Many job-seekers are reluctant to follow every blind lead from every referral they get. You can't blame them. After a while, most job-seekers realize that many leads are dead ends and a total waste of time. On the other hand some leads are bound to be super productive. Without benefit of a crystal ball, you can't tell which is which. So if you're going to land quickly, you'll have to follow every lead, even if you're convinced beforehand that it's a loser. The least likely person may well be the one to get you your job or lead you to the man who does.
A young financial executive I counseled was told by a prospective boss that he didn't have sufficient qualifications for an opening he was being considered for. But the prospective boss was kind enough to suggest that the young man talk to a CPA friend, and the young man followed through. The CPA had no job to offer either. But a couple of weeks later one of the CPA's clients asked him whether he knew of a person with precisely the qualifications of the young financial executive. The client firm never placed an ad for this job opening because the young man was introduced by the CPA and landed the job. Leads have a way of snowballing. But you have to keep the snowball rolling. Don't overlook any referrals.
One further thought on follow-up: If your prospective boss suggests calling back in a week, do it in precisely seven days. Don't take a chance on his being out of town on the eighth day.
Don't overtax yourself-remember job search is a full-time job you must do in your spare time
Nine months ago an executive I had coached dropped by. He looked haggard. When I asked if he had a problem, he pointed to his appointment book. Believe it or not, although this executive already held a demanding position, he had squeezed fourteen job interviews into the previous week. Every lunch hour was taken up. It so happened that this man had to travel to get to his interviews, and so he had skipped lunch as a result. He had four 8:00 A.M. appointments, so he skipped breakfast. He had several mid afternoon and evening appointments as well. No wonder he was haggard, and hungry to boot. I asked the executive why he made so many interview appointments in such a short period. He explained that in the previous three weeks he had sent out one hundred letters to professional recruiting firms, one hundred more letters directly to companies, and, on top of this, had answered thirty or so newspaper ads. He was overwhelmed with interview offers. Obviously he didn't pace himself well.
There are two reasons why you should not try to do too much in too little time:
- You could lose your job. If you're out of the office too often, it could be noticed. If your boss knows you're leaving, he might fire you and be done with it.
- You can't do a professional job if you're going too fast to keep up undoubtedly you'll fore go follow-up letters simply because you won't have time to write them. You'll probably have greater difficulty remembering names and faces because you'll meet so many people in so short a time span. Chances are you won't have an opportunity to look up the annual report of each of the companies you interview simply because you are running so fast.
Keep in mind that each interview you set up with a professional recruiter will probably result in one or more interviews with company officials within two or three weeks. Each company you meet with once may want to meet with you again. Your best bet is to let the number of interviews you can reasonably handle guide you in determining the number of letter or phone contacts you should make. You'll have to experiment. Just take it easy at the start.
As I suggested at the beginning, there isn't a hidden hazard in job search that's not easily avoided. The problem is that all too many job-seekers think their situation is different and so the hazard won't apply to them. The fact of the matter, however, is that the pitfalls I've suggested are those that job-seekers fall into every day. And I've seen the results: perfectly capable people out of work for months and even years, or in jobs that will undoubtedly set their careers back. And so this parting thought: Don't just use the tools you've learned to look for another job, but use them as part of a systematic, well-organized campaign that you tackle in dead earnest. The potential result of any job search is the best job you've ever had. It's worth your best efforts to secure it.
