Networking Is Everything at This Time

In a Forbes.com article entitled “How to Headhunt the Headhunters”, a recruiter is quoted as saying that he gets about 100 résumés a week, but rarely looks at any of them. What? A recruiter that doesn’t even look at the resumes he is being sent? How can that be? That’s because the number of unsolicited resumes a recruiter receives grows exponentially as more and more people become un-employed. And that means there isn’t enough time in the day to work on making matches between clients and candidates whose resumes they sought and the numerous resumes that come in – many of which aren’t in their area of specialty. Recruiters do want to know about you, you just need a new way of getting in front of them.

If sending unsolicited resumes isn’t going to work, there is something else you can do to get seen by hiring companies AND recruiters. Fortunately it’s the same thing – networking. Over the years, there have been hundreds of articles on the internet about networking but the current economical climate creates a whole new level of importance. It’s no longer about networking on your own and if that doesn’t work out then you turn to a recruiter, it’s about networking even to get to the recruiter while simultaneously networking on your own to get to hiring managers. To understand the basics of networking read The Practical Guide to Networking.

Professional Networking Sites
If you haven’t heard of LinkedIn.com, you need to pull up a browser and jump on immediately. It’s the leading professional networking site that can put you in touch with many many people in your field. According to an article in Chief Executive Magazine online, membership in professional networking sites is expected to soar as the economic downturn continues, and a Time.com article notes that LinkedIn is signing up 1 new member every second. That’s a lot of people out there networking where you are not.

On business networking sites, you can join interest groups with whom you can network to find out who is hiring, ask a question to people in your network to find out what’s happening in your industry’s job market, and you can view job posting by companies whose employees are on the site. You can also locate people at the hiring level for your specialization and introduce yourself to them.

Social-Networking Sites
Believe it or not, social networking sites can be a very helpful job search tool. Sites like Facebook have Marketplace sections where they list jobs, but more importantly, you can tap into your network of friends to spread the word about your job search. The more people that know what you are looking for, the better the chance your name will come up in conversation at the right time. People want to help. But remember, you have to be very careful about the content you put up on these sites because Social Networking Can Damage Your Job Search, If You Let It.

Blogs
According to BlogCatalog, there are 1,916 Career and Job Blogs. Some of them useless and some of them gold. If you search for your area of specialization, such as “engineer”, you will find blogs in your field. Blogs are a great place to find out what is happening in your industry. Connect with people in your field, look to see who is commenting on the blogs – are they working at a company you want to work for? You can’t be afraid to introduce yourself.

Helping Others Network
A down economy is an even more important time to make sure you are helping others network as well. Try to approach meeting anyone as an opportunity to learn something about an interesting person and maybe put two people in touch who can help one another. Keeping eyes and ears open for opportunities to help connect other people will earn you points that you can redeem later but more importantly, it will make you feel good about yourself, your professionalism and your own career.

Networking is by no means new, but the economic landscape and technological developments have brought the methodology and importance to the forefront of career development. Even if you are not currently looking for a job, in this economy, you should always be making contacts. You never know, with the contacts that you make, you may be able to help a friend – or yourself.
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Trickie Trick To get New Job

Unemployment numbers are looking pretty bleak. Everyday the news seems to bring more stories of large and small companies alike laying off thousands of workers. As of this writing in January 2009 we are looking at a pretty tight job market. I saw a newswire story about a job fair for one company held in suburban Detroit. Four thousand people showed up for the one day event. I know due to the downturn in automotive sales that their region is hurting, but the job outlook seems to be pretty bleak just about everywhere. In this kind ofcompetitive market, what can one due to stand out among all the other jobseekers? Here are 2 job hunting strategies that will make you stand out.

(1) Your own website. Everyone puts their resume on line now, and so everyone has an email address and maybe a profile page at the large job posting portals. You should be using Facebook and Myspace to network in your industry, but not everybody has their own website. I think this is especially important if you are looking for any type of technical work. I would suggest you get a dot com domain name that includes your own name in it. Like bobsmithaccountant.com or technicalwriterbillgates.com Anything that includes your name. Get your name if it is available. Go to someplace like godaddy.com to purchase a domain name. Go someplace like hostgator.com for a cheap hosting account. There a a lot of tutorials about buying domains and c panel hosting on line. Twenty dollars will get you going. Use 1 of the millions of templates available and learn how to customize it a little. Hire an inexpensive web designer if you can afford it. Instead of the usual pages found in a business website, you can have a pages for education, accomplishments, your family life, goals, work history...anything that might tell a potential employer about you. Tailor your web design to the type of job you are looking for. An engineer will want their site to look clean and functional. A floral designer will want a more artistic design. Then you can plaster your web name everywhere on line that allows a link. Include it on your resume and Read the next strategy here.

(2) Send a useful item with your name and or domain name on it to prospective employers. This is like personal advertising. I am stealing a page from the advertising industry here. Millions of businesses advertise themselves by putting their names on matchbooks, pens, calenders, shoe horns, key chains, hats, mouse pads, almost any item you can think of. I think this works best on a local level. Let's say you are a jewelry salesman looking for a job. Buy customized eye loupes or diamond tweezers or polishing cloths with your name, number and job title printed on them. Include your website address if you followed step 1 above. Then simply stop by every jewelry store in your area, ask for the manager, introduce yourself and leave the gifts and your resume. Easy.

If you are a SAP Trainer, or other software professional, mouse pads work very well. You need to tailor the items you are dropping off to the industry, but pens and mouse pads work almost anywhere. Are you a landscaper? How about work gloves with a little label sewn to it? I can think of dozens of items for almost any type of job. If you don't have the bucks, how about a $5 pizza with your resume taped to it. Drop it off at lunch time. I bet they read your resume. These are just 2 ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. Now get out there and get that job!
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Manage Your Career in Recession....be Positive

Recession, Recession the word is everywhere. When we hear this word we automatically think job losses and economic doom. It is all around us, the TV, websites and radio are all reporting stories of financial despair. What officially is a recession? A recession is the extended decline in the gross domestic product (GDP), typically two consecutive quarters. You may be wondering, if businesses are experiencing a decline, are they willing to hire? Is now the time for me to begin a job search and start a new career? Though hearing the word and thinking of the consequences stemming from the recession can be scary, rest assured there are still reasons to keep a positive outlook in a job search.

Over the next five years, 76 million baby boomers are expected to retire leaving large vacancies in the management ranks across many industries. According to The Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the areas expected to lose the most employees are Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Engineering. The expected shortage from the boomers departure will have a profound effect on the availability of jobs. Even with a recession, many of these retirements will still happen, and jobs will still be available.

There is more good news. Based on activity within the FPC system nationwide, biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, along with environmental, security and international business are just some of the areas with strong job activity.

Let’s take a look at steps you can take in your job search during an economic downturn.

1. Research your industry. Is your field growing or decreasing? Have job functions been removed? There are a number of online resources that can provide projections for specific areas. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (http://www.bls.gov),The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com), Barron’s (www.barrons.com), and Financial Times (www.ft.com) are a few sources. Look to your industry associations for information. They can tell you what is happening in your industry and give you a better idea of what the job market looks like. There are also a number of industry and business blogs which you can locate using a blog directory

2. Stay Flexible. If you are particularly interested in changing positions now, maintaining a flexible attitude toward transitioning your skills into a new area will help you broaden your reach and make you more marketable.

3. Evaluate your expertise. Have you expanded on your skills over time? What can you offer that others cannot? Are your skills transferable into another industry that is projected to stay strong?

4. Network. By networking you can find out about job openings that are not advertised. If you are hesitant about networking, read our article entitled “The Practical Guide to Networking.” The article is designed to help those people who do not feel particularly skilled at networking. Seeking informational interviews through networking is a way to get the word out about your job hunt and get some assistance from the inside.

5. Always have your resume ready. FPC has devoted an entire section of the website to resume writing, from writing an effective resume, and tailoring your resume, to not getting lost in a company’s database.

6. Partner with an expert. Find a mentor who can lead and support you through the process. A recruiter or a career counselor can help position you for a successful hunt. Recruiters also have access to positions that are not advertised to the general public and can highlight your achievements to potential employers.

7. Help others with their career search. Anyone who reaches out to help others network for their job search is more likely to receive reciprocal assistance. Whether you are looking for a job or not, always lend a hand to those you know are seeking networking help.

8. Maintain Your Online Presence. In today’s job market, it is vital for candidates to be cognizant of their online presence. This means knowing what a potential employer will find if they google your name. You do have some control over this, so make sure you put some effort into branding yourself online. This can mean a profile on the professional networking site LinkedIn, or social networking sites like Facebook, or any other place your name appears online where you have the opportunity to sell your qualifications. Read the article entitled “Social Networking Can Damage Your Job Search” for more information on managing your online presence.

Taking these steps will make you more marketable and competitive in your search.

It’s also important that you lay the groundwork now for a successful search. That means, taking steps where you are now to pack your resume with accomplishments will help you stand out in the crowd. Some of the things you can do within your current company to help your job search include:

1. Seek ways to cut costs. Find areas of waste within your company. Suggest ways of efficient spending in the workplace.

2. Increase your visibility. Be noticed in positive ways. Leave a great impression each day with co-workers and supervisors.

3. Go above and beyond. Work beyond your job title and description. Volunteer for additional responsibilities that can be highlighted on your resume.

4. Skill advancement. Take a few classes or attend career enhancement workshops. You can also take online software classes – often for free. Even if you don’t use a given software at your company, learning an industry standard software is very important.

5. Keep a positive attitude. Be professional at all times. Be a team player and promote a positive morale within the office. People remember this, and you will need your coworkers to provide glowing references to potential employers. A disgruntled employee rarely gets a positive reference.

If you’re not working in a promising career field, focus on your skills that can be used in other industries and consider changing your career path if necessary. Plan your next move, network and research different industries to find your niche. There are many tools online that can help.
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