Middle Names: Do They Muddle the Job Search?
Do you use your middle name as your given name? Has it created any confusion in your job search?
Category: Networking
Guest Post: Career Fairs: Opportunity Comes to Your Campus
Career fairs provide excellent networking opportunities for young and experienced professionals. Held on most campuses in the spring, and at various venues year round, these fairs give employers a chance to speak with city residents and students on campus about employment opportunities and employer needs.
Dressing for Confidence
When you’re in a job search, especially if you’re in a smaller town, you are always “on.” Your appearance – clothes, grooming and general energy level – are all a part of how people perceive you at first glance.
What you and Justin Bieber have in Common
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like if your job search were like a musician’s search for work. Here’s what you can learn from their approach.
Candidate in Waiting
The informational interview is a mature technique (that ‘s a nice way of saying “old;” everyone’s heard of it and used it.) Asher’s fresh technique was to call a meeting to become a “candidate in waiting.” Asher says that smart managers know that they must be ready to replace key talent at a moment’s notice. People move, have emergencies, and get promoted all the time. It’s good policy to have a network of candidates in waiting who you’ve met, vetted, and know are interested in your company.
Size Matters
In the Hidden Job Market, size of the company is one of the most important features you can consider in your search. According to Donald Asher, author of Cracking the Hidden Job Market, says that large corporations are easier to find, but small companies are the ones creating new jobs. It’s also a smart strategy to be looking for work in places others don’t bother.
Four Kinds of Contacts
Donald Asher is the author of “Cracking the Hidden Job Market.” The book is full of common sense tips for finding a job, combined with get tough orders on what it takes to become employed. He pushes the idea of networking hard; after all, he maintains that you must have 100 active leads to follow up on at all times. Here’s how Asher talks about your active network.
Asher maintains that most business professionals know somewhere between 600 and 10,000 people. He says that you should divide your network into four active categories.
Hiring Authorities. These are the people who actually have jobs and could
The Power of Not Very Powerful People
We know from networking training that people love to be asked for advice; it makes them feel important and seen. The problem is we often focus only on who we consider powerful, and they get asked a lot. It’s the connected, but not powerful, people who may have the best leads. Talk to everyone.
How to Follow up When the Company Doesn’t Make it Easy
Nicole wrote WorkSource to complain about how hard it is to follow up:
“Some companies make it impossible for you to do a follow up call after you submit your resume. Either they keep their company name private, they won’t take your call unless they have already called you. Is there any way to avoid this – it’s so frustrating!”
Being Discovered Part Two
Today we cover how to make sure your resume and your skills are in place for being “discovered” by recruiters. A Chicago Tribune business article recently offered creative ways to get in front of managers who might be hiring. One of them is my personal favorite, which is to position yourself as an expert.
