job search bootcamp

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Slide1: Job Search 2002 Improving the Effectiveness of Recession Job Searches with Alie De Gon

Slide2: AGENDA Then and now… how market changes impact today’s search (10) Job search as a marketing campaign (10) What you should know (18) Objectives (2) “The Wish List” Alie (5) Break (15) Communicating What you want (15) Research Approaches – (30) Break & Networking (15) Building action plans (5) Promotional strategies : Networking – (5) Scripts for self promotion – (10) What NOT to do (10) Self care – (5) Follow up notes

Slide3: Objectives No guarantee you will find a job, but you can maximize opportunities through: (1) Being clear about what you can and cannot do; stretch your horizons! (2) Developing and utilizing strong research skills (3) Effectively communicating how you meet employer needs (4) Getting around roadblocks (5) Minimizing stress through good self care in what can sometimes be a painful process.

Slide4: Then and now…. Market Change & Your Job Search THEN…….. Talent scarcity, opportunities abound Equity compensation was hot Hire first, plan later “Hire smart people and let them figure it out” NOW……… Cash crunching makes many employers squirrelly Increased risk aversion (both candidates and clients) Candidate tsunami in a client drought ; A Recruiter’s Day Hitting many birds….. the broad appeal of a generalist Stronger focus on shorter term revenue results Who you know matters more “Have you done this <whatever it is> successfully before?” It’s not about YOU it’s about what you can do for THEM.

Slide5: What do you want? What do you offer? What do they need? How can you meet that need?! ACTION PLAN The Job Search as a marketing campaign “You are a brand.” “This is all about filling a need.”

Slide6: Things you should know AKA: My Biases Where there is funding there is work. Maslow’s Hierarchy applies to, and impacts, your job search. Knowing what you can and can not tolerate expands opportunity. “Cast your net” as wide as possible. (4) Free Agency is growing, and is often your “foot in the door”. (5) Satisfying employer need(s) is more effective than just promoting what YOU want to do. Balancing both is key. (6) People like to help, they often just don’t know how. Who you know is really BIG……. and research is crucial. (7) Don’t take any of this personally. It’s not about YOU it’s THE MARKET.

Slide7: WISHLIST Nature of work Culture (this is big!) Compensation Location Duration & style (consulting, contracting, FTE, perm) Onsite vs. Telecommute (you might be surprised what you can do from home) “Map the playground in stock market notation”

Slide8: “Free Agency” has fueled contracting as an option as the American workforce becomes more ”contingent”, more project oriented and less predictable. The Consulting Continuum Type of Work Relationship Full time W-2 Employee W-2 Contract Employee 1099 Independent Contractor 1099 Inc. Incorporated Subcontractor Worker invoices client company, bears burden of possible non-payment Exempt or non-exempt, worker paid hourly, possible overtime. Exempt or non-exempt, worker paid regularly Compensation Terms Worker responsible for own FICA (15%) Worker responsible for own FICA (15%) Same as W-2 Full Time Employees Worker pays half FICA, all personal tax Tax Ramifications Worker invoices client company, bears burden of possible non-payment More Stability Less Flexibility Better Benefits Possible Equity (stock options) Paid to learn on the job Management responsibilities Less Stability More Flexibility Higher Cash Compensation Equity unlikely (stock options) Paid to know on the job Project deliverable responsibilities WORK STYLE FEATURES for WORKERS Free Agency

Slide9: “If a recruiter or hiring manager can’t understand what you want in 5 seconds or less, they are less likely – and less able - to help you.” Aim to balance what you want with what they need Be concise & specific Cast a wide net without disqualifying yourself Objective Statements

Slide10: 15 minute break OR Brainstorm your “objective statement” for your resume

Slide11: COMMUNICATING your wishes A good objective statement on a resume answers the question, “What compensable need do you satisfy”. This might be what you do… for whom….. and in what style. You also need to learn to say it out load.

Slide12: Good Objective Statement Excellent Objective Statement "To serve in a leadership position in marketing for a dynamic company, where my strategy development and execution abilities; leadership and team, agency and project management skills, and 14 years of marketing communications experience will contribute to my company’s growth and profitability." "To leverage my marketing expertise to drive revenue and grow a profitable software related business." Example #1 Objective

Slide13: Good Objective Statement Excellent Objective Statement Example #2 Objective I do it all! I have an engineering degree and can use so many software tools it’s silly. I’ve produced technical training videos and prefer that sort of work. But then I know I'm a problem child because every time there's a newbie at Volt or Ajilon or one of those places, they call me up all charged to hock my bod somewhere, then, of course, I never hear from 'em again. To convey complex ideas (software, hardware or manufacturing) to a wide variety of audiences (users, developers, or customers) through diverse approaches (technical documentation, websites and videos).

Slide14: COMMUNICATING your wishes SAMPLE ELEVATOR PITCHES GOOD: I am am a tech writer (product manager, account executive, developer, etc.). BETTER: I launch online software products in the healthcare space. BEST: I manage sales for a consumer electronics company with a territory on the W. Coast of the US and Canada.

Slide15: RESEARCH APPROACHES Good research identifies both compensable needs in the market AND who makes the decisions about meeting those needs.

Slide16: Go as deep as you want/can The deeper you go, the better informed you are and the less competition you are likely to have. Jobs posted publicly Jobs created for or by you Jobs posted internally Jobs not yet posted Jobs not yet funded Surface level knowledge, you know what everyone else knows. You’ve become an insider. You have special insight.

Slide17: People you know People you don’t know Recruiters (who are people too!) VCs The Internet email archives Voicemail systems Newspaper archives Libraries Sources of research are:

Slide18: Where is the funding? Where are the jobs? Where were the jobs before? Which recruiters work with which companies? Where is the funding? Which companies make what products? Companies who offer services? What are company X’s goals? Which people make which decisions? Who in my network can help me connect here? Some good research questions are:

Slide19: Seattlejobs.org Monsterboard Seattle24x7.com Headhunter.net Career Builder Yahoo.jobs WA.jobs Rosengren.net SOMA.net Flipdog.com Job Boards can be EDUCATIONAL when sorted in new ways. What companies are hiring what skills? Which recruiters are involved in what? In what locations? What skills are in demand? What skills pay at what rates? Which cities have what I do? Practical Research Example #1

Slide20: RESEARCH APPROACHES People you know: Need to know what you want. Need to be able to tell other people what you want. Can give you information. Can make introductions for you. Make a friends and family email list.

Slide21: RESEARCH APPROACHES People you don’t know: Step 1: Identify your niche Step 2: Research $ in your niche Step 3: Identify companies Step 4: Identify people Step 5: Find people who will talk to you. Step 6: Make your pitch: The ethical cold call. SCRIPTS HELP! Step 7: Follow up, develop relationships where it makes sense.

Slide22: RESEARCH APPROACHES Identify people who will talk to you. Current & former employees Get introduced if possible Voicemail systems Resume archives Annual Reports Newspaper articles Books of Lists Cold calls

Slide23: Ethical Cold Calls The elements of good ethical cold calls are….. They’re consensual They’re honest – don’t misrepresent yourself They’re concise They’re respectful They’re reciprocal where possible They’re relaxed

Slide24: RESEARCH APPROACHES Recruiters (are people too) Are great friends and family to have! Often have contacts even THEY don’t realize they have Often understand trends Usually work in groups Are trying to be efficient; understand what they want

Slide25: Leveraging Recruiters Recruiters tend to specialize in types of work: Those who hire contractors and/or consultants. Those who place permanent employees. Or both. Recruiters are compensated in different ways: On contingency; getting paid only if they fill a job. On retainer; getting paid up front and working until the job is filled. On contract; paid by the hour to recruit in-house or telecommute. In-house; usually as employees of the company. In an agency; where they may be the owner, an employee on a team or a solo practitioner. Or some combination. Recruiters can take a: Candidate centric model, where they market an individual to companies Client centric model, where the focus is on filling specific jobs A hybrid of the two Consider how recruiters are motivated.

Slide26: RESEARCH APPROACHES Your own email archives or those of your friends. Use the find function to locate domain names. Excel can truncate at the @ sign and reveal sortable domain names.

Slide27: RESEARCH APPROACHES Newspapers Funding transactions and other evidence of company growth, like new office space and key hires are often reported to the press. Seattle PI does a fine “Book of Lists”

Slide28: RESEARCH APPROACHES Business Librarians are fast becoming cyber gurus. Libraries often hold annual reports (which list executives), have access to databases that would cost you $$ to use on your own.

Slide29: Sample Promotional Strategies for the Internet BROADCASTED to reach the widest possible audience with the least amount of privacy or time management control. TAILORED to a specific niche market. DISCRETE - quiet and deliberate for maximal privacy and maintenance. Your Promotional Strategy can be either: ACTIVE PASSIVE BOTH More exposure, more time investment, less private Less exposure, less time investment, more privacy You can direct mail every recruiter in town if you want. Do YOU want to talk to every recruiter in town? Work only with those recruiters or companies you have carefully targeted, or use privacy enhanced push technology. You can direct mail those recruiters in town that specialize in your area. What is YOUR personal style?

Slide30: Business Intelligence Tools Free Agency Sites Recruiters “Uber Sites” Industry Specific Sites Online communities Your Company Watch List Salary Tools Online RESEARCH

Slide31: Luck: where preparation meets opportunity Action Planning Identify Direct Targets: Create a TOP TEN LIST of companies in each skill area you have. Turn companies into contacts through your research approaches

Slide32: Some elements of a good PITCH are: It’s as warm as possible It’s upbeat (yet authentic) It’s emailed then called on the phone if possible (with text plus attachment or link) It is convenient for the recipient It’s aimed at the right person It invites reciprocal participation It asks educated questions It is gracious It adds value by clearly stating how you can meet a need It’s your style… it sounds like YOU.

Slide33: Sample Pitches PHONE Hi Cindy. Thank you for taking my call. I was wondering if you have a minute to help me <pause… let her speak>. I was talking with Judy Darr, who told me you’re launching a software product in your department. I’ve got X experience and think my background in sales collateral could be helpful. Could you steer me to the person who’s handling that for this project? EMAIL Hi Cindy. Judy Darr tells me you’re launching a software product and I want to shoot my resume to the right person. I do sales collateral development. Can you guide me?

Slide34: Sample Pitches Hi John. Thanks for taking my call. I heard from <so&so> with <company> that you’re <insert exec>’s assistant and I was wondering if you could help me prepare my pitch for him/her. <let her speak> I know you’re launching a software product in your department and I’d like to talk with him/her about sales collateral development. (if relevant) Could I buy you coffee and learn more about this? Or What can I do to make it easy for you to get me to the right person? I’d like to get my resume to the right person, do you know who’s hiring on this? Do you know if your company has a favorite temp agency or headhunter for <sales people, writers, marketing……>? I’d like to connect with them.

Slide35: Open back doors to opportunity anticipate, respect & get around organizational roadblocks Harmony in HR Seek relationships with synergistic, non-cannibalistic people (preferred) Seek relationships with people who buy or develop lists Participate in online communities where you can network Sales people with databases often know tons!! People’s assistants like to be helpful

Slide36: What NOT to do Rely on one source or approach and expect it to work Let burn out, frustration, or a bad attitude show Misrepresent credentials or experience Misuse recruiters/headhunters Burn your bridges – EVER! Forget that courtesy counts Take this personally Go in cold – do your research on people and companies Use references without their permission Assume references know what to say Assume there’s no job because it’s not on a website Assume you don’t know anyone inside a particular company Waste people’s time telling them irrelevant stuff Forget who’s got what resumes: poor records you look bad GIVE UP!! You’ll be better off if you DON’T……….

Slide37:  Eat healthily and exercise. H.A.L.T. Never get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. If you find yourself falling into any of these traps, take steps to change it. Support: Identify the people you can lean on – and lean on them. Keeping your confidence up. Do something that uses your skills, even if it’s not paid. Maintain a feeling of accomplishment: identify something you can do that has definite results. Listen to motivational tapes and read motivational books. Practice relaxation, meditation, yoga, etc. Self Care

Slide38: Reading Suggestions The Career Coach Free Agent Nation, by Daniel Pink Losing Your Job - Reclaiming Your Soul by Dr. Mary Lynn Pulley For Your Improvement Doing Work You Love Dancing Naked Zen and the Art of Making a Living Simplify Your Life; 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy The Things That Really Matter, by Elaine St. James. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Dr. Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi Working with Emotional Intelligence, By Daniel Goleman Profit From Experience; A Handbook for Learning Growth and Change by Dr. Michael O’Brien and Larry Shook. Your Life’s Work A guide to Creating a Spiritual and Successful WorkLife. LifeBalance; How to Simplify and Bring Harmony to Your Everyday Life. By Linda and Richard Eyre Take Time for Your Life; A Personal Coach’s 7-Step Program for Creating the Life you Want by Cheryl Richardson Something More; Excavating your Authentic Self by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Slide39: Alie DeGon, Recruiter & Founder The MetaJiva Cooperative alie@metajiva.com