How Vital is Networking?

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Networking is the key to success - not only when searching for a job - but for business in general.

Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book on networking in 1936. How to Win Friends and Influence People demystified the process of making friends out of strangers and inspired legions of business coaches to carry on Carnegie's message. Peter Handal, the chairman, CEO and president of Dale Carnegie & Associates, shared some of Carnegie's rules for meeting new people with Meridith Levinson of CIO Magazine and CIO.com.

The Wisdom of Dale Carnegie in Five Bullet Points

• Smile: "This is such a simple, basic rule, yet people just don't think about it," says Handal. They're so focused on needing to network at a conference that they don't realize they're walking around with a scowl on their face. Scowling, serious, expressions are forbidding, says Handal. People are more likely to warm up to someone who says good morning with a broad smile than they are to someone with a dour countenance.
  


• Ask a question: Joining a group engaged in conversation can be awkward. The best way to do so is to pose a question to the group after getting the gist of the conversation, says Handal. "You build your credibility by asking a question, and for a shy person, that's a much easier way to engage than by barging in with an opinion," he says.
  


• Listen: One of the most profound points Carnegie made in How to Win Friends was that people love to talk about themselves. If you can get people to discuss their experiences and opinions—and listen with sincere interest—you can have a great conversation with someone without having to say much at all.
  


• Business cards: Always have them handy, says Handal. "They're an effective way for you to leave your name behind so that people remember who you are."
  


• Say the person's name: "People like to hear their own name," says Handal, pointing to another one of Carnegie's basic principles—that a person's name is the sweetest sound to that person. So when you meet someone, use his name in conversation. Doing so makes the other person feel more comfortable, like you really know him and he knows you.

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Even the Overqualified Have Options to Get Jobs

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This recession and the accompanying job situation have hit experienced workers hard. Millions of job-seekers are now looking to positions they are overqualified for – and are genuinely anxious to fill those roles. Yet it’s sometimes difficult to even apply to them for fear of rejection.

So what do you do? First, you may want to consider rewording your résumé. Rather than highlighting that degree you worked so hard for (ouch!), choose wording that accentuates related experience or related education. After all, a degree doesn’t prove accomplishments and results, but accomplishments and results are what hiring managers are looking for.

Second, you must help the hiring manager understand what overqualified doesn't mean. You've got to let them know you really want to work for their organization, that you're dedicated, and that you've got something you can offer them.It's all about adding value. The job applicant who convinces a potential employer they can make a positive effect on the bottom line often wins. Campaign for your dedication, your work ethic, and the things you can learn in that new role even if you are overqualified for it.

According to Phil Chipouras of The Boomer Group, "You've got to position yourself as the solution to the company's problems. So research, networking, understanding what that company's problems are and positioning yourself accordingly, are all extremely important.”

Unless you're a Type A personality who always needs to climb the corporate ladder, then don't be dishonest with yourself or them. But in fact, a new career at a lower rung on the ladder might mean less stress. Maybe right now title and money is not all that it used to be. Maybe right now having a decent income and a balanced life is more important than it was before. During the interview you can make that point.

From the hiring manager’s point of view, they want to make sure you’ll stay on the job once you’re hired, so it’s important to indicate that you’re serious and that you’re a stable, solid investment.
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How to Best Prepare for a Job Fair

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More often than not, today's job seekers face many disappointments. The most frustrating is not getting an acknowledgement when a resume is mailed to a company or posted on the many job web sites that are out there.

Equally disappointing is attending a job fair and not quite finding the responses you had hoped for. Part of the reason is that the job seeker goes into a job fair somewhat unprepared.

Company hiring managers say that preparing for a job fair requires more than just creating or updating a resume. It's recommended that you:

Target specific companies: Apply to the companies that are the best fit for your skills and qualifications.

Do your homework: Be ready to talk about the company and their products. Do an Internet search before the job fair so you will be well versed on challenges facing the company you're applying to.

Clarify goals: Don't expect an on-the-spot offer unless you are pursuing a job through a temporary agency. Interested companies will be in contact with you for on-site interviews.

Present a realistic resume: Companies typically find out when a resume is padded.

Avoid salary and/or benefit questions: The initial interview should be about selling your skills and how you can help the organization.

Sell yourself: Prepare a short "commercial" about yourself. Provide background and clearly state your career goals.

Ask for contacts: Inquire about specific names and phone numbers. Typically the person at the job fair will not be the one making the hiring decisions.

Dress for success: Though it should go without saying, in this economic climate some people still arrive at a job fair dressed too casually. Wear conservative business attire, provide a firm handshake, establish eye contact, and - above all - smile!
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What is the Start Now! Career Guide?

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Good question!

If you’re one of many who have found yourself looking for a job, you’ll agree…you are faced with perhaps one of the most difficult times of your life.

You’re looking to get from point A (being unemployed) to point B (landing a good job) in the shortest amount of time. You turn to the Internet because that’s where we go for virtually instant information. What the job seeker often finds, however, is frustration.

In part, it’s because finding the best places to post a resume isn’t going to help if the resume itself isn’t on target. If the resume isn’t right, then it isn’t being read. If it isn’t read, it isn’t being considered.

So let me address how StartNowCareers.com can assist today’s job seeker:

1. It Provides Value. In its most basic form, Start Now! Career Guide helps you set the foundation in perfecting your own resume. The guide relieves the burden of weeding through repetitive information which is found on the Internet today. Our web site links to a product - not to a page of links to more web sites (which, in turn, often links to yet more web sites).

“Professional” resume writers are out there by the dozens and charge hefty fees to produce something for people they don’t even know. But the fact is, no one knows the you as well as you do. The Start Now! Career Guide helps you dig deep to rediscover talents and experiences (career and personal) which you may have overlooked.

2. We’re Not Reinventing the Wheel. Rather than a job search engine or resume service, Start Now! Career Guide is just that…a comprehensive guide which covers a wealth of information, from how to deal with the emotional side of unemployment, to networking, to resume construction, to letter writing, to interview strategies, and so much more.

3. We Don't Remix. Since there is so much information out on the Internet, we can’t claim that our guide is spectacularly unique. What we can claim, however, is that the Start Now! Career Guide provides essential information all job seekers need. Plus, since you’ll have the reference information always at your fingertips, it saves valuable time you’d be using going from one web site to another.

We’re really hoping you’ll evaluate StartNowCareers.com. Our goal is to deliver a product of value which provides vital information and essential tools to assist you in your job search.
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On the Light Side - Help Wanted

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Position: Actual job title varies. Mom, Dad; Mommy, Daddy; Mama, Dada; or Ma, Pa

Job Description: Long-term team players needed for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24-hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses never reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

Responsibilities: Duration of the job is the rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysterious ugly sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and varying numbers. Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.

Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

Possibility of Advancement and Promotion: None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

Previous Experience: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

Wages And Compensation: Get this! You pay them!! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

Benefits: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
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What Lies Ahead for Today’s College Grads?

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Depending on the spin some media have put in their news reports, college graduates may feel the job outlook is pretty grim. But many experts say it’s not all gloom and doom…if the candidate is well prepared.

Though some industries will have a notable decline in hiring during 2009, other fields such as health care, government, distribution and utilities are anticipating growth. In addition, over the next decade more and more Baby Boomers will retire, creating opportunities many grads could be able to grab.

In today’s market, the graduate should be more flexible than other job seekers in a couple of areas:

First is salary expectations. It’s a tight market right now, so you may have to settle for less than you feel you deserve. But remember that it is your first job. Opportunities for advancement or better positions will open up to you along the way.

Second is location. A better paying, more rewarding position may not be in your home town. You may want to consider the many opportunities across the country.

The job search may take a little longer, so be patient. With the right tools in place, the candidate should be successful, but it may mean part-time or temporary work in the interim.

Network effectively. You can post your resume on-line and hope for the best, but networking is a must. Let everyone you know what your goals are and ask them to spread the word. Follow-up with them to be sure they’ve kept you in mind.

When creating a resume, make sure you highlight the skills which coincide with those requested by the employer. With the volume of resumes sent to a company, generic or broadly written resumes are obvious and tossed aside quickly.

When you do get the call, make sure to do your due diligence before your interview to show you’ve learned all you can about the company you’ve applied to.

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It's Lonely Out There

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Even though you know you're among thousands (heck, millions nationwide) of job seekers, it's impossible not to feel isolated and alone.

I ran across a recent post. In it the author wrote, "In a world dominated by self-agrandized agitprop, people need to rely on their own perception and problem solving skills."

I'll have to look up some of those words, but the essence of what he or she said couldn't be more true. As my Mom used to tell me, "Only you are resposible your own direction in life."

Yes, life throws curveballs at us when we least expect them. But it's how we bounce back that matters. Grieve a little. Get a little angry if you must. When the dust settles, be calm, take matters into your own hands, think clearly, work out a strategy, and take action.
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Now What?

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So here you are. You've found yourself out of a job, and the search seems overwhelming.

Where do you start?

As you come to grips with your situation, you must turn your attention away from the past and direct it toward the future. There is little, if anything, you can do to change what has happened; however, you are still master of your future.

Thousands of people have faced a similar situation and moved on to better and more satisfying careers than those they left.

Currently, your full-time assignment is finding a new job. Accomplishing this task will require a vast amount of energy, effort, and – most importantly – personal commitment. Positive attitude can and will reward you with positive results.
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