Create your Job Search "Business" Card

The best way to find a job in a tough job market is to get out there and speak to people.

Yes, speak to the obvious people, like employers, people who are already employed in the industry or by the companies where you want to work.

But don't stop there.

It is estimated that everyone knows between 200 - 300 people.

So, that goes for your hairdresser, plumber, pharmacist, cashier at the supermarket, doctor and his nurse, dentist and dental hygienist, anyone you meet socially. It means anyone you meet anytime, any place, any how.

They all know 200 - 300 people. So what are the chances they know someone who works in your field, and may even know someone who is hiring in your field?

But they can't help you if they don't know you need their help.

And they don't want your resume.

Instead, make Business Cards. They are really Networking Cards. T

hey will have your name and contact information on them.

Under your name will be the title of the job for which you are looking - the same way it would be written if you actually had the job. After all, you are still an engineer, salesperson, veterinary technician or whatever, even though you do not currently have a job.

Then they will have 3 bulleted items giving your greatest skills or experience. This can be taken from the highlights section or your resume.

If you want you can put more details on the back of the card, but most people never look at the back, so don't rely on it being read very often.

Give there cards out to everyone you can. Give more than one to anyone who is likely to have more than one person to whom to pass it on.

If you want to really go for it, leave them on tables in libraries, coffee shops etc, and especially if you go any places you know people connected with your type of work go.

Just make sure it's only your phone number, or perhaps phone number and email address that is on the card. No address.

You can make your own business cards by buying sheets of pre-perforated cards at your local office supply store. MS Word and WordPerfect both have "labels" templates which include business card ones that match your purchased sheets exactly.

Or you can order 250 free business cards, online, paying only postage, from Vistaprint. I have used this service several times and it is fast, efficient - and you really do only pay the postage!

Finding a job in tough times

With the downturn in the global economy, more and more people have lost their jobs and are out there looking for work.

This also means that when you find a job advertised, there are even more people in competition with you than might have been the case in more prosperous times.

So it is time to consider other methods of finding work.

The number one way to find work is through networking, which just means talking to people.

In smaller towns this is the normal way for many people to find work. They just go and talk to everyone they know around town, and find out who is hiring.

In larger centres this is done less. But there is no reason you can't do it, no matter where you live.

Start with people you know. Ask if they know of anyone you can talk to who might know of the type of job you are seeking. Get names and phone numbers.

Call up and tell this person who gave your their number, and ask if you can come talk to them briefly about any possiblities they may know of. If absolutely necessary, do it all by phone.

If they know of some work, great. If not, ask if they know of anyone else you can talk to about this. Get names and numbers, and continue in this way until you have created a wide circle of contacts and ulitmately find work.

Obviously, hard times mean that there are less available jobs, so even this means of job search will not necessarily turn up anything instantly, but keep going. If there is work out there at all, you will eventually find it through your network of contacts.

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Find work in the hidden job market creatively

Here are three ways to find work that is part of the "Hidden Job Market" (i.e. not advertised)

1. Go in person to any place you think might hire people with your skills and experience. If it's a small company, you may be lucky and see the owner or the manager. In a larger company this is more difficult.

Take along your resume and cover letter, and ask for the manager/ owner. If you have to, leave your resume with reception and ask that it be passed along to the hiring manager.

While you are there, if you don't see the manager, ask the name of the person who will ultimately receive your resume. A few days later, phone and ask for that person and ask if they have had a chance to read your resume.

Be prepared. If they say that they have not read it yet, be ready to tell them, briefly of your skills and experience and how you can help their business succeed.

This is the most effective way.

2. Another way is to telephone. Ask for the hiring manager and be prepared with your 30 second introduction, and ask if you can come in for a brief meeting or if all else fails, ask if you can send in your resume.

3. The third way is to send in your resume to the Hiring Manager of a company. If you do not know the person's name, phone up and ask. You do not want to speak to him/ her, you just want the name, and correct spelling for your cover letter.

Then mail your cover letter and resume and follow up a week later with a phone call to ask if you can arrange a meeting. Again, be prepared for the hiring manager to not have read your resume and be prepared with your 30 second introduction.

Don't just look for the advertised jobs. You have a much better chance of finding the job you want if you employ the above methods.

For more help in finding work check out Wow-You're Hired!

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Facebook and the job seeker

Facebook and the job seeker. If you are on Facebook or any of the social networking sites, and also engaged in a job search, be careful.

More and more employers are checking out these sites when they receive resumes, so make sure your social networking pages are appropriate to the employer to see.

They don't of course have to be selling you for a job - although it's a prefectly good place to mention you are job seeking. But they also must not have information and photos on them that you don't want an employer to see.

So when you are applying for work, bear that in mind, and if necessary, change your social networking pages until you are happily employed again.

More help in finding a great job.

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How to look for a Job: a strong introduction can get you in the door

Put your Job Search into high gear with a creative 30 second commercial, Infomercial or Elevator Speech.

- have a job title that explains what you do
– it is no use giving someone a job title that is correct, but does not tell the average person what exactly your job is.
– make up a title, if necessary, from which most people will immediately get some idea of the work you do.
- know what skills have that you most want to use in this job
- know the answer to “why should I hire you?” – which is the benefit you will bring an employer.

A 30 second commercial MUST be practiced and memorized.

Even the most accomplished job seeker will not do a good job of creating one on the spot.

You have to carefully think out what skills and benefits you want to mention, and make sure you present them clearly and concisely.

However, it should not sound practiced and memorized, so put feeling into it when you say it. Don’t just reel it off like a poem.

If the person you are speaking with already knows your name, don’t start off with “My name is…” (This may sound obvious, but believe me, in many years of teaching this format, it doesn’t appear to be obvious at all.)

My name is ________________________ and I am a _____(easily understood job title)_____.

I ___(tell one of your top skills that you want to use)____ and ___(another of top best skills)____

(Tell them what benefit you bring the employer)____. I am looking for opportunities to

offer these skills to a new employer.

I would really appreciate hearing any suggestions you might have about possible

openings, or any people you would suggest I speak with.


Then offer your business card – NOT your résumé.


Example:

My name is Robert Jackson and I am a web designer. I create original and very unique websites that project the company image. I am especially good at doing all the things that make sure the website then comes up on the first page of Google.

In the past I have always increased business for my employers through heightened online visibility. I am looking for opportunities to offer these skills to a new employer.

I’d really appreciate hearing any suggestions you might have about possible openings, or any people you would suggest I speak with.

OR

My name is Penelope Angelo and I am a Personal Assistant. I offer my employer all the usual office administration skills plus bookkeeping, tax preparation and creating of customized business forms.

In the past I have allowed my small business employers to have more time to work on sales and marketing, as they can trust me to look after all the administration details effectively.

I’d really appreciate hearing any suggestions you might have about possible openings, or any people you would suggest I speak with.

Want more help with your creative job search?

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Informational interviews: who should the job seeker contact?

Informational interviews: who should the job seeker contact?

Answer: someone who is in the job you want, or their immediate supervisor.

Informational interviews do not include asking for a job, so you don't need someone who has the power to hire you.

People in the job you want, will know if their company is hiring, and they may well know if any other companies are hiring. There's a good chance some of them will know people who do similar work in other companies.

The goal of your interview is to find that out.

More help to find that great job.

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Informational Interviews: question for the job seeker to ask.

Informational Interviews: questions for the job seeker to ask.

So you're looking for a job, and you've bought into the idea (the GOOD idea) to do informational interviews. You've phoned the appropriate person and arranged a 10 - 15 minute meeting.

What are you going to ask when you get there?

Before you go, write down everything you really want to know from this person.

• How did you get your job?
• What are ways, other than the formal way, to get into this job?
• Have you any tips that might help me get into this type of work?
• What do you like most?
• What is most challenging?
• What do you like least?
• What advice would you give someone getting into this work?
• Any job specific questions, such as what accounting software do you use/ is most widely used in this work?
• What is the salary range? Or, what is a good starting salary?
• Are there any short courses I could take that would make me more employable?
• Is there anything else you think it would be helpful for me to know?
• Do you know of anyone who is hiring at the moment for this work?
  

And the last questions, never to be missed:

• Can you tell me two other people I can talk to about this type of work? and
• Can I mention your name?

Leave when you're time is up, even though you haven't finished your questions ... just jump to the last two ask them, thank the person for their time and their help and leave.

Send a thank you letter within 24 hours, and if you end up through one of the people they recommended, send them another note then to let them know you appreciated the referral.

Remember that you are talking to someone in the same position as you want, or their immediate supervisor. Unless the work you want is in Human Resources, so the people you are interviewing are also in human resources, the person to whom you are talking cannot hire you.

If they say their company is hiring, ask if you may mention you spoke to them when you apply officially to HR for a job.

Keep going. Ask everyone you speak to for 2 other names, and then ask these 2 for 2 other names, etc. This not only has the best chance of landing you a job, it also builds you a network, that properly nurtured can last you a lifetime.

Informational interviews work. Yes, you may get a few rejections, but so what. Keep on going till you find the job you want.

More help finding work.

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What is the Hidden Job Market?

What is the Hidden Job Market?

It is every job that is not advertised. Between 85% and 93% of all jobs are considered to be in this Hidden Job Market.

How do you find these jobs?

Basically by talking to people. Networking.

That doesn't just mean talking to people you think might be able to hire you. It means talking to everyone you know or meet.

We all know approximately 300 people. So your hairdresser, for example, probably can't hire you, but s/he may know someone who can.

Your aunt's coworker's brother may be looking for someone with just your skills, but if you don't tell your aunt exactly what is it you are looking for, in words that she can then pass on intelligently, then her coworker's brother is never going to hear about you.

You can tell employers directly by calling them on the phone and introducing yourself and your skills.

However, it's best to sidetrack the "We're not hiring" speech, by not actually asking for a job.

Instead ask if they know of any where that is hiring. That way you are asking them if they can pass you on to any other business that is hiring and not putting them on the spot.

If they are hiring and like the sound of you, presumably they'll tell you. But if they're not hiring, they might tell you of another company who is.

If they do this, you can then phone the other company and tell them that xxxx from xxxx company told you about this position.

You are not using the first employer's name as a reference, just as a source of information, but it still has the power to make this second door open more easily for you.

So get out there and network. Speak to everyone you know. Ask them to tell others. Contact every employer you think might have work for you, or know of anyone else who has.

It's all about your network. Online and offline, your network in your main support in job seeking.

Want more help to find that ideal job?

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