Courtesy of Karen Gutman, Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit...thanks, Karen!
1. Remember why you are networking – We network to make connections and broaden our knowledge base. Whether we are in sales or job searching, we do not approach our network to make sales (or get a job), but to gather information and seek referrals of others to meet. Embracing this thought takes the pressure off and allows us to enjoy meeting new people.
2. Dress for Success – Dress professionally in business attire. Be sure your clothes are clean and neat. Do a quick check in a mirror before entering the room. Wear a suit or sport jacket with pockets for business cards. You can keep your cards in the pocket on one side and those you collect in the other.
3. Be prepared to network – We are more comfortable if we know we have everything we need to network. One should never be without business cards! As a job seeker, your cards should include your name, your contact information, and your job goal as a profession. For example, “Inside Sales Professional”, “Executive Administrative Assistant”, or “Licensed Auto Mechanic”. Know your elevator speech! You don’t want to fumble or ramble on when asked the “what do you do” question. Your speech should include they type of people you are looking to connect with.
4. Plan your strategy – Pause for a few minutes at the door to see who you would like to approach. Look for someone standing alone, as they will be eager to engage with you. If you have specific people you want to meet, approach them or join in their conversation. If you put it off, they just might leave before you get your chance! Set a realistic goal for how many people you plan to talk to at the event. It’s ok to start small. Once you get more comfortable, you’ll set higher goals. But push yourself to meet your goal!
5. Plan your approach – Rehearse your approach. Extend your hand, “Hello, my name is _______”. Then have your first question ready. Good openers are: “What do you do?”, “Is this your first time here?”, “How did you hear about this event?” “What other networking meetings do you attend?” Then ask follow up questions and use their name often. It will help you remember and personalize your conversation.
6. Ask a lot of questions. You can find out what the person does, how they got into the field, and what other networking events they attend. People love to talk about themselves and it will put you both at ease. If they ask about you, answer with what you do – such as the title on your business card. Give your elevator speech and let them know with whom you are looking to connect.
7. Do not ask for a job! You didn’t attend to find a job; you are networking to make contacts. It’s ok to mention you are looking for a new position, but DO NOT make that the focus of the conversation. Don’t hand out your resume, that’s what your business card is for. If you are asked for your resume, you can always email it.
8. Know when it is time to move on. The purpose of a networking event is to connect with people you want to get to know better. It is not the time for a lengthy conversation. Once you have determined that this is someone you want to have more conversation with, say something like, “I would like to talk more with you, but I am sure you want to meet others. Would you be interested in meeting sometime for coffee so we can continue this discussion?” If they are interested, make sure you follow up! If the conversation isn’t worth pursuing further, just say, “I will let you go” or simply, “It’s been great meeting you”.
9. But before you move on… shake hands and be sure to ask for a business card. Don’t flaunt your card or hand it out unless it is asked for. No one likes the person who walks around an event handing out their cards and calling it “networking”!
10. Be confident; don’t apologize for taking time or asking for a contact – that’s why everyone is there!
11. Take note! Make notes on the back of business cards to remind yourself what you talked about and what follow up you need to do. You can do this when you are “moving on” or when you return to your car.
12. Follow up... make LinkedIn connections with your new contacts. Follow up with meetings or information. Look for information or articles to pass along to your new contacts in areas of interest that you discussed.
13. It gets easier every time. It’s ok if you feel nervous before you go in. Many people get uncomfortable in new situations. Take a few deep breaths, let the oxygen circulate, and feel confident because you know you are totally prepared!
Prepared by Karen Gutman
Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit
kgutman@jvsdet.org
248.233.4248
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karengutman
http://twitter.com/karenegutman
Karen is just one of the helpful professional staff at JVS Detroit.
Visit us at www.jvsdet.org, search our job bank at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, join our group NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.com and follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and be a fan of JVS Detroit on Facebook.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Is Your Job Search Out of Control? - Part 2 of 5
Yesterday I advised not looking for "anything" and having a focus in your job search.
But what if your focused job search is coming up empty, no leads, nobody hiring someone like you?
The hidden secret, known for the past several decades and probably for all time, the majority, as much as 80%, of all jobs NEVER GET ADVERTISED.
Most job openings are filled BEFORE they can ever go public.
And most employers would rather their job openings not go public because when jobs are advertised, made known to the public, then the mad rush, the spammers, the tsunami of job seekers all storm the gates.
Keep your focus, keep your eye on the prize and stop stampeding with the crowd.
Contact all those companies of interest even if they are not advertising any openings.
Use a letter of inquiry or introduction, ask for advice from key people, phone the switchboard and ask general questions like to whom should you speak to learn more about the company or how they go about hiring when they have the need, create marketing pieces and campaigns to promote your strengths, assests and value to the company.
But do not limit your job search only to those companies advertising openings.
If you need help in creating and putting into action your marketing and prospecting plan, get in touch with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Be sure to come back for Part 3.
And don't forget to check out what's happening at www.JVSDet.org.
But what if your focused job search is coming up empty, no leads, nobody hiring someone like you?
The hidden secret, known for the past several decades and probably for all time, the majority, as much as 80%, of all jobs NEVER GET ADVERTISED.
Most job openings are filled BEFORE they can ever go public.
And most employers would rather their job openings not go public because when jobs are advertised, made known to the public, then the mad rush, the spammers, the tsunami of job seekers all storm the gates.
Keep your focus, keep your eye on the prize and stop stampeding with the crowd.
Contact all those companies of interest even if they are not advertising any openings.
Use a letter of inquiry or introduction, ask for advice from key people, phone the switchboard and ask general questions like to whom should you speak to learn more about the company or how they go about hiring when they have the need, create marketing pieces and campaigns to promote your strengths, assests and value to the company.
But do not limit your job search only to those companies advertising openings.
If you need help in creating and putting into action your marketing and prospecting plan, get in touch with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Be sure to come back for Part 3.
And don't forget to check out what's happening at www.JVSDet.org.
Is Your Job Search Out of Control?!? - Part 1 of 5
Is your job search out of control?
How can that be when you are you looking for anything, just any job, to get back to work?
I just searched on Indeed for all, any, jobs in the metro Detroit area posted since yesterday and came up with 1,585! Now I have to narrow that list down somehow and review all that might be of interest. Being open to anything, it may be a challenge. BUT if I can get the list down to only 5% of the original total, I will have only 80 to look at.
Giving myself no more than three minutes per posting, I would need about four hours to look at only 5% of today's new postings. That's, on average, four hours EVERY day!
Just to look at the postings. And that does not even consider the time it would take for me to apply to the ones that look promising.
And forget about following up on any of those applications.
And no way will I have the time to go in person to any of them or to visit any other companies in the neighborhood. Or open up the phone book and call any of them.
After all, you are willing to take anything. How can it take so much time, so much effort, to find "anything?"
But what if you start my search with some job targets, some choice keywords that match my talents, my experience, my education/training, my strengths?
After all, are you really willing to take "anything?"
If you start out asking for anything, you set yourself up to get something you would never want or nothing at all.
But most important of all, no employer wants to hire anyone who is looking for anything.
With at least a general idea of what you want and what you know you are good at doing, you tell employers what they need to know to offer you the job.
Otherwise, you are nobody special who will take anything and just does not care.
Not someone to be hired.
But what if your search with all the right keywords, for your job match, your job fit, keeps coming up empty? What then?
Be sure to come back for Part 2.
In the meanwhile, you can keep on top of all the events, activities, resources and more at JVS by visiting our main website, http://www.jvsdet.org/, or search for jobs at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Walt
How can that be when you are you looking for anything, just any job, to get back to work?
I just searched on Indeed for all, any, jobs in the metro Detroit area posted since yesterday and came up with 1,585! Now I have to narrow that list down somehow and review all that might be of interest. Being open to anything, it may be a challenge. BUT if I can get the list down to only 5% of the original total, I will have only 80 to look at.
Giving myself no more than three minutes per posting, I would need about four hours to look at only 5% of today's new postings. That's, on average, four hours EVERY day!
Just to look at the postings. And that does not even consider the time it would take for me to apply to the ones that look promising.
And forget about following up on any of those applications.
And no way will I have the time to go in person to any of them or to visit any other companies in the neighborhood. Or open up the phone book and call any of them.
After all, you are willing to take anything. How can it take so much time, so much effort, to find "anything?"
But what if you start my search with some job targets, some choice keywords that match my talents, my experience, my education/training, my strengths?
After all, are you really willing to take "anything?"
If you start out asking for anything, you set yourself up to get something you would never want or nothing at all.
But most important of all, no employer wants to hire anyone who is looking for anything.
With at least a general idea of what you want and what you know you are good at doing, you tell employers what they need to know to offer you the job.
Otherwise, you are nobody special who will take anything and just does not care.
Not someone to be hired.
But what if your search with all the right keywords, for your job match, your job fit, keeps coming up empty? What then?
Be sure to come back for Part 2.
In the meanwhile, you can keep on top of all the events, activities, resources and more at JVS by visiting our main website, http://www.jvsdet.org/, or search for jobs at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Walt
Monday, June 21, 2010
What's the use of resume keywords?
When jobs are posted, incoming resumes and applictions are screened to create a subset of applicants that are somewhat, in general, qualified.
The Good Enough category is necessary to get to the Choice Candidate category.
The overwhelming method of screening is based on determining a list of screener, or key, words. These keywords are used to filter IN resumes and applications that are to be moved along in the process, and screen OUT, eliminate, those that do not have at least a predetermined minimum of these words.
For example, someone with the job title of "secretary" on their resume, although they might be fully capable of performing, and experienced with, the duties of a receptionist, would be screened OUT and not included with the resumes moved along in the recruiting process. Without the keyword "receptionist" on their resume, they would be eliminated from consideration.
Your resume and application must have a majority, if not close to 100%, of those keywords to be included with those not eliminated during the initial screen.
I advised a job seeker about this and he took my advice word for word. He copied and pasted the actual job posting at the top of his resume under his contact information, titled the pasted ad "Summary of Skills" and emailed his resume as such to the company. He did not even delete the phrase "Equal Employment Opportunity Employer" from what he copied onto his resume.
He was called in for an interview within a couple days and offered the job!
Also, if you have an overwhelming number of other keywords not related to the position, you might also be excluded. Since the majority of your experience appears to be in something else or elsewhere, you will likely not fit the profile of a qualified candidate.
Whether or not the process is automated, computerized or manual, it is basically the same.
A job description is created formally or informally and a posting may come from that or be cobbled together on its own.
But, regardless of how this process goes, keywords are the filters, the criteria upon which the search for qualified candidates is based. Especially given the ginormous number of resumes and applications submitted nowadays.
First, foremost and exclusively, the lesson here is to use keywords in your resumes and applications that are not just synonymous but are exactly the same as the keywords in the job descriptions and postings to which you apply. And limit or exclude keywords that are not related to the positions for which you wish to be considered.
Unlike vampires, you must present a personal image which mirrors the image of the target job in order to survive the screen.
And if you think that this process of screening using keywords does not make sense for an employer considering huge numbers of applicants, consider this quote.
"If you think the products don't match what you want from a product, don't buy it." Donald Norman
If you want your resume pre-screened for keywords, please email BOTH your resume and the posting to which you are applying. My email address is wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
And be sure to check out our calendars of upcoming group meetings, seminars and events at http://www.jvsdet.org/ along with our job postings at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/.
Remember, keywords are the key to get you past security and in the front door.
The Good Enough category is necessary to get to the Choice Candidate category.
The overwhelming method of screening is based on determining a list of screener, or key, words. These keywords are used to filter IN resumes and applications that are to be moved along in the process, and screen OUT, eliminate, those that do not have at least a predetermined minimum of these words.
For example, someone with the job title of "secretary" on their resume, although they might be fully capable of performing, and experienced with, the duties of a receptionist, would be screened OUT and not included with the resumes moved along in the recruiting process. Without the keyword "receptionist" on their resume, they would be eliminated from consideration.
Your resume and application must have a majority, if not close to 100%, of those keywords to be included with those not eliminated during the initial screen.
I advised a job seeker about this and he took my advice word for word. He copied and pasted the actual job posting at the top of his resume under his contact information, titled the pasted ad "Summary of Skills" and emailed his resume as such to the company. He did not even delete the phrase "Equal Employment Opportunity Employer" from what he copied onto his resume.
He was called in for an interview within a couple days and offered the job!
Also, if you have an overwhelming number of other keywords not related to the position, you might also be excluded. Since the majority of your experience appears to be in something else or elsewhere, you will likely not fit the profile of a qualified candidate.
Whether or not the process is automated, computerized or manual, it is basically the same.
A job description is created formally or informally and a posting may come from that or be cobbled together on its own.
But, regardless of how this process goes, keywords are the filters, the criteria upon which the search for qualified candidates is based. Especially given the ginormous number of resumes and applications submitted nowadays.
First, foremost and exclusively, the lesson here is to use keywords in your resumes and applications that are not just synonymous but are exactly the same as the keywords in the job descriptions and postings to which you apply. And limit or exclude keywords that are not related to the positions for which you wish to be considered.
Unlike vampires, you must present a personal image which mirrors the image of the target job in order to survive the screen.
And if you think that this process of screening using keywords does not make sense for an employer considering huge numbers of applicants, consider this quote.
"If you think the products don't match what you want from a product, don't buy it." Donald Norman
If you want your resume pre-screened for keywords, please email BOTH your resume and the posting to which you are applying. My email address is wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
And be sure to check out our calendars of upcoming group meetings, seminars and events at http://www.jvsdet.org/ along with our job postings at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/.
Remember, keywords are the key to get you past security and in the front door.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
You Can't Get a Job Because of Your Age
Do you think your age is an issue in your job search?
Are you not getting any responses to your applications, your resumes, your phone calls because of your age?
Is your age keeping you from the interview?
Are you being discriminated against because of your age?
If you believe your age is an issue, that your age is keeping you from being considered as a candidate, is keeping you from being seen as qualified, and is keeping you from being interviewed, first ask yourself why you believe this is true.
What evidence, what proof do you have to support your belief that the employer has an issue with your age?
How does the employer, the recipient of your application, your resume, your cover letter know how old you are?
Are you giving them information that tells your age? Do you have to provide that information? Is that information required by the application? If information is not required, why provide it?
Even if you are required to provide certain information that reveals your age, how do you know that your age is the reason why you did not get a response or an interview? Is it possible that there are other reasons you have not heard from them?
Was your application, your resume one of hundreds, thousands? Did it get buried in the pile, the folder, lost in the electronic black hole in cyberspace? Did you do anything else, anything special, anything different to get noticed? How do you know it was your age?
Did you have all the keywords they were searching for? Did you write your resume to penetrate the screen, to get through the filters, to give them exactly what they wanted to see? How do you know it was your age?
Did you take the opportunity to present your value proposition, to present how you have and will deliver the ultimate result, to present how you can meet and exceed their bottom line? How do you know it was your age?
Did you follow up, stay in touch, continue to express through any and every means of communication your interest, your enthusiasm, your desire to make it happen FOR THEM, for their success? Or did you pester them without mercy because YOU NEED a job? How do you know it was your age?
Before you believe that age discrimination is keeping you from the interview, ask yourself if you have done any and every thing that you could to get noticed. And are you getting noticed in the most positive and appealing way?
We will discuss any possible issue with age as it relates to the interview itself in my next blog.
Over 50? Having a difficult time finding a job?
"Get a Job" workshops for Job Seekers Over 50 are being offered April 27 through April 30 at the JVS Southfield office. For details and to register, go to the workshop calendar at www.jvsdet.org, the Seminars/Events tab at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, or follow me on LinkedIn and our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit. Oh, yeah, and don't forget to follow JVS Detroit on Twitter.
"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes." Frank Lloyd Wright
Are you not getting any responses to your applications, your resumes, your phone calls because of your age?
Is your age keeping you from the interview?
Are you being discriminated against because of your age?
If you believe your age is an issue, that your age is keeping you from being considered as a candidate, is keeping you from being seen as qualified, and is keeping you from being interviewed, first ask yourself why you believe this is true.
What evidence, what proof do you have to support your belief that the employer has an issue with your age?
How does the employer, the recipient of your application, your resume, your cover letter know how old you are?
Are you giving them information that tells your age? Do you have to provide that information? Is that information required by the application? If information is not required, why provide it?
Even if you are required to provide certain information that reveals your age, how do you know that your age is the reason why you did not get a response or an interview? Is it possible that there are other reasons you have not heard from them?
Was your application, your resume one of hundreds, thousands? Did it get buried in the pile, the folder, lost in the electronic black hole in cyberspace? Did you do anything else, anything special, anything different to get noticed? How do you know it was your age?
Did you have all the keywords they were searching for? Did you write your resume to penetrate the screen, to get through the filters, to give them exactly what they wanted to see? How do you know it was your age?
Did you take the opportunity to present your value proposition, to present how you have and will deliver the ultimate result, to present how you can meet and exceed their bottom line? How do you know it was your age?
Did you follow up, stay in touch, continue to express through any and every means of communication your interest, your enthusiasm, your desire to make it happen FOR THEM, for their success? Or did you pester them without mercy because YOU NEED a job? How do you know it was your age?
Before you believe that age discrimination is keeping you from the interview, ask yourself if you have done any and every thing that you could to get noticed. And are you getting noticed in the most positive and appealing way?
We will discuss any possible issue with age as it relates to the interview itself in my next blog.
Over 50? Having a difficult time finding a job?
"Get a Job" workshops for Job Seekers Over 50 are being offered April 27 through April 30 at the JVS Southfield office. For details and to register, go to the workshop calendar at www.jvsdet.org, the Seminars/Events tab at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, or follow me on LinkedIn and our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit. Oh, yeah, and don't forget to follow JVS Detroit on Twitter.
"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes." Frank Lloyd Wright
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Goal Setting - GIVE what you WANT
On your journey to achieving your goals, this one shift in your mindset can radically change how the world around you responds to and receives you.
The process of goal setting can make you very myopic, very nearsighted, and "ME-focused."
If we really want to get what we want, we have to remember one of the oldest success principles. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Or as Zig Ziglar puts it, "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
What if that is true?
What if you knew for sure that everything you gave you would receive back tenfold?
How much would you give? What would you give? How fast would you give it?
What do you wnat? What attributes do you need to accomplish your goals?
Do you need more courage? Who can you encourage?
Do you need more strength? Who can you help strengthen?
Do you need more belief? Who can you believe in?
Do you need more confidence? Who can you instill confidence in?
Do you need more love? Who can you love?
This is how.
Give what you need and give what you want. What you give to others, you give to yourself. And the added bonus is somehow it multiplies itself back to you.
You need to decide what key attributes you need to accomplish your big, hairy and audacious goals, then figure out how you can go about giving that very thing away to others.
When you look at the world with an eye toward how you can give, instead of simply focusing on what you can get, the thing you desire will beat a path to your door.
Join others helping others finding jobs and new opportunities in the NextJobs~JVS Detroit group on LinkedIn.com.
And check out many more helpful resources at http://www.jvsdet.org/.
Email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Walt
The process of goal setting can make you very myopic, very nearsighted, and "ME-focused."
If we really want to get what we want, we have to remember one of the oldest success principles. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Or as Zig Ziglar puts it, "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
What if that is true?
What if you knew for sure that everything you gave you would receive back tenfold?
How much would you give? What would you give? How fast would you give it?
What do you wnat? What attributes do you need to accomplish your goals?
Do you need more courage? Who can you encourage?
Do you need more strength? Who can you help strengthen?
Do you need more belief? Who can you believe in?
Do you need more confidence? Who can you instill confidence in?
Do you need more love? Who can you love?
This is how.
Give what you need and give what you want. What you give to others, you give to yourself. And the added bonus is somehow it multiplies itself back to you.
You need to decide what key attributes you need to accomplish your big, hairy and audacious goals, then figure out how you can go about giving that very thing away to others.
When you look at the world with an eye toward how you can give, instead of simply focusing on what you can get, the thing you desire will beat a path to your door.
Join others helping others finding jobs and new opportunities in the NextJobs~JVS Detroit group on LinkedIn.com.
And check out many more helpful resources at http://www.jvsdet.org/.
Email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Walt
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Are you job seeker paparazzi?
You keep applying for jobs. You keep chasing the employer, the job, the photo opportunity. You are ruthless in your pursuit.
You apply online. You apply through Indeed.com and Monster and CareerBuilder and Dice.com and the Michigan Talent Bank and company websites and your school/community college/college/university/alumni association and other associations and LinkedIn and Facebook and many, many more cyberspaces.
You show up everywhere...at job fairs, open houses, career fairs, pink slip parties, networking events and association meetings.
Resumes and application stuff jammed in your pockets, you seek out and pursue wherever and whenever employers appear in public. You push past the other job seeker paparazzi and the bodyguards to get to the employer celebrity.
You have sent out dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resumes and applied everywhere.
But then you wait. You wait for them to review your application, your resume, your cover letter, your portfolio, your references, your LinkedIn profile and all of your documentation, your stuff. And you wait for them to deem you worthy. You wait for them to decide if you are good enough.
Why would someone call you in for an interview? What makes you special or at least different from all the others clammering for the job?
Your resume, your application is identical to, or very much like, every other resume and application. Maybe the words are a little bit different, but all that documentation looks pretty much the same.
How can you separate yourself from the crowd? How can you stand out from everyone else? How can you get their attention, interest, appreciation and respect?
The answer is in what you do next, what you do AFTER you apply.
What are you doing AFTER you apply? Are you acting like the ideal candidate who is active, patiently persistent, taking initiative, creative, interested and enthusiastic?
Or are you passive, annoying, impatient, a problem not a solution, tedious and boring, angry and hostile, demanding and a time waster?
What are you doing AFTER you apply?
For help in learning and putting into practice ways to speed up your job search success, visit JVS at www.jvsdet.org, join our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit, follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and/or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
You apply online. You apply through Indeed.com and Monster and CareerBuilder and Dice.com and the Michigan Talent Bank and company websites and your school/community college/college/university/alumni association and other associations and LinkedIn and Facebook and many, many more cyberspaces.
You show up everywhere...at job fairs, open houses, career fairs, pink slip parties, networking events and association meetings.
Resumes and application stuff jammed in your pockets, you seek out and pursue wherever and whenever employers appear in public. You push past the other job seeker paparazzi and the bodyguards to get to the employer celebrity.
You have sent out dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resumes and applied everywhere.
But then you wait. You wait for them to review your application, your resume, your cover letter, your portfolio, your references, your LinkedIn profile and all of your documentation, your stuff. And you wait for them to deem you worthy. You wait for them to decide if you are good enough.
Why would someone call you in for an interview? What makes you special or at least different from all the others clammering for the job?
Your resume, your application is identical to, or very much like, every other resume and application. Maybe the words are a little bit different, but all that documentation looks pretty much the same.
How can you separate yourself from the crowd? How can you stand out from everyone else? How can you get their attention, interest, appreciation and respect?
The answer is in what you do next, what you do AFTER you apply.
What are you doing AFTER you apply? Are you acting like the ideal candidate who is active, patiently persistent, taking initiative, creative, interested and enthusiastic?
Or are you passive, annoying, impatient, a problem not a solution, tedious and boring, angry and hostile, demanding and a time waster?
What are you doing AFTER you apply?
For help in learning and putting into practice ways to speed up your job search success, visit JVS at www.jvsdet.org, join our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit, follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and/or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
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