Take advantage of the fact that people are trained to look for and read the P.S. in a letter. You will gain an immediate advantage over ordinary job seekers.
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A WAR STORY.
Mark J. Haluska
In November 2008 I received a phone call from Anthony, who is at the Director Level in the fast-food (QSR) industry. He asked if he could send me his resume. I said, "sure." The resume was like 99 percent of all the resumes I get. BORING!
It just so happened that the timing could not have been better because I just received a heads-up from an industry insider regarding a restaurant organization that is well funded and has an aggressive growth plan of becoming a $100 million dollar company within the next 2 to 3 years. I was told they needed someone at the Director or VP level that could lead the operations side of the company.
As a favor to Anthony, but more realistically in my own $elf $erving interests, I asked if I could help him do an Extreme Guerrilla Resume. He had no idea what that was, but he said, "Sure, you"re the expert." Under my guidance, within 2 days we had the perfect marketing piece.
Now, I"ve never met, much less ever had spoken to, the CFO or the COO of the company, but with a little networking and research I did obtain their e-mail addresses. Uninvited, I sent both the COO and the CFO Anthony"s Extreme Guerrilla Resume. I did blind his contact information to ensure the company had to call me if there was an interest.
Two days later a call comes into my office from the CFO of that company. She introduced herself, and said, "How soon can we see this candidate?" I asked her what she liked about Anthony"s credentials and she replied, "the company officers looked at his (Extreme Guerrilla) resume and were simply blown away!" The later a call comes into my office from the CFO of that company. She introduced herself, and said, "How soon can we see this candidate?" I asked her what she liked about Anthony"s credentials and she replied, "the company officers looked at his (Extreme Guerrilla) resume and were simply blown away!" The first first Guerrilla Lesson here is that Anthony"s resume looked like everyone else"s. Although he is impressive in every respect, his resume certainly did not reflect it and it certainly did not scream, "Hire ME!" The Guerrilla Lesson here is that Anthony"s resume looked like everyone else"s. Although he is impressive in every respect, his resume certainly did not reflect it and it certainly did not scream, "Hire ME!" The second second lesson is that Anthony was also doing what everyone else does. He was going directly to HR rather than to decision makers. No wonder he had yet to get any interviews! lesson is that Anthony was also doing what everyone else does. He was going directly to HR rather than to decision makers. No wonder he had yet to get any interviews!
We broke all the so-called " "rules" and within 1 week of my first contact with Tony, and within 1 week of my first contact with Tony, he was invited to interview with this company that neither of us had ever spoken with, and as I write, these talk"s are ongoing between Tony and the company. he was invited to interview with this company that neither of us had ever spoken with, and as I write, these talk"s are ongoing between Tony and the company.
Contributed by Mark J. Haluska, founder and executive director, Real Time NetWork, www.rtnetwork.net LinkedIn: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/Mark J.Haluska. J.Haluska.
Chapter 6.
Twenty-First Century Digital Weapons
If You Build It, They Will Come for You ...
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
-RALPH WALDO EMERSON
So, your resume is done. Your cover letter is complete and you"re feeling pretty good about yourself. Any employer that reads it will immediately know that you"ve got the right stuff. Great! Now what? Resumes, cover letters, and job boards are pa.s.sive tools for job hunting and require your continuous involvement.
The million-dollar question is, How How can you make employers knock on your door and ask you to interview for a job? How can you make it easier for employers to find you? can you make employers knock on your door and ask you to interview for a job? How can you make it easier for employers to find you?
British battlefield strategist Liddell Hart summed it up years ago when he coined the term the indirect approach. indirect approach. It means you don"t keep banging headfirst into the problem-that just makes it worse. Attacking the trenches head-on in World War I is a tragic example of the direct approach. Instead, you do something surprising that maneuvers around the blockage. In World War II, the n.a.z.i army used an indirect approach when it attacked through the supposedly impa.s.sable Ardennes Forest and swept around the Maginot Line behind the French Army. Today, going around human resources (HR) and straight to the hiring managers also requires an indirect approach using the Web. It means you don"t keep banging headfirst into the problem-that just makes it worse. Attacking the trenches head-on in World War I is a tragic example of the direct approach. Instead, you do something surprising that maneuvers around the blockage. In World War II, the n.a.z.i army used an indirect approach when it attacked through the supposedly impa.s.sable Ardennes Forest and swept around the Maginot Line behind the French Army. Today, going around human resources (HR) and straight to the hiring managers also requires an indirect approach using the Web.
DIGITAL BREAD CRUMBS: THE MAGIC OF SEARCH ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
How do you apply the indirect approach to job hunting? You start by leveraging the changes in candidate recruiting to your benefit, and make it easier for people to find you. Reading the following brief history on the evolution of Internet recruiting will be worth your while.
Despite the softening of the economy in 2009, many employers reported they were finding it harder to find the right candidates. Many people reasoned-and the billion-dollar staffing industry heavily promoted the idea-that the best candidates were already employed. Right or wrong, pa.s.sive job candidates became the most prized by employers. As profit margins were squeezed and sales dropped, the "war for talent" quickly morphed into the "war for the best talent." Search engines and social media sites became the vehicle of choice for finding pa.s.sive candidates.
Today, you are far more likely to be Googled by a recruiter than found on a job board. That, or recruiters will track you down through Facebook, Mys.p.a.ce, or LinkedIn. Keyword searches in "communities of interest" have replaced the tedious telephone spadework that recruiters have long used.
That"s great for you as a candidate because having your phone ring is much better and easier than trying to make someone else"s phone ring. One of the secrets to long-term full employment is constantly being on the radar of potential employers and headhunters.
BEING EASY TO FIND
In this section, we describe how to use Internet tools that recruiters rely on, and explain how to use the same tools to bypa.s.s gatekeepers and contact hiring managers.
You should manage your Web presence, or online ident.i.ty, the same way you monitor and manage your financial credit statement. Make sure you can be found on the Internet and that what"s out there reflects you at your best. Consider the Internet as today"s venue for a first interview-it is where you make your first impression. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure your Internet presence will get you to the second step.
Admit it, you"ve Googled yourself. Well, keep on doing it, and do it often, so that you can see what others see if they search for your name. On Google, you can buy your own name as a keyword, directing searchers to your blog or web site.
Go to sites like ZoomInfo at www.zoominfo.com where information about you is summarized and optimize your summary. Many of the top recruiting firms-including myself-and 100s of the Fortune 500 use ZoomInfo to search for candidates. On ZoomInfo you can actually go in and edit the information, adding missing information and correcting inaccuracies. STOP-do this now. If you are not "Zoomable," you do not exist for 100s of thousands of recruiters who are looking for people like you every day. These are easy digital bread crumbs to leave that will bring job offers knocking. where information about you is summarized and optimize your summary. Many of the top recruiting firms-including myself-and 100s of the Fortune 500 use ZoomInfo to search for candidates. On ZoomInfo you can actually go in and edit the information, adding missing information and correcting inaccuracies. STOP-do this now. If you are not "Zoomable," you do not exist for 100s of thousands of recruiters who are looking for people like you every day. These are easy digital bread crumbs to leave that will bring job offers knocking.
Beyond Job Boards and Networking-When Being Pa.s.sive Can Be a Good Thing
You know about job boards and you know about networking, but how much do you know about recruiting for pa.s.sive candidates? Some recruiters think that the best candidates are the ones who aren"t out there looking, so they use clever tools to find people who fit their search criteria, but who are likely still in a job. How do you make sure that they can find you when they"re looking for someone to fill a job for which you would be a perfect fit? Make yourself known in the places they search.
Recruiters hunting for the perfect pa.s.sive candidate use search tools like Google and ZoomInfo to locate candidates at compet.i.tors" companies who have the skills and experience they seek. Again, you need to make sure you can be found, and that might include actually building a web site and marketing it. Web summaries on sites like ZoomInfo, as well as blogs, provide personalized URLS that can be used as crawlable homepages on the Web and are good opportunities to showcase your work and interests (more about this later in this chapter).
DIGGING INTO THE WEB TO GET TO HIRING MANAGERS
When you"ve struck gold and actually see a perfect job advertised, or you"ve found the perfect company and no jobs are listed, the HR department isn"t the only avenue in. ZoomInfo allows you to click on its advanced search link and search by company. To refine the search, they offer an on-demand product where you pay per search to refine the target list by company, job t.i.tle, location, and other areas of specialization. Make sure you open your search process to include all the tools available to you and take advantage of those that have already been used by leading employers; which of course means going to Facebook, Mys.p.a.ce, and LinkedIn to see: * If the company has a corporate page and who"s connected that you may know* What jobs they have listed there* If they have an alumni page
Don"t forget virtual sites like SecondLife.com and the virtual job fairs like those held through the and the virtual job fairs like those held through the Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. You don"t have to get dressed up and you can visit the site on your own schedule. You don"t have to get dressed up and you can visit the site on your own schedule.
WARNING.
Only read the following section if you want employers and headhunters to find you and offer you the best jobs before anyone else. I am serious. You will always be one of the first people that they call when they have an opportunity. If you"re naturally shy and can"t handle being popular, don"t read any further. Here are 3 unconventional weapons to heighten your visibility. Building them is easy and there are lots of shortcuts for smart guerrillas:1. Your personal web site2. Your blog3. Mys.p.a.ce and Facebook I put them in this order because of their usefulness, ease of construction, and control. You can control the first three. Mys.p.a.ce and Facebook accounts, while free, are subject to each site"s particular terms and conditions, which, if you violate, can have your site taken down. I also find there are a lot of people who cannot stay off their Mys.p.a.ce and Facebook account once they"re on it, which will reduce the effectiveness of your job search.
GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE.
Employment 2.0 James Durbin
As the wave of information unleashed by the Internet continues to overwhelm recruiters, your ability to stand out in the online crowd adds a new dimension to job seeking. It"s no longer good enough to be a good or great employee. Broadcasting your abilities in search engines and social media sites, even when you"re not ready to switch jobs, is something you"ll need to learn.
The good news is that small actions you take now can help insulate you from the turmoil of the job market. Building a comprehensive online presence now gives you the advantage in both current and future searches.
Here is your Must Do List for Employment 2.0:1. Sign up for LinkedIn. Sign up for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social networking service that allows recruiters to search for you by t.i.tle, school, company, and geographic location. Take the time to fully complete a winning profile, reach out to a few friends, and accept invitations when they are offered. Also make sure your LinkedIn URL is attached to your e-mail signature. Having a LinkedIn profile is like wearing a Rolex in a hotel bar: it says you"re looking without having to be obvious about it. LinkedIn is a social networking service that allows recruiters to search for you by t.i.tle, school, company, and geographic location. Take the time to fully complete a winning profile, reach out to a few friends, and accept invitations when they are offered. Also make sure your LinkedIn URL is attached to your e-mail signature. Having a LinkedIn profile is like wearing a Rolex in a hotel bar: it says you"re looking without having to be obvious about it.2. Update your online directory info at ZoomInfo, Naymz, and JigSaw. Update your online directory info at ZoomInfo, Naymz, and JigSaw. 3. 3. If you have a blog, post on it frequently with your name and t.i.tle. If you have a blog, post on it frequently with your name and t.i.tle. Add descriptors like your current projects, technical expertise, and examples of anything you have done that shows up in the public record. Add conferences, meetings, user groups, and leadership positions in the community. Be specific with your expertise-try to imagine what a recruiter might type into a search engine. Put in niche software you have used, complex projects you have run, and descriptions of your certifications. The goal is to be obvious, but not too obvious. Add descriptors like your current projects, technical expertise, and examples of anything you have done that shows up in the public record. Add conferences, meetings, user groups, and leadership positions in the community. Be specific with your expertise-try to imagine what a recruiter might type into a search engine. Put in niche software you have used, complex projects you have run, and descriptions of your certifications. The goal is to be obvious, but not too obvious. 4. 4. If you don"t have a blog, offer to guest post at blogs that discuss your industry and your metro area. If you don"t have a blog, offer to guest post at blogs that discuss your industry and your metro area. Take advantage of their search engine ranking to put your name within easy reach of a Google Search for your industry. Take advantage of their search engine ranking to put your name within easy reach of a Google Search for your industry.5. Write articles for trade publications, newspapers, and the local company newsletter. Write articles for trade publications, newspapers, and the local company newsletter. Recruiters seek out expertise, and someone who is published is going to have a better chance of getting noticed than someone who keeps his or her expertise confined to the company e-mail. Recruiters seek out expertise, and someone who is published is going to have a better chance of getting noticed than someone who keeps his or her expertise confined to the company e-mail.6. Sponsor or start a networking event for your specialty in your local area. Sponsor or start a networking event for your specialty in your local area. The truth about networking groups is the most benefit goes to the people who start the group. Why not make that you? The truth about networking groups is the most benefit goes to the people who start the group. Why not make that you?7. Go to Go to Ning.com and search for industry sites in your area. and search for industry sites in your area. Even if the group isn"t active, a complete profile with contact information will be a big fat target for a researcher. Even if the group isn"t active, a complete profile with contact information will be a big fat target for a researcher.8. Get involved in online discussions about your industry. Get involved in online discussions about your industry. This is the single best way to showcase what you know without actively asking recruiters to call you. If you aren"t currently looking, take an hour a month to look for discussions where you can answer questions and demonstrate your expertise. If you are looking, make it an hour a day. LinkedIn Answers, Yahoo Answers, industry forums, and Google Groups are all good places to start. This is the single best way to showcase what you know without actively asking recruiters to call you. If you aren"t currently looking, take an hour a month to look for discussions where you can answer questions and demonstrate your expertise. If you are looking, make it an hour a day. LinkedIn Answers, Yahoo Answers, industry forums, and Google Groups are all good places to start.
These suggestions are all good, but the most important piece of advice I can give you is to set aside your fear and your pride and start immediately. You spend most of your time doing your job, and the danger is that you"ll find yourself siloed within your organization at the worst possible time. The truth about networking is you need to do it before you want to see results. Trying to jump-start a job search is a lot harder when no one knows your name. Following these steps will make you easy to find online, and they"ll also sharpen your abilities and reputation in your current position. If your corporate recruiter keeps finding you when looking for that next executive position, the call you get might be from the inside.
James Durbin, The Social Media Headhunter www.socialmediaheadhunter.com, LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimdurbin/.
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