• Sit down with a pencil and paper and write down all the categories of your associations with people: friends, past work associates, neighbors, church members, parents of your kid's soccer team, past customers or suppliers, etc.
• Now write down the names of everyone you know under the above categories. It doesn't matter if you don't know where they live or how to contact them.
• Get a free membership to Linked In. This is where you will find many of your past associates and friends. It's also an excellent way to stay connected to people on a professional basis from now on.
• Contact everyone on your network list--frequently. Tell them your are out of work and need their help. Ask them if you can email to them your resume (after you change it, of course, to my resume format). See if they will share with you the names of 2 or 3 other people who may be in a position to either hire you or give you names of other people to network with. This is very powerful because if you have a list of 30 people you know, and everyone on your list gives you 2 names, you now have a list of 90 people. If you contact these referrals, the snowball grows. It's only a matter of time before you find an opportunity.
• Call everyone in your network every 3 weeks. Let them know you are still on the job market and ask them if they have any leads or information for you. Most people want to help, but everyone has a lot on their plate these days. Don't assume they will remember you are looking for a job after you only called them once. After you've contacted them 2-3 times, they will be more likely to go out of their way to help you. This is just one of the ugly truths about human nature. We need to be reminded a lot.
• Your networking call list is warm because you can tell them so-and-so referred you. It's easier to pick up the phone and call someone if you can tell them a mutual friend referred you to them. These warm calls set you up for the second technique of your job search within the hidden job market.

• This kind of calling is affectionately referred to as, cold calling. It's harder to do and most people don't like doing it, so they don't--and miss finding their dream job. No one is going to bite you or even hang up on you. Even if they did, just make another call.
• Avoid calling Human Resources. They are more likely to give people the brush-off.
• You may be able to find the names of companies and their phone numbers by visiting your local library. Ask the Librarian if they provide any on-line resources for job seekers that provide names and addresses of companies. Just tell the Librarian that you are looking for the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all the companies in a particular geographic area. I did this at my local library and the librarian was super helpful in showing me an expensive database (Reference USA) that I could access from home with my library card--for free. To buy this resource on my own would cost you $500-$1500. Also, most communities have a free on-line Chamber of Commerce listing with a link out to company websites. To access your local Chamber, go out on Google and just type in the name of your city and the words, Chamber of Commerce.
• Once you've gathered your list, try and call 25-30 companies a day. This isn't easy and it takes courage to consistently make your calls. But, studies have shown this to be one of the most effective ways to find a job. It is much better than just answering job ads on the web--which in case you haven't figured it out yet, is one of the worst ways to find a job.

In summary, these job search techniques could turn the tide in your favor. They require some work, effort, and courage, but they have been proven to work---even in tough times.

Once you land a job interview, come back to Job-Interview-Wisdom to prepare for your interview.

Happy hunting!

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