Talking to people is how most job openings are filled. This should be no great surprise for a variety of reasons.
From the potential employer's point of view: It's basic human nature for employers to want to hire people they know and trust or who have been recommended. For this reason, talking with an employer face-to-face or on the phone before applying for a position will build more rapport than sending a resume.
It's a relatively hassle-free process. Most employers hate to slog through a pile of resumes to unearth a few truly qualified candidates. But they can quickly find great applicants through employees and friends, who won't risk damaging a valued relationship by referring people who can't handle the position or who have poor attitudes.
It's inexpensive. We're talking a few phone calls, maybe a lunch or two, rather than running costly ads or paying possibly gut-wrenching executive search fees.
From the job seeker's perspective: Networking can provide information about a position or company that can help you interview more effectively than more out-of-the-loop competitors. Networking can give you a feel for whether you want to work for a potential employer.
Being recommended by a mutual friend or trusted colleague gives you an aura of credibility that responding to an ad, sending direct-mail letters or working through a search firm can never duplicate.
How to Use Contacts
There are two ways to use contacts when job hunting: a direct referral for a job opening or a networking appointment. Generally, a direct referral will result in your sending an employer a cover letter and resume tailored to a specific position, while a networking appointment or information interview allows you to explore various possibilities with no particular job in mind. Here's how to create cover letters and resumes based on both types of networking assistance.
Start networking by listing current contacts that are likely to be valuable sources of information, whether their careers interest you or not. Relatives, friends, friends of friends, colleagues, fellow members of professional organizations, alumni of your college or fraternity, people in your church, health club, Softball team or continuing education class all can provide helpful insights about their companies or industries and suggest names of other contacts as well.
These people know you, like you and have your best interests at heart. While you may feel uncomfortable asking them for advice and contacts, your willingness to request help shows that you trust them enough to risk being in their debt. The old cliché, "The best way to solidify a relationship is to ask for help," is only too true during a job search. So give your friends a chance to nurture you, and everyone will benefit from the experience.
A variety of other contacts that you don't already know can provide excellent information on companies, industries and jobs. Professors at local colleges and universities, continuing education course instructors, professionals in state employment offices, exhibitors and speakers at conventions-even potential employers that you contact directly-have insights and advice to offer if you're willing to ask for their input.
A relatively new and highly active job-search network has developed on the Internet via a variety of specialty bulletin boards and user groups. If you have a computer and a modem, give them a try. You may be amazed at the number of jobs listed and the amount of information you can glean from fellow board buddies as you "surf" through cyberspace.
Cover-Letter Information from Networking Appointments
Information interviews are helpful in determining what a potential employer might require in a job candidate. Use these networking appointments to learn about different industries and companies and uncover positions not typically advertised or filled through executive search firms. These interviews differ from employment interviews in several important ways;
They're less stressful because you're asking for information, not a job.
You're the interviewer, researching the job market during these meetings, while the company representative is the interviewee.
You take the initiative to set up the appointment, not the employer.
Because this interview is a friendly conversation, not a mutual sales discussion, it doesn't carry the expectation of a job offer. Without this pressure, both parties needn't worry about revealing the "skeleton in the closet" and can be candid about their requirements, expectations, strengths and challenges.
Why would potential contacts be open to spending their valuable time with someone they don't know? There are at least three good reasons:
- They like talking about themselves and expressing their opinions while basking in your undivided attention. How often can any of us play the expert to a genuinely appreciative audience?
- It may not always be evident, but most people have a streak of altruism. If you're honestly asking for information-and not covertly seeking a job-potential interviewers will probably empathize with your situation.
- Meeting with you is a low-risk way to find a potentially excellent candidate. Few employers enjoy the process of finding a new employee. It's time consuming, expensive, and fraught with potential misjudgment. With networking, you do all the work and they get all the credit. You set up the appointment, do preliminary research, prepare a list of questions in advance, take the interviewing lead and send an enthusiastic thank-you note. The two of you build a relationship without the stress accompanying a typical employment interview. It's hard for potential employers not to admire your approach. Should they or a friend have an opening that matches your background, it's in their best interest to take advantage of your availability. If they hire you, they've saved themselves the angst and expense of an ad or executive search firm. And if they discover you for a friend, they may be rewarded with a favor or two down the line.
When you call to schedule your appointment, your half of the conversation should go something like this: "This is Taunee Besson. Jim Beverly suggested I give you a call. [If you have a referral, mention his name as quickly as possible.]You gain credibility because your contact knows that Jim wouldn't recommend a nincompoop.
Robert Half's Resumania
In a recent cover letter, a New York candidate came up with an interesting reason for being willing to relocate: "Because my wife and I are newlyweds, we suffer the sort of pressure from both families that all young, recently married people experience. For that reason, a move away from New York would not only alleviate this pressure on us, it would force us to forge a closer bond as we stand together in a strange and new environment."
I wonder how many members of both families got to see his resume. [Real loser.] I'm leaving Sears after a 15-year stint, and I'm trying to find out if the types of projects I handled there are relevant to the world at large. Jim thought you would be an excellent person for me to talk to because you left the company several years ago and forged a successful career in an entirely different industry. If you're willing, I would like to meet you in your office for about 30 minutes, and ask you some key questions. I know your answers will provide important insights concerning my potential long-term career options. I'm free Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoon. Would any of those times be convenient for you?"
After you make the appointment, head to the library to do some research on your interviewee's company and industry and then prepare a list of questions based on your research and your contact's professional experience.
You might address some of the following issues:
How did your interviewee make the transition from one industry to another?
What have his career path and educational background been to date?
Where does he hope to go from here?
What does he most enjoy and dislike about his job, company, industry?
What does he think are his greatest challenges, now and in the future?
What are the skills, personality traits and backgrounds needed to be successful in his department, company, industry?
Where does he envision his department, company, industry heading in the future?
Who else does he think you should contact? Usually interviewees enjoy serving as referral sources.
In fact, if you network wisely, there's a good chance you won't have to cold-call or write letters to strangers. This is an advantage because correspondence sent to someone who knows you aren't likely to go into the round file. You'll also be able to tailor your queries to the specific needs of your recipients.
After you've developed rapport with your interviewee by asking questions, tell him about your background, goals, skills and values. Keep your description concise and clear. It may help to practice your statement about your ideal job ahead of time. This way, you'll have your two to three-minute "commercial" ready to go. After describing your goals, ask your contact for any ideas he might have about compensation, people and companies you should target. He may even consider the possibility of hiring you himself.
As you talk with your interviewee, consider taking notes. Jotting down his perspective of your qualifications, industry or company trends, correctly spelled contact names, compensation estimates and position requirements for available openings might be useful as your job search progresses. It's a lot easier to be accurate if you have this information on paper rather than in the remote recesses of your already overloaded brain.
As quickly as possible after the interview, write down the more subjective knowledge you gathered from the meeting. Include how you felt about the interviewee, the company and its policies, and your potential for landing a satisfying position there. Also, note the best way to follow up on this appointment. Store these notes in a binder, on cards or in your computer for future reference. If you conduct the 20 to 30 networking discussions typical of most job seekers, you'll need this informal record to remind you of each of your interviewee's specifications.
