NETWORKING BY DIRECTLY CONTACTING COMPANIES

One of the most effective networking activities you can engage in, as part of your search for a new job or career, is to contact companies directly.  Since most of the available jobs are in what’s known as “the hidden job market”, it is important that you make your background and skills known to as many companies as possible.

Remember, however, that you want to do this in a targeted way.  Before you start writing letters to companies you need to know 3 things:

What companies (industries) do you want to work for?

Who do you want to write the letter to?

What will your letter contain?

Be sure when you start this process that you have decided which companies or industry you will be targeting for your job search.  You can get an idea of the variety and number of industries in the US by consulting the Directory of the Standard Industrial Classification System (http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sicsearch.html) .  The 4-6 digit codes will be helpful in identifying and contacting candidate companies listed in the State Industrial Directories (see previous blog post).

SEND YOUR LETTER TO A FUNCTIONAL MANAGER

You do not want to send your letter to Human Resources, and you do not want to write a letter asking if the company has any jobs available or to be considered for employment.  You should send your letter to the functional manager who will know what the personnel needs of his business or department are.  If you are looking for a sales job, write to the sales manager.  If you are looking for a job in production, write to the Director of Operations.

Believe it or not, employment by a company, large or small, is based on making contacts rather than asking for a job up front. 

Networking with letters of introduction is much more effective than going door-to-door with your resume and asking if the company is hiring.  For one thing, one of the jobs of a receptionist is to keep people he/ she thinks are not important or of interest to the management at bay.  Same thing is true of an executive’s secretary.

So your letter needs to be a request for a meeting, and it needs to be addressed not to HR, but to the executive himself (or herself).  Address the letter to them personally.  Do not be afraid to put “Personal” on the envelope. 

In the letter, describe your goal, which is to seek a new job or career.  Ask the executive for the opportunity to sit down with them and ask them for advice about the job market, about their industry, or advice on how best to conduct your search.  Tell them, as well, that you would like to talk to them about what opportunities there might be in their industry for someone with your background, skills and experience. 

Do not ask for a job in your letter.  If there is an opportunity with the executive’s company, he will tell you during your meeting.  You can bring it up during your meeting, as well, in a casual way.

BE SURE YOU ARE WRITING TO THE PROPER PERSON(S)

No one knows better than corporate executives what the personnel needs of the company are.  They actually know more about that than Human Resources.  The President, Director of Operations, VP of Marketing, Director of Purchasing, or VP of Finance will know what jobs exist or what openings are anticipated in the near future.  The functional managers also know others in the industry you could talk to, and can give you recommendations and introductions. These are the people you write to.

If you are looking for a Marketing job, write to the VP of Marketing for example.  Writing to the President is effective because he will forward your letter to a functional manager that he thinks might have an interest in your background.

IT IS CRITICAL TO FOLLOW UP

About 7 days after you have sent your letter, follow up on the phone with those you wrote letters to.  You will be surprised how many will remember your letter and will talk with you.  Ask for an appointment to sit down with them and get their views and perspectives.  Be sure that you tell them that you expect only 10 – 15 minutes of their time.  Even so, you will be pleased at how many will actually spend more time with you.

Remember, executives enjoy sharing their knowledge, and they appreciate your feeling that their input is important to the success of your search for a new job or career.

Once you have had 5-6 of these meetings, you contact list will have grown even larger, and therefore the chances of you landing your next job or career will increase geometrically.

In the next post we will discuss the writing of the contact letters that you will send to key executives in your targeted companies.

If you have any questions, be sure to contact me at execmgmt.search@gmail.com

YOUR NETWORK IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK

Once you have completed your resume, and have decided what kind of job of career you are going to look for, you need to advertise the fact that you are available to hire.  You also need to let prospective employers know what you have unique talents that will be of value to them.  This is the true value of your own personal network…an effective, personalized tool to let others know that you are looking for employment.

Many of you who are looking for a job these days are probably not aware of just how rich a network you have to assist you in finding your next job or assist you in changing your career.

If you think about it, your own network consists of some or all of the following:

• Family
• Friends
• Co-workers at your current or former job
• Contacts at previous employers
• Contacts at competitors of your company
• Customers
• Your neighbors
• Fellow members of community organizations (such as Lions Club, Optimists Club, Rotary Club, etc.)

And  you can expand your network by joining networking clubs, signing on to networking websites (like Linked IN, or Gray Hair Management), or attending meet and greets organized by church, Chamber of Commerce or other private and government organizations.

One good approach to expanding your contact list is to ask each of the people on your initial list (your friends, family, coworkers, etc.) 3 questions.

• Do you know of any companies that are hiring?
• Have you heard of any companies who might be hiring?
• Can you give me 4-5 names of people you know that might help me in my job search?

This will give you a big list of additional contacts you can make.  Be sure to get the name, company, title, and phone number for each contact you are given.

My suggestion then, is to write each of these contacts a letter of introduction.  The letter is a way of letting the new contact know that you are looking for a new position or career, and a brief description of your skills and background.  You should also let the new contact know who it was who referred you to him/ her.  Ask them if you can make an appointment to meet them.

Do not ask networking contacts for a job.

Don’t ask for a job in your first contact letter.  Ask them for an appointment to meet with them to discuss what suggestions they have that would help you in your search.  What you want is information…nothing more.  Have no fear, though, this networking will eventually lead to that one, two or three contacts who will say something like, “You know, we’ve been looking for someone with your background!”

And then, your discussion of working for that company begins, and if you are interested in a position with that company…that is the time to express an interest in a job with them.

So develop your network.  It will take time, but it will be time well spent.  I will talk in a later post about the best letters for introducing yourself to networking contacts.

If you have any questions, or suggestions, let me know.

THINGS MAY BE IMPROVING ON THE EMPLOYMENT FRONT

It may be that the employment market is easing as we get to the end of 2009.

I am seeing that there are more and more companies saying that they are planning to hire people in the management ranks in 2010, even a number anticipating some level of hiring during the first quarter.

I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal (http://www.wbjournal.com/news45308.html) on line that said that job cuts are falling, down to the lowest level since the end of 2007!

This is a cause for optimism, and optimism is essential to the success of your job search or career change effort. Remember, the job market is still difficult, and there are still plenty of companies who are not actively looking to hiring new managers.  But there are also a number of companies that are and so there is no doubt that you will get a job eventually. 

Your reward of a new job will be in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in to your search...and it will also come more easily if you maintain your belief in yourself that tells you that even if it takes several months, you will find a job.

SHOULD YOU USE A FUNCTIONAL OR CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME?

It is always difficult, when you are looking for a new job, seeking new employment opportunities or a career change to decide what kind of resume to write.

Do I use a functional format or a chronological format?  What do I include in each one?

THE CHORONOLOGICAL RESUME    

The Chronological Resume is best if you are looking for a new job and do not want to make a significant career change or switch to a new industry.    

This format works well since it details who you worked for and what you did at each employer, and what kinds of positions you have held. In a Chronological Resume, you detail your accomplishments at each employer during your career to date.    

Include only 4 or 5 bullet points, and use as many statistical references as you can.  Numbers always impress, and they catch the eye of the hiring manager or HR professional reviewing your resume.

A website that might be helpful is  Askresume.com: 

http://askresume.com/exfunctional.html

THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME

The Functional Resume is best if you are looking to change careers or trying to find employment in a new industry.  This format is effective because it focuses the prospective employer, recruiter or human relations manager on the kinds of experience you have had during your career.

In a Functional Resume, you detail the kinds of positions and responsibilities you have had.  The list of employers you have worked for goes at the end, and is therefore minimized.
 

What does your resume REALLY say about you?

I look at dozens of resumes every day.  I have seen almost every kind of resume and every format imaginable.  And everytime I read a resume, I ask 2 questions:

1)  Who is this candidate?

2)  What is his experience?

3)  And how does it relate to my client's business (is he/ she qualified?)

I, and prospective employers too, can only take a moment to get an initial impression of a candidate from his resume. If it is wordy and looks like War and Peace, if it is more than 2-3 pages, it will likely go into the "not interested" pile.

There is one thing that I do not often see on resumes that I think are important:  A brief description of each company you worked for and the business they are in or products they make.

Also, you should not put your salary history on your resume, or write the reasons you left a company on your resume.  These are two topics for discussion, not inclusion in your resume.

I hope this is helpful.  More to come in the next few days.

A CAREER CHANGE QUESTION FROM A READER

I received this question from a reader not long ago.  It typifies some of the frustration that I know many of you feel in trying to change industries.  Perhaps my answer will be helpful in those situations.

Hi Gordon,

I have 30 years progressive operations management experience in the pulp and paper industry, including the last 14 years as a General Manager/Mill Manager over progressively larger paper mill operations for 2 different major industry corporations.

While I have always considered my technical background (BS and MS in Pulp and Paper Tech - a specialization of Chem Eng) and leadership experience to be easily transferable, I am becoming frustrated in my attempts to target and apply for operations management positions in the chemical industry.

I am getting little or no response at all to my inquiries in that direction, and I feel it may be due to a feeling that my experience is not transferable to either specialty or commodity chemical production. Almost all of the processes used are common between the paper and chemical industries, and the typical operating schemes of the respective facilities are nearly identical.

Also, the paper industry is a huge consumer of both specialty and commodity grade chemicals.

As such, I am at a loss as to why I am not generating any interest at all with the chemical producers. Do you have any thoughts on why this is, and how I can convince them of the value of my paper industry experience as it pertains to their operations?

RH

RH,

I would suggest a three-fold approach:

1) Take the focus off your Pulp and Paper industry experience, and put it on your management in a chemical-related industry. Do this with a summary at the beginning of your resume. It need only be 3-4 sentences...not long.

2) In bullet points under each job, highlight accomplishments and involvements that are directly chemical related. Be as detailed as you can, giving results and effects you had on the organization or operations.

3) Apply directly to chemical companies you are interested in working for. DO NOT send your resume to HR. Send it to such people as the Operations Manager, Director of Operations, VP of Manufacturing or President...you get the idea, I think. They will see the value in your skills and how they relate to chemical operations better than HR.

I hope this helps...watch my blog. I will go into this in more detail soon in a future post.

Gordon

NETWORKING: Making the unbearable bearable

I remember when I got laid off from a job I had for 10 years.  I was miserable.  It was like I was mourning the death of a friend.

Then I started to talk with all my friends, not only those at my company, but those I knew in college, at church, my family, and my neighbors.  They all had suggestions, many of which were very good.  I hooked up with an outplacement firm with the support of my company, and made even more contacts.

This is networking.  And this is how it helps you bear the unbearable.  Everyone knows someone who has lost a job.  Friends and associates can give you support, empathize, and help you meet other people, some of whom might know who's hiring.

And they might be hiring also!

So while you are making the contacts and following up on them, you have a sense of going forward.  A sense that with every new person you meet, or every conversation you have, you are getting closer to that job that you know you will get sooner or later.

So for comradery, empathy for your situation, support, and most of all, connections that can help you learn who would like to hire you...network.  If you keep records of who you meet, and when, you will find that it gives you a sense of accomplishment as well...even before you get the offer you want, that you know you are going to get.

KEEPING YOUR SPIRITS UP: Dealing with the ups and downs of searching for a new job

Once you get past the immediate shock and anger about losing your job, the emotional roller coaster does not stop.  We’ve all been there…including ME!

There are some things that you can do to make the job search process more bearable.

1)      Finding a job IS a job.  Get up in the morning just as you would if you were going to the office.  Create a daily routine for yourself.

2)      Take advantage of the 4 main sources of job leads:  direct contact (letters, phone calls, etc.); contact search firms; job search sites (CareerBuilder, Monster, The Ladders, etc.) and lastly, look at newpaper listings (WSJ, NYT and local papers)

3)      Keep a log of your activities and your leads.  This will serve as a visible confirmation of the efforts and progress you are making…you will feel less like you are “spinning your wheels”.

4)      Keep a detailed list of your solid new job leads.  You may get many at first.  As you go through discussions with search firms or companies, the list will coalesce and soon you will have 5-7 solid opportunities.  This is a “critical mass” and will likely result in an offer of a new job.

Searching for the right job or career change is a deliberate process.  Usually landing the right opportunity will not happen overnight.  Figure your job search will last as long as a month for each $10,000 of salary you are seeking.

A good work ethic, a daily routine, and down time on weekends will help keep up your spirits and will land you your next career opportunity.

RESUME ADVICE FOR TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS

If you are a technical professional (that is, Research Scientist, Technician, Research Manager, etc.) and you have patents issued to you and technical papers you have published, I would suggest that you NOT list them in your resume.

All a list like this does is add more pages to your resume.  Most potential employers are not interested in the details of your patents or technical publications when they are reviewing your resume. 

The best thing to do would be to mention at the end of your resume how many patents you have and in what general field, and how many technical papers (roughly...even "several" or "a number of" would be sufficient) you have published, and on what general subject matter.  This way, the reader can get a snap shot of your patent activity and get a quick impression of your publishing history.

Details of patents and published papers can be discussed during the interview or supplied on request of the potential employer.

WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR RESUME?

A resume is one of the most important documents in your search for a new job or career change. Your resume is a statement of who you are. It is what introduces you to potential employers. It is what details you skills, your accomplishments, your history.  It should be no more than 3 pages long, with no more than 2 pages being best.

YOUR HISTORY

Your resume must, in one form or other give a detailed chronological history of your career to date. Even if yours is a functional resume, you need to include who you worked for and when you worked for them.

You only need to include your last 10 years of employment.

In addition to the name of each company you worked for, and your dates of employment, be sure to include a brief description of the company. This should include what business they are in, what products they make, services they provide, who their customers are, and any other information that would describe the company.

Should you include the reasons you left?

In my opinion, as a recruiter, you should not include the reasons you left each job in your written resume. The reasons are appropriate for discussion during an interview, but if written in the resume, can give the potential employer an excuse not to interview you. You also do not get the opportunity to describe the circumstances in depth if you do not get the interview.

YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Include detailed accomplishments for each company you worked for. There are a few rules of thumb that apply here:

• Use bullet points to describe your accomplishments.
• Include only 4-5 bullet points, your most important accomplishments.
• Statistical accomplishments, such as “Increased sales 5%” or “Achieved 1,255 accident free days in the plant during my tenure as Safety Director”, are the most effective.
• Keep descriptions brief and to the point.

YOUR EDUCATION

Include the details of the schools you attended. If you attended college, you do not need to include your high school’s details.

You need to include your college’s name and address, as well as the degree(s) you earned, and the dates when you received each degree. Include all college’s you attended, even for a year.

YOUR SALARY HISTORY?

You do not want to include your salary history in your resume. This should only be discussed verbally (we will talk about salary discussions and negotiations in later posts).

There are other considerations about what should be included in your resume. Most of them are based on your own individual situation or circumstances and goals.

If you have any specific questions about what to include on your resume, please drop me a line and ask. I will be happy to help.

WHAT KIND OF RESUME IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

There are many opinions about what a candidate’s resume should look like. In truth, it all depends on the individual and what kind of message he (or she) wants to convey to a prospective employer.

• Do you want the employer to know more about who you worked for and when?
• Do you want the employer to know more about your skills and experience?

Is it more important that a prospective employer know what skills and experience you have?

This is true if you are looking to change industries, or if you are applying for a job that is a different function than what you have done before. One example of this would be an engineer who wants to change from production to sales/ marketing. What about your engineering experience is applicable to sales and marketing? This is a more important question to ask in this case than describing what companies you worked for and when.

In this case a functional resume would be appropriate. Your chronology is not left out, but it occupies a smaller part of your resume than a detailed description of your skills and accomplishments.

Are you applying for a job with a company in the same industry as your current or former employer? In this case, it would more important that the prospective employer know who you have worked for, and in what capacity. This is because the employer will find value in your having worked for a competitor or a company in the same or similar industry. This is a significant indicator of success.

Also, some companies only what to hire people who have worked in their industry, or a related industry.

If this is the case, then a chronological resume is the best.

This is the most common kind of resume used by candidates looking for a job. There are a number of on-line sites to find examples and templates for various kinds of resumes. One you might try is: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/ct101448941033.aspx . 

There are certainly others you might find, but do your research and decide what form will work best for you.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me now in an e-mail (email address is on this page).

TARGETING COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH

One of the first things that someone asks when they start a job search is:

Who am I going to work for?

This question is more important than you think.

Determining who or where you would like to work (or perhaps more importantly where you don’t want to work) deserves careful and detailed research.

Remember…Doing research at the beginning will help you avoid disappointment in your job and career search.
 You should answer 4 questions before you start your search

• What do I want to do?
• What companies do I want to work for (or what industry do I want to work in)?
• Do I want to change industries?
• Am I willing to relocate? If so, is there anyplace I would not want to live?

 Once you have answered these questions, then you can take advantage of a number of resources available to help you find companies you will want to work for.

One of the best staring points for me has always been the State Industrial Directories. They are available at your local library. If you live near a college or university, you may find that they have a complete set for all 50 states.

The value of the State Industrial Directories lies in the detailed information that is available about even some of the smaller companies in each state. The Directories are organized by company name and also by SIC code and location. In addition, each company listing includes the names and titles of key management personnel at each location. More detailed information about using the State Industrial Directories will be included in a forthcoming blog post.

In addition to the State Industrial Directories, there are data bases available which are also available at your local library. Many libraries subscribe to these. Data bases such as Hoover’s, and ReferenceUSA offer detailed information about companies, their size, product line, key management personnel, and in the case of corporations, their subsidiaries.  There are others out there as well. Just ask the Reference Librarian in your local library for assistance.

For recruiters, I suggest that you go to your local bookstore and buy the Director of Executive and Professional Recruiters. I say “purchase” because this is a book you will want to own. It is the Bible of the recruiting industry. It lists both contingency and retained (I will discuss the difference in a future post) search firms. They are also listed by the functions and industries they specialize in. I will discuss dealing with recruiters in an upcoming post.

Once you have answered the questions I mentioned above for yourself, and have decided what companies, industries and/ or locations will be the focus of your search, then you need to consider strategies and tactics for contacting companies and getting them to review your resume and consider you for any open positions that they have. This of course, is true of recruiters, as well.

If you have any questions please let me know. If you have any suggestions for future topics, let me know that as well.

WHAT'S COMING UP IN FUTURE POSTS

I will be publishing posts covering a variety of subjects that will be of interest to anyone looking for a new job or career. There are a number of ways that you can impress a prospective employer or recruiter that will get your resume seen, read and increase the chances that you will get that opportunity for an interview.

In upcoming posts, we will cover such subjects as:

• How to find companies that are hiring…even during recessionary times.
• Create an effective resume…one that sells you, your skill set and experience
• Effective strategies and tactics for contacting companies.
• Resources available to research the companies and industries you would like to work for

We will also cover personal networking and interview in future posts as well.
Let me know if you have any suggestions about what you would like to see covered in the future.

WELCOME

I want to welcome you to my blog, The Job & Career Search Maven. My goal is to provide useful information and advice to those seeking employment, either a new job, a change to another company, or a career change.

I will post information on a number of topics that will be useful in your job search, no matter what your personal goals might be. There are basic principles that apply to looking for employment that have passed the test of time, and that have proven themselves to be effective.

At the same time, as one who has been fired, who has been downsized, and who has changed jobs and made career changes voluntarily, I will provide my own personal perspective on the job search process.

Also, as an Executive Recruiter with more than 7 years experience, I will share the benefit of my experience in suggestions and advice that, hopefully, will make your job search and transition to a new job more effective and satisfying.

I hope you will find my blog useful and will visit often.