January 08, 2010
Hello Friends-
Glad you're here! Hope your holidays were fun and relaxing.
As 2010 dawned, I'm sure we all enjoyed giving 2009 the golden boot and proposing a toast similar to this....may we never endure a year like 2009 ever again!
Now that 2009 is officially written off, you now have a clean slate and a fresh start. There actually are reasons to be optimistic. My instincts are telling me that the worst of this economy is over and a gradual improvement is under way.
A Plant Manager of an Automotive components manufacturer in North Carolina emailed me this morning with the good news that their business is slowly picking up and they plan on doing some hiring soon.
We all know how bad the Automotive Industry has suffered. So, if they are picking up, something positive is definitely happening even though it might not feel like it yet.
I live near Elkhart County Indiana--the epicenter of the RV Industry. Several RV plants are reporting growing backlogs of orders and laid off employees are being called back to work. The RV Industry has always been the first industry to go down in a recession and the first to recover. They are a good barometer of what's to come.
So, if your job search hasn't been going so hot, some tailwinds are finally coming your way. Sure beats the headwinds you've had to put up with.
This month's Job Brick Wall newsletter will share with you a job search tactic that will definitely kick up some leads for you. If you missed last month's newsletter, check it out in my newsletter archives as I shared 2 powerful job search techniques in December that flat out work.
All the best.
Mike
The phone is your key to a job
As you start your job search this year, I want you start a brand new habit. Spend 80% of your job hunting time on the phone connecting with people.Email is great, but it's not as warm and effective as talking to someone. When we're discouraged or depressed it's easy to hide behind an email. You don't have to talk to anyone, deal with gatekeepers, or risk saying something you'll regret. Email is safe and easy--same with applying for jobs on line. However, there is an old saying: easy doesn't pay much.
Making a phone call is work. It takes courage and effort to approach someone for help. But, it's much more powerful and effective than email.
The problem with email is you need feedback and positive reinforcement NOW. Even people who like and respect you can't keep up with the tons of email most people get a day. Many intend to respond to you, but they either get distracted or overwhelmed and often times you never hear back from them. Or, they email you days later with little useful information.
It's perfectly ok to interrupt someone's day and ask for a minute of their time. It's human nature to want to help. So, here is an outline for the coming week on how to go about this in a systematic, consistent way. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose. No one is going to scold you or hang up on you.
- Build or tweak your list of past associates, neighbors, friends, acquaintances. Really do some brainstorming here to make sure you list all the people you know, and all the people you've contacted in the past about a job.
- Set aside a 90 minute block of time in the morning from 9:00AM to 10:30AM, and one in the afternoon from 1:30PM to 3:00PM. Your 90 minute time blocks are for outbound calls only. Do not take incoming calls, answer the door, let the dog out, or fetch a cup of coffee during this time. Shut your computer off and do not check your email. Just make one phone call after another. Studies have shown that we stray from our goals when we are constantly interrupted or distracted. Your time blocks are appointments with yourself to take significant action on networking for a job. You'll feel a strong sense of accomplishment at the end of the day even if you didn't get a job lead or many referrals. But, the beauty of all this effort during these time blocks is that you WILL eventually stumble upon something. You simply cannot make this many calls day after day without uncovering something. But, after 3 days of making the calls you won't believe me. It takes 7-10 days of this intense activity to see a breakthrough. But, it will happen. Promise.
- Keep a notebook of everyone you contacted. Keep it simple. Do not make elaborate computer spreadsheets or charts. They are time wasters. Just use a simple 3 ring binder with a form that has the following columns: Date called, name of person, company or relationship, comments.
- Don't spend a lot of time on the phone chit chatting with people. Your goal is get job leads and referrals that will lead you to a job. It's not time to socialize. Here is a script you can use: Hi Joe...my name is Suzzie Q. John Doe is a mutual friend of ours. He gave me your name and thought you might be able to give me some advice. Is this a convenient time for you? (90% of the time they will say yes. If they say no, ask them when you can call them back. If they take your number and promise to call you back, suggest a time outside your call block. If they don't call you back--50% won't--call them tomorrow during one of your time blocks. Don't be afraid to do this. They probably just forgot. Don't read too much into why they didn't call you.) I'm unemployed and actively looking for a job. My last job was the Sales Manager of XYZ Corp. They are a $100 million dollar manufacturer of widgets for commercial aircraft here in Anytown Kansas. Unfortunately, I lost my job in a company-wide downsizing due to the soft economy. I'm networking with folks like yourself to try and get something going. Do you know of any hiring going on or anyone else I can network with who might be able to open a door for me?
- Most of the time people will struggle a bit to come up with a lead or a referral. It's not that they are reluctant to help, they just might not be able to think of the right person right off the top of their head. When you called they might have been working on a project or preoccupied with something else. Help jog their memory with questions like: Have you been contacted by any recruiters lately about a job opportunity? Do you know of anyone in my industry? Do you know of any companies in the area that are hiring? Do you know someone who just landed a job who might be able to give me some leads and advice? If they can't think of anyone, thank them and ask them if you can send them a short email with your contact information in case something comes to mind after you hang up. Email them a thank-you note after your call block. About 10% of folks will email you 1-2 weeks later or you'll get an email or call out of the blue from a stranger stating that John Doe forwarded your email to them.
Ok--give this try. You have nothing to lose. Emailing and answering on line ads is a low yield way to find a job.
Once you land a job interview, come back to Job-Interview-Wisdom to prepare for your interview. If this advice has helped you in any way, please pay it forward by helping someone else.
Happy hunting!
Mike Petras
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