Weekly Wisdom-August 16, 2010

taken from The Ladders

Overworked, underpaid, underappreciated?

You're not alone; the recession impacted not only those folks who were let go over the last 18 months, but also those employees who were left behind to absorb the duties and stresses of those unfilled positions. Whether you're trying to get back into the job market or a survivor who is looking to take advantage of the opportunities to make a great career change, a solid network can make all the difference between standing out and fading into the background.

5 Steps to Building a Professional Network that Works for You!

1.Where would you like to work? Describe the geographic location, corporate culture, industry sector, company size, ownership type, competitive ranking, etc. Specify employers that match these criteria. Don’t know what you want yet? Then ask yourself what you don’t want and work in reverse until you have a picture that makes sense. Focus on specific employers or divisions as your job-search goals.

2.How has each of your target companies been affected by industry challenges, and how have they responded? Rank their performance and their desirability as a prospective employer. Allocate your efforts accordingly. Start tracking current events so you can speak intelligently about your field. Assess each of your target companies and describe why you are interested in working there. Why are they a good fit? Are there any potential deal breakers?

3.Identify your distinguishing skills and talents. Illustrate experiences that persuasively demonstrate your qualifications to confront challenges, lead others through them and find solutions. Summarize success stories that unequivocally illustrate your outstanding abilities. Quantify outcomes. Why should an employer be attracted to you? What do you offer that’s desirable and unique? What differentiates you from others with similar credentials? Anticipate push-back. Prepare to erase all doubts, promote your credibility and engender a high degree of trust.

4.Find current or former employees of each target company and connect with these insiders. Mine your personal network for people with a connection to your target employer’s decision makers. Do this even before reaching out to their HR team. Emphasize your desire to gather information or have a one–on–one 'industry talk.' Never say that you are looking for a job. No openings now? No problem, request referrals to more decision makers with contacts at additional business units. Collect more ideas and make more connections that will keep your campaign moving forward. You’ll have to generate leads exponentially until one of them evolves into an accepted job offer.

5.Continue networking forever. Concentrate on relationships, not transactions. If you don’t want to repeat this job search process from scratch ever again, personal relationships are essential. If you keep in touch with well-connected, well-placed individuals on a regular basis, you will naturally become aware of potential future opportunities through your interactions and exchanges. You will be invited to join a new venture and offer your expertise rather than having to go fish into unknown territory. Save yourself angst, money and time by maintaining a vibrant network and continually building your connections, especially by offering to help others before being asked. Generosity pays. What goes around comes around.