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People Contact in the Job Search |
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Prayer-Soldier writes "
The bottom line is that people hire people. Classified ads, company web sites, and job boards do not hire people; people hire people. The key objective, then, of any job search is to seek contact with people. This is not to say that in our job search we should not spend any time with the classifieds, company sites or job boards; but we must choose how we focus our time and how much of our time we devote to these activities.
The above resources, along with business journals and trade publications are sources of job leads, but the leads we must seek are people to contact. We must be mindful of corporate processes through which to get our resumes into their recruiting system, but we should not limit ourselves there.
Especially in tight job markets, human resource departments seek to insulate their hiring managers from literally hundreds of applicants for a single opening. The result, though, is our resume gets lost in an electronic database and may never be read. We must follow the rules, but we must also find means to get out of the database and get face-to-face with people.
While we must spend time with a variety of sources, the most effective source of job leads is people. When we submit resumes through a web site or ad, a job may or may not be behind it. The information may be stale or some sources may simply be trolling for resumes for contract purposes. When a person gives us a job lead, there is a much greater chance there is something worth while to pursue. If that person is an insider to the organization with the opportunity, then, they might be able to provide a good word or get our resume a look outside of the database.
Our opportunities to connect with people come from a variety of sources. Job fairs may seem like a good source because the event is full of people. We must keep in mind that such events are also full of people just like us and full of people seeking to isolate their hiring managers from people like us. The job fair is little better than web sites unless we seek to find a means to follow up outside of simply handing over our resume.
We should seek to capture some contact information through which we can conduct a follow-up call or visit. As a minimum, we should seek to get a business card; however, larger companies are likely to bring in human resource recruiters that are not local. Their business card is still better than nothing, but what we want to learn are names on the inside. Getting past the receptionist is easier when we have a specific name for which to ask when we attempt to do a follow-up call or visit to a potential employer.
The most effective sources of people contact are professional associations, network groups, volunteer activities and community organizations. When people know us and our capabilities, they are often willing to help us. The best time to engage such activities is while we are employed, however, joining organizations and letting new contacts know that we are in the job hunt can still produce results. Naturally, the better people know us, the more likely they are to try and help us, if they have the opportunity. Our investment in our people network is best maintained over time. We should keep in mind that the favor we provide today could get paid back when we seek our own opportunities.
Printed with Permission. Copyright © 5 Apr 09 - http://www.guardianangelstore.com" "
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Posted on Monday, June 29 @ 00:17:44 MDT by drbonebrake
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