Tag Archives: being proactive

5 ways to approach decision-makers at your target companies

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Many job seekers believe that the first thing they must do after losing their job is to update their résumé. After updating their résumé, the next step is to apply online to as many jobs as they can and wait for the interview offers to come pouring in. Good plan? Not really.

Job Interview

If you think the above scenario is the way to go, I have a suggestion for you. It would be far better to be proactive in your job search by approaching companies for which you’d like to work. Easy to do? Not really, but your success will be greater.

Here are five steps to take when making connections at your desired companies.

1. Discovering which companies are growing the fastest is the start of the job search. This should be your first step, yet so many people don’t realize how valuable this information is.

I tell job seekers that they should have a list of 10-15 companies for which they’d like to work. Many don’t; they have a hard time naming five. Yet if some of them were asked to name their top five restaurants, they could.

2. Once you’ve located the companies you’d like to researched and decided which companies are the ones for which you would like to work, you should dedicate a great deal of your computer time visiting their websites.

Study what’s happening at your chosen companies. Read pages on their products or services, their press releases (if they’re a public company), biographies of the companies’ principals, and any other information that will increase your knowledge of said companies.

Your goal is to eventually make contact and meet with people at your target companies, so it makes sense to know about the companies before you engage in conversation. This research will also help when composing your résumé and cover letter and, of course, it will come into play at the interview.

3. The next step is to contact people in your network–former colleagues and bosses–who might know people in your desired companies. Don’t be afraid to approach them; they’ll most likely help you if you left on good terms.

If you don’t have familiar contacts at your target companies, you’ll have to identify new potential contacts. You might be successful ferreting them out by calling reception, but chances are you’ll have more success by utilizing LinkedIn’s Companies feature.

LinkedIn’s Companies feature is something job seekers have used to successfully make contact with people at their desired companies. Again, research is key in identifying the proper people with whom to speak.

You might have first degree connections that know the people you’d like to contact—connections who could send an introduction to someone in the company. These connections could include hiring managers, Human Resources, and directors of departments.

Let us not forget the power of personal, or face-to-face, networking. Reaching out to job seekers or people currently working can yield great advice and leads to contacts. Your superficial connections (neighbors, friends, etc.) may know people you’d like to contact.

4. Begin initial contact with those who you’ve identified as viable contacts. Your job is to become known to your desired companies. Will you be as well known as internal candidates? Probably not, but you’ll be better known than the schmucks who apply cold for the advertised positions—the 20%-30% of the jobs that thousands of other people are applying for.

Let’s face it; going through the process of applying for jobs on the major job boards is like being one of many casting your fishing line into a pond where a few fish exist. Instead, spend your time researching the companies so you’ll have illuminating questions to ask.

So, how do you draw the attention of potential employers?

✔ Send your résumé directly to someone you’ve contacted at the company and ask that it be considered or passed on to other companies.

The risk of doing this is to be considered presumptuous. As well, your résumé will most likely be generic and unable to address the employer’s immediate needs.

✔ Contact someone via the phone and ask for a networking meeting. This is more acceptable than sending your résumé, for the reason mentioned above.

People these days are often busy and, despite wanting to speak with you, don’t have a great deal of time to sit with you and provide you with the information you seek. So don’t be disappointed if you don’t get an enthusiastic reply.

✔ Send a trusted and one-of-the-best-kept-secrets networking email. The approach letter is similar to making a cold call to someone at a company, but it is in writing and, therefore, less bold.

Employers are more likely to read a networking email than return your call. Unfortunately, it’s a slower process and doesn’t yield immediate results.

You might prefer sending a message through LinkedIn. If you’re going to do this, make sure there’s another point of contact, e.g., someone the recipient can go to ask about you. Include in your message a person trusted and liked by your desired contact. Here’s an example:

Hi Karen,

I see that you’re connected with Mark L. Brown, the director of finance at ABC Company. I’m currently in transition and am very interested in a senior financial analyst role.

Although there is no advertised position at ABC, I’d like to speak with Mark about the responsibilities of a senior financial analyst role in ABC’s finance department. It is early on in the process, so I’m also scoping out the companies on my bucket list.

I’ve attached my resume for you to distribute to Mark and anyone you know who is looking for a senior financial analyst.

Sincerely,

Bob

PS – It was great seeing our girls duke it out in last weekend’s soccer match. I hope the two teams meet in the finals.

✔ A networking meeting with the hiring manager or even someone who does what you do continues your research efforts. You will ask illuminating questions that provoke informative conversation At this point you’re not asking for a job, you’re asking for advice and information.

Two things could come out of a networking meeting. One, if they’re trying to fill a position within, your timing might be perfect and you might be recommended to the hiring manager. Two, you’ll ask for other people with whom you can meet. This is a great way to build a strong network.

5. Sealing the deal. Follow up with everyone you contacted at your selected companies. Send a brief e-mail or hard copy letter asking if they received your résumé or initial introductory letter. If you’ve met with them, thank them for their time and the valuable information they’ve imparted. Send your inquiry no later than a week after first contact.

People in the career development industry will never say finding a rewarding job is easy. In fact, the harder you work and the more proactive you are, the greater the rewards will be.

Take your job search into your own hands and don’t rely on coming across your ideal job on Monster.com, Dice.com, or any of the other overused job boards.

Your job is to secure an interview leading to the final prize, a job offer. But being proactive is essential to finding the companies for which you’d like to work, identifying contacts within those companies, and getting yourself well-known by important decision-makers.

Think like employers: 5 ways they fill positions

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And what to do about it.

When I talk to my clients about the hiring process, I’m greeted with mixed reactions. Some of my clients know the drill; perhaps they’ve been through the process, even from the hiring end. Others listen wide-eyed; they’re not happy knowing their way of looking for work is the least effective.

CEO

Consider this scenario

On Friday the position of Sr. Software Engineer is announced internally. All employees who want to apply need to submit a résumé detailing their qualifications by close of business (COB) on Monday.

Three people feel they are qualified and hurry to update their résumé over the weekend. One of the candidates doesn’t have a résumé, has never written one. He’ll have to learn how to write one quickly.

On COB of Monday, when résumés are due, the VP of Engineering résumés from the internal candidates on her desk. She has a pretty good idea of who she will name Sr. Software Engineer. But there’s another résumé from someone who was referred by an employee for the position.

HR needs to announce the opening on Indeed, accept résumés, and interview external candidates. Then employees from various departments will interview the new candidates, internal included. The process could take up to a month.

This scenario is not uncommon. Is it fair? this depends on who you ask. Generally speaking, there are five ways employers prefer to fill a position.

1. Fill positions from within

The scenario above depicts the most preferred way employers fill a position; from within the company. Ideally they have someone who can fill it quickly and with little fuss. Is it fair to the unemployed candidates? Again, it depends on who you ask.

Unfair to the unemployed, but companies have one thing in mind, filling the position with a safe bet; and who’s safer than someone they know? This makes good business sense.

The hiring manager is familiar with the abilities, and inabilities, of the company’s employees. As well, promoting from within builds good will in the company. An employer that promotes from within is a good employer. So this is a win-win situation.

2. Referrals from employees

The second way employers prefer to fill a position is by taking referrals from their own employees. In some cases the employer will reward the employees with a monetary bonus for referring a person who sticks for, say, three months.

When I was in marketing, I referred my cousin to an IT position in a company for which I worked. I recalled years before how he spread the word of his unemployment at a family gathering, so I brought this up to the powers that be. The CIO read my cousin’s résumé, invited him in for an interview the next day, and offered him a job that day.

I was rewarded one thousand dollars, minus four hundred for taxes. I’ve heard of people who received as much as ten thousand dollars for making a referral. Of course the level of the position to be filled matters.

I never would have referred my cousin unless I was confident of his abilities, which is the case with most employees making a referral. People like me don’t want egg on their face if the person doesn’t work out, even if said person is family. By the way, my cousin worked out extremely well.

3. Referrals from trusted people outside the company

At this point the employer has tried their best to find an internal candidate or someone recommended by their employees. Nothing has worked out and the position has to be filled yesterday.

Their next move is reaching out to people they trusts outside the company. The employer may reach out to former colleagues, partners, vendors, even people who’ve left the company for greener pastures.

The employer trusts these people because they know what the employer’s looking for in job-related and soft skills. They’re the best bet at this point. Besides, the referrers don’t want to steer their buddies wrong.

In an Undercover Recruiter article, it states, “Employee referrals have the highest applicant to hire conversion rate – only 7% apply but this accounts for 40% of all hires.”

Further, it claims, “Applicants hired from a referral begin their position quicker than applicants found via job boards and career sites (after 29 days compared with 39 days via job boards and 55 via career sites).”

4. Hire recruiters

When requesting referrals doesn’t work, the employer’s next step is hiring a recruiter. This is less desirable than seeking referrals because recruiters are expensive but palatable because recruiters are more knowledgeable of the industry.

There are two types of recruiters, retained and contingency. While retained recruiters work strictly for the employer and are more knowledgeable of the industry, the contingency recruiters only get paid when they find the best candidates.

The employer’s cost for hiring a recruiter can range from 15-30% of the applicant’s first year salary. A hefty chunk of change.

Either way, the employer is paying for a few candidates to be delivered to the table. It’s still a risky proposition. Referrals are still the desired source of candidates for the reasons stated above.

5. Advertise positions

Now it’s desperation time, because this is when employers advertise their positions. There are two major problems with advertising a position, cost and uncertainty of hiring the right candidate.

You may think that it’s the cost of advertising online is the major concern, but it isn’t; the cost employers feel the most is the time spent reading résumés and interviewing unknown people. When I ask hiring managers (HM) if they like reading those résumé, approximately 98% of them say they don’t.

With applicant tracking systems in place, you’d think the process would be more manageable and pleasant, but this isn’t the case. For some, reading 25 résumés is reading 25 resumes too many.

Even with the advancement of the ATS, poor candidates get past it and make it to the interview. What many recruiters and HMs are experiencing are candidates who are not qualified and, in many cases, have embellished their accomplishments.

What do you do as a job seeker?

The obvious answer is to become a referral by reaching out to those you know in desired companies. This sounds easier said than done, but the steps you take begin first with determining which companies you’d like to work for. Create a list of at least 15 target companies.

Reach out to your former supervisors and colleagues. If they’ve moved on to another company, they might know of possible openings there or at other companies. The problem with relying solely on former colleagues, is that well will run dry; they will run out of time and ideas.

Attend industry groups where people who are currently employed are networking for business. You are there to offer your expertise either on a paid basis or as a volunteer. You are prepared with personal business cards and your personal commercial. It’s my opinion is that the best people to be with are those who are employed.

One of the best places to network is in your community. You never know when you could run into someone who knows someone who works at one of your target companies. Most important is that people know about your situation and that you’ve clearly explained what you’re looking for.

LinkedIn is ideal for identifying people in companies, as most hiring authorities are on LinkedIn. Make use of your online time by using the Companies feature and do advance searches. Work your way up by connecting to people on your level. Also, connect with people who used to work at the company; they can give you some insight.

The bottom line is that you cannot rely on applying online and waiting to be brought in for an interview. You must become a referral.

Photo: Flickr, Roger Braunstein

5 very good reasons to volunteer to find employment

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Before the words leave my mouth, I can hear my workshop attendees thinking, “Why should I work for free?” I hear you. It sucks working hard and not getting paid for it; but read what I’ve got to say before you condemn volunteering to find work.

office worker

An article, Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment Report, praises the act of volunteering, claiming that one’s chance of obtaining employment is 27% higher than by not volunteering. The article points out Social and Human Capital—strengthening relationships and building skills—as two major outcomes of networking.

I elaborate on these assertions and offer three additional outcomes of volunteering: it creates a positive outlook, makes one feel productive, and closes gaps in employment on your résumé. So you naysayers, read on.

1. Volunteer to network for your next job. It opens potential doors because you’re in a place where you can do some real-time networking. Choose an organization or business in the industry in which you’d like to work.

If marketing is your forté, for example, approach an organization that needs a graphic artist or publicist to design some art for their website or write a press release or two.

This organization where you’ve managed to get your foot in the door can help you with leads at other companies, especially if you do a smashing job. The president or owner will want to help you because you’ve come across as competent and likeable. Who knows, you could possibly join the company if a position opens up…or is created.

2. Develop or enhance skills that will make you more marketable. You’ve had it in your head to start blogging but haven’t had the time to dedicate to it. The company who took you on as a volunteer in their marketing department not only can help you network; it can give you the opportunity to enhance your diverse writing skills.

Your approach to management might be to offer starting a blog for them, as the rest of the marketing department is up to their elbows in alligators. They gain a talented writer to write entries, and you learn the fine art of blogging.

Volunteer3

3. Volunteering is a great way to do a positive thing. You may consider choosing an organization where your efforts are meaningful in a big way.

A customer of mine said she volunteers at a soup kitchen because she has a soft spot in her heart for the less fortunate.

She’s a bookkeeper, so I suggested that she also offer to do the books for her church. While she’s helping the less fortunate at the soup kitchen, she could also keep her skills sharp through volunteering at her church.

4. Feel productive. Instead of sitting at home and watching The View, you can get back into work mode.

Do you remember work mode? It begins with getting up at 6:00 am, doing some exercise, leaving for a job from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, all the while feeling productive. When you get home from volunteering, you can watch those episodes of The View on DVR.

I tell my workshop attendees that one of the ways to stay sane during unemployment is by getting out of the house, and I repeat this three or four times until I know it’s embedded in their brains. As simple as it sounds, volunteering gets you out of the house.

5. Volunteering will pad your résumé and LinkedIn profile. Yes, employers look at gaps in your work history. When an employer asks about your three months of unemployment, you can proudly say you’ve been volunteering at Company A in their marketing division.

There you authored press releases, created their newest website designs, and started them on your way to a new blogging campaign. Of course you’ll indicate on your résumé, in parenthesis, that this experience was (Volunteer) work. Nonetheless, it was work.

There is concern among LinkedIn users about how to indicate they’re looking for work. Of four possible ways, I list volunteering as my preferred way to indicate you’re in the job hunt. Read the article if this is one of your concerns.

Any time you feel slighted for working without pay, remember why you’re doing it; to  network, develop or enhance new skills, do something positive, feel useful, and pad your résumé. If these five reasons aren’t enough, then by all means stay home and watch The View.

Photo: Flickr, Technical Resources

4 components of job-search networking emails

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And why they are a secret to your success.

The other day during a résumé critique, one of my clients told me how he had been networking. Something was in the works with a company as a result of him being proactive and knocking on the company’s door.

Email sending

Not literally knocking on the company’s door; although, that’s a viable option. He had sent a networking email to one of the directors at the company asking for an networking meeting, which then lead to further discussions.

Hint: don’t refer to is as an informational interview. The word “interview” turns potential contacts off. Indicate you want to meet a potential contact to get some advice on the position you’re seeking, whether a new career or similar work.

Of course a cold call might have been quicker for my customer than sending a networking email, but he felt sending it was right for him. (By the way, using LinkedIn’s Search Companies feature is a great way to find people at companies.)

For you job seekers who lean more toward introversion, a networking email may also feel more comfortable than calling a director, VP, or a hiring manager. There’s more to a networking email, though, than simply telling the person that you’d like to meet with them.

1. Research the Company

With the networking email, first you’ll research the company so you can write intelligently about why you’d like to meet your potential connection. You’ll write highly of the company, selling the company to the recipient of your email. This will show your enthusiasm. This is called boosting the company’s ego.

It will also show you took the time to visit the company’s website; read articles online, including business journals; and used other methods to research the company. This is the first step you’ll take to impress the recipient of your networking email.

Hint: you will only send approach emails to companies for which you’d like to work, not companies you’re not to sure of. You are taking your job search into your own hands, and a key to your success will be being proactive.

2. Share Your Accomplishments

Next you’ll  throw in some kudos of yourself. What makes it worthwhile for the marketing manager to meet with you? This part of your email will be briefer than your paragraph in which you write of the company’s successes.

As a marketing specialist, you authored press releases that drew the attention of many of the media, spearheaded a social media campaign, and organized numerous trade-shows; all of which garnered new business beyond what the company had previously achieved. You contributed to your past company’s past success and will do the same for future employers.

3. Have a Call to Action

Don’t forget to indicate in your networking email that you’ll call the recipient. Set a date and exact time. Maybe it’s not your style to indicate exactly when you’ll follow up, but consider that when you put something in writing, you’re more likely to follow through. If, however, you have willpower, you don’t have to indicate a time.

Hint: Also, don’t send networking emails to HR; rather send it to the hiring manager or above. HR’s purpose is to screen candidates applying for an advertised position. Because no position has been advertised, your approach email will most likely be deleted.

4. Follow Up

The only thing left to do is picking up the phone and asking the recipient if they received your email. If the person picks up the phone or you have to leave a voice-mail, be ready to explain why you’d like to meet with them.

Following up is the last component of sending a marketing email. I tell job seekers that two or three follow-up calls or emails is all they need to send. They shouldn’t stalk their potential contacts.

Hint: tell your potential contact that you can meet at her convenience. Your discussion doesn’t need to happen over coffee or dinner; you could meet in her office, or merely talk over the phone.

Your reward

What follows could be a networking meeting or maybe good timing on your part—there may actually be a job the company’s trying to fill, unbeknownst to other job seekers searching the Internet for advertised positions.

The networking email is a great networking tool which worked like magic for my job seeker. Be sure to follow these four steps when sending your networking email to the companies for which you want to work. You will probably experience the same success my client did.

Photo: Flickr, Miguel Garces

 

One more argument for volunteering your way to a job

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Before you say, “I’m tired of hearing about volunteering,” take time to read what I have to say. I’ve ignored newspaper articles on what’s happening in the labor market because, quite honestly, they depress me.

But this morning I was drawn to an article that offered no groundbreaking great news; in fact it was dismal. But through the fog of negative reporting, there was one bit of good advice.

The article of which I speak appeared in the Boston Globe (Sunday, 9/18/2011). It pointed out the difficulties veteran workers in the IT sector are having getting jobs due to lack of experience. One example given was a software engineer proficient in C++ but lacking Java.

In certain positions, like software engineering, the disparity in technica skills is hard to overlook. But there is hope, as long as you’re willing to invest the time to overcome a deficiency you have in your skills.

I wrote an article on the importance of volunteering while conducting your job search, and I stressed volunteering at a company for which you’d consider working. There are two major reasons for this. First, you can network more efficiently while you’re back in the industry among professionals who are privy to possibilities, and who would like to help you.

Second, you can enhance your skills and learn new ones. The situation where the software engineer lacks Java experience is a perfect example. Taking courses will certainly give you some knowledge in the software required to land a job, but hands-on experience using the software is far more valuable. And sometimes required by recruiters, according to the article:

“The ability to learn new skills is rarely at the top of a recruiter’s job orders; many companies demand candidates with skills that perfectly match their requirements.”

I had a jobseeker who worked at Raytheon, where she was a productive engineer using C++. She never had training using Java, as it was not required for her position. As she combed the want ads, she discovered that the majority of jobs available were for Java developers. She was in a hole. But she wasn’t going to give up. I would see her reading texts books on Java scripting.

The solution, as stated above, is to gain hands-on experience in a skill that you’re lacking. Continue to self-educate yourself on the skills you notice are in demand, as my jobseeker did; but go one step further and approach companies in your industry that need engineers, marketers, sales people, nurses, accountants, etc., and volunteer your services—with an understanding that you’re not looking for a job at said companies.

This is precisely what the Boston Globe reported: “’If you want to be anywhere close to the cutting edge, you can’t expect that you’ll have a [paying] job when you start,’ said Stephen Flavin, dean of academic and corporate development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. ‘If you really want to learn it you have to volunteer your time.’’’

I hope that if you’re in this situation, you won’t give up hope. Many of my jobseekers have landed jobs in their field by volunteering; some of them at the company for which they volunteered.

Let’s Walk: Having a Routine is Important to Your Job Search

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It was raining the other morning at 6:00 AM, so I did what felt natural—I went back to bed. That was a mistake I discovered later in the day. I was sluggish and not on top of my game. My workshops were uninspiring, and I noticed a monotone in my voice. All day I was looking forward to my walk the following morning, regardless of rain or snow in the forecast.

My walking routine offers me the alone-time to think about the day ahead, planning exercises for a workshop, thinking about the workshop I’m designing; or simply time to take in the beauty that surrounds me as I ascend and descend hilly roads.

Why am I writing about walking? It’s not only walking I’m talking about; it’s any kind of exercise we should engage in when we’re employed or unemployed, but especially unemployed.

There are many self-help articles on how to stay motivated the job search. One article I ran across in my Internet surfing offers suggestions on how you can do to stay motivated if you’re out of work. I saw this article on the New England Job Show. The author, Randall Davidson, gives 10 ways to stay motivated, but number eight is the one I allude to:

Establish a routine. One thing a job offers you is structure. In the absence of a job, it can be difficult to find structure and that can contribute to depression. To avoid this, deliberately establish a daily routine. Take a class at the gym, drop your kids off at school, etc. Make sure that you schedule something for yourself that takes place early in the morning, as that’ll help you get up and going.

Walking, for me, gives me a routine that I’ve followed for over two decades. Yes, I’ve been unemployed, and yes I followed some of his other advice, such as dropping the kids off at school or taking them grocery shopping with me. Having a routine didn’t make being out of work a happy occasion, but it made this difficult time in my life easier to handle. The point I’m making is that Randall Davidson is correct when he says to get yourself out of bed, just as you would when you’re working.

Walking isn’t for everyone. You may decide to tackle a home project. (I attempted to re-tile the bathroom floor, which was a complete failure.) Or go to your local career center to take workshops, use its resources, or network with other jobseekers. Volunteering at a company or organization of choice is another way to establish a routine. These, of course, are addition to your hard-driven job search; but they’re important in keeping you off the couch and improving your physical and mental wellbeing.

I’ll continue to walk in the morning no matter what employment state I’m in. God forbid I lose my job, but the first thing I think I would do is start a walking club for people who are also out of work. I wouldn’t see this as a networking occasion. It would be more for helping others to create and maintaining a routine.

Tell me what your routine is, employed or unemployed.