Networking Still Tops in Job Hunts

The more people you tell about your job search, the more likely you'll get a lead, experts say.

Source: The Columbia Dispatch
by Kathy Lynn Gray

Feb. 23, 2009 --The spadework required to dig up a new job has changed significantly in the past two decades, but one old saw has remained the same: It's still who you know.

"Talk to your friends, your co-workers, salespeople, classmates, the people in the doctor's office," said Heather Allen, branch manager for Manpower in the Columbus market. "Everybody knows somebody."

The more people you tell, the more likely you'll turn up a job.

Or, in a weak economy, a job lead.

"People are hiring friends and family," Allen said.

The fancy term for spreading the word about your job search is networking, and the Internet has opened plenty of new ways to do it. Employment counselors put networking at the top of their lists of best ways to search for jobs.

"We've found the more networked a person is, the better the result they're going to have," said Susan Miller, Columbus branch manager for the employment agency Robert Half International.

That means joining online sites such as LinkedIn, a professional networking site, and Facebook and Twitter, two social-networking sites. You can post a profile about yourself on these sites, search for people you know and join groups. Each keystroke can link you to people you know and then, people they know.

Experts on the job-search process have favorite ideas:

The author

Alison Doyle has helped hundreds of people look for jobs during a career in human resources and college career services and, most recently, as the author of a job-search book.

She has seen the process change significantly, especially in the past 20 years as the Internet has become more important to both those in need of jobs and those with positions to fill.

"There's so many more levels involved in what you need to do to market yourself to prospective employers," she said.

But although her most recent book is Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online, her advice starts with traditional basics.

--Preparing for the job search is the most important step, she said. That means putting together a well-written, well-designed resume; being prepared to write cover letters; and having a well-pressed interview suit.

--Apply for jobs that fit your skills and the place where you want to live. Sending out mass resumes just isn't going to work, she said.

--Research companies you want to join. If you want to stay in your community, check the chamber of commerce Web site for a list of companies. If you're willing to move, look up the best companies to work for on sites such as Fortune magazine.

--Make sure your resume is perfect, and customize your cover letters. Have someone proofread everything before you send it out.

"A typo is enough to knock you out of contention," she said

--Focus each cover letter on the individual job opening and highlight skills that the employer is looking for, she said.

Manpower

Today's high unemployment rate makes employees a lot pickier about hiring, Allen of Manpower said.

"The economy has made it tougher. But there are companies that are hiring."

Her top tips:

--Look at company Web sites for job listings. Often, you'll find some that aren't on online job sites.

--Work with a recruiter. "They have the inside scoop when it comes to companies looking for workers," she said. With employment agencies such as Manpower, the company pays the agency's fee, not the job-seeker.

--Focus your resume on your accomplishments and abilities, not on a list of jobs. If you helped a former employer save money, for example, concentrate on that. But don't write everything you've ever done.

"Make sure your resume is attractive. A five-page resume, that's not attractive. Don't make the fonts too small or too big. Use action verbs."

--Check the online job boards every day, but spend your time wisely. Use www.Indeed.com, a search engine that checks online job boards for you. But don't be surprised if new jobs don't pop up every day.

New Directions

People who haven't looked for a job in years might feel as if they're in a foreign land when they start a job search, said Cindy Kazalia, placement specialist with New Directions Career Center, a nonprofit agency that offers workshops and career counseling regardless of ability to pay.

Those people should seek professional help to learn how to job-hunt in a difficult economy. Kazalia says that's her top piece of advice. Her others:

--Develop a search plan with short- and long-term goals. Figure out all the ways you want to search, and get started. "Don't sit home and watch Oprah," Kazalia said. "Getting a job is a job, and the eight to 10 hours a day you'd put into going to a job you're now putting into getting a job."

--Keep up on your field by attending association meetings and taking classes to expand your skills. "Potential employers respect a person who had a difficult situation and learned new skills," she said.

--Ask people you know whom they would talk to if they lost their job. That's one of the most important questions you can ask while networking among friends, relatives and former co-workers.

--Recognize that there is opportunity in every obstacle. Ending one job can be the beginning of a transformation to another career and a time to take stock of your life. "Don't write this time off," Kazalia said. "There are many gifts that time off might give you, like more quality time with your children. And there will be things you'll learn about yourself and the world around you that will be very valuable."

Robert Half

Miller found a job with Robert Half International five years ago, when she went to the agency for job counseling after law school. Rather than placing her with a client, they hired her themselves.

Now she's the Columbus branch manager and has this advice for job-seekers:

--Be flexible and open in your search. Don't be afraid to look in an industry you haven't worked in if your core skills can transfer. If you've always been a financial analyst in manufacturing, don't hesitate to apply for similar jobs in health care, for example.

--Dust off your resume and change it for each job you apply for. "One resume today is not appropriate," Miller said, especially if you're looking for a job in a professional field. Highlight the specific skills you have that fit that job. "If you don't have the specific experience they're looking for, highlight transferable skills that you have," she said.

--Monitor how you present yourself at networking meetings and interviews. Make your contacts professional and friendly, and show you can communicate with people of all levels. And dress professionally, not casually.

--Prepare for your interviews. Practice answering questions such as, "How did you lose your last job?" in a mock interview with a job recruiter.

"You'll learn which questions you stumble on and which ones you can answer in a snap," Miller said. "Interviews can be difficult for people who haven't done them for a number of years."

kgray@dispatch.com

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