Who Will Be On My Team? Long, long ago, I was an executive who hired people in finance and administration. What did I look for in individuals to join my team? Did I look for the best education or the highest grades or the best experience? Does that even matter? How do you find people who will fit on your team? What did I do or what should you do to get my attention?
Online
Online job search is very common, but do you want to compete with thousands of applicants? If you apply online for the typical position, you will be competing with a lot of unqualified applicants. Companies know this too! What do they do? They set up criteria to screen you out. What does that mean to you? Unless you use just the right words, you will be screened out. Where do you find these words that you should use on your application? It is in the job posting! They tell you what they want.
Online applications are screened by computers! Would you want to read thousands of applications and make a decision which ones you want to interview? It does not sound like fun to me either. Sometime ago, some programmers developed criteria to screen applicant skills and experience to determine who is qualified. The applicants who master the screening game the best will get the interview. How do you get around this problem?
New vs. Old Strategies
You can always send out resumes. You can broadcast your qualifications online using email. Getting the employer’s attention is not easy! Some candidates use various strategies to get an employer’s attention, you can use UTube, a personal website, blog, recruiters, networking, Linkedin or an email campaign. Which one works? The one that works for you! There is no way to know which one works best because employers are all different. Certain industries react more to certain strategies. Entertainment may react more to UTube and Law firms may be use recruiters. What does a candidate to do? You do everything!
Networking
Candidates should network, the old fashioned face to face kind. Does that mean you do not need Linkedin? Remember, you do not know which one may work! You should actively use your friends, colleagues, ex employers, industry contacts and competitors to network. Register and set up your Linkedin account and work on building contacts just like your non electronic network. You should build and maintain both networks while you are employed so you can use it to build your reputation and contacts.
Recruiters
The best job offers will happen when you are not looking to change jobs. Employers use networks to find candidates all the time. Do you think executives like the CEO, CFO, or CIO goes into the Human Resources department and completes an application? Their reputation places them on recruiter’s short lists to try to persuade to change companies. Recruiters earn a fee and fill a need. Do they only place high level executives? No, there are recruiters for every level and there are high quality recruiters as well as the other kind.
The Rest of it
Developing a website, making a video for UTube, writing a blog, broadcasting resumes or responding to job postings are optional or required strategies. Should every candidate create a video? Maybe not! It depends on the industry, job or even the individual. What kind of video would you create? If you are an entertainer or film maker, a video makes sense. If creativity is important in your profession, video may make sense. Remember you are marketing yourself and you decide how you want to present yourself. A video may make sense if you use it to portray your expertise in training, skills or knowledge.
Wrap Up
What does a candidate to do? Everything! Set priorities and monitor your progress. Adjust your efforts to meet your goals. It is no different than a job or goal setting in general. Treat it seriously and spend as much time looking for work as you used to work. The more you put into finding work, the more success you will have from your effort. It is not fun, it is filled with disappointment and there will be highs and lows. Break everything down to daily and weekly tasks. Do it in such way to make you feel that you are accomplishing something. Success leads to more success.
Networking takes the most time and you should have your network in place. If you do not, start with close friends, colleagues and ex employers. Build your Linkedin account with these contacts and add as you find new ones. Find out about industry meetings, meet with colleagues for lunch and stay connected. Remember never ask for a job, you are looking for contacts and spread the word about your skills and reputation. You will hear about openings because you are connecting with the right people. Who Will Be On My Team?
Photo by: americanistadechiapas
Great point KC! There isn’t a cookie-cutter solution. What works for one may not work for the other. But you won’t know till you try it out!
It depends on the candidate and the position they are interested in. To some extent, the industry plays into it too. Custom dictates some of it, but there are people who succeed going against custom.
Which strategy, diversified or targeted? What ever is appropriate for the position. True, networking is time consuming.
In this economy, I prefer networking because you do not compete against 100s or 1,000s of applicants. You are right, it is time consuming. This is one of the reasons to maintain and nurture your network before you need it.
This is so true! When I was not looking to change jobs, a great offer came my way. Enjoyed the article. It made me wonder how old you really are. Somehow I imagined you in mid-late twenties. 🙂 Now I question my assumption.
I feel like 28! I am turning 65 next month. I probably look (except for the gray hair) younger though. I leave it up to you, you can see me on Facebook.
I still think face to face networking is the best way to connect. Social media is good for some people, but I don’t think it’s for me.
The key is to maintain and nurture your network when you are working. Opportunities will come to you when you are not looking. I would use Linkedin and others as a supplement to the face to face.
Networking is one of the greatest advantages of a private school education, and good post-secondary connection-building. You’re right in saying that a person has to keep nurturing these contacts throughout their career as well.
One thing I don’t understand is the people that aren’t already taking your advice and “Doing EVERYTHING.” It’s become socially accepted now to just throw out 100 random resumes and then complain about outsourcing and the much maligned “1%.” I’m a firm believer that there is always a job out there if you are in the top 5% of workers. So just worry about being in that category and you’ll be fine.
Networking takes more effort than sending out random resumes. The pay off is so much greater though.
Networking is key, just like you said. Linkedin is a beautiful tool. It provides so much information and allows you to make connections that you might not even THINK to make. Also, the industry meetings are important too; I’ll be writing about a similar topic (different perspective) on Wednesday.
The new social media like Linkedin and others are just a supplement to face to face networking. Your network needs to be kept current and nurtured while employed.
I really suck at networking. I’m sure I’ll get better at it over time though. I can see why it’s so important and necessary.
Networking is getting to know your colleagues in your industry and just staying in touch. Join industry groups, it is almost like have a second set of friends.
I love the way you’ve brought the traditional into the contemporary… youtube, etc. Some great ideas to promote oneself.
I am open to new ideas. A lot depends on the industry and position. YouTube would never work for me (former CFO). I think a website would be a better choice to demonstrate my skills. Marketing or entertaining would be good fits.
I’ve heard the same advice. Point out directly that you have the skills listed on the job posting by using this verbiage on your resume. Nice tips to stay competitive in the job market as it continues to change! 🙂
Competitive and difficult!. You don’t want to have compete with 100s or 1,000s of resumes for an opening.
Some of my best opportunities have come through networking – really can’t say enough about the importance of it.
Networking takes more effort, but worth so much more in the long run.
All my opportunities have came from my network! People like to work with people they know. Your network is very important
It can also enhance your reputation by who you know.
I can attest to how well networking works. The last three jobs I have gotten are because of building a strong network. I also like your point about how jobs come when you are not looking. I am in a job I like at the moment and in the last two weeks I have gotten three job offers. It is great but also surprising consider the economy right now.
Although there are many people looking for work, employed people are much more attractive.
Great advice, and something I may use soon myself…
Remember to maintain and nurture your network.
Interesting point about online applications being screened by a computer program. I hadn’t considered that.
They use a filter to go after key words in your resume to select your resume. No surprise here, companies use programs to sort out candidates all the time.
Agreed on the networking bit. We’ve started using a service that filters online databases, including LinkedIn, for the right set of resumes. My own name is out and about on some recruiter’s network. Even though my resume hasn’t been online in a very long time, I still get calls from time to time.
That is the human side of recruiting. I have not been in the market for over 10-15 years and I receive emails occasionally. I think they are trying to maintain a network of people too.
Once you’ve built (and diligently maintained your network all along), when you ARE actively looking for a job, I think it’s important to keep letting them know that — especially for long job searches. People get busy with their own lives and forget, but gentle updates/reminders can help keep you top of mind.
That is where technology can be helpful. A short email, tweet, linkedin update or a telephone call (message) can work very well.
I agree! I keep in touch with people 1-2x a month just so they know my name. I would hate to call on them only when I need something. People remember stuff like that
Very true! Nurturing your network makes it more valuable in the long run.
I was talking to my wife about networking and she said that she hated it; she said she just likes to get to know people and to be friendly. For some reason the word networking has a bad connotation with some people, but her definition of getting to know people and being friendly is the best networking strategy in my opinion.
Your group of friends, business colleagues and acquantices are all part of a network. Networking probably means work to your wife..
That’s interesting Tim. She networks all the time, maybe she isn’t passionate about what she is networking about.
I got a job in the past soley due to networking. A guy who I had worked with previously had moved on to another company, and recommended me for an open position based on his positive experiences working as a colleague of mine. It goes to show that how one comports him/her self at work, and the impressions made on a daily basis, can cause people to proactively seek you to be on their team.
I always find it amazing how small industries become because of networking. It is very much who you know and how you use it.
I love your points about networking. A great book on this subject is Keith Farazzi’s Never Eat Alone. It took reading this book for me to really “get” how much networking could help me.
I remember reading the book a number of years ago. Remember to nurture your network all the time and it will be there when you need it.
Great post. I’ve gotten my past few jobs by recruiters and my network. I totally agree with you on building and maintaining your network. It really is about who you know!
Maintaining your network requires nurturing it before you need it.