Find a Job - Minority Professional Network (MPN)

Here's what you can do to spread the word about How To Find A Job When The Economy Sucks

5. Take a copy to the Human Resources department and ask them to give it to
everyone they plan to layoff

My name is Jim Stroud and I am an Account Executive with Lanta Technology Group, a placement agency that also assists startup companies with funding. My duties include sourcing diverse talent including, but not limited to: senior management, technical, sales and marketing personnel. (Why I mention that right away will become apparent as you continue reading.) I interview many people on a daily basis and the #1 question posed to me at the conclusion of every interview is, “How do I get a job when the economy sucks?” Okay, so I am paraphrasing a bit, but the spirit of the question remains.

As I have only a finite amount of opportunities to secure talent for, it is frustrating for me to turn away top talent, especially when there are so many seeking employment. This is the reason why I have decided to type these tips and send them out to everyone I have interviewed in the past 90 days and those I have met in passing. My hope in completing this eBook is that it proves beneficial to every out of work jobseeker and secondly, I would ask that once you are employed that you consider myself and Lanta Technology Group for all of your recruiting needs. (smile)

CONTACT ME:

B. NECESSARY EVILS

The first steps are no-brainers, a must-do, but a wholly frustrating necessity:

Search the classifieds and send in your resume.

Nobody likes to do it and what’s worse, everyone else is doing it, which is what makes it so frustrating to begin with. This is definitely a buyer’s market and the competition is fierce. It is NOT uncommon for companies to demand more and pay less and why not? They are holding all the cards for now. (Although I think it is a practice that will bite them in the tail-end once the economy bounces back.)

At this point I could tell you how to write a pretty neat cover letter that will blow your competition out of the water. I could tell you how to use the best keywords to get a recruiter’s attention. I could tell you the best way to format your resume. I could, but I prefer to give you more useful information and all of what I mentioned can be found with minimal research on the internet.

Nobody likes to do this one either. Well, I take that back. Nobody likes to scan for jobs on job boards that the recruiter will not call you back on. I take that back. Nobody likes to scan for jobs on job boards and send in a resume when so many other people are looking at the same jobs and have sent their resumes in before you even saw the job in the first place. Yes, I think that is more accurate. Yet, like the want-ads, it is a necessary evil.

There will always be competition, but in this market, you must work SMARTER, not necessarily harder.

Another must do, but actually a better alternative to the others. At least you get some face time with a representative of a company and that is (at least) 100 hundred times better than blindly sending a resume into a company’s database and then waiting by the phone.

The flipside of course, is that you are not alone at a Careerfair and have to share your quality time with the hundred or so other jobseekers who are trying to be as professional and persistent and personable as you are.

There, have I sufficiently rained on your parade? I hope not. My aim in telling you that is to get you focused on what you need to do. All of the above is something you must do, but DO NOT make the mistake of ending your efforts with just these 3 avenues.

Okay, so you are out of work and without a budget to command a staff. So what? You have the potential of running a sizeable organization without overhead; an organization that does not require your having a degree or spectacular credentials of any kind.

Start off with a simple question? How many people do you know that are out of work? 2? 3? I dare say that today you can probably name 10 people who are without a job. However, for the purposes of this example, I will go with the number 5.

STEP 1: Pick 5 people that you know to be out of work. It does NOT matter what kind of work they do, only that they are looking for a job and do not do the same thing you do.

STEP 2: Create a factsheet detailing what each person does in general and in detail. (Check out the appendix for an example)

STEP 3: Take the factsheet with you to each interview and at the conclusion of your interview, ask the recruiter if you can take a few seconds to inquire about other positions. This is when you ask the recruiter if they have specific needs that meet the skillsets of those in your job-finding network.

STEP 4: If recruiter has a specific need for someone in your network, then advise the recruiters of that person’s name and that said person will be in contact with them shortly.

STEP 5: Via email, phone, message board, etc touch base with your network of jobseekers and advise them on where you have been. The more useful information you can relay is:

So what does this exercise do for you? I would hope that it is obvious; by creating and remaining active in a job-finders network you have multiplied your presence 5 times (at least with this example), cut down on wasted time pursuing companies that are not currently hiring and you have gained valuable information that you can use to attract more people into your job-finders network.

Pretty cool idea hun’h? Believe me it works in generating business as well, but that’s another book altogether. Let’s look at something else…

Okay, so you have that “Sherlock” look on your face about my telling you the obvious, but ahh… have I? People look for jobs in the want-ads everyday right? Well, that’s where the jobs are right? Not entirely…

A lot of them are in between the lines and in plain view. Let me give you an example of what I mean. I pick up a paper and I flip through the business section of The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.. I notice an article that some company in Alpharetta just closed a deal on a new facility and construction will begin in another month. One person may look at that and say, yeah, whatever… But I would look at that in several ways:

· New facility means some construction workers will be needed, electricians, eventually some LAN/WAN networking will need to be done, interior design so the office would look nice, expensive pictures on the wall to impress perspective clients, lots of computers will be needed for the workers to do their work on. (And of course the obvious for me, new facility means new workers will be needed, so I better hit them up early before the other recruiters catch wind of this as well.)

So from that one article, there are at least 6 jobs that have not been announced or even written up yet. So by acting early, one could call and find out who is in charge of that facility, hiring for that facility and proactively send my resume. This way, one could be first-in-line before a job description is even written. And why even write a job description if your resume is already there and you are a perfect fit for their need?

· How many magazines do you read pertaining to your skillset? If none, shame on you, but its not too late to start. Magazines usually have at least one interview inside of them right? Why not write to the person being profiled? Why not read the letters written into the magazine that are answered by the editor? A lot of times the email addresses of the readers are posted along with their title. (Good examples of this can be found in INTERNET WORLD & BUSINESS 2.0) What’s wrong with writing some of these people and say,

“Hey, I read your comments in (whatever) magazine and I feel the same way (or differently). If you are ever open to discussing this issue or drying bottles, I can do that all day.

Its not who you know, but who knows you! And you can shout that from the rooftops all day long. Unless you are trying to sell something to somebody, forget whom you know and concentrate on getting people to know you. I recently spoke to an organization of Chinese Americans and discussed tips, tricks and ideas on how to get a job in this economy. For those who do not know me personally, I am African American with very few ties into the Chinese culture. How did it come to pass that I was speaking to an audience of Chinese Americans from an organization I never knew about in a meeting hall I had never been in before? Simple, somebody knew me.

A year earlier, I met Jerry Chang, a VERY capable Corporate Developer from Headhunter.net, at a networking function. We touched base a couple of times since, but it was not until he saw my name in The Wall Street Journal recently that we formally touched base again. It turns out that he was an influential member of the Careerfair for Asian Americans and needed a speaker and asked me to jump in. I said sure and hopefully accomplished some good. The point of all that is this, as a recruiter I meet people ALL the time, but what matters MOST is that they know me and hopefully think of me when they need to staff an office later or refer a friend open to new opportunities.

But if you are not a recruiter and as such, do not have access to a lot of spectacular people who can call on you to speak at places or hire you at places, I suggest that you begin by building a shmoozefest of bigshots to become acquainted with. Not a hard thing to do, let me give you an example. (I seem to be good for that today, yes?)

· I flip through the biz section some more and I noticed that someone I never met at a company I never heard of, was just promoted into a senior management position. Hmmm… I think every General needs soldiers to carry out their orders, but how to distinguish myself from the pack? Not a hard thing to do, I’ll just send a greeting card and inscribe it with an introduction.

I read in the paper that you just landed the Chief Bottle Washer job. If you ever need somebody to dry the bottles, look me up. I’ve been drying bottles since ‘84.

PLEASE notice that my note was SHORT AND TO THE POINT. I gave the recently promoted person a welcome that they can appreciate. I told them where I heard about them. I also VERY briefly promoted my skillsets. And finally, I would have left them one of my cards. (More on the card thing later.)

So what have I done? I have introduced myself to someone who may or may not hire me, but at least now he knows my name and secondly, associates my name with a certain skillset. (NOTICE that I DID NOT send a resume! That would have been overkill and probably they would have tossed it or put in a blackhole of a database never to resurface again.) Ideally, that person will write you back an email thanking you for the kind gesture, but no jobs for bottle dryers yet. And that’s fine! The whole point of the exercise is to have a point for follow-up.

Once you have set up an initial point for follow-up, set a time on your calendar to touch base with them again. The purpose is not to become a pest by constantly bugging someone to give you a job, but to psychologically place your stamp on his or her mind.

For example, after the first reply, send a SHORT note to the Chief Bottle Washer that reminds him of your first email (ideally, you would type a new message above your old one), and that you hope all is well in their new position. You also mention that you read an article somewhere about new bottle washing technology and have attached it for their pleasure. You sign it sincerely and add by your name “Bottle Dryer.” Now if you have timed this and subsequent letters properly, then the Chief Bottle Washer will always think of you whenever Bottle Drying comes to mind. This is EXACTLY what you want and can only work to your benefit. Put yourself in their shoes, “Why place a job-ad for a bottle-dryer when I know one already?”

PLEASE NOTE that you must (and I cannot underscore this enough) be careful how many “HI!” notes you send to someone that you have not met or fully connected with. I suggest a 90-day interval for senior management and 60 days for recruiters (if you are still looking). By the way, an e-card MIGHT work, but with so much Spam out there I would not try it. It may give a bad first impression or just get deleted and you would never know.

Just a few words here! If you EVER read about a company closing on some financing, that should sound like a dinner bell to you. Companies who secure funding can afford to hire you! I suggest 2 VERY good sources of funding news: VENTUREREPORTER.net and VENTUREWIRE.com.

If you are not a member of an organization pertaining to your field of expertise, shame on you. If you are a member of an organization pertaining to your field and not active in it, then shame on you. If you are however a member who shows up most of the time and knows most of the faces, well there is hope for you yet. Chances are if you attend enough of your group’s meeting, people will remember you enough to associate you with that group. (Not the best scenario, but a workable one.)

1. Every business organization has a roster of members and (usually) a listing of where they work. (I am a member of the Atlanta IT Alliance and we have such a listing.)

2. Remember the job-searching network I suggested you start? This is where information like that comes in handy. Compare the info from your job-searching network you started with the roster of people in your group. Are there any members in your group working at a company you know is hiring? A referral from someone within a company is MUCH better than someone walking in off the street because it somehow makes you more real to a recruiter when someone knows you. (But not necessarily more qualified. Go figure… )

Whoops, I almost forgot something! Whenever you go to network with people at an organization, do not take your resume! Makes you look desperate (unless you know recruiters will be there) and you do not want to give a negative impression – ever. Instead, I suggest you take your little friend.

I am speaking of your business card. But wait, you say that you do not have a business card because you do not have a job, which is why you have read this far. Okay, I hear you, but I have to tell you this… CREATE ONE NOW!

I was at one of a zillion networking events the other day when I met a guy named Alan Fralick. Alan was open to new opportunities and trying to network his way into a new job by rubbing elbows with his peers. When I told him I was a recruiter, he did not give me a resume. He gave me something MUCH better.

Alan created a business card (probably from his home computer) with his name, contact info and a bullet point list of his skillsets. On the back of the card was a more detailed description of what he brought to an employer’s table. It was quick, simple and easy! I did not have to fold his resume up and stick it in my back pocket or carry it around under my arm with my other stuff. At a glance I knew he was a Technologist, what he was capable of and how to reach him. Very smooth and it had the effect of “My name is Bond… James Bond” in contrast to several others almost forcing resumes in my face. (By the way, if you ever need someone strong in LAN/WAN Engineering, Information Security or Change Management, let me know and I will pass you on to Alan.)

Another cool thing about his card is that I could put in my business card holder that I keep next to me in my desk. (Very convenient)

By printing up some cards for yourself and passing them out to people, you have a means of celebrating your work history, but maintaining a sense of privacy at the same time. Something to think about…

Okay, if you made it as far as the interview, you don’t want to blow it. (Agreed?) In my capacity here at Lanta Technology Group I have been a silent observer on several interviews. Let me tell you some subtle, but definite no-no’s you may not be aware of.

Ask in advance what the attire is for the interview. If it is business casual and you arrive in a suit or vice-versa, you send a subconscious signal to the interviewer that you do not fit in with the culture of the company.

2. Do not say that I am ready to start immediately. Everybody says that! (Believe me I know.) You have to give the impression that you have already started and you just need them to acknowledge it. How do you do that?

· Research the company from top to bottom; know who the key players are and call out a few of their names in passing.

· Mention what the company is doing now and how you think they will succeed or fail in what they are doing.

· Suggest a strategy of how they could proceed and detail how you would facilitate that change.

Prior to Lanta Technology Group, I worked for MCI in a newly formed startup division within Human Resources focused on Internet Research. (For the record, MCI was way ahead of the curve with using the Internet to recruit, but I digress…)

My resume was one of several to be considered for the position and I knew it, so I did something to put the odds in my favor. As the position itself was a newly created position, the requirements were not wholly stated but I did know that I would be used to source talent for their various facilities nationwide.

I looked on their webpage, saw their openings, found some resumes on the Internet and sent them into my future boss. She was impressed and I got the job. (Hey Rachel Platt!) You see? The difference between me and the others was that they came ready to work and I arrived already working.

It does not matter when you start networking for your job. What matters is that you never stop networking! And may I suggest who the better networkers are? Those who GIVE more than they expect to receive. Usually I see this among the more savvy business developers, but some senior management types do this as well. They send me tips on who is hiring, who is firing, who just got funded or whom is on the edge of funding and most importantly, they steer me in the direction of someone I can assist. (I love those guys!) Sure its a backscratch fest and it may not pay off immediately, but it eventually it will. As long as you are helping people, people will feel obliged to help you. Its all Karma!

The economy may be sucky now, but it will get better and when that happens more companies will be acquired or merged or dissolve and you will be back in the position you are in now. (I predict by Summer 2002 that we will be able to breathe again, barring additional major catastrophes. Just a hunch...). However, if you apply all of these tips and pray (More pray than use my tips – smile) you will be in a MUCH better position than you were prior to networking.

Example of a weekly fact-finding sheet to share with your network of jobsearchers.

(*Of course, adjust the sheet as needed. You may want to add the date of each encounter as well as projected quarter of when they may be hiring again.)

(*Note: You may even want to pass the card to the recruiter, but no contact info.Do a letter of introduction and copy both parties. In this way, everyone remembers your help and it keeps you fresh on their minds when they are talking to other people.)

By Jim Stroud

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