intelligent networker: a 360 roadmap to smarter job searchintelligentexecutive.com › ... › 2013...

Intelligent networker: a 360 roadmap to smarter job search

intelligentnetworker.com

intelligentnetworker


Intelligent networker: a 360 roadmap

to smarter job search

Designed for intelligent, ambitious job seekers: These ‘intelligent executives’ will be in professional occupations, at senior management, director level or CXO (Chief Executive Officer, Finance Officer, Chief Marketing Officer) level throughout

industry and commerce. They’ll be senior executives and managers, salespeople, finance executives, marketers, customer services executives, lawyers, management consultants, operations and logistics specialists, and IT consultants and professionals. And let’s not forget HR professionals who might be

great at hiring people, but are not so smart at finding a job for themselves.

How to network to access the hidden jobs market

Leveraging on-line networks and social media in job search




© Copyright 2012. Intelligent Networker is an Intelligent Executive product from Armstrong Hall. All rights reserved.This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.




Introduction

Introduction & Index – Page 1

How this book can help you

This guide is aimed at professionals, semi-professionals and senior executives who are either in between jobs or currently employed and looking for a better opportunity.

You are ‘intelligent workers’ and probably believe you know everything there is to know about finding a new job – even in these challenging economic climates. The truth is you will know less about job searching than you think.

Most people spend 99% of their time working and just 1% actually looking for employment. Therefore job searching is not a core skill. Today hiring processes are lengthier than ever before and the more senior the position the fewer roles available, so competition is of the highest caliber.

A poor approach to job search often results in several months lost income through not finding a position as quickly as you could have or having to compromise on the quality of the opportunity. It could even jeopardize your longer term career prospects.

This guide is called ‘Intelligent Networker’ because it is specifically designed for Intelligent Executives. 50-70% of positions for professionals and senior executives are filled via networking and personal contacts, so networking is your top priority.

On-line networks and social media have replaced or re-defined traditional recruitment models – leveraging on-line networks is essential for people employed in intelligent occupational types and at executive levels.

A smarter job search enables you to secure a position which meets your expectations, moves your career forward and helps you to realise your potential rather than having to settle for a compromise.

Follow our guidelines and you’ll benefit from a smarter approach, finding a better job, faster.




Progressive outcomes in job search


In what way is this guide unique?

Today the real key to finding that gem of an opportunity quickly lies in a smarter approach to your job hunt and the way you go about networking and leveraging on-line media and social networks. That’s why this guide is called the ‘Intelligent Networker’.

Our approach is totally up to date and entirely relevant. It’s practical, proven and current. We’ll tell you how to access the hidden jobs market in a way that job sites, recruitment consultants and head-hunters won’t.

Effective job search follows a logical set of steps; the way in which you undertake one stage has a knock-on effect on the next stage.

Apply yourself properly to each of these stages and you will achieve an acceleration effect in your job search results, which will enable you to find a better job faster.

Quality of task / stage execution.

Job search productivity – results!

Right job target

CV

Seek input of others

Job hunt activity

Interview technique

Job club participation

/ job hunt buddy

Target opportunity

job offer

Disclaimer: While this guide is intended to help you find a better job faster, we cannot be held responsible for the way in which you apply the advice it contains, nor do we make any guarantees around the quality of the advice itself. Nor do we guarantee it will work for everyone in every circumstance.




Action plan and index


Part 1. Establishing your goals Pages 5-16

• Developing an action plan Page 7

• Creating a CV/Resume Page 8-10

• Creating a framework and measuring your progress Pages 11-13

• Targeting prospective employers Page 14

• Getting feedback Page 16

Part 2. Lay smart foundations Pages 18-27

• Create on-line profiles Pages 18-21

• Your 30 second commercial Pages 22-23

• Applications Pages 24-27

Part 3. Intelligent networking & opening the right doors Pages 30-46

• Leverage all job search methods Pages 30-42

• Maintaining morale Pages 43-46

Toolbox Pages 48-65

Including…

• What to do if you are already mid job search Pages 60-62

• Tips for job searching whilst you are employed Pages 63-64

• Overcoming ageism Page 65

Remember!A systematic approach will

always win over a haphazard one.

Part 1 Establishing your goals




Pages 5-16




Job search done properly is a numbers game

Part 1 – Establishing your goals – Page 6

Let’s say 1 in 10 suitable prospective employers are recruiting for your type of position. If each company decides to interview five people, that means you need to make 50 applications.

This ratio is unpredictable, and will vary from one business area to another, one level of seniority to another AND according to the economic climate…

…and according to how well you are targeting your applications.

(1) Offer

# Second interviews (2-3)

# First interviews (5-8)

# applications (50)




Establishing your goals


Develop your own plan of action for your job search which should include making sure your it is focused on positions for which you are well qualified AND interested!

Write up your target opportunity profile

The type of role you are looking for.

The type of organisation in which you wish to work, e.g. industry sector.

What specific skills, experience and accomplishments you have to offer.

The timescale in which you wish to secure your new role.

You can see an example of a target opportunity profile below. Now write up your CV (see the examples on page 8-10 or find more info on the intelligent networker.com website).

An example of a target opportunity profile:

The type of role you are looking for.

I seek a consulting role with a specific focus on risk and

compliance in the investment banking sector.

The type of organisation in which you wish to work

, e.g. industry sector.

I want to work for either an investment bank or a consulti

ng

company on assignments with investment banks. I am intere

sted

to explore openings with a, b, c, d, e, investment banks as w

ell as

f, g. h, i, j consulting firms.

What specific skills, experience and accomplishmen

ts you have to offer.

I have skills in three main areas:

1. Risk and compliance projects with my employer ABC Inve

stment

Bank and on secondment to ZA Consulting.

2. Familiarity with mainstream business applications, integra

tion

and IT infrastructure.

3. Project management.

I can show how projects can be translated into identifiabl

e

business benefits and their value. I have strong knowledge

of both

business and IT perspectives together with strong interper

sonal and

communication skills.

The timescale in which you wish to secure your new

role.

I aim to secure a position inside three months.





Chuck Rogers

Personal details

Town, State, Zip / Post Code Mobile: (xx) xxxx xxxxxxNationality, Marital Status E-mail: [email protected]

Profile

State your profession and perhaps level of seniority and mention any areas ofparticular strength or interest. Back it up by mentioning experience, anynotable evidence and credentials e.g. qualifications. A profile gives you an idealstarting point to show how well suited you are for the opportunity for whichyou are applying. You may want to give this a title such as Personal profile orProfessional objective but this is not essential.

Career history

Employer name, Position/Title, tenure (dates)

In this Model CV we have given examples of how descriptions of employercompanies’ lines of businesses might read. So here’s the first one: ABC Corp are amedia company primarily with TV operations like Events and News Today. Thecompany employs some 400 staff and has operations in 10 countries. Revenuesreached more than $500m last year.

Reverse chronological order (most recent positions first). Make use of bullet points to contribute to a punchy CV. Unless it is obvious you may need to outline the nature of the employer’s line

of business. Most recent roles should include more information. Be clear and concise as to the responsibility of your role. Highlight achievements in the role, keep the emphasis on the positive. Be brief. Long sentences are boring and don’t get read.


Armstrong & Wyn Partnership is a family law firm with offices across the DefgProvince. The company has 45 partners and a total staff of 120. The company’smotto ‘Fair & Strong’ is championed by staff at all levels.

Avoid using small text sizes otherwise the reader will get tired and their mindwill move elsewhere. We suggest 10 point minimum.

Fancy fonts and elaborate graphics can be more of a distraction than a help. On the second page of this model CV we have shown you how you might choose

to show several jobs with the same employer company. If your employer was acquired you could show this as ABC Corp acquired by DEF

Corp. It’s critical that you highlight achievements in your roles and that you

substantiate them with facts and figures. Without these pieces of informationyour CV will be inconsequential!

A CV should have lots of white space. Too much text is tiring. For further suggestions now please turn to the second page of this model CV.

CV/Resume template




CV/Resume template


Career history continued

Employer name, overall tenure at employer company (dates)

TechStar Software develops and markets software for hospitality and fast foodbusiness. Techstar doubled in size every year, prior to its acquisition by its muchlarger rival StarTech.

Position/title, Department, tenure (dates)

This is an example of how you could show multiple jobs at one employer. State the employer name plus your overall dates of employment.

Then give the job title and dates of individual jobs, perhaps even mentioningthe department/function of which you were part.

Position/title, tenure (dates)

This is an example of how you could show multiple jobs at one employer. And then highlight your achievements, making the emphasis of the CV on the

positive.

Employer name, Position 1 / Position 2, tenure (dates)

Hotels Global & Local ~ today the business has 900 hotels around the world.

Another way to outline more than one job at a company is to do so as above. In this example you might put your first position followed by a forward slash

followed by your second one.


Part of the RSTU Group, FedNHappy is a chain of fast food restaurants.

We have chosen in this example not to give the title Curriculum Vitae (CV)because the reader will realise it is your CV. If you want to put it in, do so.

Always write in the past tense unless you are writing about yourpresent role.


Fun & GoodTimes was an events catering company.

The further back you go, the less important the need for detailed information.

Education & training

BA Hons Business Studies Finance for non-financial managers Advanced managerial skills Presentation skills

Interests

Only a brief outline: Gym, diving, skiing, running half marathons, playing a musicalinstrument, dog walking, family, horse riding, reading sci-fi, history, languages…

Want to know more about:In the Toolbox (pages 48-65), there is a second choice of CV template and an example of a functional CV which explains in which circumstances people may wish to use this kind of CV.




CV/Resume template


How we did itThis CV has been constructed in Microsoft Word; below you can see which fonts and colours we have used so that you can create your own.

Chuck Rogers

Personal details

Town, State, Zip / Post Code Mobile: (xx) xxxx xxxxxxNationality, Marital Status E-mail: [email protected]

Profile

State your profession and perhaps level of seniority and mention any areas ofparticular strength or interest. Back it up by mentioning experience, anynotable evidence and credentials e.g. qualifications. A profile gives you an idealstarting point to show how well suited you are for the opportunity for whichyou are applying. You may want to give this a title such as Personal profile orProfessional objective but this is not essential.

Career history


In this Model CV we have given examples of how descriptions of employercompanies’ lines of businesses might read. So here’s the first one: ABC Corp are aMedia company primarily with TV operations like Events and News Today. Thecompany employs some 400 staff and has operations in 10 countries. Revenuesreached more than $500m last year.

Reverse chronological order (most recent positions first). Make use of bullet points to contribute to a punchy CV. Unless it is obvious you may need to outline the nature of the employer’s line

of business. Most recent roles should include more information. Be clear and concise as to the responsibility of your role. Highlight achievements in the role, keep the emphasis on the positive. Be brief. Long sentences are boring and don’t get read.


Armstrong & Wyn Partnership is a family law firm with offices across the DefgProvince. The company has 45 partners and a total staff of 120. The company’smotto, ‘Fair & Strong’ is championed by staff at all levels.

Avoid using small text sizes otherwise the reader will get tired and their mindwill move elsewhere. We suggest 10 point minimum.

Fancy fonts and elaborate graphics can be more of a distraction than a help. On the second page of this model CV we have shown you how you might choose

to show several jobs with the same employer company. If your employer was acquired you could show this as ABC Corp acquired by DEF

Corp. It’s critical that you highlight achievements in your roles and that you

substantiate them with facts and figures. Without these pieces of informationyour CV will be inconsequential!

A CV should have lots of white space. Too much text is tiring. For further suggestions now please turn to the second page of this model CV.

Name

Main headers

Text

Sub headers

Bullets

Line

Margins




Create a framework for measuring progress


Keep in mind that job search done properly is a numbers game! To get one offer, you may need to attend between five and eight first interviews. For someone currently employed this could be as few as three, and for someone unemployed, quite likely to be five or more. This means you’ll need to make a lot of applications.

As time passes by, you won’t recall what you’ve done, where, with whom, how, why and when! So it’s important that you record your activities to help make your job search more effective.

At minimum we recommend you keep a record of:

• List of target prospective employers.

• Total number of applications made.

• How these were made.

• Number of decision makers with whom you have spoken.

• Number of interview invitations.

• Hours worked in job search during the week.

Consider record keeping on a spreadsheet stored on a PC, or in the Cloud, perhaps using Google docs or dropbox which lets you bring all your docs, photos, videos into one place,

accessible from mobiles, tablets, PCs – anywhere, anytime!




Job search timescales – Activities


Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Month 2 Month 3

Write up your target opportunity

profile

Develop an initial list of people with

whom you can network

Interview invitations may start coming your way, 2 to 3 weeks into your job search

Create your CV / Resume

Contact your network

Expand and continue to work your network using both direct contact and exploiting on-line networks like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter

Establish a framework to

measure your job search progress

Join or form a job club even if this is only 2/3 other people

Interact with other job seekers on a weekly basis and ideally meet every fortnight

Develop an initial list of prospective

employers

Make direct approaches /

applications to companies

Discuss your job search with other

people

Leverage other forms of job

search

Harness all job search techniques, i.e. job boards, advertising, recruitment / staffing firms

Lay the groundwork

• Create your 30 second commercial

• Develop repeatable pitches for making applications

• Get your profile up and on-line

Weekly review

• of hours worked in job search

• of contacts made

• of applications made

• of interview invites

Review progress on an ongoing basis.To what extent are your activities meeting with success or failure?

Do you need to change anything? Your focus, your CV, your interview technique….?

The above is only a suggestion. If your timescales are more pressing you may need to consider how you can condense your job search and how much you may need to compromise.

Your level of seniority will influence timescales.




Job search timescales – interviews & offer


Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

Company A1st interview

Company A2nd interview

Company B1st interview

Company B2nd interview

Company CInvite to interview

Company C1st interview

Company DInvite to interview

Company D1st interview

Company D2nd interview

Company D3rd / Final interview

Company E1st interview

Company E2nd interview

Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14

Company D – decision to offer

Raising job offer/approvals

Taking up references

Start in new job




Develop a list of types of organisation & target employers


Specific companies:

Write up both a list of industry sectors/niches as well as names of specific organisations with which you may wish to explore employment opportunities.

# Sector/area Company name Co

ntacts, notes…

1 ABC types ABC Investment Bank

2 ABC types ZA Consulting

3 ABC types Gr8Corp

4 ABC types Localanglobal

5 ABC types Kidsnxdor

6 DEF industry StsnleisureJon B knows someone

7 DEF industry Dknsian

8 DEF industry BronteH

9 DEF industry VictorTechSpeak with Jane G

10 DEF industry BPOGlobalCorp

11 GHI niche Armstrong Hall

12 GHI niche TypicoContra

13 GHI niche PecasaGrapevine hiring – priority

14 GHI niche MuchoDelite

15 ABC types Gr8twrk4

...




How to identify prospective employers


Want to know more about:How to brainstorm types of companies to work for? Find it in the Toolbox.

Organisations and particular companies with which you may wish to explore employment opportunities.1. Write the obvious ones down! For most people, there will be organisations for whom they have thought it might

be good to work. Consider also which type of company hires people with the type of skills and experience you have.

2. When networking with people ask for their ideas: Which companies/who else to speak with/which publications to read/which recruitment firms to talk to?

3. Web searches. General plus specific searches, e.g. top 100 companies in sectors. Try google.com/finance searches, Gartner research magic quadrants, zoominfo.com... See our list of on-line sources on pages 57-59.

4. Search companies on Linkedin. Look at where people worked before and after!

5. Which companies are out there in your vicinity? Jump in your car and see!

6. Take a trip to the local library. Look at industry publications, magazines, newsletters – a good way to get out of the house if in-between jobs!

How to identify particular decision makers:1. Ask around / ask people in your network.

2. Speak with customers and suppliers.

3. Look up people on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, zoominfo…

4. Undertake speculative web searches.

5. Phone up the company and ask who heads up the department.




No need for a second opinion? Think again!


Final word: Establishing your goalsMake sure you discuss your target opportunity profile, your CV / Resume and your overall approach with at least two or three other people. It will save you time and money, and vastly increase your chances of success.

No need for a second opinion? Think again! It’s essential that you get feedback from others on your approach to the job search process.

And this applies to everyone, no matter how senior or how smart they think they are. Far too many job seekers overlook this very basic step, jump to the wrong conclusions and end up way off course. It applies equally to presidents at the top as it does to people on the way up.

Think of your target opportunity profile as a compass which will show you the correct direction to take. Remember, if you’re one degree off course at the beginning of your quest, you will thereafter be travelling further away from your goal.

intelligent networker: a 360 roadmap to smarter job searchintelligentexecutive.com › ... › 2013...

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