Finding Jobs Through Contacts
January 4, 2010
What You Will Learn
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I work in the employment industry and a large part of my business is devoted to (1) helping people identify job opportunities through consolidating job listings from hundreds of sources, (2) creating new résumés and cover letters for people from scratch and (3) mass mailing résumés to targeted employers that match the interests and the geographical preferences of the applicants. However, I believe one of the best ways for people to get a job is by utilizing their own personal contacts.
The easiest way to procure work through people you know is to simply send an email, or pick up the phone, and (I am not kidding) speak with these people about nothing at all. If the subject of your job search comes up during the conversation, great. If it does not, that’s fine too. I feel this simple tactic may be the easiest way to get a job that I know of.
In sales, one of the things I’ve seen over and over is that salespeople are always the most excited about new leads. Salespeople spend most of their time trying to find new people to buy products and are mostly concerned with people who appear ready to buy right here and now. I see this a lot in automobile sales, for example. Picture an auto dealership where you pull up to find 10+ salespeople standing outdoors waiting to ask if they can help you. Imagine instead, if each time someone came into the dealership, the salesperson asked them for their contact information? What if that salesperson proceeded to call all his compiled contacts periodically to see if they were interested in a new car? Imagine the number of contacts this salesperson would have after 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Would this make a difference for his sales?
This is, in fact, what the greatest car salesman of all time, Joe Girard, did in his work–he never let a customer out of his grip. According to one website:
After building homes for 13 years, Girard turned to autos. He sold cars from 1963 to 1977, starting at 267 units a year, rising to an all-time record of 1,425 units, and retiring at 855 units to write books. Girard had his own office at the dealership and hired two assistants out of his pocket, one to help recruit and market sales, one to prep new cars, assess trade-ins, and coordinate service requests. He sent out nearly 13,000 greeting cards a month to his customers, celebrating everything from Halloween to Groundhog Day. He paid out thousands to a network of people who referred sales–priests, teachers, plant foremen, students, and mechanics–before the practice was discouraged by the Big Three.
This sort of follow up–making sure that people remember you and staying in touch, is what truly builds relationships, and, in the sales market, is what translates into results. There are lessons here that can be learned regarding the job market in general as well.
Throughout your life and career, chances are you’ve met innumerable individuals who can assist you in your job search. Many of these people have job openings they can help you interview for, or know people who can assist you in finding employment. Look at your life and the people you have known in the past. How many people have you lost track of? How many of those do you wish you would have kept in touch with? Imagine what a difference it would make if you could reactivate just 10 or 15 percent of your old professional contacts to come to your aid in your job search.
You certainly can find jobs by hanging out on a job board or contacting employers directly. You can also find jobs by doing a targeted mass-mailing to employers. And still, one of the best ways to find a job is by networking with people who already know you or you’ve known in the past. Re-establish as many connections as you can while you are conducting your job search. It can only help you.
Once you have identified those who may be able to assist you in your job search, I would recommend you very earnestly and deliberately re-establish contact with them. Send an email or place a call to them and reconnect, then simply update them on what you are doing. You do not need to tell these people you are looking for a job at the start of the conversation–it will come up as the conversation progresses. Most people are inclined to want to help, or at the very least, offer career advice.
Everyone wants acknowledgment and needs to be heard. Part of what you’re doing when you contact people you’ve spoken with in the past is acknowledging them. If it’s your fault you haven’t spoken with them in a long time tell them so, and apologize. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by contacting people from your past and enlisting them in your job search. Very often, you will find you need not even ask for help. Just letting people know you are searching is often enough. Once people realize you are available, you may find referrals come your way without even looking for them.
I am a major proponent of using every means necessary to find a job. Our websites are a valuable tool for many job-seekers. In the end however, what it really comes down to when you want a job is people and relationships. People are the ones who give you jobs–not computers, not letters or email. Your contacts are one of your greatest assets.
Get people in your corner. Enlist everyone you can in your job search. Contact those you know from your past (professionally and personally) to chat about how they are doing. The reward for human interaction and putting yourself out there is you’ll know the market better. And you may just find your dream job–all without the aid of any job search service. This is how people typically found employment in the past; now may be just the time to get back to this way of doing business.
Keep a Broad Perspective When Looking for a Job
December 30, 2009
What You Will Learn
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People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for circumstances they want, and, if they cannot find them, make them.
-George Bernard Shaw
Experts have predicted the American economy may fall into such dire straits it might become impossible for anyone to obtain a loan. The time may come when everything needs to be paid for in cash. Imagine if the situation became so dire that the few jobs available didn’t even pay well. Or that even those professions known for bringing in six figures or more saw their incomes cut significantly. Imagine if people across the land rode bicycles because they couldn’t afford their cars anymore, and the roads went left in disrepair. And your country was at war.
How bad does this sound to you? While some may be suggesting this is where our economy is headed, the fact is this is already happening in many places around the world.
One of the largest mistakes people make when thinking about their job search is failing to maintain their perspective. People do not realize how many opportunities there are in the market, how much they are capable of, and how much they can personally achieve. They fail to factor in their own potential.
You may not realize this, but, regardless of the sort of job you are seeking, you can find it. There are probably lots of people out there who think otherwise. You may think otherwise. However, it is important to remember and believe in your personal potential.
Despite your current situation, no matter how dire it may seem, you are literally surrounded by a smorgasbord of opportunities. If you are not taking advantage of them, you are missing out. Sometimes you have to seek out the opportunities or create them yourself. Being able to do this is crucial, and can make all the difference in your quest for success.
Let me share with you some of the opportunities that exist of which you may be unaware. In sharing each of these opportunities with you, I also want you to understand the only thing preventing you from taking advantage of these opportunities is your perspective.
Consider the following career advice:
-There are opportunities with employers with whom you’ve already interviewed;
-There are opportunities with employers you’ve worked with in the past;
-There are opportunities with co-workers with whom you’ve worked in the past;
-You can apply for jobs for which you are underqualified;
-You can apply for jobs for which you are overqualified;
-You can apply for jobs that are in cities, states, or countries other than where you are now;
-You can send your résumé to employers to whom you have already sent your résumé in the past;
-You can send your résumé to employers who are not hiring in your city, just to see what happens;
-You can send your résumé to employers who are not hiring all over your state, just to see what happens (you can use EmploymentAuthority to do this);
-You can cold-call employers all over your city to see if they have work;
-You can ask friends if they know of any openings;
-You can visit the website of every employer in the United States to see if they have jobs (you can use Hound to do this);
-You can visit the websites of every employer and every job site in the country, and apply to the jobs that match your interests (you can use EmploymentCrossing to do this);
-You can apply for jobs all weekend;
-You can reapply for jobs all weekend;
-You can read about how to be a better interviewer in your spare time;
-You can practice your interview skills with an employer or loved one;
-You can research how to write good cover letters;
-You can get your résumé professionally written (you can use RésuméApple to do this);
-You can meditate about the best ways to get a job, and visualize securing your perfect job;
-You can ask your grocer, doctor, and others if they know of any job openings.
When you shift your perspective, you will see opportunities you might otherwise have missed. When you keep your mind open, you become aware of all the potential that exists. You will see the world is wide open for you, no matter what the experts might say.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.