Networking VII -Gone but not forgotten.

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It has been great.  I haven’t even thought about searching for a job.  I haven’t touched my resume.  The break has been good.

The state of Washington was a bit late getting into this recession and is late coming out of it as well.  The state budgets are constrained beyond belief and the cuts they are looking at are truly draconian.   With this backdrop, I’m thinking that the possibility of having my current 6 month UW position morph into a full time permanent position is pretty slim.  I’m not burning any bridges though, the work is there, and my skill set is very helpful for where they are as an organization.  A permanent position is like a carrot dangling just out of reach.   I will be working hard to get to the carrot and at the same time I will need to be looking for work.

Time passes by so quickly, I have already been in the position for 5 weeks.  I want to go at least another 3 weeks before I get serious about job hunting again.  This will begin with adding information about my current position to my resume and getting that all ready to go.

D282-Transition-Remaining Active in My Network

In an earlier post I started covering how I remain active in my network, and this second post will conclude this topic.  

My favorite networking tool in LinkedIn has to do with groups and adding to the dialogs taking place.  Best to listen to the conversation for a while and learn what is going on.  After feeling comfortable, bringing resources to the group, or adding to a discussion that is going on is a great way to network.  Over time you build up a relationship with the other members.  I find that I’m currently a member of too many groups, and it has spread me out a little more than I like.

It is hard to find a group that both relates both professionally and has a good dialog taking place in the group.  Some groups are all recruiters, some have no discussions, and some have discussions are of a tenor that I would rather not be involved in, but it is possible to find groups having a good dialog involving a good sized group of people.  Networking in this way if fun and there are some great people to learn from—some of the discussion are quite good.

I try to check in to LinkedIn several times per week.  And try to quickly scan the  the LinkedIn Status emails when they arrive.  I try to participate a couple time a week in groups and read the emails of discussions that I’m following or started.  I also pay attention to all comments on anything that I post, in order to learn from and better understand what people feel has value.

Day 268-Networking VI Remaining Active in my Network

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The human brain is a good analogy of  the relationship you have with your network.  We now know that at any part of your life you can form new brain synapses—new connections between information and emotions.  Somewhat like a muscle, if you do not use your brain, the unused synapses with wither and die—a pruning to reduce useless complexity.  If you abuse your body, or fail to keep it in shape it will have negative consequences on your brain.
You can at anytime, grow your network and add to it.  No surprise here.   We have always had networks of relationships in our lives.  And we have always had  tools to help us manage these relationships—tools like calendars, day timers, and the infamous little black address—tools that help us to remember things like the addresses, the names and ages of kids, and the anniversary of Jim down in accounting.  Studies should that those with a more active social network are happier and healthier.
I remember the expanding power when I could add all the birthdays I wanted into my Outlook calendar and I didn’t to fuss with them at the beginning of the year by transferring them to a new calendar.  This allowed me to track many more birthdays than I ever had before. Those times when I could say, “don’t you have a birthday coming up?” or “didn’t your son just turn 9?” made the little bit of effort to record dates well worth it.

Day 254–Transition -Keeping my Network Informed

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This is the fifth part on the series on Networking.  In this post, I will share how I attempt to keep my network informed as to what is happening with me and where I need to the help of my network.

I have taken the track that I need to continually be adding value for my network and then every once in a while focus on my situation.  There is a balancing act associated with this; otherwise, my network will stop paying attention.  It is hard to judge the affect my communications are having, though I do have a few concrete areas to watch.  Blogging has associated metrics on how many people visit the blog and how many pages a person looks at. I can’t identify individual users by who they are, but I can see where they come from, how many pages our read, and some other information from which I can put together a bit of a profile of blog usefulness.   Blog comments also provide a window into what readers  are thinking, though I wished this was a more active form of feedback.   On Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Email, I can see the responses I get and use this as a gauge to the attention of my network, though this is a very incomplete metric.  I also receive quite a bit of direct feedback from people that I see them in person concerning things that I have posted.

Day 236- Transition - Networking Part IV

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After thinking about it for a while I think I have come up with a way to proceed with the networking series.  By looking at the actions that I consider networking I could then look at how I am doing these actions and what tools that I am using to accomplish these.  These allowed me to put together a structure to follow over the next few post.

To begin let’s review the definition for networking proposed in the last post:

 

The activities involved with accomplishing things through people and relating to others.  This includes building your social network, using tools like Internet social networking tools, building communities, and maintaining your network.

For the job hunting that I’m doing the purpose of networking is two fold.  First, the doing things through people is using my network to connect with those who have positions or information about positions.  To get good ideas from people about what I should be doing.

Day 212–Transition–Networking Part III

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It’s a conspiracy of sorts.  I started the idea for this series of post on Networking; got into the middle of it and then got lost.   I had a plan, but I’ve been hesitating on moving forward.  Mainly, my plan bored me, so I’ve been waiting for something better to come along.
Sometimes networking sounds like a conspiracy of sorts.  Sometimes it seems so contrived and dishonest.   We all have seen those people that are overly self promoting; people the come on so strong you want to run and hide from them.   Now looking for work it seems that everyone is saying that I need to become this person.  That I need to be putting myself out there.  I think I have been guilty of this at certain times in my life, times that I look back on as a lesson in how not to be.
I’m a bit strange in that I like to  be in front of groups; I like facilitating groups.   This is more strange because I a somewhat introverted person.   Introversion doesn’t mean that I don’t like to be with people.  A great definition given to me a few years looks as introversion/extroversion from the perspective of energy:  an extrovert is a person that gains energy by being with more people and feels depleted when isolated and an introvert is a person who gains energy with fewer people around and expends energy when with larger groups.  Introversion and extroversion are the two ends of a continuum;  each of is unique in where we fall on the scale.  This changes depending on particular situations and can also go through major shifts through out your life.
As an example of particular situations making a difference, I become much more introverted in situations in which I’m unfamiliar.  Attending an Networking Event , at a place I have never been, filled with people that I don’t know is a recipe for me becoming a uncomfortable wall flower.   While if I was attending a family or a work pot luck you would find me in the thick of the party  talking to many people and catching up on the latest in their world and updating them on mine.  Both of these are examples of networking.  We all do networking, and I think for the most part many of have an edge where the networking becomes uncomfortable or unnatural for us.
Part of my hesitation in moving forward with this series was in being able to understand and articulate this discomfort. 
Another part that has been holding me up is in having a concept of the whole.  As a systems thinker,  I need to see the whole before I can understand the parts.  This is synthesis, it is the reverse of analysis.  In analysis you take something apart and examine each pieces in order to gain understanding.  In order to understand the whole I need some sort of definition which defines the scope of what networking is.  I ‘m sure it includes the new tools like LinkedIn and Facebook but these aren’t all of it. It must include these things called business mixers that have become popular of late.   What else should be included?
A friend sent me a note this week and it crystallized a few of the ideas that I was struggling with:

you've blogged a couple times about "networking". that word and that concept just bugs me. strikes me wrong.

Day 195–Transition–Networking Part II

In the last posting, I wrote about what has changed that has caused networking to be so important in today’s job market.  In this posting I wanted to cover the things that I am doing for networking.  Then in future postings go a little more in depth about some of the tools I am using and what it can do and also the things that I have told that I should do, but haven’t yet.

This blog has been used for two purposes.  The first is just for myself, as a way to deeper understand and learn from what I am going through. The second area is for external purposes.  These include helping people in a similar situation by sharing what I’m finding and how I‘m approaching things, so that others can improve upon and then hopefully share back what they have learned.  This has happened several times.  The latest being the additional links on elevator speeches that were provided for sharing with others. 

On occasion, I publish links to the blog through my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.  For social networking those are the big three that I use.  I try to keep a fairly constant presence on these.  Linking back my latest Twitter posts to my blog.

One of the ways that I provide value on the internet is by sharing thought provoking articles.   Over the last couple of months I have grown to find Google reader invaluable in keeping up on articles and blog posts.

 
Writing has also been a way of networking. The first was by creating a two part blog posting for a international systems thinking organization that I have been associated with for many years.  I also write short reviews of other’s blog posting on this site.  This keeps my name out in front people and the published articles are now a part of resume. 

Day 192 – Transition – Networking Part I

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Everywhere I turn for knowledge in this job search the term networking comes up and how important it is in today’s job search.  I think it always has been important but even more so today.
I’m thinking of doing a few blog entries on networking because this is such a big and seemingly amorphous topic that I hope that I can bring a little shape to the subject.
First, what has happened in the last few years that makes networking so important?
It has always been the case that knowing people helped in getting a job.  The son of the owner, a friend of a manager, or just friend putting in the word that you are a normal person and not some whacko off the street has always made a difference; maybe not if you are that whacko off the street, but otherwise it has.
But what they are talking about now is a change has taken place where knowing someone makes a crucial difference 30 % to 40% of the time.  The internet has made deep changes in how people look for a job and how companies screen and this has caused a overwhelming job for hiring managers. 

Day 170 – Transition- ProLango Resources

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After two of the three ProLango classes, I was sent out a list of resources that I thought I would share.  I haven’t made it through reading all of these so I have no idea how good they are.  I do know that I have enjoyed and felt enrich by all of the articles of Paul’s that I have read.

Class 1: Career Optimization Seminar:

• How a Black Mark Can Derail a Job Search - The Wall Street Journal
• How to stay off the recruiter "blacklist" - NWjobs (The Seattle Times)
• The rules for job hunting have changed - The News Tribune
• Why is it so hard to find a job today - ProLango Consulting
• They’re just not that into you - ProLango Consulting

Class 2: Resume Search Optimization

• New cyber-rules for resume writing - NWjobs (The Seattle Times)
• Resume Writing Basics - ProLango Consulting

Class 3 :

• Can’t find any resources for this one.

Here is a link to Paul’s other online articles:

• online column with NWjobs (The Seattle Times)

And this is an interview that Paul did for the Seattle Link Up group that organizes networking sessions each month.  The topic of the interview is how to get the most out of these networking events:

• http://bit.ly/tsnetwork

I hope you find these useful.

I haven’t had a quote for a while here’s today’s:

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

-- Eric Hoffer

Related articles

• Day 168 - Transition - Third ProLango class (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)
• Day 153 - Good Courses to Take (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)

• Day 157- Transition - Feelings just below the surface (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)

Day 168 – Transition – Third ProLango class

Today I went to the third ProLango class.  It was actually the first in the series but I had missed it the first time around.  Paul Anderson, writer for the Seattle Times NW jobs is the presenter.  The purpose of the three sessions is to impart enough wisdom that you want to go on and take the advance classes for about $400.
Today’s class was titled: Career Search Optimization.  Paul has interviewed about 35 companies and has access to many recruiters in the area.  This data is used to rebuke the standard claims about how to search for a job.  Paul claims that there has been major changes in just the last three years.  In this down turn there has been a lot on consolidation of HR positions and with this a need to automate practices that HR people were handling before, like processing resumes. 
This has caused changes like using Facebook and LinkedIn as ways to get additional information about candidates.  Studies have shown that LinkedIn has better resume information than resumes turned into companies.  Looking for work is frustrating.  People are sometimes tempted to turn in a resume that has been enhanced in order to appear more hire able.  This can be grounds to become blacklisted (see below).  Also Facebook interactions are evaluated; the lesson is be careful what you put on social networks.
Also Paul claims that advertized positions now gather 900 applications per position.  New ways are needed to combat the sheer volume of the entries.  In addition, hiring managers at many companies are no longer able to work directly with recruiters.  Some places (Paul used Microsoft as an example) have limited recruiting agencies to 4 unique resumes per position.  But even with this over a thousand resumes could show up from its over 400 approved recruiter companies. 
Reduction of HR and severing the recruiter link has put a huge burden on the hiring manager.  Paul’s claim is that this burden is taken up by the hiring manager turning to their network and asking the network to supply suggested candidates.  This is where the power of networking comes in today’s job market.   A large proportion of jobs never get advertised and a large percentage of the overall jobs are obtained not through the internet application so popular today, but rather through networking contacts in person and through social media like Facebook and LinkedIn. 
Paul recommends building a personalize strategy about the companies that you want to target.  And then build a detailed plan about how to network your way into the company.  He also advises not to apply for jobs at these target companies.  Instead, work on making connections.  On helping out others as you find connections into companies.
Paul talked about blacklisting of job applicants for the following reasons:

1. Mass Mailing Resumes
2. Applying for any job list (or all jobs listed)
3. Lying on Resume (found by comparing older version and your linked in versions)
4. Social Media Mistakes (behavior unbecoming a respectable employee)
5. Recruiter Stories (usually from ill treatment of recruiters)

I highly recommend going to the three free classes offered by Prolango.  I think it helps to expand your thinking and to re-evaluate your approach.  Paul claims that coming in November and December will involved some large layoffs.  My suspicious side sees this as fear tactics to attend the paid classes.  I think the classes would be good, but I have to weigh that against the $400 cost.  So far the it hasn’t tipped the scale enough to sign up for the classes.   Part of the reason is that I have seen things that I can do without the classes; changes that I can make on my own and then see what the results of these changes are.
At least one person has been having problems leaving comments on this blog.  I love to get comments, they help assure me that I am not the only one getting some benefit from this blog. I prefer to get comments on the blog, because it leaves a record and I have also have hopes of this blog being less of a soliloquy and more of an interactive dialog.   If you are having problems leaving messages, please feel free to email me at chrisabbey@comcast.net and I will respond as soon as I can.

Related articles

• Day 153 - Good Courses to Take (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)
• Should You Search Social Media Sites for Job Candidate Information? (mashable.com)
• How Job Seekers May Use Social Media in the Future (mashable.com)
• The five "R's" of job search (thehumanracehorses.com)
• Paul Anderson’s Article Archive at NW Jobs