careersolvers

Saturday, November 04, 2006

This week I am participating in the Jibber Jobber Blog Carnival. Career experts,recruiters, and job seekers are sharing their insights into the following senario. You just lost your job and you haven't stayed in touch with your network. What can you do in the next six weeks to help mobilize/grow your network and what job search tactics will you use to get your search on track. Here are my thoughts...

Get organized
Get your job search documents,rolodex, outlook contacts,recruiter contacts, etc. in order before you begin making any calls. Job seekers accumulate a lot of stuff...documents, business cards, phone numbers, etc. quickly, so find an electronic or paper-driven method for organizing information.

Make a list
Who do you know and how are you connected to these people? Make a list and categorize the list into three groups of people. Group 1 are people in your immediate world; your friends, family, neighbors, accountant, doctor, dentist, etc. Group 2 people are those that have direct connections into companies you are interested in. Group 3 people are directly connected to open positions such as recruiters and hiring managers. Once your list is made you can prioritize contacts and strategize who to contact when.

Create Visibility
If your network is a bit on the lean side, join a professional organization, community group, sports team, volunteer affiliation or online community/blog. Become a giver and share information to create credibility and reciprocity within the community.

Attend Events
Audit professional and social events that allow you to connect with others and make informed decisions regarding which events to attend. Don't attend one event because it's free and decide not to attend another event because there is an entrance fee. Research the potential of each event and try to determine which will give you the most "bang for the buck."

Get Busy
Job search is a full time job and your greatest time committment should be given to networking. Plan to spend 28 hours of your "35 hour" work week building and following up on networking leads.

3 Comments:

  • Hi Barbara
    Great entry. I couldnt agree more. I read about you on the Jibber Jobber Blog Carnival and was reading a couple of your other entries. I liked the one you wrote about salary negotiations. I will refer some of my clients to your blog. You have a lot of good information listed.

    Best,
    Liz
    www.ultimate-resumes.com

    By Blogger Liz, at 10:24 AM  

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