The Yellow Pages can provide surprisingly detailed assistance. A company once asked me to recruit for them a salesman with ten or more years experience in industrial caster sales. I knew nothing about industrial casters, but I was quickly able to locate companies that sold them by locating the heading in the Yellow Pages for Caster, Industrial. Once I knew the company names, the names of the top salespeople soon followed. The same process works for job hunters.
For example, suppose you have determined that your Special Ingredient is managing and streamlining bookkeeping procedures, and you have decided that you are interested in a job in the industrial caster industry. Having found the list of companies in the Yellow Pages, you simply call each company and ask whoever answers the telephone the name of the person who is in charge of all bookkeeping for the company. Then get the address of the company and politely hang up. On the very rare occasion that someone asks why you want the information, you respond that you may need to correspond with that person on a later date.
OPENING THE COMPANY BACK DOOR
Using all your resources-friends, acquaintances, business contacts, fellow alumni, directories, newspapers, Yellow Pages, and your trusty telephone-complete a list of 50 companies for which you would like to work. This list should include the name and title of the individual who supervises either the position you know to be open or the general area in which you would like to work. In the latter case, identify the person as high up as possible, such as the vice-president of marketing or the manager of administration or the chief engineer, as appropriate.
Now, write a personal note to each person on your list. The object of the note is to introduce yourself to that individual in a professional manner. The advantage of the note over an unannounced telephone call is that the note can be read at the convenience of the reader without interrupting a crucial part of the day. When you do talk ultimately with that person, you are no longer a complete stranger. The note should not be a pseudo-resume that would identify you as an active job hunter and automatically be routed to the personnel department Instead; the note should be a sincere request for assistance.
The note should summarize your background, emphasize your Special Ingredient, and state that you are researching your career options. Do not say that you are looking for a job. State that you would appreciate the advice of the addressee and will call him or her on a specific date, approximately one week hence, to talk and receive that advice. See the sample notes on the pages that follow.
The note should be written on personal stationery printed with your own letterhead at a quality printer. Very few people have their own personal envelopes and letterhead printed. Those who do immediately stand out, as somebody special and receive preferential attention. There is a saying in business that "it takes money to make money." The same sentiment applies to job hunting; do not be afraid to invest a few dollars in the extra frills. Such items significantly enhance your image and will be returned to you many times over in the form of a higher salary.
The address on the envelope should be handwritten. Hand written envelopes tend to be opened before those that are type written. The body of your note should be typewritten. Illegible handwriting may destroy the communication process and ruin the image you are beginning to cultivate. Address the envelope to the person by name, not simply by title. Address the envelope, ‘PERSONAL’ in large letters on the outside. This is to encourage the addressee to open the envelope quickly and discourage all but the nosiest secretaries and mailroom clerks from opening it first.
If you are unemployed, you should mail 25 new notes each day and do follow-up telephone calls on 25 old notes mailed the previous week. If you are working now, 10 notes and 10 follow-up calls each day should be your goal.
Shortcut: The note-writing step can be skipped in the interests of efficiency only when you can express yourself on the telephone much better than on paper, or when you believe time to be of the essence.
If you do slip this step, recognize that you have to overcome some significant disadvantages. You are a complete stranger when you want to speak. Normally, this is not a problem unless you encounter a very protective secretary. If the secretary asks you the purpose of the call, you respond that you are calling in reference to personal correspondence and that the supervisor should be expecting your call.
Once the supervisor is on the line, you begin pursuit of your first objective, building rapport, by pleasantly introducing yourself, referring to the note you have mailed, and requesting a few minutes of the individual's time to obtain career information and advice. Explain that, on the basis of what you know about the individual's background and position, you believe that his or her advice would be very valuable to you. Few people will refuse a sincere request for help. Relaxed sincerity and enthusiasm are the keys to building the rapport which, in turn, is essential to obtaining the individual's further cooperation.