Be a better detective. Get a better job.

Be a better detective. Get a better job.

As is often the case, I’m helping someone near and dear to me find a new job.  We’ve put together a solid resume and are now at the stage where the marketing can really begin.   And then he asks me… “Why wouldn’t I just apply online or send my resume to the recruiter?  Why would I send to the hiring manager?”  I thought to myself… “HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ME?” But instead I decided to use this moment as an opportunity to train my buddy.

I’m a Recruiting professional but my educational background is in marketing, so perhaps it’s my marketing background that makes networking seem, to me, like the natural way to find a new job.  Or, perhaps it’s because I’m also a good detective. 

When I was about 12 years old (and a huge fan of crime tv shows, Magnum PI in particular), I read a news article about a woman who had gone missing in my hometown.  I got up the nerve to call the local police station, put on my deepest “grown up” voice and I offered my private investigation services to help them find her.  They naturally turned me down, when my parents found out they were mortified, but I really wanted to be a PI!  And now I kind of am one.

My current and previous two jobs are jobs I found (and they have all been wonderful!) on LinkedIn and on Facebook.  I NEVER APPLY TO POSITIONS ONLINE (until I have already spoken with someone at the company). 

TIP #1 Everyone always asks “How?”.  The biggest challenge people have is not knowing where to find the hiring managers’ names and contact info.  Here’s what you do.  First of all, LinkedIn is a great place to see who works at your company.   You can search an employee’s (or hiring manager’s) employment status on LI by “current and past”, “current” or “past”.  I recommend using “current and past” to get more results.

TIP #2 You can also find names of people at companies using other sites such as www.zoominfo.com and www.prnewswire.com.  ZoomInfo is not a social networking site, so you can often find info there you won’t see on twitter, LI or FB.  PRNewsWire is a great site for press releases which can give you current, updated news about companies you are interested in.

TIP #3 Also check out sites such as GlassDoor.com and Facebook.  Or (and here’s a tip I usually reserve for my best clients), find out the email domain of the company that you are looking at and do a Google search with the string.  Meaning if the company domain is @abc.com, go to your favorite search engine and type in “@abc.com” using the quotation marks as I have here.  This will often give you additional names and contacts that aren’t listed anywhere else.  Why?  When executives and hiring managers go to conferences or events, they often register using their email addresses.  The people who put on the conferences usually keep a list of attendees and for some reason, they usually publish this on their websites.

Once you find the names:

·         Craft a personal email

·         Write down and prepare a dynamic voicemail message

·         Have a talk track ready (in case they actually answer the phone when you call)

·         …and START NETWORKING YOUR TAIL OFF!

Let me know how well these tips work for you, and as always.. much continued career success to you all!

Interviews are a two way street.

(part 2 of "So you think you're special?")

Interviews are a two way street.  When I’m interviewing someone for a certain position, I always have my predetermined list of questions ready to go.  I also have follow up questions prepared for when the interview takes unexpected turns.  And I always leave the interview knowing what I need to know about the candidate to determine whether or not I will move forward with them.

If you want to stand out in the crowd, you need to BE PREPARED.  I can’t tell you how many candidates I have interviewed who had very few or even no questions prepared to ask me.  It’s honestly a shocking number!  If you’re interviewing for a new job, you need to leave your interview knowing as much about me, my company and the position you are interviewing for as is humanly possible.

How do you prepare for this?  Well, first and foremost you should do your due diligence and research my company.  Find connections on LinkedIn who work here and reach out to them for insight.  Do a Google search or check out www.glassdoor.com to see what our employees are saying about us.  Get to know the company as much as you possibly can before ever accepting an interview invitation.  Do some research on the industry.  Look up which companies are competitors of the company you’re interviewing with and get to know the key players in the industry.

ASK QUESTIONS.  If a candidate doesn’t ask me questions, I don’t consider them a strong candidate…PERIOD.

Here’s a quick list of my favorite questions candidates ask:

1.       How would you (or my new boss) determine my success once I accept this role?

2.       What is the career path for someone coming into this role?

3.       If you were me, what would you do to prepare yourself for success knowing what you know about this position, this team, my new boss, etc..?

4.       How do I rank compared to other candidates you’ve interviewed?

5.       Is there anything about my background that concerns you or that you need more clarification on to make your decision?

These are just a few.  But if you ask smart questions, you’ll get good answers.  So many candidates ask “What’s the next step?” type of questions.  But most never ask the tough questions like “Is there anything about my background that concerns you?” or “How do I compare to the others you’re interviewing?”.

I think it’s human nature.  Perhaps you’re scared to hear the answers, perhaps you’re not confident enough to ask the tough questions.  My advice to you is GET OVER IT!   Make it a point to ask solid questions so you will truly know everything you can know about the job.  You’ll come across sounding smarter than the average guy, and you’ll most likely get invited to the next round of interviews….or perhaps even get yourself the offer!

Until next time, best of luck in your interviews.  Be bold and ask the tough questions.  Remember, YOU’RE INTERVIEWING THEM as much as they’re interviewing you.  Make them sell you on the opportunity!  You’ll be glad you did.

So...you think YOU'RE special?

I have a confession to make to you all.  I took too much of my own advice and landed myself a great new job which has, unfortunately, pulled me away from staying in touch with you as often as I should have.  But I’m back, and I have even more tips for you as you navigate your job search.

So…You think YOU’RE special? is a blog series dedicated to sharing with you easy ways you can stand out in the droves of applicants seeking the job you were destined to have.

So…You think YOU’RE special?  Really!?  I interview about 1,000 people every year.  Year in, year out….whether I like it or not.  If you were one of those 1,000 candidates I interviewed, do you think you would have stood out?  Let me ask you that in another way…..

o   Did you have the best pressed suit?

o   Were you the guy with the most accomplishments?

o   Were you the girl who shared my alma mater?

o   Did you have the best haircut?

o   Did you have the best smile?

o   Did you have the strongest technical knowledge?

If you didn’t have ALL of these things (and more), the chances are you didn’t stand out.  No matter how unique our backgrounds are, how many significant things we’ve accomplished, what our educational credentials are, etc… we’re all very much the same in many ways.  That’s a good thing…and a bad thing.  The reason for the latter is because if we’re all very similar, HOW CAN YOU STAND OUT?  You want your interviewers to remember you!  Heck, you WANT them to HIRE you!  They can’t hire you if they forget you moments after your interview.

This is a multi-set blog I’m bringing to you, but this first tip on how to be remembered is this –

SEND THANK YOU NOTES

This evening as I was walking the dogs, my phone alerted me of a new message.  I looked quickly while juggling the dog leashes and dodging the cars driven by the slightly tipsy drivers leaving their various happy hour engagements, and I saw a “Thank you” email from a Berkeley student who I recently interviewed.  It reminded me, yet again, how important it is to say thanks after your interviews.  Here’s why…

If your interview was great – and you send a thank you note, it will confirm and validate the hiring managers already good feelings about you. 

If your interview was decent – and you send a thank you note, it might be that one thing that tips the scale in your direction and gets you the offer instead of that joker with the better suit and the whiter teeth who interviewed right after you.

If your interview was awful – and you send a thank you note, it may not get you the job right now.  But it sure as heck will keep you at the top of the list should the top candidate get the offer and decline…or if another position comes open, and your thank you note is sitting on their desk they just may call you.  Who knows, they may have even forgotten how botched your interview was and call you just because your name (and thank you note) are in front of them.

Trust me.  This works time and time again.  “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” (Seneca).  Religions and self help programs have stressed GRATITUDE as being one of the QUICKEST ways to attaining peace and serenity.  I’m here to tell you, they’re right!  Being THANKFUL will bring you peace, serenity AND it will quite possibly be the one thing that gives you the leg up so you can kick the other guy’s butt in the job market and GET YOURSELF A JOB OFFER!

Say thanks, and say it often…

We’ll continue this “So…YOU think YOU’RE special?” series next week with another quick and easy way to stand out in the crowd.  Until then, all my best!

Moving the Energy (by guest contributor Jamie Craw)

Today's topic is MOVING THE ENERGY, brought to you by guest contributor Jamie Craw.

As someone whose profession it is to find the match between candidate and opportunity on behalf of others, I believe I am the different side of the same coin as a job seeker. As someone who has spent the better part of her career speaking with job seekers, candidates, and persons in transition, I feel we are a kindred spirit and I identify wholeheartedly with the plight, the frustration, and pure joy of the rollercoaster of job searching and finally finding the perfect fit. So what advice can I impart to you that will get you a job? The answer may surprise you.

There is very little we can control when we are looking for a job, and same as in life, the only thing we have any power over is ourselves. You may think this is not the time to pursue your creative side, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Now is the time to do all the things you said you had to wait for, the things you have put off because you don’t have enough time, or you should be looking for a job. NOW! Now is the time to move your energy around, block out the naysayers, and sign up for a painting class or take a road trip or strike a yoga pose.

The thing is, we are all a ball of energy, and sometimes our energy gets stuck. It may be so deep inside of us, a passion we have been putting off for so long, that it has made an impasse in the very depths of our psyche. And somehow, it is manifesting itself as being stuck in your job search and you don’t know where to go.

The biggest disservice we do to ourselves is to deny our creativity. It is only when the energy starts to flow and when you try something new that the paths of your career and life start to open up infinitely. If you’ve been feeling a big move or change is needed, now is the time to make it. If you are tired of the view outside your window, now is the time to change it. Change is good, it is healthy and it is imperative for growth.

You may find that taking a class opens the door to meeting your future boss  or the contemplation during yoga opens your mind to new possibilities and a road trip might unveil your dream home and the perfect job around the corner. You don’t know until you try and you will answer all of your questions if you stop thinking about all that you can’t do, or are limited by, and start pursuing your dreams, one by one. I believe your career is holistic and a reflection of your whole being. When you are fulfilling your personal goals, your professional ones are sure to follow.

-Jamie Craw (guest contributor)

The Art of the Job Search (What's your process?)

What’s your job search process?

As an HR leader, I occasionally get the opportunity to review corporate recruiting processes to ensure that we are being as efficient as possible while also being compliant with employment laws, etc.  As I’m currently going through this again in my position, I thought to myself “What about the process for job seekers?”.  So many people go blindly looking for a job that they forget to put together a map and a process for finding a job. 

There’s an art to finding a job, and having a process mapped out will help you immensely!  Here are a few suggestions to get you started...

Take a Personal Inventory
You’ve got to take some time to reflect on your skills and your career ambitions so you will be able to align them with your job search.  For me, I would have to take into account that I want a position that allows me to work with people.  I would also make note that I would want to work in an organization that offers me unlimited room for career growth.  When you are taking inventory, you should consider your values, your interests and your skills.  Then be ready to discuss these with potential employers.  You should also put together interview questions that you are able and ready to ask employers that will help you determine if the organization and the position you are interviewing for is a good fit for you. 

Involve Others
Next, you MUST have a support network.  The people in your life are invaluable to you when it comes to career search and networking.  Talk to your friends, your family, coworkers, coworkers from previous jobs, the teller at your bank, the ladies in your bridge club, etc..  Never underestimate the power of networking and letting your network know what you’re up to!  I personally have kept in touch with most people I’ve worked with over the years.  You never know when they may be able to help you out. 

Organize Yourself
 If you’re not organized, you need to be.  Looking for a job can be overwhelming.  It can be disastrous and futile if you don’t keep track of what you’re doing.  Get a binder, make an Excel spreadsheet, whatever it takes.  Keep track of who is in your network, where they work, who they know, what your activity with them has been to date, etc.. Follow up with them regularly.  Things change all the time.  Make sure you’re keeping up with your network.
 
Stay Upbeat NO MATTER WHAT!
Make a commitment to yourself early on (or better yet, do it right now!) that you will stay true to yourself in the process and ALWAYS stay positive.  If you get turned down for a position, don’t take it personally.  Learn something from it.  Thank them anyway!  I can’t tell you how many times a candidate I’ve interviewed didn’t get the job initially.  But they were thoughtful enough to thank me for my time.  When things didn’t work out with the candidate we were going to hire, you better believe I knew exactly who I was going to bring back in for consideration!  Be yourself, and do whatever it takes to stay positive!

Until next time, keep on keeping on!  Your dream job might be right around the corner!

Whiny Job Seekers and Shy Networkers--WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?

Have you ever heard “It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know.” or “It’s all about networking.”?  I recently overheard an acquaintance of mine (well, more like I saw them broadcasting the news across Facebook…Gotta love that!) whining about not being able to find a job.  He was frustrated because he felt that he just didn’t know the right people to get a foot in the door somewhere…anywhere.  He had been applying for jobs online for months, scouring Monster and Careerbuilder and other job sites looking for a job to no avail.

I know I’ve told you all before, but I have never been hired for any position by applying to it online or sending in my resume.  And yet, I seem to always have a job…and they’ve always been pretty darn good jobs!  “How is that possible?” you might be thinking.   The truth is… (drum roll please) I just love to connect with people, and I do my best to make sure they remember me, and I try to stay in touch with my contacts over the years, and I try my best to be a positive person, and…the list goes on and on.

What about those of you who aren’t so eager to meet others?  How can you become a better networker if you’re a little intimidated or shy?  Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1.       Get over yourself!   Yes, I said it.  Lots of us are introverts naturally, but we know that in order to get ahead we have to wear our “extrovert” hat occasionally.  Pretend like you’re not shy…like you’re an actor playing a part.  Don’t be fake, and don’t try to be the life of the party when you’re not.  But ACT like an outgoing person would act.  You’ll be surprised at how far this will get you.  AND it will ease your nerves in the meantime.

2.       Introverts make the best networkers (TRUST ME) because they are excellent listeners.  Cherish your listening skills and listen to others genuinely.  While the “type A” folks are busy jacking their jaws about themselves, you will be getting ahead of the curve by learning invaluable information about those you’re networking with.  Listening is powerful.

3.       Be prepared.  Bring your business cards, a pen, something to write on.  Make sure your teeth are flossed, that your breath isn’t atrocious and that you’re presentable.  Wear clothes that are appropriate for the situation but also COMFORTABLE.  I can’t tell you how annoying it is to be in a professional or networking situation and be in clothes that don’t feel right.  UGH! 

4.       Know why you’re there.  Have a goal, whether it’s to meet 3 new people or to find someone there who works at one of your target companies or to find out more details about the latest development in your industry.  Don’t leave until you’ve met the goal.

5.       Lastly, KEEP IT UPBEAT!  This means SMILE big and often.  In no circumstances should you complain or come across whiny.    NO MATTER HOW DESPERATE YOU ARE, don’t let ‘em see you sweat!  Networking events usually don’t last too long.  Get in, accomplish your goals (your reasons for being there) and get out.

Until next time, I challenge you to meet someone new who has the connections to improve your world this week…be it professionally, personally, spiritually, whatever.  Make it your mission to connect with someone new who may be the missing link to your network.  You’ll be amazed how easy it is, and you’ll be thrilled with the results that come your way once you start networking like a PRO!

Cheers!

Radio Show-Discussion around CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/viewsfromthetop/2011/08/26/im-a-person-not-an-application

This was a radio show I recently participated in about the candidate experience.  It's a little long, but there is some great information from a panel of guests in the recruiting industry.

Getting Hired in today's economy