Job Help

[dd2003]

I have not posted very often here but i have been a lurker dating back to 2007. However, I have decided to post very helpful hints in job searches for those that are unemployed or looking for a new job. I know some very helpful tricks and resources that I will share below. Some may know all these tricks already but if one person can benefit, then I have been successful.

1)Finding the contact

First, I hope everyone has signed up for a LinkedIN account. If you have not, then do so. Once you have signed up, most people do not know how to use it properly. Linkedin can be a very helpful resource. To help your job search, you can type a specific company into the people search. When the results come up different options are sure to appear. Sometimes peoples names come up with private, first name and a last letter and full name. If it is a full name, then you have won half the battle as they are very easy to contact and set up a networking call ( More on that later). However, if they have a private for their profile, the task as become more difficult but not impossible. Click on this private profile. Sometimes when clicking on this profile names of other people will appear on the bottom right. If they do, then you are in business as the saying goes. Click on someone on the bottom and remember the job title of the private persons profile. Once the other person's profile is brought up, it is very likely that your "private" persons profile is now going to reveal their name on the bottom right and you can then see their name and profile (winner). For the first name last initial, simply copy their name and job title and go to google or another search engine as a know many on DU are specific on search engines. Once at a search engine, type their first name and initial and then add a + and then their job title at company x. The search engine should then yield you their full name and hence you can contact them, which leads us to step 2.

2)Contacting the contact

As I mentioned earlier, finding the contact is half the battle. Once you have a contacts name go to their companies contact us page on the company website. Often companies have emails to contact them at. Most of these emails are @companiesname.com but some are not. Once you have the ending the email and you know the contact's name you are almost done. Most emails are [e-mail] or [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Their are some outliers to this formula but this is often very helpful. If you get a failure to deliver, try try again with another combination.

3) Selling yourself

Once an email address is established send an email selling yourself to the contacts name. I am not the best writer and definitely encourage you to use your own pitch, but this is what I use:

Hi Mr./Ms. ___________

My name is ________ and I am or was a ____________ at __________ . Moreover, I am highly interested and determined to enter / rejoin the _____________ industry. Over the summer / past I was an intern/ employee at ______________ which gave me valuable experience in the ___________ sector. (Optional: Additionally, I was awarded the ______ for my performance on / in the ________) Furthermore, I understand you have a very busy schedule, but I was wondering if you had 10 minutes that I could talk to you to see what you did to get to where you are today. If available, this of course would be at your convenience. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Best,

First Name Last Name



4) Keep trying

My best advice is to send out countless emails. I sent out about 300 emails last summer. Many do not reply but it only takes one reply and making that connection to lead to that future job. Contact anyone you may be interested in. You can even search for human resource employees at certain companies on Linkedin. I wish everyone the best of luck in your job search and may this be helpful. I apologize for some inconsistent grammar. I just want to help people get jobs!

[texastoast]

1. Thanks for posting this. Bookmarking.

My last job search was 11 years ago. I had an excellent resume. I had to send out 40 applications (which was unheard of for my skill set) before being rehired at a place where someone knew me.

I'm still working on my Linked In skills, but that is just an excellent place to network and get connections.

You are right. Just keep hammering and something will turn up.

:hi:

[angstlessk]

2. I remember the day when I would not accept a job..and continue to look

AND get the job I wanted....Of course that was the 'good old days' of the 90's

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. THANK YOU for your post! :-)

[givemebackmycountry]

4. I'm a hiring manager and if you hit me up that way....

Well, your e-mail better be able to fly around the room with a red cape and blue tights, because I get so much e-mail each day that chances are pretty good...

DELETE.

"Furthermore, I understand you have a very busy schedule, but I was wondering if you had 10 minutes that I could talk to you to see what you did to get to where you are today".

And that's what would get you deleted even if I did read it, which is extremely unlikely.

Dead on with the LinkedIn information however.

[dd2003]

5. GMBMC raises a good point

I should have included for the "furthermore" line that this is usually just for people that work at the company and not for human resources. It is very important to get that internal resume pass to human resources as they clearly just delete your emails. For human resources I normally try something really specific to them by seeing if they have an interest I do on their Linkedin and then including it in the subject line. Human Resource contacts are always tricky and they should be the last line of attack but I have had some success in getting them to respond in the past. Really work on people who actually work at the company so that they can pass your resume along. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks GMBMC for raising the harsh truth.

[givemebackmycountry]

6. Thanks DD - here is something else to consider....

Almost every manager I know (in my company) has a smart phone.
Blackberry, Androids, etc...

As I'm sitting in meeting after meeting, or even when I am at home, my phone is dutifully pulling my office e-mail.
I can see it coming in, almost in real time.

I think (and it's just an observation)that I'm more likely to delete an e-mail I don't recognize that comes in on my HTC EVO, than I would be on my laptop or my desktop work station in my office.

WHY?

Because it makes me feel productive, when I am in a unproductive state.
Such as a meeting or while sitting at home watching Monday Night Football.
I know it sounds stupid, but it's a reality for managers like myself.

I'm in the process of hiring a little over a dozen new people.
Every single one of them came from either internal applicants from our internal jobs website, or from external applicants from our "company.com" website.

And a few were referrals from existing employees.
We will hire almost everybody that was referred by another employee that is already doing the job.

That's the key.
Concentrate on the people you know that already have the job.

[dd2003]

8. Very True

I tried to only send emails during work hours and sometimes guess at when a worker would be getting back from lunch and most likely check emails before being productive again.

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. K&R

:kick: