The Game Plan!

I'm sitting here reflecting on the past several weeks. Numerous things have come and gone including the holidays, college football, and the NFL's regular season. However, during these last weeks I have reconfirmed my philosophy and the value of networking. Those relationships that I, and I'm assuming some of you, have established over the years still remain constant. I have had the pleasure of re-connecting with individuals on both a personal and professional level.

Thus far, I have come to realize that if you just regimentally apply to online job board postings, your competing with the thousands of other individuals. You become one of those other individuals that hiring managers have to scan through in a matter of seconds to decide if they are interested in speaking with you about their opportunity.

Produce a game plan for finding a new career opportunity that includes job boards but expands on that resource. Networking can provide you with potential opportunities that companies are planning on adding but have yet to be made public. It also helps to have an internal voice speaking on your behalf to obtain that initial interview with the employer. The hardest part is getting to have the opportunity to get in front of the individual company to show them what you can add to their organization.

Things have changed compared to past years, "advantage employer".

It's easy to sit at home applying for career opportunities in the comfort of your home. These lovely balmy sub-zero temperatures can make it easy to want to sit in your temperature controlled environment and wait for something to come your way. I'm not suggesting that I nor you should not apply for openings posted on job boards but before we go that route a few things should be done.

Network and then network some more and while doing that make sure we can briefly describe our self and what we're looking for in a quick and impacting manner. It's easy to say the standard items you say when people ask who you are. You usually start off by giving your name, maybe something about your family, some hobbies, and what you do for a living. Well your not currently gainfully employed and an organization doesn't really want to know about your family items up front, that's once you've made their team. Company X wants to know what your bringing to the their organization and how its different than your other teammate on the unemployment line.

What is it that makes you a unique individual in comparison to the thousands of individuals potentially in the same unemployment line?

Keep the faith!

Kalani

Project Lemon-aid De-brief

Last week I attended an event, Project Lemon Aid, for job seekers that was advertised as "unlike any other event you will attend." And I gotta admit that it lived up to its billing.
There were 3 speakers and a participant-participant networking session which is a fairly common format for these type of gatherings. However, the content from the spekaers is what set this event apart. Other than a few questions from the studio audience, the presentations did NOT cover the standard fare--resumes, cover letters, etc. Rather, the content of the presentations was focused on PMA. Positive Mental Attitiude. "Create the habit of thinking what you want." "Angry thoughts produce angry energy which attracts anger into our lives." "Believe it to achieve it."
And also remaining unfailingly persistent during one's search.
For anybody in sales, this was good stuff. And since everybody in career transition is "selling themselves" there was probably some benefit to all.
One exercise that I found interesting was one of the speakers asked everyone to list life experiences that induced fear. And then asked us to indicate whehter the experience held us back or helped us move forward.

There was a bit of a scheduling snafu with the photographer, but pictures were eventually taken.

--
Mike
Click here to see the segment that WHO-TV did on me

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Pink Slip Networking Meeting

Went to the Des Moines Pink Slip Networking meeting tonight. Definitely worth the $5 charge. There were 4 speakers (Billie Sucher, Heidi Myers, Elizabeth Floyd, & Janet Tingwald) that spoke about, "How to Be the 1 In a Million STAND OUT (Rather Than Having a 1 In a Million Shot". Some of the material was standard fare job hunting 101 stuff, but there were also some nuggets in the material.

Plus, I finally got to meet, in person, the legendary Suzanne Hull (the author of the Unemployed in Des Moines blog).
I also saw many of the usual suspects from Net2Work, Westview Career Transitions Connection, Hope At Work, etc. It is a tiny bit sad that I recognize, on sight, so many job seekers at these events (and can even tell you their elevator pitch at this point).

I even won a door prize, but the prize was a resume review and I felt like somebody else could probably use it more than me so I asked them to draw another name. Would have been nice to win the free night at the Staybridge instead!!

About the only downside was that the A/C was out in the building and you probably remember that it was as hot as the surface of the sun in Des Moines today.
See ya there next month.

Networking pays off

I've been telling everyone I know--old friends, new friends, doctors, Facebook friends, relatives, former colleagues, etc.--that I've been laid off and am job searching. My doctor told me about a support group called Hope @ Work that I've been attending on Monday nights. It is a great group of people, most of them in the same boat as me. Actually, a lot of them are worse off than me as many have been without a job much longer than I have or in some cases, both spouses are laid off and they have children to support also. Thanks to this group though, someone I met last week told someone else--who told someone else--about me and I had an interview today for a short-term temp job. Networking does pay off!

Sheri