Networking and Job Searching

[han-grrl]

I just wanted to post my experience on my job search this past fall. I'll keep it short (maybe)...

first i set my goal. I wanted to get a job by December 2007. Then I went to work. I contacted a friend of a friend who offered to give me some advice a few months back. I decided to take him up on his offer. He gave me some tips and some people to talk to. In the mean time, I applied to jobs. Some posted on boards, some I just emailed the appropriate person. I networked with some of the people that my new friend had given me. more advice. Learning what people are doing. While networking I was able to practice my interview skills, as well as really figure out what job I wanted (or what i wanted out of a career). Keep applying to jobs.

Then a few calls came in. A couple of interviews. Many "thanks but no thanks" via email. Not surprisingly. But one interesting one. Because that person sent the no thanks email. Then called me. He said he had spoken with his colleagues and they would like to meet me. Ummm. Ok. Then a second interview then...a job offer! Holy cow! So from a no thanks email to a full job offer. Which came...first week of December.

So my bits of advice

1) set your goal - time as well as type of job. Keep in mind jobs that might be "stepping stones" for your ideal job.
2) Network. ask your friends who they know. Talk to people. Don't think about "asking for a job", they know you are looking, but i found people were a lot more open to talking to me when i said i wanted to know what THEY did because I wanted to figure out what my career options were. If there is an opening, they will let you know, or at the very least, they will see what they can find out for you. I even emailed someone I didn't even know and they agreed to a phone meeting so that i can talk to them about their work.
3) If there is a company you want to work for, find out who to talk to and send an email directly to them. Hey, my job that i start in a couple of weeks, wasn't posted, and i was even told them didn't have any openings. So you never know!

Ok, i promised to keep it short, so i'll leave it there for now.

believe in your vision

Hannah

[Eden]

The job I just started (and really love) was a total networking fluke...
I happened to be at the velodrome one night and one of my teammates was volunteering there. It was pretty late by the time everything was taken down so my husband and I offered her a ride home (otherwise she would have had to bus/bike and it was around 10:30pm already) On the way I, jokingly mentioned that I was thinking about getting back into the job market soon. Now I have an unusual job - I'm a medical photographer, so its not like jobs are particularly abundant. But hey, she worked at a hospital, never mind that it was as a commuter coordinator. Amazingly she said she might know of something . She emailed me a contact and I sent off some emails.

Low and behold here I am a few months later, working at a great job. And yup the position was never posted. It was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time.

[han-grrl]

Isn't it amazing how once you open up your intentions (like looking for a job) how the universe can give back? One must be open, patient and positive.

[tulip]

han-grrl,

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! It couldn't come at a better time for me. I work for myself, but I really, really need to network to get more projects coming in. I'm not a natural networker; I'd rather just stay home and work and not have to go get work! But your advice of setting a goal and working towards it in small steps is, of course, pretty basic stuff but really great! I really need the reminder now. I'm off to set my goal and make my plan. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks again, and congratulations on the job.

Eden--what a neat thing you do, medical photography! I bet you see some interesting things...

[shadon]

I've been out of work since May, temping when I can get it. Living cheap and pet sitting are keeping me afloat.

So....anyone looking for office help? Answer your phones, put together your mailings?

Your idea of setting a goal date is a good one!

[LBTC]

What a nice, uplifting story to share! I'm so glad for you, and so glad that you shared it with us! Thank you!

I'm considering doing the same thing now. I have a potential offer in the works, but the company continues to work on a re-org and my position would be new when the re-org happens. And I don't know if he'll offer enough money to leave my well paid well benefited current job. I should know something by the end of this month, but I'm starting to think I should do more networking just in case.

And, of course, this type of networking would be great for my photo business. I, too, am not a natural at it, and would rather depend on DH to do that part for me. The days, weeks, months go by, and it's becoming apparent that I'm going to have to do some of this networking myself. Darn.

Your post was so positive, though, that I've got a renewed sense of purpose. Thank you so much!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[alpinerabbit]

I applied to the same company twice in 6 months. This is a gig of 20 people or so, and the boss does the interviewing.

I always thought if they reject you once they will remember you.

They don't. First time I got a no thank you e-mail, this time I was invited.
And I got the job. I think they were in a hurry to sign someone and advertised middle of summer. So, fewer applicants.
I got a break into a job where they always, always ask for experience, however, you are not born with it. So don't believe everything they write in an ad, it is just a wishlist. If all you are lacking is experience and they ask for less than 3 years of it, go for it.
But I had to be patient and at times I didn't believe it would ever work out.

oh and I don't do paper anymore if there's an e-mail addy. And call them, and don't be shy about calling back.

p.s. 3 weeks after I handed in my resignation, the old company (multinational, pharma) announced they would shut down our entire group. So I got really lucky. I had no drop dead date to get a job by, so I could choose where to send my cv. In total it took about 9 months. If I had gotten the pink slip from "old gig" I could not have waited for the real thing to come along.

Oh. pps. if you do not get an offer although you are getting interviews, there may be something wrong with your interviewing skills. It's a game and you have to know the rules, that's my take on it.

[han-grrl]

I didn't know anything about networking either. Last year I was a member of BNI...the whole concept is networking. When i decided to look for a job, one of the guys in my BNI group told me to work my network. He gave me three names of people to call. Which i did. I went from there, called an old boss from over 15 years ago, asked friends...its amazing who people know. I recommend reading about networking if you really feel uncomfortable. There are a ton of resources on the BNI pages. I really enjoyed my BNI experience and for the small business owners out there, i recommend going to check them out. I go a good amount of work from joining the group, and i learned so much about "selling" by business.

[tulip]

What does BNI stand for?

[han-grrl]

Business Networking International

here is some of their podcasts. Although they are focused on tips for their meetings, there are still some really good tips...
http://www.bnipodcast.com/

[boy in a kilt]

I'm in this situation myself. Got fired a couple of weeks ago. TigerSister and I decided this would be a capital opportunity to move back to the Portland area.

A couple of things I've learned:
1) It doesn't hurt to give yourself a few days to accept what has just happened to you after you lose a job. I finally realized that all the stuff (evil, self-deprecating and otherwise) is a pretty normal response.

2) I've worked out two potential career paths and have a couple of resumes for each emphasizing different aspects of my skill set and I have cover letters discussing both. This reduces the amount of customizing that I have to do before I send the thing out.

3) SGTiger and I have enough savings to keep us going for a while. This reduces the urgency a bit. In turn, this means I have the option of holding out for something that is more consistent with what I want rather than taking the first offer that is put in front of me.

4) My network in Seattle is ok, but my network in Portland is pretty weak. Fortunately, I'm working with a recruiter. I've also talked to previous supervisors and they are letting me use contacts from their networks. This is why I always save business cards and I always make sure my folder of business cards leave with me when I walk out the door.

5) Monster is pretty good. I've gotten jobs and job offers off it. However, it is really easy to get obsessive. I try to limit my time on the various boards to around 4 or 5 hours a day.

6) Ride your bike. Work out. You have plenty of time now which means you have no excuses. This keeps you from being obsessive.

Wish me luck. My standing record for finding a new job is 17 days. It doesn't look like I'll make that this time.

[Fredwina]

Just to share my experiences.
They gig I held the longest, I went for interview and they rejected me. Three months late, I went back as contractor, and a year later they hired me.
I've worked for the same company twice.
As far getting the can - Yeah taking some time to get over it can be good.
Networking - even if you have a job and like it NEVER stop networking! You never when you're times up, and you might just find something better

[han-grrl]

One thing i agree with is set a time each day for job searching and then STOP. You can get lost on the internet, the day goes by, and your stress levels increase...you get the idea. I made a point that I would spent no more than 2 hours each day on my job search online. I also set a goal of applying to ONE good job each day. AND i also set a rule that once i found my jobs to apply to, that's it, computer off. Go ride.

As far as networking goes, another tidbit is, don't be afraid to ask someone for information. I know I'm guilty of "i don't want to bother someone" but there's never any harm in asking someone for a meeting, (it helps if you offer them a treat to a latte!) emphasizing that you would be happy to work around their schedule and keep things short. I met some wonderful people along this journey.

[shootingstar]

6) Ride your bike. Work out. You have plenty of time now which means you have no excuses. This keeps you from being obsessive.

Wish me luck. My standing record for finding a new job is 17 days. It doesn't look like I'll make that this time.

Best of luck. I suspect when I finish my current job in 2009, if I haven't found another more permanent one than current one, I will be on the pavement again searching. (Geez, sounds like combing pavement for pennies...)

I got my current job ..within 2 months which I consider incredible for myself. But the construction industry is hot in British Columbia and Alberta.

Longest time unemployed=7 months. I did want a job that made use of my formal training and previous job experience. Yes, I did some networking, though tough since I knew no one in Vancouver. Made sure I volunteered for one of the local professional associations. Employers do want to see you are doing something to remain current/relevant/you're learning something useful during unemployment.

Yes, I biked every day. Climbing real hills every day was psychologically helpful...I also lost weight without trying.. I would only spend 1/2 day per day job searching since I didn't want to slide into deep depression.

For my lst job out of university, I got it when I offered myself as a volunteer. The manager offered me a paid part-time job instead.

She has remained my mentor and good friend for the last 25 yrs. And yes, she help me in my career by demonstrating the importance of networking and how to carry myself professionally. She is also one of the few valued colleagues that I trust to confide difficulties that I have occasionally experienced in certain jobs. There are 2 other colleague friends also who act in this capacity for me..very important because in professional networks....there's alot of talk ...and important to maintain one's professional credibility/viability amongst your work-related peers.

[surgtech1956]

This is more about networking, I'd like to get some feedback/advice/recommendations if I could. There's a position at work that hopefully is going to be posted(a manager), but that would be a bachelor's level - a business degree. The position isn't posted yet - the guy that left it was sort of requested to leave(about 2 months ago). I'm doing alot of the duties of the manager's job, actually I'm the only one in the department that can perform the duties. So I'm already doing most of the job. But, I have an associate's degree - but 13 1/2 years in the department. Any advice on how to sell myself. The position isn't posted yet, I inquired about if it was going to be posted about a month ago and the director said to apply for it even though I don't have the degree. I'm doing a good job in the position I'm in. I need to get off worker's comp so I need a better position. What about making a suggestion to combine my position and the manager position. But I don't want things to backfire - so I have to do both without a pay increase. Any thoughts, recommendations, advice? Sorry this is so long.