Blind Dating is Not an Effective Job Search Strategy, Part Two

If you have not read last week’s blog, please do. The question we need to start with is how would you feel about blind dating with different people suggesting whom you should date.

Now that you put yourself into those shoes, let’s turn the tables. Let’s put on the hiring manager’s shoes. The hiring manager is now the one who is looking for a date (employee to fill a job) and potentially a long term employment relationship. You are the potential blind date.

If the hiring manager did not know you or ever talk to you and a stranger to the hiring manager suggested to her that she should commit her time to meet you, would you expect she would be interested in meeting?

This is what an unsolicited resume is to a hiring manager. They don’t know you and whether what you say is true or filled with a hidden motive. Most hiring managers don’t have the time or trust to pursue unknown people.

If your resume was referred to the hiring manager by someone she knew, would you expect she would immediately want to meet with you? Not necessarily. Certainly, in the context of you being one of five candidates coming in to be interviewed by a number of people, then the hiring manager may interview you or not. Many hiring managers want subordinates to do the first interview pass. Why? To get opinions of people whom they trust to screen unknown candidates first.

If you were referred by a trusted friend or advisor, would the hiring manager be willing to meet personally with you, bypassing the gatekeepers? In most cases, you will get the opportunity of at least meeting with them for 15-30 minutes. If they like you and become interested in you, then they would usually check you out with other advisors or, if you are at a lower level, have HR take a look at you.  During this process the company might be willing to consider including you in the interview process to see if the relationship should move toward a job offer.

Sound ridiculous? To a job seeker, perhaps. To a hiring manager, this is no different than being asked on a blind date.

The question then becomes, how are you seeking to get in front of the hiring manager?

Next week, we will be announcing our new book which walks you through the entire process and gives you a roadmap you can begin following immediately.

Blind Dating is Not an Effective Job Search Strategy

Have you ever been on a blind date? No? I haven’t either. Let’s go through what might be a typical blind date scenario. It is important to see the picture from this viewpoint. Next week we will explain why blind dating is not an effective job search strategy.

Let’s say that a stranger told you that there was a person whom you should meet and go out on a date. What would your response be?

Let’s say that someone you knew told you that there was a person whom you should meet and go out on a date. What would your response be?

Let’s say that your best friend told you that there was a person whom you should meet and go out on a date. What would your response be?

My hope is that you would ignore the stranger; period.

If someone you knew suggested a date, most of us might ask a question or two. If the answer sounded like a “WOW!”, then we might at least consider meeting the person on a casual basis first to get our own opinion. That casual introduction could start out as simple as using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email. If interest increased, perhaps a causal meeting for coffee in a highly public area might be warranted. At a minimum, most of us would still be very nervous. You never know whom you might really be meeting. Movies have been made of such things.

If your best friend told you, you would probably ask a number of questions and measure both the content of the reply and how well your best friend knew the person. You would be wise to still follow the caution of very slow steps before committing to a date.

What is the difference? Trust. You cannot trust a stranger’s opinion or motive. You may not be able to trust the opinion of someone else whom you know. You would more likely trust your best friend and at least be willing to meet the person, without initially committing to a date or a relationship.

Before we explain how this relates to jobs, please consider if you agree with my opinion. Next week’s blog will explain how this ties into getting a job.

Job Searching is a Business to Business Sale, NOT a Consumer Sale; Part Three

How can a hiring mistake harm a company?

How about an EEOC error causing a law suit? Some companies have paid out millions.

How about a disgruntled or negative attitude hire that sours morale, spreads rumors, creates strife, or does not follow rules impacting productivity?

How about a good intentioned employee, who makes poor decisions without involving management, that costs millions in excess inventory, uncollected customer payments, wasted advertising dollars, low productivity sales teams,…etc.

How about a less than honest employee who steals from the company? I have seen cost millions of dollars.

How about a naïve or foolish employee who says the wrong thing to a customer or to the media? Customer good will is lost. Lawsuits can easily occur. Bad media and publicity exposure could unwind hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing advertising and media relations.

Just take the recent BP oil spill. Was an employee somewhere at the heart of the problem? The cost is $20 billion and counting.

Are these hiring mistakes or managing mistakes? Both. Managing starts with hiring. Ultimately, the manager is responsible for the hiring decision and writing the specification that is given to HR. If the manager makes a mistake or does not hire or manage well, her neck could be on the chopping block.

Wise managers eliminate problems (retrain or fire) and learn from them (tighten hiring requirements).  The decision is theirs. The risk is theirs. Burned once, most managers don’t want to be burned a second time. Executives, by the time they are at this level, have been burned numerous times in different ways.

You may have personally been burnt by someone spreading a false rumor, stealing from you, or worse. In business, the manager’s career and reputation is on the line. His bonus and promotional opportunities are also on the line.

That means, your fit to the job description requirements is really only 50% of the story. Your fit is merely the first step to join the pool of other technically qualified people.

The hiring decision is based upon unspoken questions, such as “can I trust you?”, “will you help me get promoted or be self-promoting?”, “will you do what I say (to manage the risk) or be a cowgirl?”, “do I like you?”.

These factors are not decided by HR or other gatekeepers. HR is there to help the hiring process just like procurement helps the buying process. But in both cases, the decision maker is the manager who is responsible – or her boss.

That means the approach to selling to a business is FAR more complicated than selling to a consumer.

The good news is that you can learn the process while your competition keeps assuming the hiring manager is just like a consumer.

Job Searching is a Business to Business Sale, NOT a Consumer Sale; Part Two

Now let’s talk more about the buyer decision for a larger company, such as a Fortune 1000. If you want to work at a company under $50 million in revenue, the characteristics may resemble more of a consumer sale.

A consumer personally decides what they want to buy. If they make a mistake, the impact is usually limited and not a significant impact to them. Buying a house or a car are large purchases but can usually be resold with limited loss and personal impact.

Note well: A consumer decision rarely impacts others outside of their family.

A business buyer usually has specific needs or consolidates consumer spending into leveraged buys.

Business commodity spending, such as toilet paper or printer ribbons, are usually purchased in large quantities in a bid process. The vendor who has the needed product at the best price with the best servicing relationship usually wins.

However, most business purchases are for specific technologies, raw materials, consulting, and items that could significantly impact their business. To be competitive, they have rules designed to control what is purchased to attempt to only buy what is needed to drive their business forward – at the lowest cost. But that cost is rarely the price paid for the product. The impact of a business purchase is immense with hidden costs and risks.

Let’s take a simple example. Say the company is buying HP laptops. What is the risk of going out and buying a Dell laptop for yourself? First, the price is probably more than buying off a corporate contract. Second, the company has to pay someone to service the laptops. By now having two vendors, the costs for parts and service knowledge, has increased. Third, the IT software strategy may require interfaces and memory/disk requirements that your new Dell laptop does not have. Bad decision? You bet. You will probably get your hand slapped.

This example gets a lot worse depending upon what is purchased for the company. If the buyer makes a major mistake, the impact can be the entire company. I have see some companies go out of business for making naïve or poor decisions. Everyone can be impacted. Management take mistakes very seriously. A wrong decision or not following the rules could easily cost your job.

The business buyer decision impacts the business. Bad decisions result in slaps on the wrist to being fired.

This has a dramatic impact on how companies buy – and hire.

Job Searching is a Business to Business Sale, NOT a Consumer Sale; Part One

One of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make is to assume that looking for a job is no different than how they shop for items that they want. That sounds reasonable. It is what most of us know. It is all that most of us ever see! However, for job seekers, it is tragically wrong.

Now, I can just tell you it is wrong or I can explain why it is wrong and set the stage for what you should consider doing.

Let’s start by comparing consumer spending to business spending.

Consumer spending is mass marketing. The idea is that if you spread the message to enough people, buyers will show up and buy your product or service. Think about TV or magazine advertisements. They play to broad audiences – whoever is watching the program or reading the magazine. Such a market could be hundred of millions of potential viewers. Further, the product may get lost among hundreds of alternative products for hundreds of millions of people to consider.

That is why billions of dollars are spent on advertising and branding to become the most predominate product in the public’s eyes, hopefully resulting in large numbers of people buying their product.

There is some market segmentation, but it is usually to broad categories like 15-20 year olds. That only contains tens of millions of possible product buyers.

The pricing of these products is usually relatively low. The products are usually commodities, like shampoo, where large numbers of competitive alternatives keep pricing competitively low. Ongoing profit depends upon large numbers of people buying their product over and over again. That is, the buying public “consume” the product and have to buy more at some time in the future. That is why the buying public are often called “consumers.”

The key term here is “commodities.” Unless you demonstrate unique value, you are viewed as one of many to choose from, i.e. a commodity. It is hard to stand out from the crowd if you are viewed as just another one in the crowd.

On the other hand, Business spending is usually divided into two categories. The first is what is commonly purchased on a routine basis. These are called consumable items or commodities. The second spending type is specified product (i.e., for raw materials or parts used in manufacturing, consulting services, computer solutions, and a host of uniquely needed and higher valued products and services). This is true regardless of the “business” you are in, including public and private sectors.

The business buying process, whether through HR or procurement, usually begins with a job description or a specification for a specific need that is already approved by management. The range of buying includes low value and low priced (low cost labor) to high value and high priced (higher skilled and valued labor).

Here is your question: Are you a low value consumer product (commodity) that people will buy (hire), use up, and buy more elsewhere? Or, are you a unique person who can bring value to a company?

Are You a Legend or a Legacy?

There are several kinds of legends. You can be a legend want-a-be, a legend in your own mind, a legend with mythical notoriety, or a true legend whom others look up to with awe and respect. For some true legends, they just seem to fall into the situation, not unlike some medal of honor winners who were “just doing their duty.” For most true legends, and medal of honor winners, there is a cost to pay. The price can range from their health, their family, friends, and endless hours of hard work.

It is hard to be a legend. Few make the grade. I doubt that I will be considered a legend. To me, the cost would have been too high. For others, I simply take my hat off to them.

However, there is something that all of us can do even if we are never recognized by others, appear on the national news, or receive global honors. We can choose to leave a legacy.

What is a legacy? Wikipedia defines a legacy as “what someone or something is remembered for or what they have left behind that is remembered, revered or has impacted current events and the present day.”

While a legacy could include a significant monetary or property inheritance, I am most interested in whether our personal lives are impacting others around us in such a way that they are “touched by us”, motivated by us, encouraged by us, and helped by us in such a way that they remember it for the rest of their lives – and sometimes even tell their children about it. That could even include one simple but profound positive lesson that a parent leaves with their child.

While you are looking for a job or are developing your career, are you also leaving a positive legacy for your family, friends, and even strangers that you meet?

Are you focused on becoming a legend or on leaving a legacy?

Do You Feel Entitled or Entrepreneurial?

Most of us live in an entitlement world. We are entitled to our rights. As American or European citizens, we are entitled to government handouts, pensions, healthcare, vacation time, holidays, legal protection, police and fire protection, military protection, consumer protection, regulatory protection, a job, a promotion, training, education, etc. What entitlements do you feel that you are owed?

Entitlements have two dangers attached. The first danger of entitlement is that they make you risk adverse, lazy, and wanting more free goodies. If you are entitled, you don’t have to do anything for it. Others just give it to you. You don’t care who pays for it. You are owed “your share.”  You merely have to wait for your seniority to improve for better benefits.

Second, what happens if those entitlements disappear? What happens if your city, state, or country government runs out of money to fund those entitlements? What happens if the economy and job picture deteriorate so much that you become unemployed, your unemployment payment runs out, or your pension fund runs out of money?

My suggestion is that, even if we are taking advantage of current entitlements, we need to develop a different attitude. After all, if you have been keeping up with the news worldwide, there is a massive geo-political, demographic and economic shift threatening the continuing existence of all entitlements.

What is that different attitude? You might call it a spirit of entrepreneurialism. That means developing the attitude that you will take full control and responsibility for your own life. If you begin developing the ability to not depend upon others and quit expecting others to give you a handout, then you will begin learning how to become successful on your own, how to become independent, how to think for yourself, and how you can help others help themselves.

For example, when looking for a job your perspective might change from “you owe me a job” to “what can I do for you that makes you want to offer me a job?”  When trying to keep a job, you might begin taking actions to become invaluable in your current job, help others around you become successful, and to get known in other departments as someone of value. When planning your personal life, you might begin taking seriously the need to learn from others and to begin transforming yourself into someone who can take care of themselves, help others and not worry if your entitlements will disappear.

In an uncertain world, can you afford to feel entitled or is it time to become a entrepreneur and jobpreneur?

Are You a Victim or a Victor?

There many victims in this world. In fact, anyone can claim to be a victim. The poor may not have enough food, clothing, education, healthcare, nurturing, safety, role models, etc. The rich may have been spoiled, not enough time with loving parents, too much freedom, too much money, too many temptations, too much unstructured free time, too much access to drugs, sex, and mischief. Perhaps you are in the middle but had a negative teacher experience, a professor who could not teach, a boss who was unethical, etc. It is easy to blame others or our circumstances. It emotionally feels good to blame the system, blame our situation, and ignore our own responsibility. You might get compassion from a court of law or others but feeling like a victim does not solve anything. You will just remain a victim.

We have far fewer victors. A victor does not ignore the injustices in life. Instead, they feed off of wanting their lives to be different. They take any negative energy and turn it into positive motivation to become different. They want to provide food, clothing, opportunities, a better world and a better life for themselves and for their children and grand children. They choose to win at the game of life. They get up each morning determined to break through their past, their excuses, and their weaknesses to make a difference, to maximize their potential, and to ultimately leave a legacy.

Being a victim is easy. You don’t have to do anything.

Being a victor is hard. You have to be determined, work hard, persevere, and surround yourself with other like-minded victors to become successful. Many future victors are often surprised how many older victors are willing to reach out a hand to help those who are determined to win in life. These older victors have won already and are now working on paying it forward in order to leave a legacy for future generations of victors.

At the end of the day, the difference is what you decide to do with your life.

Will you be a victim or a victor?

The Financial Challenge for Graduates Trying to A Job

The first shock will be having to go home. The article cites that in 2009, 80% moved back home to Mom and Dad after graduation. Since the trend has been increasing, the 2010 numbers may likely be higher. You can read the full USA Today article by clicking here.

When they arrive home, many will have to start paying back their college loans. While the national average is cited as around $23 thousand, if you went to school in a top tier school in an expensive state, that number could easily be much, much higher. Unless their parents keep paying for them, the financial pressures will quickly mount.

For some, their parents may also be unemployed and financially struggling. The unforeseen train wreck may be just around the corner.

I have heard some people suggest that this year’s graduates, as well as for the last two years, will be the “lost generation.” That refers to far fewer getting jobs and lower starting salaries for those who do get a job. By starting with a lower salary, the impact to lifetime earnings can be staggering.

If you do the math, ongoing support at home + paying off student loans + job hunting expenses + risk of parents running out of money + the lifetime loss of earnings (from starting at a lower salary) = a frightening scenario for today’s graduates. Yet the article suggests that 50% of graduates are confident that they will get a job.

I hope that they do. I suspect that those who assume that the job will come to them or that simply trying to get a job the same way that their parents used to get a job will be very disappointed. The math, for most, just will not work.

So, what are their choices? The article suggests: a) staying in school, b) starting their own business, c) picking jobs that don’t fit their majors, d) taking internships to get experience, and e) accepting job offers when they get an offer.  These are all reasonable but miss the most important point; which is learning how to competitively sell and market themselves to get a job now and develop the skills that will help them develop a lifetime of success.

Of course, most people think that getting their resume updated, applying online for jobs, and learning how to interview is all that you need. That is why I am trying to get the message out about Jobpreneurshipä. If you have heard our presentations, attended our seminars, read our newsletters, blogs, testimonials, and books, then you know that our message is a paradigm shift to many but simply words of wisdom shared from insiders who want to help others. Those who want to take action can increase their opportunity for career, family, and future success.

If you agree with our message, please tell others about Job Doctors.  Thank you for helping us help others.

The Shocking Challenge for Graduates Getting A Job

The employment news on Friday, June 4, 2010 was that unemployment fell to 9.7% nationally. That sounds like an improvement. However, when you peal back the number, less than 10% of the improvement came from the private sector – far less than expected. The improvements came from government hiring but are clouded by how many are related to temporary Census workers.  The bottom line is that the employment picture for everyone has not really improved. The stock market understands this math and the DJIA fell 323 points.

So, what does that mean for graduates? First, most students don’t really know what is going on. They often believe that getting a job is something to think about when they graduate; and not before. The real shock will be when they enter the transition market that over 30 million Americans are experiencing.

Let’s look at some of the information provided by USA Today on May 19, 2010. You can read the article by clicking here.

First, 2.4 million new students have recently graduated. That does not include graduate level students. Many of them will struggle to get an interview, much less get hired.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as showing five job seekers for every opening. Who knows where they get their numbers. My HR sources tell me that hundreds and thousands are applying for posted positions. I will let you decide which you believe is true for your dream job.

What is astounding is that the percentage of employers planning to hire recent graduates is continuing to go down! The article cites 79% in 2007, 58% in 2008, and 44% this year with last year around the same number.

There is no question that the markets are incredibly competitive with little improvement seen for the next several years.

However, many of these graduates have been accustomed to getting along and not worrying about the future. Many, not finding a job, will simply go back home while others will assume that their parents will continue to pay for their needs. To be blunt, that phenomena will probably be increasing. But believing that they should not have to compete for jobs or assuming someone, like their parents, will help them get a job is living in a bubble that, for many, will eventually end poorly.

The conclusion is that, “are simply not enough jobs to go around.”

I agree with the numbers but not with the implied conclusion. If everyone just sat around, being a victim, the sentiment would be reasonable. However, not everyone will just be sitting around. The ones who get hired will be those who are hungry enough to decide to learn how to compete regardless of the economy. Their attitude will be, “no excuses!” They will choose to learn how to cope and succeed in today’s market. When the market improves, they will be ahead of their peers and far ahead in knowing how to get their ultimate dream jobs.

So how will they learn these skills? Job Doctors is here to teach them. Few may wish to learn, but I want to be there to help them learn the secrets that insiders have always used and that anyone who wishes to be competitive in today’s marketplace must use to be working while others go home to their parents house waiting for more jobs to “go around.”

How about you? Are you taking steps to learn to be competitive? Can you help others know about these insider secrets so that they can also start moving toward their dream job?

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