April 2009 Archives

Photo by Jason Gulledge

Kudos to Staples for helping out the thousands of job seekers by providing customers 20 free copies of their résumé and 40 free instant business cards through June 13th.  The company has also teamed up with a major job board to provide career advice at www.staples.com/freeresumes. 

I spent some time on the site and have pulled my favorite advice from Tory Johnson (@toryjohnson on Twitter):

GREAT ADVICE
Preparing for Interviews
* Research the employer, its competitors and the industry trends. Be knowledgeable about the current headlines and financial issues impacting the field.
* Google the person you're going to meet. Learn about his or her background and current role, which will make for a stronger, more relevant conversation.

Networking
* Make connections through smart networking. You're more likely to be introduced to potential opportunities through distant contacts or someone who knows someone versus family or friends.
* Use social networking sites LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to former classmates, colleagues, clients, peers, vendors and friends.
* Get out of the house. Connect with as many people as possible, whether it's an industry function, a book signing on a topic of interest to you or even a kid's birthday party.

Leaving a Lasting Impression
* Ask questions about the person who is interviewing you instead of talking only about yourself. Be curious and engaged.

GOOD ADVICE
Leaving a Lasting Impression
* Send a follow-up email or handwritten note after meeting great people, especially if you don't need anything from that person now. It can be as simple as "nice to meet you."
-- I'm not going to be overly critical of this, but I just want to build on what Tory said.  I think follow-up notes are completely necessary, but job seekers are missing out on an opportunity if they just send a "nice to meet you" note.    I imagine Tory was pressed for space so she couldn't provide specific examples.    When sending a follow-up note, make sure it is tailored to your conversation and references a few specific items you spoke about and next steps as a result.

Job Seeking
* Many employers use screening technologies to rank job applications. Include keywords from the employer's job posting in your résumé and cover letter, so your résumé appears toward the top.
-- This is true and I think it is very smart to include specific keywords related to the company, industry or posting near the top of the first page of your resume (or your LinkedIn profile).  BUT DON'T CLICK APPLY... see below...

GOOD ADVICE, BUT...
* Transfer your skills. Check out job postings inside and outside your field to see how your skills and experience match up to employer requirements. Post different versions of your résumé to appeal to different employers.
-- I do agree there is a lot of value in scouring postings to get a better idea of the qualifications for particular jobs.  But I never, ever think it is a smart idea to apply to postings or post your resume.  The reason?  YOU GIVE AWAY ALL YOUR POWER.  You need to drive this process, not sit back and play the job posting lottery.  A contact of mine recently said she got more than 400 resumes for a job she posted on Craigslist.    Even if you have a "round peg, round hole" resume, a lot can go wrong when you are being judged against several hundred other resumes.  I urge you to read my previous blog You Found the Perfect Job Online. Don't Click Apply!

All in all, major points for Staples and Tory.  I'm going to start following Tory on Twitter and will let you know what other advice she has to share.

Speaking of Twitter, please leave a comment identifying the recruiters and career coaches you follow on Twitter.  I will compile a list and share with all of you!

Photo by: cccdebbie

Over the past ten years I must have said "the job search is all about sales" at least 250,000 times. 

One of my favorite movies is "Boiler Room" starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck.  It's about a character with an overbearing father who tries to impress him by taking a "seemingly" prestigious job with a financial services company "J.T. Marlin."

Seth Davis, the character played by Ribisi, gets thrown into the fire and quickly learns how to sell.

That's ALL the job search is.  A sale. 

But more importantly, you should view networking the same way a salesperson views building a sales territory.  Customers probably won't buy from the salesperson during the first meeting.  So, a savvy salesperson will ask lots of great questions, identify problems and challenges, build rapport and do a great job of staying in touch.

In fact, a friend in the private wealth management field told me over the weekend that he has done everything from play racquetball to attend charity dinners to get closer to prospective clients and build rapport.  It's all about building trust.

Here's how to build your own job search "sales territory."

1- Create a list of target companies. 

2- Identify the people most likely to meet with you.  Read this post for advice on who you should contact and why.

3- Ask great questions during these meetings to identify what the company's needs are.  See this post for advice on how to prepare for informational interviews and build rapport.

4- Then strategically stay in touch, so when the right opportunity becomes available, the people you met with will contact you!

Does anyone in sales have any anecdotes or strategies to share?

Guest Blog by Cameron Smith

If I've learned anything being around Brian, it's that every situation is an opportunity, and to miss out on one is essentially suicide. One has to recognize what they can control in life... I can't control when I will run into people I've worshiped over the years, but I can control what happens when I do. This is key.

The largest opportunity happened a few months ago. I had just become acquainted with Brian's career philosophies and was trying wholeheartedly to incorporate them into the rest of my life. He preaches power and action, something everyone can benefit from.

I was printing out a paper for one of my last classes in my apartment building's business center and noticed a gentleman who looked familiar.  I was trying to get a good look but not stare. It hit me as he was leaving that he was a world-famous economist I had spent years essentially deifying throughout my academic career. I started to panic... Why did I miss that? How could I have let my chance walk out...

When he returned to the room...  I stood, no, jumped up. I put my hand out and asked if he was indeed the economist. I told him it was an absolute honor to shake his hand. He was giggling and told me no one had ever spotted him and so forwardly introduced themselves.

We started speaking.  I informed him I was in the market for a job and asked if he knew any organizations I should look into that aligned with his philosophies. I think this really helped, I didn't say, "send my resume to this place that I know you're affiliated with." I requested knowledge.

After our chat, he whipped out his card and handed it to me. We kept talking for a few minutes and he asked for the card back and wrote his gmail address on the back. I knew I had scored big at that point.  We went on to work together on a series of consulting projects.  And it all happened because I "cold approached" someone I admired.

So here's my advice on how to capitalize on a similar opportunity:

1. Know your industry.  I know this sounds obvious.  But be aware of what is happening. The first thing I asked the economist when we met, was about a recent news item involving him. His eyes lit up and we had a chat about it... Great opener.

2. Ask for something they can easily provide such as advice, ideas and thoughts on organizations to research.

3. Maintain the relationship. Do this smoothly... I emailed him right away so he wouldn't forget who I was. I kept it brief, but also gave him something to write me back about. I asked if we could meet purposely; get some coffee to discuss economics. I followed up in the future with quick comments about him in the news...  "I saw your piece on the Nightly Business Report, what you said about the stimulus was great. Look forward to more."

4. Don't miss out on anything. My stomach was in the floor when I thought I had missed the chance to speak to this man. But I got a second chance when he walked back into the room.  I shook this man's hand and made a good impression, and that's how I got a consulting job with him. You need to make things happen.

As you might expect, I read a lot of articles and blogs about networking and the job search.  Usually, I agree with 50-75% of the content and move on.

However, while walking through Reagan National Airport last week I saw FORTUNE magazine with a bold headline "HOW TO FIND A JOB -- IT'S A BRUTAL MARKET, BUT THERE'S HOPE.  HERE'S WHAT'S WORKING NOW."

A friend had sent me an email earlier in the day to give me a heads-up, so I decided to purchase the issue.  It was the best $5.24 I have spent in a long time!

I recommend you go out and buy it immediately, or you can read it online here.

I enjoyed it so much because it compiles several tactics and strategies I share on the blog using real-world success stories.

There's a real emphasis on taking a counter intuitive approach to the job search (one recent law school grad called it a "mentor search") and getting creative and aggressive with networking (one guy saw a CEO at an IHOP, approached him and landed an interview).

But I don't want to give everything away, so I'll keep this blog short today.

Please come back and comment on what you learned from the article!

Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry to the Job Posting Challenge.  The winner was Carrie from New York, NY.  We'll now take a look at Carrie's experience, the job posting she selected and how I would recommend she apply for the opening.

Following are a few details on Carrie:
* Undergrad degree from UNC-Chapel Hill; Master's degree from Northwestern
* She has great writing experience, especially for publications in the beauty/lifestyle space
* Also had some great online marketing experience; savvy with social media and blogs
* Her personal interests include blogging, food, beauty/fashion and green initiatives

Carrie wants to apply for an Account Executive role at a boutique PR firm in NYC which specializes in hospitality, food and restaurants.

So here goes...

1- Carrie shouldn't apply directly to the posting.  She has some relevant experience, but she would put all of the power in the company's hands.  See my previous blog on this topic.

2- Carrie should start by logging into her LinkedIn account and searching for contacts at the company.  In this case, she doesn't have any 1st or 2nd degree connections (which means she doesn't know anyone at the company and doesn't know anyone who has a colleague/friend at the company).  If she did, she could reach out and ask for an introduction.

3-  Next step.  College alumni.  After a search on LinkedIn, I couldn't identify any UNC or Northwestern alums at the company.  That doesn't mean there aren't a few... they just aren't listed on LinkedIn.  Carrie could reach out to her Career Services offices at those schools to research contacts.    But since it is a boutique firm with less than 50 employees, this might be more work than it's worth.

4- Blog/News Articles.  Carrie could do a LexisNexis search to find people who may be mentioned or quoted in an article.  And a similar search for blogs.  She could then copy/paste the article into an email and ask for an informational interview.  However, a Google News search of the company returned no articles... we move on.

5- Common Interests.  As mentioned above, Carrie's personal interests include blogging, food, beauty/fashion and green initiatives.  1) It doesn't appear that any of the employee profiles on LinkedIn have links to blogs 2)  I couldn't gather that  any of the employees have a similar passion  for green initiatives.... BUT, I did find that one employee  ( the Media Relations Manager) is a member of a "Food Lovers" group on LinkedIn.

As a fellow "Foodie" I would recommend that Carrie join this group on LinkedIn and become engaged with the other members. 

Specifically, Carrie should send the Media Relations Manager an email with the following subject line: Fellow Member of LinkedIn Food Lovers Group Seeks Your Advice.

So there you go.  Carrie should follow-up and schedule an informational chat with this person.  After asking several well-researched questions, she should conclude the meeting with "I noticed you have an Account Executive position posted.  Can you tell me about it?"

The goal would be to have the Media Relations Manager send Carrie's resume to the hiring manager.    Employee referrals always hold more weight than candidates who just apply online.

So, what questions do you have about my strategy?

(BTW, I have a great networking template email that gets a response most of the time... I'll share it in a future blog.)

Ok readers, I am issuing YOU a challenge.  Email me a job posting and a copy of your resume and/or LinkedIn profile by 5:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, April 15th.  I will pick my favorite entry and share specific advice on the blog about how I would apply if I were in your shoes.

Email is brian@brianbatchelder.com.

A few things to keep in mind:

1) Send a job posting that is the right level for you.  If you are just graduating college, don't send a posting for a Vice President. 

2) Make sure you have some relevant experience or transferable skills for the position.  If you are a Web Developer, don't send a posting for a Dolphin Trainer :)

3) Only entries that include a job posting AND resume (or LinkedIn profile) will be considered.

 Good luck!

All of my close friends and colleagues know I love to use analogies... "Life is like a box of chocolates..."  Earlier this week, I compared the job search to a baseball season.  

My fellow blogger, HR Bartender, recently pointed out that interviewing is, well... a lot like dating.  I completely agree with her.  And in order to be successful in dating and interviewing, you need to master the ability to build rapport.

So what is rapport?  I would define it as being on the same wavelength as the person you're speaking with.  It's important because you really want to connect with someone during an interview (or a first date).

There are a few ways to build rapport during interviews:

1- Research.  It's funny how often I meet people, and during our interview they say "I didn't know you were from Boston?" or "You went to Syracuse, too?"  Well, all of this information is prominently displayed on my LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, so be sure to do some homework on the people you are meeting with.

2- Observe & React.  What does the person have in their office?  Likely it will be pictures of family & friends, but also books, paintings, art, sports memorabilia, etc.  I went on an interview a few years ago and the senior marketing guy I was speaking with had a Donovan McNabb bobblehead on his desk.  The first words out of my mouth were "Are you a big Eagles fan?"  We proceeded to chat about football for the next 10 minutes and Donovan's career at Syracuse and Philadelphia.  The interview went really, really well.

3- Ask questions that make the person "open up."  You want to connect and get to know the person you are meeting with.  You do this by asking great questions to make them open up.  For example, ask them how they got to this point in their career?  What is important to them in a job?  How does their company meets these requirements?  And if you're really connecting... ask them what they do in their free time.

4- Listen.  I can't stress this one enough.  To succeed in interviews you need to be a great listener.  Focus on every word.  And be sure to follow conversation threads that you can connect on.  If someone says they worked for City Year right after college, and you did too, say something!

Companies are going to hire the candidate who has the right skill set and experience for the job.  But keep in mind that culture fit is very important, too.  And it should be for you.  Keep in mind that you are also interviewing these companies and employees.  If you can't build rapport and make a connection, then maybe it isn't the right fit for you!

What other tips do you have for building rapport in interviews?

If you liked this blog, please share it with your colleagues.

A good friend of mine recently sent me an online posting for a position he is very qualified for: a Web Producer position at a well-known organization.  My friend is a fantastic writer, has his own blog and has experience managing all of the web content for a premier Web site.  He is perfect for this role.

As soon as he sent me the posting I texted him: "I know the Web Content & Social Media Manager for (company)."

He replied: "Think I should meet her?  Looks like my kind of job."

I saw him last night and told him that if he applied online, his resume would probably get looked at because he does have great, relevant experience.  But why do what 99% of other job seekers do, when you can stand out?

I encouraged him to let me facilitate an introduction for an informational conversation.  That way he could do a ton of research on the company, prepare good questions and determine if the company and position is a good fit for him.  This approach gives my friend a lot more power! 

What are your observations and lessons learned from applying to job postings?

It's that time of year when colleges, and other professional organizations, start hosting career fairs.

Follow these steps and you will be sure to make a great impression on a corporate recruiter!

1-    Get a list of attending companies well in advance of the career fair.  You can do this by contacting the campus career services office or the organization hosting the career fair.

2-    If possible, try to get the names of specific recruiters and other professionals representing the companies at the career fair.

3-    Review the attendee list and identify the 8-10 companies you are really interested in.

4-    Spend at least an hour researching each of these companies via their Web site, Google News, LexisNexis, Factiva, blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Pay particular attention to recent news, trends in the industry, and job openings.

5-    If you were able to find contact names as well, do research on LinkedIn and Google to find out as much as you can about these recruiters.

6-    Come to the career fair prepared with a notebook, pen, index cards with your research and extra copies of your resume.  Write down 3-4 GREAT questions for these recruiters based on your research (at best you're only going to have ten minutes with each company, so no need to go overboard... just enough to make a great impression).

A couple examples of great questions:
"I read in The New York Times last week that your firm is starting to use social media, such as Facebook, to attract candidates.  What has been your ROI?  Do you find better candidates through Facebook than career fairs?"

"I saw on an industry blog that your firm just won a $10 million contract with a popular consumer brand.  How is that going to impact your staffing needs?  What types of programs will you be implementing for that client?"

Welcome to my blog!  

While I haven't picked up a tennis racket in more than a decade, I must admit that "The Inner Game of Tennis" has made a huge impact on me during the past year.

Fortunately, a good friend recommended the book to me and I will never look at self-development or coaching the same way ever again.

The author, Timothy Gallwey, was a successful tennis coach who developed a revolutionary way of teaching the sport to his clients.  Instead of picking apart every aspect of a swing, he decided to de-clutter their minds and help them focus on non-judgmental observations.    

Networking is the key skill anyone must learn to be successful in a job search.  Networking, like tennis, can sometimes be confusing and frustrating.  Sometimes the "harder you try," the less results you seem to achieve.

I am looking forward to using this blog as a vehicle to share networking tips and strategies with you and empower you to follow your passions.  I have never settled for a job and I don't think you should either.  

I want this blog to serve as a community, so don't be shy.  Please comment, ask questions and engage with the other readers!

So tell me... what are your burning job search questions?