Humanize Your Job Search
By Kevin Donlin
Question: If you've ever been offered a job without meeting
first someone face to face, open your window and scream
"Yes!"
Hear anything?
Neither do I.
Until more scientific proof turns up, just agree with me here:
You can't get hired by a computer or over the phone.
Before you can work for people, you have to meet people.
And the more people you meet, the faster you'll get
hired.
Here are three ways to do so, using technology to humanize
your job-search efforts …
1) Meet the bloggers
First of all, you need to recognize the value of blogs as a
way to connect with employers.
"Educating yourself by reading blogs can help you do better
interviews, write a better cover letter, and stand out as a
well-informed candidate," according to Willy Franzen, founder of
OneDayOneJob.com.
By reading and posting comments on the leading blogs in your
industry, “you can connect with bloggers and build a
relationship with them, which can lead to a job,” says
Franzen, who has met people for coffee who contacted him after
reading his blog.
Before asking to meet anyone, however, ask yourself this: What
value can I provide in exchange for their time? Franzen offers the
following ideas: pay for coffee, share a news item or relevant
story, bring business leads, or give feedback to help them in their
job.
If you’re always asking and never giving, you’ll
rarely get people to meet or return your calls.
Remember: The more personal connections you make, the faster
you can meet your next employer. So try reading blogs with the goal
of building relationships with -- and, ideally, meeting -- the
bloggers who write them.
What if you can’t meet top bloggers in your industry? At
the very least, post helpful comments on their blogs, with links to
your web site or LinkedIn profile. Reason? Smart recruiters
regularly scan blogs looking for smart comments from smart people
-- like you.
2) Connect with your future co-workers
In today's economy, businesses are increasingly relying on
current employees to reach new hires, according to Phil Gardner,
Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at
Michigan State University.
"It's clear that companies are looking for a lot more
referrals to cut their hiring costs. For example, instead of coming
to campus on multiple recruiting trips, they're coming once and
then trying to get referrals after that," says Gardner.
Anything you can do to meet and build relations with people at
your target employer can produce referrals … that lead to a
job.
Start by showing your friends a list of the 20 companies where
want to work. You can even post this list on your blog, or your
profiles on Facebook or LinkedIn.
And, again, offer value first to anyone you want a
relationship with later. This can be anything from your time, your
expertise, a link to an article you found using Google.com/alerts
-- use your imagination.
3) Humanize your LinkedIn profile
The recommendations that people post on your LinkedIn.com
profile carry a lot of weight. They serve as powerful testimonials,
proving the claims you make about yourself. And hiring managers
read them closely to make sure they call the best candidates.
"A long list of LinkedIn recommendations can be a valuable
trump card -- the difference between landing a position in a
glutted job market, or not," says publicity expert Joan Stewart
(PublicityHound.com).
Here are four ideal times to ask for a recommendation on
LinkedIn, according to Stewart:
- Someone calls or emails to compliment you on your blog,
newsletter, an article you've written, a story about you in the
newspaper, or any other facet of your work.
- A past or current client tells you how much they enjoy
working with you.
- You make contact with a former co-worker you haven't seen in
awhile. If you like and trust each other, ask!
- You give free professional advice to someone who asks for
help and they reply, "How can I return the favor?"
Note: It's not enough to ask for recommendations. Successful
people are busy people, often too busy to write exactly what you'd
like them to say.
So, it's fine to email "talking points" to people you want
recommendations from. In effect, you write the recommendation, then
ask them to modify as needed. In most cases, they'll use your
wording.
© 2009
