Archive for the ‘networking’ Category

Advantages of Alumni Networking in Your Job Search

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 by Judi

Great post on a forgotten aspect of networking from my friend, Scott Sholtes, of  www.AlumniAgent.com

tnWith the current economic difficulties, many jobseekers have been looking for an edge in the job market. The average job posting on one of the large career sites receives between 400 and 600 resumes. How do you stand out in such a large crowd? While you may think it is impossible, the answer might just be that guy that sat next to you in Biology class back in your college days.

A highly undervalued tool in many jobseekers’ job search strategy is the power of networking. While many people think that they are using networking to the best of their abilities, many have not considered the power of alumni networking. Few connections are as strong as those one shares with their alma mater, so why not use those connections to land your next job?

Studies have shown that employees from the same alma mater often work well together. Employers are also more inclined to hire candidates from their alma mater because they know exactly what kind of educational background they are coming from.

Alumni networking can also help during the interview process. When an alumni employer interviews and alumni jobseeker, they already have something in common and it helps to relieve some of the tension.

Jobseekers can also use alumni networking in many other ways. They can join their local alumni association groups, and meet many new contacts there. These contacts will be connected in a variety of different businesses and industries, and some of them may even be able to recommend you for positions.

Statistically, 75% of jobs are never advertised and are filled through employee recommendations and referrals. Alumni networking can help you to become aware of many of the unadvertised positions and it may even land you your next job. There are also websites dedicated to helping alumni connect in the job market. AlumniAgent.com is a good example of one of these sites, and it is very effective at helping to give jobseekers an edge in the job market.

University alumni associations are also great resources. They have complete lists of alumni in your area, and they can help you to become aware of alumni events in your area. Some alumni associations have job boards where you can find jobs with employers from your alma mater.

Having a connection with a potential employer can create a distinct advantage, and could mean the difference between landing a great job and returning to your job search. Alumni networking is an extremely valuable tool, and can provide access to many jobs you would have never heard about. If you are looking for an edge in the job market, alumni networking could be just the thing to help you find your next career.

Scott Sholtes is a Social Media Specialist for AlumniAgent.com, a career based website. He has been a professional blogger for the past three years and has expert knowledge in the job search field.

it all begins in your head part 2

Friday, July 30th, 2010 by Judi

in your headPart 1 is below this entry.

Last entry I showed you how and why your thoughts, verbalizations, and intents create what you experience. To quote Mark Twain: “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.”  So if you don’t like what’s happening with your job search, look to how you’re thinking and what you’re saying about the process, because your ability to find the perfect job is determined by your attitude and beliefs.            

Those who are determined to find their perfect job know what it looks like and know it’s out there.  Their paperwork invites interest.  They sell themselves in a compelling manner.  They know what they’re looking for.  They eliminate anything that doesn’t fit and doggedly pursue what does.            

By contrast, there are those who would rather play victim.  “There’s nothing out there.”  “I’m never going to find something that pays what I make now.”  “I’ve been unemployed so long I’m going to lose my house!”  “I got fired; I’ll never find a job now.”  And after multiple interviews and no offers, comes the wail that perpetuates the situation:  “No one’s going to hire me!”           

It’s no coincidence that this group hasn’t made sure their cover letter and resume are eye-catching and worth reading, nor are they pro-active in their search.  And because they don’t know what they want, they’re interviewing – and trying to get an offer – for any job that seems reasonable.  They’re sending out blurry, vague intent.  What do they expect back?          

So if your search isn’t producing the desired results, how do you change it?   You change your thinking.  When you change your thinking, you change your intent, and what you say and do is a reflection of that.            

Ever hear those lottery stories? Sometimes a family member or friend says, “He always said he’d win one day!” And then there’s the other side of that train of thought: “Oh, I play the lottery sometimes. But I never win!” When you think like that you might as well save your money, because you never will win.            

By paying attention to your words and thoughts, you’ll begin to notice where you’re creating, perpetuating, and accepting negative energy, not only in your job search, but your daily existence.  And then you can begin to make choices that create different results.  The shorter the gap between your thoughts and the appearance of what you’re thinking about, the better you are at creating.           

Pay attention to the words of other people that, out of habit, you agree with.  Every time you say, think, or hear something negative, don’t accept it.  Counter with the positive.  

  • “Watch me screw this up” becomes “I choose to pay attention and do the best I can.  If I make a mistake I’ll learn from it.”
  • Change “What a lousy day!” to “This rain makes everything so beautifully green!”
  • Don’t over dramatize a situation.  When you catch yourself saying “I lost my keys again! I’m so stupid!” replace it with “No, I’m not stupid, but sometimes I’m forgetful, so I’ll create a specific place to put my keys, and I’ll know where they are.”         

Simplified, it’s about choice.  Things are what they are.  You can choose to change what’s happening or change your attitude about what’s happening.  It takes practice to stay conscious.  But until you begin to make your choices conscious, you won’t realize how many of them have been unconscious.   And if you’re not paying attention to that, you’re not aware of the consequences or benefits that come with each choice.            

Only you are responsible for your life and where you are right now.  You made the choices, and you created it.  If you’re on a job search and aren’t satisfied with what’s taking place, no matter how outlandish this topic seems, why not choose a different approach?  You just might find your perfect job!

networking wins – and not always – but only by default

Friday, May 7th, 2010 by Judi Perkins

networking 1One client that was referred to me was also referred to another coach.  During the free consultation, she emphasized the power of networking and what an integral part of her program it was.  Well, great, but that wasn’t really going to help this person because of the changes he’s looking to make.

Additionally, networking isn’t the only route to turning something up.  There are three other ones: recruiters, cold companies, and job board ads, but there are most definitely effective and ineffective ways to execute those other three. 

 Without understanding of how to execute them and the psychology of each, all three will fail miserably, thus…..it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  TA DAH!!! Networking wins.

So where does that leave people who have no network?  Pretty much up the creek.  That is, if networking is supposedly the only way that works.  Which it’s not.  Obviously covering all four methods in-depth and how to implement each in the most effective way isn’t something I’m going to put down here.  It would take you all day and then some to read it.  But I will give you a few words on each of the other three.

JOB BOARD ADS:
–you need to have 75% to 80% of what they want, unless it’s a search firm.  Then you need about 90% minimum
–at the beginning it’s a numbers game, so don’t leave it to only the 6 or 7 that you know, or that you’ve approved after you’ve spent an hour researching the company.  Step up the numbers
—but use some common sense – a hope and a prayer and “I can learn that” isn’t going to do anything but up your frustration level when you don’t hear back.
—don’t use a generic cover letter.  Don’t use a generic cover letter.  Mirror the ad

COLD COMPANIES
—companies are always in a state of flux.  Just because they’re not advertising doesn’t mean they’re not contemplating some changes in who’s where.
—you don’t have an ad to go by, so this letter can be generic – but individualize the first paragraph from their web site
—don’t send it to HR because anything going on not yet active is still in the dept director/manager/VP/whomever’s head.  When your resume hits at the right time, things can happen fast.
—follow up.  Follow up.  And I don’t mean once, and then maybe 2 weeks later.

RECRUITERS
—$20K – $50K: employment agency; $40K – $125/150K: contingency; $125K +: retained – match your salary to the type of recruiter
—if you’re going to change industries or positions, or you’ve been out of the work force for a while, this isn’t a viable avenue for you
—they get a different kind of letter.  Don’t sell them in your cover, just give them a one paragraph summary and then tell them what you’re looking for and why.  They handle more than one client at a time, and most firms share candidates.

Those are the other three.  A good job search uses all four virtually concurrently, unless recruiters aren’t applicable to your situation. 

On May 20, I’ll be doing a teleseminar called “4 ways to jumpstart your job search” which is 1.5 hours long and will go into solid detail on all three of those and networking. and give you info and directions you can implement specifically, on your own and with understanding of why. 

If you’re not using all four methods, you need to attend.  If you’re using some of those other methods and are having trouble, you need to attend.  You don’t know what you don’t know until you learn it.  Money-back guarantee.  Go here to learn more:  4 ways

tighten ALL your job seeking skills and shorten your job search!

Friday, February 12th, 2010 by Judi Perkins

little red figureFREE preview class Wednesday for a 5 module class with 5 experts, including 2 recruiters and the Vault resume expert.   The preview call enables you to decide if you want to take the class or not.  If you do, you receive value-added services and products, handouts, and a recording of each module.  Don’t miss this teleseminar if you want to get noticed, tune up your search and move ahead of the competition!  Read on to learn more:

Getting to the finish line in your job search isn’t easy.  There are myriads of hurdles along the way.

  • If you’re sending out resumes and getting very little response it might be the ads you’re answering. 
  • Or it might be that you’re not fully utilizing all available resources. 
  • Or it might be your cover letter.
  • Then again, it might be your resume….or your interviewing skills.

How do you tell what the problem is?
If you’re unemployed, you can’t afford to guess. And if you’re employed, the longer it takes to find something new, the longer you’re forced to stay in a job you don’t like, and the more you come to dislike it. 

If you are getting some action, are you sure you’re pro-actively finding everything you could be?  There are four available avenues for searching – most people use one or two, and not very effectively.  If you knew what those avenues were and how to maximize them, you’d get more results. 

Are you interviewing?  No offers?  Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, and consequently feeling confused and frustrated, on the verge of giving up?  It’s not the companies, it’s you.  Clearly you’re failing to communicate in a way that catches the company’s interest.  Your interviewing skills are probably severely lacking.

Finding a job is a skill!
That it’s your career and you can search effectively by just putting your resume together and networking or answering ads is a fallacy.  The average job seeker is operating at perhaps 30% effectiveness, and completely unaware of how you have the ability to leapfrog over the competition.

But it’s a process.  In a market like this, your skills need to be cutting edge from start to finish.  The market isn’t dead.  Companies are hiring.  If they’re not hiring, chances are it has nothing to do with the economy, your age, your industry or anything else.  It has to do with you. 

How to finally put it together so it works
Now, in a 5-module teleseminar of one-hour sessions created based on the questions and issues our clients are currently facing, you’ll receive that in-depth information.  You’ll have access to the knowledge 5 career experts will be providing you. 

  • FREE PREVIEW CALL WEDNESDAY, Feb 17 at 12:00 pm eastern (you can attend the preview call and THEN decide if you want to take the class)
  • Thursday, February 18:  Judi Perkins – 4 ways to jumpstart your job search
  • Tuesday, February 23:  Donna Sweiden – Optimizing your online presence
  • Thursday, February 25:  Debra Wheatman – Building An Effective Resume
  • Tuesday, March 2:  Jeff LeFevre – Understanding Recruiters for effective  working relationships
  • Thursday, March 5:  Melanie Szlucha – TODAY: A better way to prepare for job interviewsFor more information about each module (time etc) and each presenter, go here:   www.JobAdviceMentor.com

networking isn't working? this might be why

Friday, December 4th, 2009 by Judi Perkins

Here’s a great article on networking.  You know why I think it’s great?  It gives you details on the principles of it.  Most articles just say “Network!  You should be networking!”  Articles that provide understanding are of much more benefit.

It’s called “What makes business networking so important” by Andrea Nierenberg, and it appeared in the online publication “Connectit Canada: Savvy Info on Business and Technology” on November 2, 2009