Think about the
last time you secured a job. Was it
through a company web-site, recruiter or employment site? Or was it through your personal connections
of acquaintances and/or friends or social media?
pro-employee job market, statically a small number of people land a job by
submitting their resume "cold" to a recruiter or directly to a company. Think about it, technically you are "cold
calling" for a job when you look for one this way. And, "cold calling" is an
art that few people do well.
In the highly
competitive global job market we are facing now, the chances of finding a job
through "cold calling" are slim. It's
not because you are not qualified for the job, rather it's just that there are
too many resumes being submitted for the same job, making it difficult to be
noticed in a stack of resumes.
Recruiters at
companies can't possibly sort through all of the resumes they receive, so your
may end up in the bottom of the pile and never even looked at! Recruiters don't have time to review all the
resumes they receive for an open position, opting to choose resumes via
referrals and at the top of their pile.
"Cold calling" for
a job is all about numbers, the more resumes you send out the higher likelihood
you will get an interview. Yet, it is a
lengthy and tedious process which doesn't guarantee employment. It also gives you a false sense of security
that your resume is being considered when it may be in the trash can!
So what do you do
to find a job? Think about your job
search as selling a product. The product
is "you". How would you first begin
selling a new product? First, you would
tell your friends and close acquaintances about your offering and what value
your product can deliver.
to help you use your own network to get a job:
- You need to create a marketing strategy
and ask yourself, "What is my value-added to a company?" List 3-5 skills you can offer a
potential employer, along with determining what sets you apart from your
competition. Be succinct in your
descriptive and make sure your current resume reflects what your strongest
skills are, - Develop a database of contacts of
friends, acquaintances, former co-workers, and anyone you know. Most contacts can be tracked through
Facebook or LinkedIn. Most of us
have contacts that we have forgotten about that can help us in our job
search. - Review your Facebook and Linkedin page
and make sure that it reflects who you are as brand. Companies are using these sites to
recruit and find the leaders in industries, so make these sites count. - LinkedIn is my favorite social media
site for meeting contacts for job opportunities or contract assignments.
It is currently the best networking site available today for "meeting" professionals. It will give you access to the names and
positions of people at companies you are interested in working at. Search for names and try to connect. - When using Linkedin for name generation
make sure you comprise a friendly "pitch" asking them to join your
network. Never ask for a job,
rather talk about your expertise in your field. Act as a resource, not a job seeker. Be
respectful of your new contacts time. - Join on-line groups that relate to your
industry. Linkedin has numerous
groups to join that will give you an opportunity to begin dialog with its
members, allowing you to introduce yourself. Many sites have postings on job openings
and networking events. - Reach out to volunteer groups to
network for introductions to companies.
Volunteer at this organizations.
Join the Board of Directors or head up a committee to get
notices. Be a leader in these
groups to show your capabilities. - Have a calling card made that lists all
of your contact information and what you do. Carry cards with you at all times. We often meet people who can help us in
our job search when out living our lives.
You want to make sure you have your contact information ready
instead of scrambling around for a pen and paper. - The
name of the game in this brutal job market is networking, not randomly sending
out resumes on job sites. Be prepared
with your calling card, your "pitch" and being able to articulate why you
should be considered for an open position.
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Tags: career, charity, employment, Facebook, job search, job seekers, jobs, LinkedIn, networking, unemployment
Agreed.
Cold-calling is for getting dates on Wednesday nights.
What a great analogy! Thanks for the comment!