By Soozy G. Miller, CPRW, CDCC, CDP
A suggestion from Forbes.com:
“Build real networks. Job searching isn't about hitting "easy apply" on LinkedIn. It's about speaking to people who can either refer you to opportunities or open doors—recruiters or contacts who can tap into the unpublished job market.”
Well, yes and no.
Plenty of my clients have landed great jobs via LinkedIn. The success is in the job search application methodology. However, your network can be a huge help.
Do you remember the expression, “It’s not what you know but who you know”?
That has changed to: “It’s not who you know but what you say to who you know.”
Currently, the job marketplace is filled with people just like you. Even if you have a well-established and active network, most of the people in your network will ignore you if you approach them by saying what everyone else is saying, which is asking for a job or a referral. You can assume that your contacts are hearing from 50 job seekers every day, and everyone is asking for a job or a referral.
I’ve worked with plenty of high-level executives that thought all they had to do is reach out to a few people and voila! they would land a job.
Nope.
One of my non-executive clients receives scores of LinkedIn messages every day from people asking for a job at a company where he hasn’t worked in a year.
How can you better leverage your network?
Well, instead of this message:
Hi Soozy,
I’m Sam and I love what your company is doing. I am highly skilled in swords, dragon training, and fortress building. I also love working with people. If you have any job openings, I’d love to discuss them with you. Please contact me any time.
Sincerely,
Sam
Try this:
Hi Soozy,
I see that you work at Dragons R Us.
After doing a bit of research, I see that your company needs help with managing your dragon population.
When I was at Company A I made the world a safer place by slaying 3 dragons and training 10 others.
Sincerely,
Sam
Do you see the difference? One message is about you and you’re asking for something from someone you probably don’t know very well. The other message is about the company and understanding what they need right now.
Wondering how to leverage your network? Let’s talk.
****
Better job. More pay. More control.
For a resume review, please contact us at Control Your Career!