Don't Avoid the Unemployed!

Don't Avoid the Unemployed!  

  

Is it worthwhile to network with people who are also looking for new employment?

Most people think they should only talk with other people who are presently employed in a specific capacity within a specific industry within a specific company who might have a specific job for them.  This is job search futility and fatality.

When an exec is between jobs, it's the perfect time to get to know him/her. That person will land soon and will remember you when s/he does.

In fact, it's more effective to network with people who are also looking for new employment.  When these people are between jobs, they are accessible; once they land a new gig, you might never get to speak with them.  It's too late. S/he's off and running on a new career venture and much too busy to be bothered. 

 Alternatively, if you connect with him beforehand, you better believe he'll speak with you. His Rolodex® will be wide open. Moreover, if you can point him to one good contact in your network, he will never forget you. When he's running his next company, he will pay your favor forward.

Additionally, once an executive has left, he is more likely to give you contacts from his last company as he does not have the same confidentiality concern.  Also, don't forget to look at other companies he has worked for and ask for contacts there as well.  Furthermore, because he has been searching and talking to other execs and recruiters, he is more likely to be aware of recent opportunities that might be better for you than for him. 

The Recruiter/Your Contact Has Gone Ice Cold!

 The Recruiter/Your Contact Has Gone Ice Cold! 

   

 Your speaking with another executive in your network or recruiter whom has promised to circulate your resume throughout his network. He even goes as far as to say he knows of a vacant position that you would be perfect for...He promises to touch base with his contacts and be back with you in short order! Two weeks have since passed, and your ol friend has vanished!  You've left a few messages, but at this point you might be wondering if he's still breathing.  Just a week ago he was fervently excited to help, and now; MIA! How could this be?????

 

 

Here's What Went Wrong

  

Mistake Number 1. No Quid Pro Qou!   

 

You did not take the time to understand what his needs are...Did you ask him how things are going in his career? Has he thought about something bigger and better for himself? Did you suggest a few people that you might refer to him? If you are part of The Browning Associates network, you could have said, "I know of a huge network in your industry and I'm glad to connect you with some excellent high level contacts...Either way, if you spoke for 10 minutes, 8 of those minutes should have been about your network contacts and what you can do to help him...Every 200k executive on the planet is always looking for something bigger; make it about them; no excuses, no exceptions!  You will use your remaining 2 minutes to ask that they do the same for you...Consequently, the (Quid pro qou) has been birthed in to action! 
 
Mistake Number 2. No Accountability No Call to Action! 

Before you finish your conversation, there are two things that must happen.  1. Make it very clear what you are going to do for them and 2. Schedule a time for follow up. As far as they can see, you are scheduling a follow up call so as to be sure you are able to come back to them with the promised referrals etc... Remember; never give them all you've got until they come forth with their promise as well...Always keep them wanting more!

Don't be Anti-Social

By Melanie Schwartz and John Seraichyk

So then, what's the deal with all this social media hype? Do we 40 ++ guys and gals need to be onboard?

In my estimation, professional networking is and will forever remain the most important and integral ingredient for ensuring job security and career growth potential!

However, as the job market continues to become even more competitive, conventional networking and job searching tactics may not be enough. Job seekers must now incorporate social media!

Professionals seeking to better their career situation just might need to Tweet their way up the corporate cliff face of success (remember when it was a ladder?). The Job Jungle (used to call it a market!) has changed forever and so must you modernize the way you seek professional career employment and advancement.

These days one must incorporate social media with the marketing genius of corporate giants such as Toyota. If you're changing careers, you have to love Toyota - take an existing middle market product (the Camry), change the name, add some fake wood, double the price, and suddenly you dominate a foreign market that the American automaker still cannot figure out. Now this is what I call very cool brand building! Are you a Toyota or a Lexus?

"The use of social media has fast become essential in aiding professional job seekers to connect with others." Melanie J. Schwartz, Vice President Client Consulting Services - Browning Associates - circa 2011


Become a Social Butterfly

By way of social media, the career seeker can now access contacts 24/7 in the convenience of their home, office, or local coffee shop. No more attending a seven am breakfast event where only 20 people show up. Instead, we now have the opportunity to interact with thousands of people all over the globe at the touch of a keystroke.

There are over 120 million members in 20 countries and territories that can be found on LinkedIn.com alone. Furthermore, both LinkedIn and Twitter also now include job postings for senior level executives. In fact, not being a member of these sites can be detrimental in a job search. Our clients have been told by company representatives that candidates not on LinkedIn will not be considered for an interview. That's a fairly strong reason to have a LinkedIn presence.

Furthermore, JobVite.com recently polled over 800 employers asking if they used social media to recruit and over 89% indicated that they did! In addition, 90% of the human resource executives and executive recruiters that we work with also indicate that they routinely scour profiles of LinkedIn members looking for potential candidates.

How to Build your Social Media Brand

The reason most job-seekers are inept social networkers and personal brand-builders and consequently futile job hunters, is they are typically blindsided by the daunting sense of urgency brought on by the paradigm of contemporary job hunting.

Historically, job hunting, by definition and incident, has been a frustrating process of sifting fool's gold from the internet while contacting people who you think might have a job for you today, right now, instantaneously! Looking for a job this way is like trying to find your soul mate/husband/wife on www.girlofmydreams.noway.com. Sure you'll go on a few dates, but they are usually superficial at best. The hungry job seeker becomes so focused on pursuits of the pay check that s/he sometimes misses the much bigger picture. A successful social media brand building campaign must be developed and executed completely apart from conventional job networking. To be an effective social networker, you must separate personal promotion (brand building) from job hunting altogether.

He Who Has the Most Friends Wins - NOT!

Personal branding done "social media style" is not just about who has the most (so called) friends on Face Book or connections on LinkedIn. Rather, it's crucial that you connect on a personal level and always come away with two or three solid referrals from your new friend. When personal branding is done properly, an outreach to just twenty of your best network contacts may necessitate a full time assistant just to sustain the referral activity. I recently had a client who needed two assistants just to keep up! Does this describe what's transpiring in your job search?

Before you know it, your buzz will be second nature for everybody who knows the YOU brand. Branding is powerful. Don't think so? When is the last time you referred to Scotch Tape® as cellophane adhesive tape? Can't remember the last time I said, "Honey, have you seen the cellophane adhesive tape?" Are you cellophane adhesive tape? It's no surprise the brand-recognition for toilet paper is still up for grabs! Although Kleenex® does have unconventional uses I suppose...

How to Launch Your Social Media Branding Campaign

Anybody and everybody, including your butcher, baker, and candlestick maker, who knows your brand (your name) must know what you are up to and how to find/follow you. I suggest you start with an effectual heartfelt correspondence penned from the tablet of your heart. Be sure to let your friends and associates know you are seeking a possible career move and how to reach you on all media levels. Next, you must promptly put forward to your LinkedIn network, post on your Facebook wall and all the while continuing to Tweet your moment by moment activity to your faithful Twitter followers. If you say the right things and ask the right questions, your friends will sing like canaries.

Who Shall I invite to my Social Gathering?

Everyone on the planet who recognizes your name; this is your warm market. Look at your checkbook. These people surely know who you are. Be sure they know of your personal promotion campaign/job search endeavor. These people work for you. They owe you one! Let them know what you are up to.**Nobody does this, yet 90% of all new jobs at 100k+ will eventually come from somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who comes to know you!

But They Won't Have a Job for Me!

When I ask one of my clients for the names of the people at his gym or members of his clergy, he looks at me as if I have two heads! He thinks to himself: "This Seraichyk character is a kook!" This is because he is unable to separate personal brand building from job-hunting. When you think about calling Uncle Bill (who has been selling Amway/Avon for forty years,) to inquire with reference to employment opportunities, it seems preposterous, illogical, and absurd! However, Uncle Bill in the branding scenario is simply another human being who knows other human beings and is ALSO familiar with your brand. In other words, he is part and parcel of your warm market and must be informed of your product launch.

If you would like more ideas on how to seek out and categorize your network, please send a request for our free "How to Build Your Personal Network" document.

Where to Go - How to Get Started...

Professionals Seeking 75k Plus in annual compensation must get connected on LinkedIn... Go to http://www.linkedin.com/

Be sure to import your contacts from Outlook, Gmail, etc, so that you can start to build your network or cultivate your existing network. You may want to pay for a premium account, so you can contact other recruiters that may help you. Finally, you should conduct searches on LinkedIn for jobs that you may be interested in and reach out to those persons that may provide you with an interview or referral.

Twitter.com has fast developed into the ultimate utility to connect directly with recruiters and employees at companies you're targeting. By conducting Twitter searches, following recruiters on your account and using the "@" sign to communicate with them on occasion, you will begin to find out a lot about them and their companies.

Before you follow anyone on Twitter, you will need to have a finished profile. This means you must have a short bio, the location where you're from, and a link to a site that recruiters can go to for more information. I.e.: Your LinkedIn page, personal website or blog. It's fairly simple. Go to Twitter.com and jump right in! Its fast, free and fun.

If you're in the over 45 age demographic, I strongly suggest that you begin to explore Facebook.com as another resource or media to expose your professional candidacy. 700 million faithful followers can't all be wrong. You can't afford not to have a presence here... Go to Facebook.com to get started. Be sure that your Facebook profile is used exclusively for the purposes of your career endeavors.

A Little Birdie told me...

To get employed and to remain employed you must invite, invite, invite, connect, connect, connect. And always remember, when it comes to aggressive employment search, telling ain't selling, - asking is! Ask for referrals, introductions, contacts and connections; twice if you have to!

John H. Seraichyk(sir-ray-check)

Browning Associates

401-825-7717 Providence www.Professionaljobchange.com

LOOKING FOR A NEW 200k+ JOB?

ASK THE EXECUTIVE JOBS GUYS

http://professionaljobchange.com/faqejg.html

PS Having a hard time getting a door open? Feel free to email for a network contact, referral, reference or recommendation any time!

When Job Networking Isnt Working

Forget About Networking - It's Time to Build your Personal Brand Muscle!



How to Bulk Up Your Brand

In my estimation, executive job networking is becoming not much more than an overused career platitude. As the job market continues to be more and more competitive, traditional job networking may not be enough. We must now incorporate the marketing genius of the likes of corporate giants such as Toyota Motor Inc.... Take an existing middle market product, change the name, add some fake wood, double the price and suddenly you dominate a foreign market that Americans still cannot figure out... Now this is what I call very cool brand building! Are you a Camary or a Lexus?

The reason most executive job-seekers are horrible brand-builders is that they are blindsided by the daunting sense of urgency brought on by the paradigm of modern day job hunting. You must separate personal promotion (brand building) from job hunting altogether. Job hunting, by definition and incident, is a frustrating process of sifting fool's gold from the internet while contacting people who you think might have a job for you today, right now, instantaneously! Looking for a job this way is like trying to find your soul mate/husband/wife on www.Girlofmydreams.com. Sure you'll go on a few dates, but they are usually superficial at best. The hungry executive becomes so focused on pursuits of the job that he sometimes misses the much bigger picture. A successful personal brand building campaign must be completely separate from job hunting.


Personal promotion is wholly a process of aggressively exercising your ready-made brand muscle amongst the people who know you; a progression of relentlessly leveraging your brand (YOU) while coming to learn that helping others is more important than helping yourself.

Personal branding done right is not just notifying people and having a pleasant conversation about the weather. Rather, it's about connecting on a personal level and coming away with two or three solid referrals. When personal branding is done properly, an outreach to just twenty of your best network contacts may necessitate a full time assistant just to sustain the referral activity. I recently had a client who needed three assistants just to keep up! Does this describe what's transpiring in your career search?

Before you know it, your buzz will be second nature for everybody who knows the YOU brand. Branding is powerful. Don't think so? I still spell RELIEF: R-O-L-A-I-D-S! That slogan has stuck in my head since 1977. When is the last time you referred to Scotch Tape® as cellophane adhesive tape? Can't remember the last time I said, "Honey, have you seen the cellophane adhesive tape?" She wouldn't know what I was talking about. Are you cellophane adhesive tape? It's no surprise the brand-recognition for toilet paper is still up for grabs! Although Kleenex® does have unconventional uses I suppose...


How to Launch your Personal Branding Campaign

Anybody and everybody, including your butcher, baker, and candlestick maker, who know your brand (your name) must know what you are up to and how to find you. No, not a blurb on LinkedIn or Face book. What I'm suggesting is an effectual heartfelt correspondence, penned from the tablet of your heart and submitted via snail mail (email is also acceptable, but US mail is cooler) to everyone on the planet who recognizes your brand; this is your warm market. Look at your check book. These people surely know who you are. Be sure they know of your personal promo campaign. These people work for you. They owe you one! Let them know what you are up to.**Nobody does this, yet 90% of all new jobs at 200k+ will eventually come from somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody.

If you would like more ideas on how to seek out and categorize your network, please send a request for our free NMJ document.



But I Don't Know Anybody!


I will often ask executives how well networked they are within their circles of influence. Invariably, the answer comes back, "Oh man, I know everybody; sure, lots and lots of people!" It's amazing; they almost seem insulted that I would ask. A week later, we start their job search. I ask for their network and they say, "Hmmm, well I don't really know anybody."


When I ask one of my clients for the names of the people at his gym or members of his clergy, he looks at me as if I have two heads! He thinks to himself: "This Seraichyk character is a kook!" This is because he is unable to separate personal brand building from job-hunting. When you think about calling Aunty Jean, who has been selling Amway/Avon for forty years, to inquire with reference to employment opportunities, it seems preposterous, illogical, and absurd! However, Aunt Jean in (the branding scenario) is simply another human being who knows other human beings and is ALSO familiar with your brand. In other words, she is part and parcel of your warm market and she must be informed of your product launch.


Don't Avoid the Unemployed! 

Is it worthwhile to network with people who are also looking for new employment? Most people think they should only talk to other people who are presently employed in a specific capacity within a specific industry within a specific company who might have a specific job for them. This is job search futility and fatality.

When an exec is between jobs, it's the perfect time to get to know him/her. That person will land soon and will remember you when s/he does.

In fact, it's more effective to network with people who are also looking for new employment. When these people are between jobs, they are accessible; once they land a new gig, you might never get to speak with them. It's too late. S/he's off and running on a new career venture and much too busy to be bothered. Alternatively, if you connect with him beforehand, you better believe he'll speak with you. His Rolodex® will be wide open. Moreover, if you can point him to one good contact in your network, he will never forget you. When he's running his next company, he will pay your favor forward. Additionally, once an executive has left, he is more likely to give you contacts from his last company as he does not have the same confidentiality concern. Also, don't forget to look at other companies he has worked for and ask for contacts there as well. Furthermore, because he has been searching and talking to other execs and recruiters, he is more likely to be aware of recent opportunities that might be better for you than for him.


The Meek Will Inherit the Kingdom of Employment

Everybody wants to connect with the CEO, the chief, the king pin, the corner office dwellers of America...Not an easy thing to do and most often without solution. You will find it much easier to speak with lower level professionals. These common folk, like you and I, are always more willing to speak with you because they aspire to be where you are one day. Maybe you can tell them how you did it in trade for a referral. Don't forget to remind them that larger companies will pay referral bonuses to existing employees who refer new hires. I've seen some big bonuses paid out to existing employees who are paying attention and referring key talent to their companies!


If you are Not in Transition, you are in Denial

Employed executives are never content. For a successful executive, scaling the cliff face of success is as routine is the coffee break for the guy who wants your job but is too busy drinking coffee. If this were fallacy, you wouldn't be where you are today or even were you were yesterday.

When you reach out to people in your network, whether they are employed or unemployed, never make it about you and, by no means, come across as needy or in a bad position due to job loss. Be sure to give the impression that you have lots going on...You are contacting your friend, comrade, or x-boss to simply say hello and to let them know what you are up to. The best way to start this conversation is to ask them how their career is going. No matter what they tell you, I assure you, they are open for something better. Talk about how somebody in your network might help them. Once you've accomplished this, you simply say, "Oh yes, by the way. I'm contemplating a move myself."And then dig for three names from his/her Rolodex® (for those under 40, a Rolodex® is not a watch; that's Rolex®).This pre-Bill Gates technology is an astoundingly steadfast and reliable system for storing contact names and information, requires no electricity, never crashes, costs about $10.00, and you don't have to upgrade every 90 days! You may not get a sneak peek at the Rolodex®; you may not even get a name on the first call. But if things go well, schedule a follow up and try again.





PS Having a hard time getting a door open? Feel free to email for a network contact, referral, reference or recommendation any time!

Resume Advice is Useless!

Do not Heed Resume Advice!

If all the résumé writers in the US (all 8 billion of them) convened at the summit of mount boilerplate, entered into a massive resume writing laboratory and created what they believed to be the next super power most highly efficient and effectual "wins an interview every time" résumé and then asked 50 CEO’s for their candid critique; here would be the results of the meeting faction: 16 CEO’s would like it, 16 would find more things wrong with it, 16 would absolutely hate it and 2 would say resumes are a waste of time.… I know, because I’ve been running résumé focus groups for nearly 20 years. I’ve learned that asking for a résumé opinion is like asking somebody what color they like better red or blue.

Your Resume is a Tool and Needs to be Used Properly to Get the Right Result!

No one résumé will ever please the masses. And the minute you think your close, somebody will come along and tell you your résumé sucks. Therefore, when it comes to résumés, the only thing that is ALWAYS is that it must ALWAYS be used properly to get the right result. I.e. do everything you can to get it to the decision maker and follow up aggressively. Email it and US mail it with a handwritten envelope (guys, have your wife do the hand-writing). And at all costs, ALWAYS leverage a contact and drop that person’s name a hundred times if you have to. Unfortunately, job-seekers are second class citizens in this market. Only you need to love your resume and only you need to love you; the rest will take care of itself!

Want to know more about how to use your resume as a battering ram? Please visit us

http://www.professionaljobchange.com/

What is your greatest weakness? Never again be stumped by the weakness question!

What Is Your Greatest Weakness”?

By John Seraichyk - Executive Jobs Guy - Industry Thought Leader

This query has been an enduring weapon in the hiring manager's arsenal, but most people still have trouble with the dilemma it poses: answer too frankly, and you'll torpedo your prospects. Bestow a canned answer and you'll seem phony, or worse, evasive.

We have all at one time or another been faced with the dreaded “weakness” question. Why shouldn't we dread this inquiry? The employer is virtually asking why he/she shouldn't hire you!

The Weakness Question Distilled

A savvy interviewer may even disguise the “weakness” question? He/she might pose the (weakness) question as:

• Tell me about a project that did not work out so well?

• Name three self limiting thoughts

• Tell me about a time in your career that you really goofed up?

• What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?

• What makes you angry?

• How have your weaknesses affected your job performance? 

• Yes, she/he may even ask: What is your greatest weakness?

As demonstrated above, the weakness question may come in many different forms. There is no steadfast answer(s) to the “weakness” question. Sure, you can describe a weakness that has nothing to do with job you are applying for; you could retort..um uh….chocolate. Please don’t say you are a perfectionist or that you work too hard! ): These answers will certainly put your integrity at risk.


How to Formulate an Answer for any weakness question

All interview answers are like all good stories, they must have a happy ending! It’s always a good idea to put your weaknesses in the past and talk about what you have done to correct them and then end with a positive outcome. When done properly, you will demonstrate integrity by not doing the circumlocution bit and you will end your answer with a powerful and factual outcome based on your ability to successfully convert the weakness to a strength!

There is no possible way to prepare and rehearse an individual answer for every potential weakness question. However, with a little practice, you can learn to formulate an answer for any question and never be stumped again!

Here’s how: Whenever you are asked a question and it is immediately obvious (you will feel it in the pit of your stomach) that the interviewer wants you to say something NEGATIVE about yourself; you must practice doing three things:

1. Repeat the question; this buys you time and allows you to quickly formulate a masterful response. 2. Start your answer with any event or incident that happened in the past (always put your weakness in the past). 3. Explain the weakness… do not get long winded or become circumlocutory; rather, explain a situation that started out bad, what you did to correct it and then end your answer with a positive factual outcome.

IE: When I was hired in to the Regional Sales Director job back in 2001, my predecessor had left the position 6 months prior. When I took over the department, sales were down, turnover was at an all time high; I realized for the first time in my career that one of my greatest weaknesses was my ability to turn-around a failing sales division….

My mentoring and management skills were not what I thought they were; however, upon working many 80-100 hour weeks retraining supervisory and sales staff, reorganizing and developing departmental protocol and sales training procedures; I was able to increase sales volume by 43% in the first fiscal year. (The same answer you might use if the interviewer asked you what your greatest accomplishment was.) Never forget the ABC’s of interviewing (Always Be Closing)!

The above answer formulation technique works well for 90% of all “weakness” questions. However, be on the lookout for what I call the NEG 2.5 question. This question is the interviewer’s ploy to discover a character or personality flaw that might affect your ability to work well with others or perform well in the job. Here is an example of a NEG 2.5 question: “If someone does not know you well or like you. What are five adjectives he or she might use to describe you?”

You could answer this question by talking about a person from your past who you did not get along with, but now you’re best friends or describe weaknesses that will not affect your ability to perform well in the job.

For example I might answer the question like this:

Well, my x-girlfriend would say:

1. Lazy --when it came to yard work; she would say --- lazy ---80 hour work
weeks and yard work don’t mix…
2. Bad --- golfer…I think she liked beating me though…so did my clients…I
closed some good deals on the course…
3. Sloppy – she was a neat freak….
4. Poor --- I think she wants to Mary a billionaire
5. Not Funny --- some of my xmas party jokes may have been at her expense

Today we are actually very good friends!

(if you are a man interviewing with a woman, please use common sense here.

Job networking has NOTHING to do with Job hunting!

Job networking has NOTHING to do with job hunting!

RULE # 1

If you know somebody who will absolutely not have a job for you, then you must contact that person immediately.  This is the unconditional key to networking success!  If this sounds crazy to you, please keep reading...

What is successful career networking?

Everybody on the face of the planet who might recognize your brand (YOU) must come to know what YOU are up to.  A good benchmark for successful networking is not just notifying people and having a pleasant conversation; rather, it's about connecting on a personal level and coming away with two or three solid referrals.  If you do this properly, you will not need to be anxious about frustrating job-hunting activities, such as scouring the internet and chasing the ever elusive recruiter.

When done properly, reaching out to just twenty of your best network contacts may necessitate a full time assistant just to sustain the referral activity. I recently had a client who needed three assistants just to keep up! Does this describe what's transpiring in your career search?  If not, you need to read this now.

Networking and job hunting don't mix-Are you cellophane adhesive tape?

The reason most executive job-seekers are horrible net-workers is that they are blindsided by the daunting sense of urgency brought on by the paradigm of modern day job hunting. You must separate networking from job hunting altogether.  Job hunting, by definition and incident, is a frustrating process of sifting fool's gold from the internet while contacting people who you think might have a job for you today-right now, instantaneously! Looking for a job this way is like trying to find your soul mate/husband/wife on the bar scene.  Sure you'll have a few dates, but they are usually superficial at best.

The hungry executive becomes so focused on pursuits of the job that he sometimes misses the much bigger picture.  A successful net-worker must completely separate networking from job hunting.

Networking is purely a process of aggressively exercising your ready-made brand muscle amongst the people who know you; a progression of relentlessly leveraging your brand (YOU) while coming to learn that helping others is more important than helping yourself.  (See below "Everybody is looking." 

Before you know it, your buzz will be second nature for everybody who knows the brand. Branding is powerful.  Don't think so? I still spell RELIEF:   R-O-L-A-I-D-S!  That slogan has stuck in my head since 1977. When is the last time you referred to Scotch Tape® as cellophane adhesive tape?  Can't remember the last time I said, "Honey, have you seen the cellophane adhesive tape?"  She wouldn't know what I was talking about.  Are you cellophane adhesive tape?  It's no surprise the brand-recognition for toilet paper is still up for grabs!  Although Kleenex® does have unconventional uses I suppose...

How to launch your networking campaign

Anybody and everybody, including your butcher, baker, and candlestick maker, who know your brand (your name) must know what you are up to and how to find you. No, not a blurb on LinkedIn or Facebook. What I'm suggesting is an effectual heartfelt correspondence, penned from the tablet of your heart and submitted via snail mail(email is also acceptable, but US mail is better) to everyone on the planet who recognizes your brand; this is your warm market. Look at your check book.  These people surely know who you are.  Be sure they know of your job search transition.These people work for you. They owe you one! Let them know what you are up to.**Nobody does this, yet 90% of all new jobs at 200k+ will eventually come from somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody.**

If you would like more ideas on how to seek out and categorize your network, please send a request for our free NMJ document.


But I don't know anybody!

I will often ask executives how well networked they are within their circles of influence. Invariably, the answer comes back, "Oh man, I know everybody; sure, lots and lots of people. I've been in business for 25 years." It's amazing... they almost seem insulted that I would ask. A week later, we start their job search. I ask for their network and they say, "Hmmm, well I don't really know anybody." Go back and read "Networking and job hunting don't mix"above.

When I ask one of my clients for the names of the people at his gym or members of his clergy, he looks at me as if I have two heads!  He thinks to himself: "This Seraichyk character is a kook!"  This is because he is unable to separate personal brand building from job-hunting.  When you think about calling Aunt Jean, who has been selling Amway/Avon for forty years, to inquire with reference to employment opportunities, it seems preposterous, illogical, and absurd!   Aunt Jean in this (the networking scenario) is simply another human being who knows other human beings and is ALSO familiar with your brand.  In other words, she is part and parcel of your warm market and she must be informed of your product launch.

Don't avoid the unemployed!

Is it worthwhile to network with people who are also looking for new employment?

Most people think they should only talk to other people who are presently employed in a specific capacity within a specific industry within a specific company who might have a specific job for them.  This is job search futility and fatality.

When an exec is between jobs, it's the perfect time to get to know him/her. That person will land soon and will remember you when s/he does. Infact, it's more effective to network with people who are also looking for new employment.  When these people are between jobs, they are accessible; once they land a new gig, you might never get to speak with them.  It's too late. S/he's off and running on a new career venture and much too busy to be bothered. Alternatively, if you connect with him beforehand, you better believe he'll speak with you. His Rolodex® will be wide open. Moreover, if you can point him to one good contact in your network, he will never forget you. When he's running his next company, he will pay your favor forward. Additionally, once an executive has left, he is more likely to give you contacts from his last company as he does not have the same confidentiality concern.  Also, don't forget to look at other companies he has worked for and ask for contacts there as well.  Furthermore, because he has been searching and talking to other execs and recruiters, he is more likely to be aware of recent opportunities that might be better for you than for him.

The meek will inherit the Kingdom of Networking

Everybody wants to connect with the CEO, the chief, the king pin, the corner office dwellers of America...Not an easy thing to do and most often without solution.  You will find it much easier to speak with lower level professionals. These common folk, like you and I, are always more willing to speak with you because they aspire to be where you are one day.  Maybe you can tell them how you did it in trade for a referral.  Don't forget to remind them that most larger companies will pay referral bonuses to existing employees who refer new hires.  I've seen some big bonuses paid out to existing employees who are paying attention and referring key talent to their companies!

If you are not in Transition, you are in Denial

  Employed executives are never content.  If you are a successful executive, scaling the cliff face of success is as routine for you as is the coffee break for the guy who wants your job but is too busy drinking coffee. If this were fallacy, you wouldn't be where you are today.

When you reach out to people in your network, whether they are employed or unemployed, never make it about you and, by no means, come across as needy or in a bad position due to job loss.  Be sure to give the impression that you have lots going on...You are contacting your friend, comrade, or x-boss to simply say hello and to let them know what you are up to.  The best way to start this conversation is to ask them how their career is going. No matter what they tell you, I assure you, they are open for something better.  Talk about how somebody in your network might help them.  Once you've accomplished this, you simply say,"Oh yes, by the way. I'm contemplating a move myself."And then dig for three names from his/her Rolodex® (for those under 40, a Rolodex® is not a watch; that's Rolex®).This pre-Bill Gates technology is an astoundingly steadfast and reliable system for storing contact names and information, requires no electricity, never crashes, costs about $10.00, and you don't have to upgrade every 90 days!  You may not get a sneak peek at the Rolodex®; you may not even get a name on the first call. But if things go well, schedule a follow up and try again.