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09.11

By Debra Feldman, JobWhiz, Executive Talent Agent

Having the right networking connections before you need job lead referrals shortens the duration of a job search and alleviates some of  the stress associated with landing a new career challenge — especially in these recessionary times.

Whether you are actively or casually looking for a new career opportunity today, it’s probably apparent that it’s an employers' market and very competitive. There are more very well qualified and eager prospective candidates than there are openings available. Companies are hesitant to add new permanent staff.  External headhunters have become a rare luxury for many companies with limited recruiting budgets. In-house corporate recruiters have been reduced.  When combined, these conditions create a perfect storm scenario affecting all candidates who face a difficult and often lengthy search for a new position.  Advertised postings are flooded with applications. Almost no one feels immune from a layoff, lengthy time in transition, doubt about the future and uncertainty about a career path.

Most jobs are filled by personal recommendations; friends tell colleagues when a job is available, and through these connections, the word goes out to the network and names are submitted before the news hits corporate websites or online job boards.  This makes competition extremely stiff, if not near impossible, for listed openings.

Being an optimist, I encourage everyone to look for the silver lining: seize this chance not only to use networking to find a new job, but also to create lifetime career insurance. What does this mean? While there is no sure protection against involuntary changes during the course of anyone’s career, your network (i.e., your connections) is the absolutely best source of new job leads. Through contacts, you hear of challenges which you can volunteer to solve and/or be asked to come on board even when you are in a perfectly good work situation and were not thinking of a new job.  Your network knows you, appreciates you, remembers your performance, supports your reputation and enjoys recommending you.  Your connections are your career insurance. Not only are they your mentors, but they are also the source of new job leads.

With so few openings and across-the-board recruiting budget cuts, current employees’ personal contacts are a cost effective and efficient way to source new team members. A personal recommendation always goes far towards establishing credibility and engendering trust. Oftentimes word-of-mouth travels in advance of an official announcement, which means that potential candidates with connections  get in the door first, gain a competitive advantage, and access to unadvertised jobs — the hidden job market.

A personal referral often propels inside candidates onto the short list. Then they can meet with the hiring decision-maker, present their interest and have their qualifications seriously evaluated. A position might be redesigned for one particular individual’s background to make it more attractive for him or her to say "yes" to the job offer. Once on the inside track, prospective employees not only may land an immediate offer, but are positioned for early knowledge about any future opportunities provided that they stay in touch and continue to add value to their networking relationships.

But what if you don’t have a network to help you crack the hidden job market? There is only one option. Create them by networking purposefully. Following are seven simple steps to launch an executive  job search based on a very focused, targeted network-based strategy:

1. Identify a short list of target employers where you want to work and where your potential contribution will be appreciated: good matches for you and for the companies you like

2. Renew your relationships with people affiliated with your target companies- current and former employees, relatives of employees, vendors, consultants, clients, etc.

3. Develop verbal and written presentations documenting how you can provide solutions to each target company’s challenges

4. Deliver this value proposition to the hiring decision maker at each employer or to a connection who can pass along your ideas and arrange a meeting with the right inside contact.

5. Follow up on a regular basis. Stay in touch by continuing the dialogue not by asking about any new openings. Introduce your new contacts to individuals you know who they might like meeting.

6. Monitor company news and news about your contacts so that you have a reason to have a conversation, ask a question, send congratulations, volunteer your help, etc.

7. Keep adding companies to your list based on research and referrals. Repeat all steps above.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions about implementing these tactics that will generate your own career insurance.

Continue to network and cultivate relationships and add new connections forever. Yes, even after you settle into a new job, don’t decommission your network and don’t deactivate your relationships. Contacts — those who recommend you and those who share leads — are your career insurance, a future guarantee that will protect you from unwanted, long-suffering periods between jobs. Your connections provide continuous easier access to new opportunities, whether you are a declared candidate or content in your present role.

Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.

All rights reserved, Debra Feldman 2011.