Sunday, May 30, 2010

Job search strategy series- What further after you have a contact name from Linkedin?

The job search strategy series from Dr.Shruti Bhat's blog will bring articles from several contributing authors; articles that would help a job seeker, whether an executive in transition or a new grad. Read on...
People often tell me they were on LinkedIn, or went to a networking group, or met someone when they were out-and-about and got a name of a potential contact for their job search, but don’t know how to reach them.

“What good is the name without their phone number or email address? It doesn’t do me much good if I can’t connect with them!”

It’s great if you are given a phone number and/or email address with a name, however, with a little creativity and initiative you can certainly find other ways to get in touch. Here are some ideas and techniques to make those connections:

~ Call the main number! Often people forget the simplest and most obvious solution to getting in touch with a new contact… call the company and ask for them! It’s ideal to have a direct-line phone number to the person you’re trying to reach. However, if you don’t, it’s generally pretty easy to find the main company phone number (either from their website online, a phone book, or calling 411), call and ask for the person by name. Generally a phone receptionist won’t put you through to anyone if you ask a general question like “May I speak to the Accounting Manager, please?” However, if you ask for someone by name, they will always put you through. Even if the person works at another company facility than the one you are calling, they generally have the overall company directory and can put you directly through to that person. Call and ask for them by name.

Additionally, if you call after business hours, many companies have an automated answering system with a company directory that will often tell you the extension of the person you are trying to connect to. That’s often a great way to gain the direct-line number of someone.

~ Google! As with so many things… Google is a tremendous resource to find contact information. More than half of the time I'm trying to find contact information, I’m able to do it by searching their name and company name through Google. If, for example, I’m trying to find John Mansky at XYZ Company… I simply search: "John Mansky” “XYZ Company”

I make sure to put his name in quotes to avoid unwanted results like John Smith and Bill Mansky

Scanning down the list of results, I often find some document or site that has their phone number and/or email address. If there are too many results, I may try to narrow the search by trying his name with their web domain. For example: “John Mansky” “xyzco.com”

Their email address is likely to include their web domain, so if the address is “john.mansky@xyzco.com” the search is likely to find it.

If that doesn’t work, I may do a search to find ANY email address at that company to discover what their standard email format is. For example, I may simply search:
email “xyzco.com”

If someone else’s email address pops up that is in a format of 'firstname.lastname@xyzco.com’, for example, I know it’s a very high likelihood that my contact’s address is in the same format. If it’s wrong, their email server will simply bounce the email back to me and no one is the wiser. If it does bounce back, I simply try other common formats like:

firstinitiallastname@xyzco.com
firstname_lastname@xyzco.com
firstinitial_lastname@xyzco.com
…or other combinations.

~ Check emails4corporations! Another great resource to help you find the standard email format for the company where your contact is employed is emails4corporations. Someone has compiled a tremendous list of standard email formats for companies all over the country.

You can find them at: http://sites.google.com/site/emails4corporations

Enter the company name in the search box at the top right corner of the homepage and it will show you the company, email format, address, and phone number. It doesn’t cover every company, however, is a great help if yours is included.

~ Try JigSaw.com! JigSaw.com is probably the worlds largest ‘Rolodex’. It includes the business card information of millions of people. It rarely lets me down and is the last resort resource for me when trying to find someone’s contact information. You can either use it by paying for the service, or for free on a give & take point system. So it take a little money or some effort on your part. However, for me as a recruiter, or you as a job seeker, I believe it’s a very worthwhile resource when you need contact information you can’t seem to find anywhere else.

~ Paid Services. Certainly there are a number of additional paid services (Spoke, ZoomInfo, and others) available online that can provide the information for you as well, however, I’m generally a big fan of “FREE”. It’s pretty rare that I can’t find someone’s contact information through one of the means listed above. Try those and then depending on how badly you need it, a paid service may be worth it.

Generally, I don’t recommend contacting someone directly through LinkedIn’s system. Many people receive a lot of communications through there and have become conditioned to treat them like Spam. It’s generally best to reach them by phone, a professional voicemail, or email first. However, if none of those works, as a last resort, you have nothing to lose by trying the LinkedIn contact system as well.

As always, make sure your communication is professional, well prepared, and succinct!
You can gain more help with that by reading Keys to a great email in your job search! or What to do in an effective networking call!

Be creative, take the initiative, and find the way to connect with those job search contacts!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

How Can Domino's New Pizza Recipe Help You In Your Job Search?

You've seen them: the Domino's commercials talking up their new pizza recipe. Have you tried it? Well, lots of folks have, and it's changed everything for Domino's, according to an article in USA Today– New Pizza Recipe Did Wonders For Domino's Sales.

Domino's was not doing well. They had a poor reputation and were at the bottom of an already shrinking pizza market in the middle of a recession–not a recipe for success. So what did they do? They bet everything on a brand-new recipe and a brand-new campaign, and not only is it going to keep them in business, it's looking to me like it's going to make them flourish. It was a brave move, and it worked.

So what does this mean for you in your job search?

If your old pizza isn't selling (you're not getting job interviews or offers), then it's not the kind of pizza they're looking for. You've got to be brave…throw that stuff out and come up with something they're going to want. If what you're doing now isn't working, you've got no risk at all in changing it up: get a brand-new resume, try a new style, try a new strategy, ask someone's opinion and take their advice.

If you're having interview problems, think about practising it well or an overall fresh perspective on your style; take advise of well wishers, coach or whatever works for you.

Create a 30/60/90-day plan, and bring it to the interview.

Put together a brag book, and practice presenting it.

Network, network, network....its the sure key to job leads.

Do something different if what you're doing now isn't working.

Not only are you likely to get better results, you're going to have renewed energy for your own campaign.

If Domino's can do it, you can do it too !

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel :
Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

Do you have questions for the author?

Welcome to Dr. Shruti Bhat's Pharmaceutical career development blog-

Dr.Shruti Bhat is a Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and star scientist in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities. She has launched over 1500 formulations, currently being sold over 65 countries of the world, including US, Canada.

A certain sudden event in my life recently, compelled me to stop and think...about the direction I would like to take...to allow me to do what I truly wish...and let me confess, I am truly happy that event happened in my life...it was universe's best gift to me!

As time passes and we progress in our careers organically...very few people actually bring themselves to a halt and introspect. Is this what I want? Does this make me happy? Do I get quality time to spend for myself, family?

You have only one life to live...is all this job- related stress worth it?

BUT...we are also career minded...we can’t be a recluse and we have ambitions to fulfill. So how to strike a balance between our desires to be a successful professional and also have NO STRESS?

Its said, that, there are simple answers to most of life’s difficult questions- and the answer here is planned career development and personal branding.

The key is to know- what you want ? in what proportions? and in which career path? Once this realization happens then rest is easy. Just follow the Focus-Think- Act- Do- Monitor- Balance cycle.

I am reminded of a poem by William Ernest Henley (1849- 1902), called Invictus-

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.


Let us take TRUE charge of our lives and career...

This blog is my attempt to share with you all, principles I practise, something that has helped me to be successful and happy, knowledge gained by reading expert’s reviews, books, articles...

I will certainly be interested in knowing your thoughts and what worked for you.

Happy reading...



Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10
Do you have questions for the author?