CAREER STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A STRONG AND LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE

CAREER STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A STRONG AND LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE

No matter what industry you are in or what profession you have chosen, below are some tips and advice on how to build a stronger customer base.

I coach people all the time who are in mid-life with their careers or maybe just starting out in their new profession. They are always looking for new ways to generate revenue and build new relationships with customers or clients and maintain stronger relationships in business.

It’s so important to know who you are, what differentiates you and what your value proposition is. Take some time to really ask yourself these questions. Also, I would recommend that you buy books that Thom Singer and Peggy Klaus have written. The books they have written are great tools to use and they share a warehouse of information with the reader that will help increase business success.

TIPS!

1) First ask yourself “what is unique about you” and how you personally and professionally are different from your competitors. In today’s world people are buying from people, not companies anymore. So you will always need to differentiate yourself and learn how to communicate a stronger value proposition. Do you know what your value proposition is?

2) Make sure you have profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. You will need to market yourself, your brand and your business products and services to everyone, not just the same old audience. Our customers come from all ages and backgrounds. Reaching a younger audience is also imperative to your success.

3) Build a contact database and send out newsletters, tips, strategies, and information. Give people options. If you have a database start using it. ICONTACT and CONSTANT CONTACT are great newsletter programs and are really affordable.

4) Build a schedule for yourself and devote at least 3 hours per day on prospecting and cold calling.

5) Don’t give up. The harder you work the luckier you are!

6) From a product standpoint you will have to become an expert in your product but also know your competitors products and learn how to sell against them while never showing the customer that’s what you are doing.

7) Link your products with their needs. Conduct a lot of research up front about the customer or potential customer and really make them feel like you understand their business and want to help their business. It’s all about saving money and generating a profit, so if you can’t help them save money on then show them how you can help them improve their business operations, and reduce their risk and liability, etc.

People don’t trust big companies anymore and they sure don’t trust financial institutions. So keep telling your customers or potential customers how you are different. Find out what their personal and professional goals are long term and help them to achieve their goals.

9) Increasing their exposure! How can you help them market their businesses? Can you set up a referral program? QUID PRO QUO – give to get!

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search

I just wanted to share an article that I thought was interesting. We were interviewed in the article as well, which is exciting for us because our mission at dear jane Inc. is to communicate real-time, up-to-date career management tips, techniques and strategies as well as real life client stories to help you land a job, get a promotion, and stay plugged in today’s job market!

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search
by Jenna Spinelle

With Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many other tools in cyberspace, the need for both recruiters and job searchers to be strategic is greater than ever. Both job seekers and university employment professionals say that clear objectives and goals — not number of followers or fans — should drive social media efforts.

Jennifer Pedde, a Syracuse University graduate currently looking for a job in higher education, joined Twitter a year ago after hearing about its power as a professional connection tool.

“I lived abroad in Korea for two years and wanted to start making contacts when I came back,” Pedde said. “I found that it’s been the biggest help in my job search because it’s so easy to connect with other people — if you start following someone, chances are they’ll follow you back and respond to your messages.”

Pedde also participates in Twitter’s Job Hunt Chat, an event held every Monday at 8 p.m. where the community weighs on questions posed by job seekers. Although a Twitter account is required to participate in the chat, anyone can follow along by searching the hashtag #jobhuntchat on Twitter’s search engine.

Jacqui Washington, an Atlanta-based career coach, said she encourages her clients to use Twitter to connect with companies and, if possible, recruiters and hiring managers. She also maintains a Twitter account that she uses to find leads for her clients.

“I encourage people to think outside the box and work toward creating the job they want, rather than waiting for jobs to be posted,” Washington said. “These tools can help them take those steps.”

While Twitter provides quick connections and communications, LinkedIn allows job seekers a chance to list more detailed information about themselves and their companies, connect with current and past colleagues, and have longer conversations in groups geared toward specific professions and interests. Rebecca Martin, a career coach and founder of Dear Jane Inc., said an updated and polished LinkedIn profile is nearly as important as a resume in today’s job market.

“If you don’t have an updated LinkedIn profile, it really looks like you don’t know what’s going on,” Martin said. “Recruiters and hiring managers are starting to consider a LinkedIn profile just as important as a resume.”

Elements of a good profile, Martin said, include clearly-defined career summaries and objectives, information about non-work activities, and mentions of any awards or honors received.

“Most people don’t sell themselves enough,” Martin said. “If you don’t put the information out there, recruiters and hiring managers may never know about it.”

Pedde said she uses LinkedIn to connect with people she meets on Twitter, so that she can learn more about them and they can see more detailed information about her and her career objectives. Her social media efforts recently landed her a spot on “Extreme Candidate Makeover,” an online talk radio show where job seekers have their resumes reviewed by job coaches.

“They gave me a great set of tips and a lot of new ideas to think about and it was all because of a post I responded to on Twitter,” Pedde said.

How Recruiters Search Using LinkedIn & What We Look For

Here is another article that a client sent me regarding linkedin.com. Very informative.

check out brad’s website at www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Search Using LinkedIn & What We Look For

So much has been written on the importance of a complete and compelling LinkedIn profile.  I am currently working on two searches for which I am extensively using LinkedIn to source candidates. From what I have seen, one would think that LinkedIn is either a new or non-essential tool. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the last two weeks, I have looked at well over three hundred profiles on LinkedIn. Only one thought comes to mind and I hope I speak for most recruiters (internal and external) when I say, “What a major disappointment!” or “Now I understand exactly why so many candidates are in transition so much longer than necessary.”

I firmly believe that most profiles are viewed, and then passed over time and time again. Most  LinkedIn members who are looking for a position don’t even know how many times someone has reviewed their profile and never contacted them simply because their profile completely, “SUCKS.”

Profile after profile indicated “open to being contacted for career opportunities,” but the profile wouldn’t even include the person’s name!

If that isn’t  ridiculous enough,  my favorite examples are the ones that state in the headline, “Unemployed or Actively Seeking a New Position.”  One would think that since this person took the time to announce to the world that they are in transition, that they would at least upload their resume. But “NO.”   OK,  surely they will at least complete their profile so people reviewing it will know what they do?  Nope, why let recruiters and others searching for candidates have this information?

Give me a break,  do they expect me to engage them based on their picture? Are recruiters supposed to just know this information via osmosis?

Here is how I search for candidates on LinkedIn. I hope this will help you as well as help recruiters help you.

1. I start out using the advanced search feature for people.
2. I want to throw a wide net.  My goal is to be inclusive at this point, rather than to exclude someone.
3. I usually start with just a few criteria. Generally, title, location (I use zip code and 50 mile radius), industry and function. That is it.
4. There are exceptions to this but this is the starting point.
5. I leave all other fields set to the  “All . . ” category in the drop down boxes. Meaning search all my groups, search in and out of my network, etc. I want a wide net.

Generally, hundreds of profiles appear. Now the search really begins, as does the frustration.

I begin scanning through the summaries of the profiles that appear. There is not a lot of information in the summary but enough to give the reader a good idea of whether it’s worth it to view the person’s full profile.

So often there is no need to even review a person’s profile. I can tell just from the summary that the information on the profile is either missing or completely worthless. For example, no picture, no name, no companies listed, vague titles, no contacts, background missing, no work history, etc. Yet, they want to be contacted for career opportunities.

Once I start looking at the profile, I usually decide in about 10-20 seconds if I should click out or read on.  So many profiles are so incomplete that I wonder why this person even took the time to post a profile. What exactly were they expecting when they posted this worthless profile?

I also look at the picture to see if it is professional or one that will embarrass me for referring the person if my client views it. That’s assuming there is a picture at all.

I then begin looking for the box checking stuff my client is requiring such as education, experience, current or past titles, years of experience, level, etc. You can read more about this in an article I wrote, “How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less.” Click here if you are interested.

I also look for recommendations and may read some. What are others saying about you? If nobody is willing to say anything good about you, it certainly isn’t a knock out, but I am curious about that.

I will also scroll down the profile summary and work history, and if a resume is uploaded I will review it. Rarely is a resume uploaded. Most of the time this is where it ends. The profile is so incomplete, the work history so brief, the description of work so worthless, that I can’t figure out what they were responsible for.  The profile has little or no company information, so I have no idea if their past companies were even in the right industry. Finally, the summary at the top is meaningless. Most don’t even include specialties.

I scroll to the very bottom and sure enough they want to be contacted regarding career opportunities. Some are even helpful at this point and will say, “Prefer to be contacted on my cell phone.” or  “Please use my personal email address.” Neither of which are included in the profile. Hey, I can’t make this stuff up.

GOODBYE. I have better things to do and a lot more people to consider.

This person probably just lost a great opportunity, or at the very least an opportunity to discuss a position. Even if they aren’t interested,  just knowing what is going on in their market is helpful. Just getting a feel for comparable compensation is a good data point for anyone to know.

The lunacy doesn’t end here. At least 50% of  these people are not working. Their work history will be 2007-2009.  What planet are they on? I’m sure they are frustrated, and complaining about how long they have been out of work and how bad the market is. This may be completely true, but they aren’t helping themselves with their profile.

If this search fails to produce viable candidates, I will go back and change the title or industry and try again. Not necessarily change the search, just some of the criteria. I’ll try to throw a wider net in a different part of LinkedIn’s membership.

Finally, I may eventually search by company name. If I know of a specific company that is right, I will search using the company name. That brings up all of the people that are currently working for this company or have in the past.

This is why your complete and compelling profile is so important on LinkedIn.  In today’s world, the search for candidates so often starts on LinkedIn. The sad part is, it also often ends there too.

Take away nothing else from this article but this one thing: In today’s market, companies (right or wrong) are looking for the kings and queens in their field, not the jack of all trades. If your profile doesn’t shout out loud and clear, “I’m an EXPERT,” you may be missing opportunities. Sadly, this happens and it is so easy to fix.

On March 26th we are having a webinar on how you can leverage LinkedIn to find your next job. We believe this is the most comprehensive webinar we have seen on this topic. We’ll have over 35 slides (we’ll give you all the slides) on how you can build a compelling and complete profile. We will show you step-by-step where the tools are and how you can use them to be the “EXPERT.” These slides and the audio recording of the webinar are included. If you want a profile that puts you in the top 10%, then you should visit brad’s website. At a minimum you should download our 8-Level LinkedIn Self Assessment Profile. This tool is a great start towards building a great profile. 

Finally, if you are on LinkedIn, join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. There are more than 4,800 members in the group. It is one of the fastest growing groups on LinkedIn that focuses on job search issues.  I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less

  I wanted to send this to everyone. I found this on Brad Remillard’s website. A Client referred me to this website. Everything he says is true.www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less

The 10 or 20 seconds it takes to read a resume seems to always generate a lot of controversy. Candidates comment on how disrespectful it is, how one can’t possibly read a resume in that time and some get angry at recruiters when we talk about this. I hope this article will help everyone understand how we do this. I realize that some still may not like it and will still be angry, but at least you can understand how it works.

First, let me say I’ve been a recruiter for 30 years.  I’m sure I have reviewed over 500,000 resumes. I can’t prove this but I’m reasonably confident that this is the case, as this is only an average of about 46 a day. I know many days I have reviewed hundreds of resumes and most in less than 20 seconds. I would say the average is probably around 5 to 7 seconds.

So for the record when you hear or read about, “reading a resume in 20 seconds,” that isn’t completely true. It is more than likely, “reviewed the resume in 20 seconds.”

Here is my process for getting through 100’s of resumes in a short period of time. Others may have different ways and I welcome your comments.

I set up a hierarchy of certain “must haves” or you’re out, so at first I’m really just box checking. Generally, 80% of the time these are my knock out blows. There are exceptions to each of these, but I’m dealing with the 80/20 rule. These are not cumulative times.  This is box checking, if I see any one of these as I scan your resume you will be excluded.

1. Location. If the client is in Los Angeles, CA and you aren’t – goodbye. Few if any clients want to relocate anyone in this economy, and I believe most shouldn’t have to. Especially in a huge metropolitan area like Los Angeles. If they do have to consider relocation the position has to require some very unique experience that few jobs do. I can do this in about 1 second.

2. Industry. If my client is in banking and your background is primarily manufacturing – goodbye.  These two often are so different that the client isn’t open to considering such different industries. This works both ways, if you have a manufacturing background I’m not going to consider someone with banking. 2-3  seconds to determine this.

3. Function. If I’m doing a sales search and your background isn’t sales – goodbye. Generally companies are paying recruiters to find them a perfect fit. We never do find a perfect fit, but we have to be very close. They don’t need a recruiter to find them someone in a completely different function. 2 seconds to figure this one out.

4. Level. If I’m doing a VP level search and your title is “manager” and you have never been a VP – goodbye. There are exceptions to this, but again it is the 80/20 rule. Again, clients pay me to find them the perfect fit. It is generally way too big of a jump from manager level to VP level, all other things being equal. It works the other way too. If  I’m looking for a manager and you are a VP – goodbye. I know you are qualified to do a manager level role, but it is clear you have grown past. Most clients and recruiters aren’t willing to take the chance that when a VP level position comes along that you won’t be gone. Less than 5 seconds to figure out.

5. Recent Experience. There is some overlap on this one. If I’m searching for someone with international sales experience in the aerospace industry and the last time you held an international sales position in this industry was 20 years ago and since then you have been in retail – goodbye.  I can find people with more relevant experience and that is what my client expects me to do. 5 seconds to do this.

6. Education Like it or not, I will only work with people that have a college education and most of the time a master’s degree. This is mainly because, as I indicated before, I need to find the very best for my clients. I realize an education doesn’t mean by itself that the candidate is the best, but it is one qualifier of many. Also all of my clients require at least a BA.

7. Turnover. If you have had 6 jobs in the last 4 years, or have a track record of high turnover – goodbye. I realize there are good reasons for turnover and that falls into the 20% of the 80/20 rule. I can’t define high turnover, but I know it when I see it. 3 – 5 seconds.

8. Functional resume. I don’t read them. It is obvious when one has a functional resume they are trying to hide something and I’m rarely going to take the time to attempt to figure it out. 1 second.

9. Obvious things such as, spelling errors, poor format, errors in grammar, too long, verbose and rambling. If after reading it I still can’t figure out what you do, goodbye. 5 – 10 seconds

After all this, 80 – 100% have been eliminated. If there are any left, then I will take the time to actually read them in detail.

If this was helpful to you, please pass it along to help others in  your network. Consider adding it to your status on LinkedIn, posting on Twitter, or emailing the link to your network. Please help others if this helped you.

I welcome your thought and comments.

Brad Remillard

 Check out Brad’s website.www.impacthiringsolutions.com

What do you do when you have been forced or pushed out of a job you loved

I have coached many clients and people (myself included) on how to deal with being forced to resign or being pushed out of a job that they really liked or even loved.

Most of us have had this happen.  If you have never experienced this type of treatment in your career you are blessed. If you know anyone that has, please forward this message on to them.

I have been coaching people for 13 years and I have been working for the past 25 years. I have seen a lot of abuse, mismanagement, harassment and unbelievably disturbing and bizarre behavior in my corporate career and in my client’s careers.

I am writing this blog entry today because I just finished writing to a client and coaching her on how to deal with this issue. So hopefully this will help you or someone you know. Most of us are shocked when this happens to us. It comes out of nowhere. One day we are on top of the world, everybody loves us at work, we can do no wrong, then, in 24 hours, our manager, the executives, and co-workers CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND BEHAVIOR towards us and we become the enemy, the pariah and the outcast. We then feel threatened, confused, shocked and dismayed. The battle begins to keep our job and our wits about us.

Most of us know why this happens IF we take 10 minutes to think back on the actual date and time that memorable “event, conversation, or thing” occurred or took place that affected our fate at work.

We can usually trace it back to something we didn’t go along with, or something we challenged the boss on, etc. On that day we sealed our fate. We became the enemy. Unfortunately, for most of us that are ethical and don’t play games and just work hard for a paycheck so we can take care of ourselves and our families and hopefully derive some sort of satisfaction out of our jobs, have been putting up with or going along with some type of unprofessionalism for a long time before the day we just decide to say STOP. I am not going to have you push me anymore or go along with the unethical or bad behavior anymore.

That is when we became the TARGET! I know if you are reading this blog you know what I mean or have dealt with a similar situation or know someone that has. In 2007 I had 4 clients with cancer, one on medical stress leave, and one that had a nervous breakdown and all because of things that happened in their careers.

And believe me, these are professional upstanding corporate citizens that didn’t do anything wrong. They did their jobs and they were ethical and professional.

How do you deal with this? Like most of us. The manager works hard at removing you from the situation and you work hard at getting what you need from the management and the company to transition you out of the situation.

So first you need to know that there is nothing you can do about changing their minds about keeping you in the current role. So accept and move on to your action plan of TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. No matter how hard it is during this time it is SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR PROFESSIONALISM INTACT and your sense of humor.

I want you to work with management to get you the best package you deserve. This will have to be done privately and confidentially with management and your key confidante within the organization.

Don’t involve Human Resources because they have to support the company that is their job. So they have to be neutral.

People say to me all the time, there is no way I can ask for all of this or there is no way they will even listen to me or help me transition out. This is NOT TRUE. They have guilt (well some people do) and they usually will help you transition quickly.

You are right sometimes, they might not be able to help you but you can always ask. First I ask my clients, find someone in the organization that you really trust. Go to this person first and confide in them. Ask them to help you get what you need to transition out of this job. Tell them your personal situation. Let them know you need financial help and time to get another job, that you need medical benefits. Yes you need to humble yourself. It’s ok. This is not about begging this is about taking care of your family and having to make business decisions that will help you do this. So if you have to tell people more personal information that you have in the past, well that’s ok.

Taking care of yourself and your family is the most important thing you have. You can ALWAYS get another job.

So I have documented a general statement or demand letter that I have been using for the last 15 years. Please try and get what you need, if you ever have to endure this type of situation. Don’t be afraid. You have NOTHING to LOSE. All you have to do is ask.

“I wanted to discuss my employment with you. I have been thinking a lot about what happened regarding my employment this past month…. When I was told that I needed to resign or get another job two weeks ago… I was completely taken back and a little shocked. However, because I am a professional and was told not to tell anyone which by the way has put me in an uncomfortable position throughout these last couple of weeks, I realized that I didn’t communicate what I needed because I was in shock. I need help through this transition so me and my family are not heavily impacted.

As a professional and a person with a lot of integrity, I would like to ask you for a couple of things as I go through this transition (that was completely unexpected). As you know I have loved my work and been extremely successful in my role. We both know that we are dedicated to making this a smooth transition for both parties involved. Since I was not ready to make this transition financially and I have a family to support (or maybe you are single and have a mortgage), I would like you to consider the following:

 I would like to remain in my position until I find other employment. Let’s revisit this every two months. As you know I am looking for a new job in one of the worst job markets in the history of our economy. I also need medical benefits for me and my family. Based on my research and I am sure you know that it takes approximately 3 months to get a job in a perfect economy. It might take me longer than the amount of time you are giving me to get another job. I don’t want to feel more pressure especially because of a decision that was made on my behalf and for no apparent reason.

As I stated, I am a professional and have kept my word and haven’t told anyone the reason why I am leaving, however, this puts me in a very awkward position with new hiring managers because basically I am being asked to lie about why I left. I do not like to be put in this position.

So once again, I will go along with your request (just until you get out of the company and then you can tell all of your co-workers the truth) but I need to request some things from you. 1) I need a severance package. 2) I need benefits until the end of 2011. 3) I need all my vacation paid out. 4) I need to stay employed until I find a job and I am willing to work at my home office. 4) I will need additional compensation to hire a career coach or work with a career transition services company that can help me through this transition. (this is assuming they don’t offer this to you and don’t forget to put a dollar amount on the career coaching).

Good luck and don’t forget to write us at clientservices@dearjane.info and give us your feedback on this blog post.
Regard,

Rebecca Martin

CEO, dear jane Inc.

Should I join the military in my teens?

Should I join the military right out of high school?

I have been asked this question a lot. Below is an answer I have submitted in the past. I know how many young people need financial help with their future education and how they also need support in today’s job market. Some young people don’t feel that they have anyone supporting them and joining the military creates an instant family. My thoughts are based on my career in coaching and not based on my personal feelings one way or another in terms of the military.

dear jane’s advice: Hi, I have been a career coach for over 13 years. I have worked with people from all ages, backgrounds and professions. I have also worked with miltary clients who are now trying to work in the private sector. First I would ask yourself, Why do I want to join the military? Second, have you interviewed with the military and asked them a lot of questions? Do you like their answers? Also, if you are looking to get your education paid for it’s a great way to go. It’s a short commitment and it looks great on a resume and you get paid. So unless you are worried about going to war, I would say just do what your intuition tells you. Trust yourself. It’s hard when you are young and you can’t make any mistakes in terms of your career because when we interview people about their specific career and education choices, as long as you tell the truth of why you made those choices, most human resource professionals and hiring managers understand because they are people too who had to make similar choices at your age. I hope this helps.

Don’t try and make sense of it all. Think like George Costanza, just do the exact opposite of what your head tells you to do when it comes to your job search!

Happy New Year! I know it will be a better year for all of us, especially job seekers. No, I don’t have a crystal ball but I have some good tips to share with you that have helped me personally and professionally and have also helped all of our clients that have been finding jobs in today’s workforce.

2010 Career Management Tips!

1) Don’t take anything personal when it comes to your job search. Don’t try and make sense of the job search process especially the lack of feedback from hiring managers and recruiters. They are so swamped and inundated with resumes. Just keep focused and keep sending out resumes whether you get responses or not.

2) Don’t make assumptions. The worst thing we can do to ourselves is make assumptions about what the other side is thinking when we are looking for a job. For example, if we don’t get responses from our recent job postings or resume submittals we think there is something wrong with our resume. Well there isn’t anything wrong with you or your resume, managers and hr professionals are drowning in resumes. So it’s important to follow up with them directly and not wait for them to call you.

3) Follow up: Don’t be so polite. Most people don’t want to impose on hiring managers and hr professionals. Well you have to learn to get over your politeness and non imposing personalities in this job market. When you follow up and make a call directly to a manager or an hr recruiter believe it or not they appreciate it. It sets you apart from your competitors.

4)Take the action and the interview will follow! Don’t listen to the negative self talk that goes on in your head everyday. Just do the exact opposite of what your negative self talk is telling you. For example, the more resumes you send the more interviews you will have. The more you refresh your resume the more interviews you will have. I listen to clients all day long tell me that “it’s no use” or “the manager won’t find me anyway” or “my skills are outdated and they want someone younger.” Well I am here to tell you that the harder you work at your job search the luckier you are! Just don’t quit.

5) Have fun while you are looking for a job! What a concept I know. We beat ourselves up because we are not employed or going through a career transition and I know you have a lot of pressure from yourself, family, the bank, etc. But remember you only have to work 35-40 hours per week on your job search. So make sure you plan some fun activities into your week. For example, go and see a movie, play golf, eat some ice cream, have a martini, or whatever makes you happy. Call a friend you haven’t seen in awhile and go hiking with them. Start a new hobby or start volunteering. This is the time!

6) Don’t watch the news. Watch more movies. The news can be depressing about the unemployment rates nationally. Remember there are thousands of jobs being advertised today and hiring managers are waiting to hire people just like you. check out www.indeed.com and don’t forget to submit your resume to the company’s website.

7) Expense reduction: Make sure you have gone through your household budget and cut out the fat as you go through this transition. Have you called your local water, electricity, and cable and internet providers to reduce your rates? Start buying copy or computer paper at Wal Mart for $2.97 per reem. It includes 500 sheets. Start shopping at discount stores so you don’t feel deprived. Check out the dollar store. It’s a great place to buy inexpensive items and they have great books too. Buy your movie tickets at costco. You can get them for $7.00 per show instead of $10.50. And if you live in other states check the local paper for the discount theaters. You will be surprised. My husband and I went to see Couples Retreat for $1.00 each while we were visiting family in Idaho!

Please share more ideas and happy new year!

Should I work with an external recruiter or send my resume directly to the company website?

Should you work with external recruiters if you see a position open at a company or go directly to the company website and post your resume?

Hi Rebecca,

I’ve got a quick question: A friend forwarded to me info on what looks like the perfect job for me. My friend heard about it through an outside recruiter and is ready to make an introduction to the recruiter. But I see the position is also posted on the company’s website with an inside email address for resumes. So I’m trying to figure out whether it would be better to try going through the recruiter or applying directly to the company, which I think would save them money. Which route do you think would give me better odds of getting noticed? I’m so tired of my resumes ending up in a “black hole”!

Rebecca’s advice: Please work with the recruiter first because they have a direct relationship with the hiring managers. Yes, in today’s market your resume might get stuck in the black hole (HR is receiving 400 resumes per position) on the company’s website.

Have your friend submit you right away and make the introduction for you. but remember to have them copy you on the introduction email so you can follow up with the recruiter. You don’t want to depend on your friend after that. You want to take ownership.
You should never ever worry about the money a hiring company has to pay a staffing or recruiting firm. They build it into their budgets every year. Hiring managers value working with external recruiters. External recruiters have the direct relationship with hiring managers most of the time. They can get your resume looked at immediately. Most of the time, recruiters can get you jobs faster than going through the company website.

Thoughts from the Bart Station

Thoughts from the Bart station!

By Rebecca Martin

Founder, dear jane…a career services company…

 

As I drove into the Bart station this past Tuesday morning I was amazed at how crowded the parking lot was. I was pleasantly surprised. In my world, people are either on the verge of losing their jobs or have recently lost their jobs. As I locked up my car, I felt the hurried and frenetic pace of people running and racing to catch the 7:30 am Bart train. Thank goodness I didn’t have to be one of those people that day. I was on my way to San Francisco to deliver career transition services packages to two individuals who were being notified that they were going to lose their jobs that day. (aka – getting their pink slips).

 

They were being notified at 9:30 am and I only had to visit with two of them which was a relief.  I wondered to myself what it was going to be like and having witnessed and been engaged in these situations before for the past five years, I thought to myself, will they cry? Get angry? Or have the deer in the headlight look? I have seen it so many times over the past 5 years since I have been a career coach. Sometimes I see terror, fear, shame, guilt, and embarrassment in their eyes. Their faces become flush and they become very quiet and detached. It’s awful and rarely do I see someone who is happy and when I do it’s a relief.  

 

I don’t know how people survive days like this. Especially when it comes as a complete and total shock. I think they are numb for the first 48 hours and maybe even a week. What I know today, is the panic and fear is more than just losing their job, it’s about CHANGE, about PRIDE, what their family and friends will think of them, what their spouses or children will think of them, what their grandparents and parents will think of them, especially if the individuals are from different cultures, they take it the hardest and feel the most shame.

 

It is so sad because they now have to worry about feeding their families, a lack of income, property, prestige, and it’s about feeling that they did something wrong, that they failed their companies, themselves and most of all their loved ones. How do people get through these tough times?

 

I wonder how they feel when they have to tell their loved ones, spouses, kids, parents, neighbors? Do some people even tell their loved ones? Some don’t. If you haven’t seen the movie the Full Monty you should rent it. J It really chronicles the life of several men who get laid off and how they all deal with it on an individual basis and at a group level.

 

Most clients I work with and people that I know always worry that it’s their fault, that they did something wrong to cause themselves to be laid off.

 

I know from experience, since I have been a career coach that I can’t fix their problems and relieve their anxiety, but I can help ease their fear and share with them that they are not alone and that they have a lot of options when it comes to getting a new job. I can show true compassion and kindness instead of treating them like they are pariahs.

 

For me it’s about BASIC NEEDS, Food, Water and Shelter. My approach to coaching is all about helping the individual identify what their needs are in terms of salary, time frame, etc. People need to do what’s best for them and their families and they need to start taking care of themselves first.

 

People have so much shame and embarrassment around losing their jobs which is normal. Even in this market when everything around them is crumbling and everyone around them is getting laid off, they still take it personal. Well it’s so hard not to, but I am here to tell you that it might have been the best thing that could of ever happened to you. Most of us won’t make a change even if we are unhappy or even miserable. Change is so scary.

 

I was pushed out of my last corporate job because I didn’t fit the corporate culture. The manager inherited me because his company purchased the start up I was working for and I happened to be the Top Sales Producer at the start up during the acquisition. After six months from the sale of the company, and after my six figure guarantee ran out, I was kicked to the curb. My manager went cold and treated me like he didn’t know me or like me. It was so bizarre. He stripped me of my sales territory and at the time I was 41 years old. I had to train my 27 year old replacement. It was so tough and basically hideous.

At that time I was so tired and ended up quitting. I would have never started my company if that didn’t happen to me. So thank you to the old company. They did me a huge favor but at the time I didn’t see it that way. J So good things do come from being laid off, well ok sometimes.

 

One of the hardest parts of my job is helping people process unusual behavior right before they get laid off. For example, when I talk to clients and they tell me that there manager had just promoted them and given them a $10-20K raise one month before they were going to be laid off. Or when their managers told them “not to worry,” they wouldn’t be on the targeted list of people losing their jobs and then the next day or week they get laid off. It’s so confusing and it feels like a betrayal. I do know after talking to a lot of executives and managers that sometimes their direct managers really didn’t know.

 

Another hard situation to help people with is when they get laid off right after they increased revenues for their company which affected the top line growth and they still get laid off and sent packing! That always boggles people’s minds.

 

It’s never about anything personal. “Yeah that’s what they all say.” And what do we always hear, it’s business and the company had to RIFF people to remain profitable and to please wall street. Well I don’t agree necessarily, IT IS PERSONAL to the person losing their job. It may not be personal to the company or the management team and it’s easy for people to say these kinds of things but it is personal. So don’t feel bad about taking it personal. I just don’t want you to take it so personal that you go into a deep depression or isolate and stop focusing on your strengths and everything that is unique and great about you! Remember there are thousands of jobs and hiring managers that are just waiting for your resume to pop up in their inbox. So send your resumes and start cold calling into companies!

 

I survived 7 RIFF’s at my last company and the only reason I survived was because the executive management team trusted me, my work ethic and my ability to deliver. They liked me because I was low maintenance and I also got lucky!

 

So what it boils down to is that change is inevitable and half of us and maybe more didn’t even like our jobs or some of the people we worked with. We really wanted to change but didn’t know how to make CHANGE happen.

Please buy the book “Who Moved My Cheese.” It’s a great book and also while you are buying that book, I want you to buy the book “Brag, The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn.” You will love both of these books.

 

Let’s start working on the FEAR of Changing and Change in general when it comes to your job search and your career. I know, I know, this isn’t the best market to make changes in but REMEMBER THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF JOBS WAITING FOR EACH ONE OF YOU READING THIS BLOG ENTRY. JJ

 

So take some time to reflect on what CHANGE represents to you? Or what losing your job and getting laid off represents to you and makes you feel. Is it a lack of control, power, security, “You” decide. Work through this and make sure you feel the feelings and process the feelings.

 

Join a therapy group or a job search support group; start conducting informational interviews to find out about your next career move; join linkedin.com and start networking with people from your past or present.

 

Don’t isolate and think you are the only one feeling the way you do. Trust me, I talked to hundreds of people per month that feel the same way you do!! YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Good luck!

Do you need to get off the couch or step away from the computer? Proven Job/Career Networking Tips to ensure success!

 

 

Networking Events:

10 Tips on how to expand your network and leave a lasting positive impression!

 

1)                   The Event - It’s important to do your research about the event. Find out who is sponsoring and attending the event. Go to the website of the organization hosting/sponsoring the event and learn as much as you can about it. (i.e. list of attendees, vendors, etc.)

 

2)                   Define your objective – Ask yourself why you are attending the event. Have a goal or an objective for being at the event so you walk away feeling like it was a productive use of your time.

 

3)                   Linkedin.com – If you know who will be attending and you have a target list of people that you want to meet, then make sure you find their profiles in linkedin.com and learn as much as you can about the person. It will impress them and they will be more inclined to talk with you.         

 

4)                   Create Personalized Business Cards – Don’t forget to order your business cards at www.vistaprints.com. They are free for the first 250 cards. When you are creating your cards leave the back of the card blank so you have room to write your contact’s information on the card. 

 

5)                    Answer the question – “Tell me about yourself?” Prepare your 2-minute elevator speech about who you are and why you are attending the event. Rehearse it and/or role-play with another person before the event.

 

6)                   Quid Pro Quo – Remember networking is about sharing personal and professional information by having personal and professional conversations. So don’t forget to have a dialogue. You don’t want to dominate the conversation.

 

7)                   Communicate your own message – Don’t let someone else tell your professional story. You personally will need to communicate about who you are.  Don’t rely on others to do it for you. It’s important to converse in a natural way.  

 

                   Be Positive – It’s important to always have a positive attitude. People like to meet and talk with people that are easy to converse with, have interesting things to say, and who listen.  Have fun at your events and bring a friend if you feel nervous about attending.

 

9)                   Appearance – Always dress and act professionally. The way you communicate verbally and nonverbally will leave a lasting impression on everyone you meet. Make sure your cell phone and PDA are turned off and that you remain engaged with the person you are talking to.

 

10)               Next Steps – Make sure you get their business cards and/or contact information. That’s why it’s important to bring a lot of business cards. Some people forget to bring them. You should contact them within a 24-48 hour period. It’s important to ask your networking contact how they would like you to stay in touch with them.

 

www.dearjane.info                              blog: www.dearjanedialogues.com                                www.youtube.com.dearjanedialogues.com

 (925) 292- 9019                                  email: clientservices@dearjane.info               Toll Free: (866) 822-7298

 

 

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