrival and the arrival of the other guests; engage with everyone at the gathering. Trust in the fact that people like to talk about themselves and will tell you more than you want to know. But they will also tell you things that could help your job search. Remember to ask them about work and things in their community. Trust that they will appreciate someone actually asking about them. When you’re asked about yourself, everything is great!!! The job search is running smoothly and you have some great opportunities... only now isn’t the best time to talk about it, Detroit just scored.

Listen to what everyone says. Listen to responses and look for things that are of interest to your job search. But!!! don’t jump in with a pitch for why you’d be a great candidate to solve the problems they have at work. Mostly they’re trying to forget about work for a couple days. Be supportive and make mental notes. Then ask more questions looking for common interests and listen some more.

Eat your dinner in small bites so that when someone asks you questions about your situation, you don’t choke. Or you don’t have to chew for another 30 seconds and swallow and miss the opportunity to share an interesting insight, story or anecdote. Relax over dinner, you’re not there to give your elevator speech or hand out your resume or handbill. You’re there to celebrate and express thanks for all your blessings.

Then after Thanksgiving, follow up and call the friends and family you saw; use LinkedIn to connect or reconnect. Ask the local folks for some time to meet and discuss what’s going on in your job search; ask for some help and advice. You can utilize the three networking questions then... not over Thanksgiving dinner.

Hopefully during and after dinner you’ll realize all the blessings you have in your life. Maybe things aren’t 100% wonderful... but you’re alive, you’re loved and you probably had some good food, drink and conversation. And who knows maybe the Lions will win a Thanksgiving game this year.

Do Elevator Speeches Work?

Elevator Speeches... The old sales adage says that you should be able to communicate the core message of your product in the time it takes to go up a couple floors in an elevator... You have between 30 and 90 seconds to tell the person locked in the elevator with you why he should buy what you have to offer. Yes, I know what you’re thinking... People don’t talk in elevators. You walk in, turn to face the front of the box and try not to touch anyone who is also in the elevator with you. Saying hello will get you a strange look. When would you ever use an elevator speech? Even if you’re in the middle of a discussion with someone, when you enter an occupied elevator the automatic reflex is to stop talking.

So if you’re in sales or in a job search, when are you going to use an elevator speech if not in the elevator? Some unemployment professionals may disagree with me; I believe that elevator speeches are a tool to help folks prepare what to say when asked questions while networking or interviewing. However, if a person took 60 to 90 seconds to recite a whole elevator speech, it would come off as pretty artificial and contrived.

Picture this: you’re in line at a wedding reception either for the bar or the buffet. A person walks up behind  you--the line isn’t moving all that fast--so you say “hi.” They say ‘hi” in return. “Great wedding,” one of you say. The other says “yes, (as the line moves up a step) they’re a beautiful couple. By the way, (holding out a hand) my name is Jim Jameson.” (Shaking hands) “Hi Jim, I’m Jacqueline Daniels, how do you know the lovely couple?” Sooner or latter as the line get closer to the desired end, someone asks the other, “What do you do?”  So what do you do?... you dive right in with your well practiced elevator speech. And what do you hear next? The guy behind your new friend saying, “Hey buddy, you going to order a drink or what?” Your new friend darts over to the other open bartender and says, “Make it a double!” and you never see them the rest of the night. Why? Because they are there to dance, eat and drink, see friends and remember how wonderful it was when they were married.

If social occasions aren’t the best place to use your elevator speech, where do you use this all important tool that people have been telling you needed or you’d never find a job? Job Clubs, Networking Groups and Professional Networking Events are the best. I go to an early, breakfast networking event where after forty minutes or so of informal networking we circle up and go around the circle giving our elevator speeches. It’s a smashing time, really great fun! Then people mingle some more to exchange cards with those they hadn’t met before the circle. We exchange leads and asks questions and the group slowly dwindles as people go to work.

At the wedding, it’s better to tell them what you do and then ask what they do. Develop a rapport where you can learn something about the person. If you realize that they are someone you can network with, find a means to follow up with them after the wedding. “Well Jim, we need to get back to the party, it was great meeting you. Maybe we can get together sometime for coffee? I’d like to learn more about your company... are you on LinkedIn? Would it be okay if I sent you an invitation to connect? Great! Enjoy the rest of the evening.”  

BTW, next week I’ll not be posting, I’m off to St. Paul, Minnesota to visit with some friends and celebrate our 30 year reunion.

What to do about the numbers?

We have a good-natured competition going on at Harper's Career Stimulus Program. Our Director--or I should say our Dean -- Nancy Wajler has decided to up the number of her contacts in LinkedIn. One of Nancy’s strengths is competition and this is a perfect area to compete in. Very easy to measure and compare the number of our connections.

Whether you have 150 LinkedIn connections or 250 or 500 or over 600 like Nancy, the next questions is, what do you do with them once you get them? Nancy is a LION a “LinkedIn Open Networker.” She sees value in networking or connecting with everyone knowing that at sometime those connections can be utilized to help someone or to connect to someone else who can help her or someone she is connected to.

While I’m not truly a LION, I have many connections, and I will connect with most everyone as long as I know how I may help them and they know how I they can be of assistance to me. If I’ve never met a person asking to connect to me,  I’ll invite them to a 15 to 30 minute meeting or a phone conversation if they are not local. There I find out about them and they learn about me. After all, networking is about relationships.

Sales professionals have an old adage that goes something like this, “Sales is a numbers game.” When I meet a new client, one of the first things I ask them to do is develop a list of contacts. I suggest they start with a list of 150 names. Often I receive a groan of protest, “I don’t know that many people!” they tell me. Some of my clients are on LinkedIn and they say, “Can I start with my LinkedIn contacts?” What’s the difference? LinkedIn has demonstrated to people the power of connecting. Being connected to people gives you a means to finding a solution to a problem.

Lets say you need to talk to (network with) 15 people in order to meet with one hiring manager or decision maker. Now let’s say you need to talk to at least 10 decision makers in order to get one job offer.  The more people you’re connected to the better your chances of landing the next job. But wait!!!! It’s not just about being connected: you need to talk to these folks. Call them up and ask for a meeting so that you can describe what you have to offer them.  So you can ask them who else they know who you can talk to.

It’s an interesting statistic that if you have less than 100 connections on LinkedIn that less than 3% of LinkedIn can find you on LinkedIn. However, if you have over 500 connections more than 90% of LinkedIn members can find you. Like the old saying, there are strength in numbers. Whether you’re a LION or an Alley Cat, the number of people you’re connected with will aid your success in job search or in business. Professional and Social Networking is about helping people find what they need. Connect, Ask, Talk, Succeed!

Check Your Email !

One of my co-workers pointed out the large percentage of our clients who don’t check their email regularly. We’ll send out important notices and we’ll check and only about 30% of the addressees will have opened (and hopefully read) the email. The question that jumps to mind is what other emails are getting past our job seekers?

Email is the principle ways that companies and recruiters will contact the job seeker. There is a problem if the job seeker isn’t reading their email. This might happen for two reasons. The Job Seeker is not reading their email on a regular basis three, four or five times a day so that nothing gets past them. Second, the Job Seeker’s email box is too cluttered and the reader is overwhelmed. If you are in the hunt for a new job and you aren’t checking your mail in a systematic and regular manner, start now!

If you are a job hunter but overwhelmed by the shear volume of email in your mailbox then there are a few things to consider. Realize that if you have an account on CareerBuilder and another on Monster and maybe one or two more Job Boards, you’ll be inundated with all kinds of email; most of which are not going to lead to an interview. With all the dozens and dozens of email overwhelming your attention you may be missing really important communications.

How can you cut down on all the email? First, cut down to one job board either CareerBuilder or Monster; in fact, recruiters search all the job boards for new candidates.  Updating your profile or resume keeps recruiters seeing you at the top of their searches.

Consider setting up an email just for job search, or set up one just for the job boards. I encourage my clients to set up an email address just for their job search. Especially if their email is a family email or a non professional ring to it. (e.g., hotmomma@hotmail.com or kate&billsdad@yahoo.com)

Voice mail is the other means of communicating between job seekers and potential employers. Greetings need to be professional too. (e.g., The kids saying, “Hi... you called the Smith family, we’re out doing family stuff and aren’t home to talk to you... at the tone, you know what to do.”) While it’s cute it’s hardly professional. Consider setting up a Google Voice account for your job search and this way you’ll sound professional and most likely not lose any messages due to family interaction.

If you are in the hunt for a new job, consider your email and how you use it. It’s a tool and a tool that requires a higher level of attention than some others. Also the phone and voice mail is a tool that requires a professional approach. Remember that first impressions are lasting impressions, don’t allow your email procedure or your voice mail greeting to set the wrong tone.

Location, Location, Location

I live in Chicagoland and those of us who have basements, have spiders. I have a spider in my office who has spun a web that is in the wrong place. It’s down around the floor; it is too low to catch flies and too high for catching the little creeping bugs. My spider buddy just hasn’t learned the first lesson in Real Estate... Location is everything.  

I’ve watched this spider over the last few days and I am beginning to worry about him. I fear he may be starving to death. So I told him, “You need to move your web to a better location, so that you can catch some food.” And like some of my clients, he ignored my sage advice.  

I figured that it must be the way that I delivered my message... “Listen spider,” I said, “you need to either move your web higher or lower. Otherwise you’ll never achieve your goal of catching a juicy insect.” I figured if I used some imagery to better get his attention, he would make the change. I also thought that pointing out that he could better meet his goals would give my message some impact. And this time, I was more specific about what he needed to do, plus, the focus was on the benefit rather than a negative possible outcome.  

Alas, the spider didn’t move his web which remains empty as I write this. I think that I’ve figured the problem between me and the spider... since he isn’t paying for my wise counsel, he doesn’t realize the value he is receiving. (BTW, I only refer to the spider as a he because it’s one less keystroke. I have it on good authority that female spiders aren’t any better at accepting feedback than male spiders.)  

Networking, talking to people, is mostly about getting out there. People tell me that networking doesn’t work for them. Whether you’re in business for yourself, or looking for a new job, you will catch more leads by talking to more people. That means going out to where people are... Business After Hours Events, Conferences, Lectures or Presentations all have people attending them. In fact, Weddings and even Funerals are good places to meet people too. (Remember that timing and tact are especially important at these types of events.)   

So, don’t be like my little friend, move you web to where there are people to talk to and connect with. Go to new and different places and you’ll soon be increasing the names on your contact list. Then you’ll be telling folks how well networking is working for you.

Invitations and Social Media

Social Media Etiquette: When sending invitations in social networking add a personal message. Someone wise once said that if you were at a conference you wouldn’t go around handing out your business card without talking to the people. Sending a personal note with the invitation is like talking to people when you pass out your card. 

I get all kinds of invitations to connect with folks. Mostly, I’m an open networker, so I accept most everyone’s invitation. However, I know many open networkers who will ignore an invitation to connect if there isn’t a personalized note attached with the invitation. Just the default message is often considered bad form. 

For me, I like to know how I can help the person I am networking with. So if we’ve not met face to face, or even when we have, I’ll ask for a meeting to get to know them better. Networking is all about relationships and relationships commonly occur through utility. What I mean is this; going back in history to ancient Greece and Aristotle it was understood that friendships often began as two people worked together on a project of some kind. 

Getting to know one another is in part getting to know what the other person is good at and what they are not and how you can be of service to each other. When I “network” with people it’s often about how I can help them and/or can I introduce them to someone who can assist or help them. 

Social Media is a bonanza for helping people connect and keep track of their connections. It helps networkers network better. I appreciate the updates I see about my connections through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  I can drop a quick note to say hi, congratulations or ask what’s up. Easy and quick, and it reminds folks that I’m out in the world especially when I’m not just next door.

I read an article recently that argued against the comment many people make that they aren’t any good at networking. Social networking and networking share this in common, people say they aren’t any good at it. In fact, most people would be fine with social networking if they just applied simple etiquette. Saying “Hi” and “Thank you” and taking a second to acknowledge someone with a smile or status update. Smiles work great in face to face networking and a smiley can makes a person’s day as well. 

Another great tip is to give before you receive. Social networking utilizes the trust economy. Asking for help via a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook, but if you’re always taking and never giving people will see that and identify you as a user and not a giver. Answering people’s questions on LinkedIn is a great way to increase your presence in your network. (Remember these are the people you’re connected to and the groups you are part of.)  And if your answers are good, you’ll rise in people’s esteem and they’ll remember you. 

One last tip is if you want recommendations, give recommendations. In LinkedIn you need three recommendations to have a 100% complete profile. And the easiest way I know to get a recommendation is to write one for someone in your network. When you do that, LinkedIn then points out that it would be nice if they returned the favor by writing you a recommendation. Or you could just ask a person in your network if they would be kind enough to write you a recommendation. Remember someone wise once said, “... ask and you will receive.”

Connecting with folks is as easy as saying hi! Growing your network is as easy as saying, would you like to connect with me? Facebook makes it even easier, there we can be friends. :-)  

"Landing" a Job?

How important is a positive frame of reference? Can you get a promotion without a positive attitude? A positive attitude and a plan are two of the three elements you need to be successful in your career.

The other day I attended a keynote speech by Jonathan Salem Baskin who commented on the terminology: landing a job. He asked, “If landing means getting the job, then where were you before you got the job? Flying? Grounded?” Someone from the crowd called out, “Crashed.”  Everyone laughed.

Let’s think about it; you can land a job, a pilot lands a plane, a fisherman lands a fish, Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. Where else can you land?

But Jonathan Salem Baskin’s question is what I want to reflect on this week. Before you’ve gotten the new job or promotion, are you flying or grounded? If you don’t get the job or promotion does that mean you crashed? Or... is it time to move on to the next opportunity.

You need to be flying... period! Grounded is not a choice that will get you that job or promotion. You might not be flying at 30,000 feet, maybe you’re flying just a few hundred feet of the ground, but you’re not grounded. You’re moving forward. You have to be moving toward your goal to achieve it....

Once you take off for your goal, you’re going to see a number of targets. Some targets might be your goal and you’ll need to check them out. Some won’t be your end goal, but may be short term goals on the way to your final goal. There is good news today; there are more and more targets on the horizon as the economy gets better. There are more people to help you hit your targets. These folks are your networking contacts.

Don’t think for a moment that your grounded. If you haven’t fueled up, get the tools you need for a successful flight. If you don’t know what you need for your flight, think about taking on a coach, someone who can be objective and give you the straight scoop so you don’t crash.

The third thing one needs to achieve success in their career...  consider a “product” that the target is looking for. We’ll talk about branding your “product” next time.

The Other List: Personal Contacts

I was reading the other day and saw that online resume posting yields an 8% chance of success in uncovering the next opportunity. This was a bit of a shock to me, even though I’ve been telling clients forever that only about 20% of jobs are advertised. Therefore, if a job seeker’s efforts are solely focused on answering online ad, then in all probability they will receive a low return from their efforts.

What’s the alternative? Start looking elsewhere... in the 80% of the job market where jobs are not advertised. Finding those non publicized opportunities greatly improves the job seeker’s chances of landing the next job. But how do you find these opportunities?

First, assemble a contact list of all the people you know. This includes but isn’t limited to: Family members, friends, past and recent co-workers, acquaintances, and people you know through your kids’ activities. Also include professionals like doctors, lawyers, and trades people like plumbers, carpenters and even the kid who cuts your lawn. Also list people you know through church groups, civil organizations and of course people from groups via social media like LinkedIn, Facebook and Meetup. I caution folks not to judge or qualify the contact, that will come later; the goal here is to get a list of names as big as you can. Shoot for 150 to start.

Once you have your list of names, qualify them. There are a few ways that work. One is the ABC method and the other is the Near-Far method. The ABC method requires you to evaluate whether or not you think the person can help you toward getting an interview. A, if the person is really connected and knows your work. B, if they may be able to help and C, if there is little chance of receiving truly helpful assistance.

Frankly, I have difficulty with this method, simply because I don’t believe that people really can guess who will connect them to the people with an opportunity. Great Aunt Tilda may very well be connected to an employer that you have no idea about. Great Aunt Tilda tells you to call little Billy, the “boy” who use to cut her grass. Only today, William is the big boss at a local manufacturer and he sends her a Christmas card every year telling her that he is willing to do anything for her, she only need ask.  You just don’t know who someone knows.

I like the Near-Far method. Near contacts I meet with face to face. Far contacts I talk to over the phone. Easy Peasy!  

Regardless of which method you use, call the person on the phone and ask to meet with them. (Of course if the contact is in the next state, don’t make a special trip, but if you’re going to be in the area this will work.) Let them know you’d like to use them as a reference and you’d like to talk face to face in order to let them know what you’ve been working on and what direction you are going. Then meet with them and ask them the three networking questions.

Then persist in following the steps of calling your contact, asking to meet, and then asking for other contacts who will get you closer to your goal -- Landing the Job!  Good Hunting!