Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
Maria Marsala operates Maria's Place: Coaching, Consulting & Courses
Q:
What do you feel is the most effective setting/venue/situation in
a job-seeker can network?
A:
I suggest a mixture -- meetings to help job-seekers stay focused
on gaining that exceptional next "job" that will help them in their
career, attending professional associations where they let others in
their field know they're looking for work, and the
organization/seminars/meetings their potential employers attend.
Q:
Roughly what percentage of a job-seeker's job-hunting time should
be spent in networking activities?
A:
Two-thirds of the day should be spent on networking activities of
some sort -- that's about five hours daily, five days weekly. Of
course that's after they've developed an excellent targeted resume
and cover letters. A third of the time should be spent answering want
ads or Internet ads.
I recommend that clients start a database of everyone you know --
what I call personal contacts -- family, friends, former colleagues
(as far back as they can go) and contact them via letter, phone, or
both regarding the out-of-work situation. The more people know what
you're looking for, the better chances you have of finding that ideal
career. Don't forget to ask your personal contacts about meeting with
you for breakfast or lunch. Unless you can afford to pay for their
meal, use the words "dutch treat" up front. Why? Business etiquette
says that the person who asks someone out is the payee of the meal.
You don't want to end up in a uncomfortable situation if you can't
afford to pay and you're given the check anyway.
Q:
Not long ago, the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine reported
that even as the economy improves, companies will continue to lay off
workers to increase productivity and reduce costs. They further said
that competition for jobs will be intense as workers re-enter the
workforce. How can job-seekers achieve success and stand out from the
crowd in such a competitive market?
A:
Network, network, network.
Q:
We are hearing increasingly from job-seekers about frustrations
with Internet job-hunting. They complain that they never hear
anything from employers, and that employers increasingly put up
impenetrable barriers to keep job-seekers from following up and being
proactive. Are the old rules of job-seeking and follow-up changing?
How will job-seekers need to adapt to the new rules of Internet
job-hunting? Are there ways to follow up after responding to an
online ad, and if not, what can job-seekers do in lieu of following
up to increase their odds?
A:
Old rules? As far as employer followup, I don't see anything
happening now that didn't happen during my own career search, in the
80s and 90s. The companies who followed up, even to send me a
rejection notice, were the exception, not the rule.
However, if part of an individual's ideal career is to work with a
company that treats its employees exceptionally, then those are the
companies that will do followup, so look out for them.
Internet job searches should be part of someone's career-advancement
plan, however, not the No. 1 part. Most times, when you respond to an
online ad, you're responding to the job description and don't know
what company you're dealing with. Those types of ads, on or off the
Internet, are meant to keep you in the dark. While I see individuals
gaining employment from job-search sites, most seem to do much better
when they gain a job through networking or e-lists.
Tips?
Remove things from your resume that you don't like doing!
Conduct a career search for 7-8 hours daily.
Be concise. Going after "just anything" takes so much negative
energy that it's tiring.
Join a local career networking group to help keep you going.
Attend meetings of organizations or seminars where your ideal
employer will be.
Go to the local office-supply company and purchase business
cards. Along with your contact information, list the position you're
seeking.
Practice saying what type of position and what type of company
you'd like to work for at home, with your significant others or with
friends. This way you'll be very comfortable when a potential
employer asks you.
Let everyone you know -- friends, family former colleagues --
know exactly what type of position you're looking for and how they
can help you find it!
Maria Marsala of
Maria's Place: Coaching, Consulting & Courses
provides services to ambitious, gutsy, achievers such as executives, professionals, stay-at-home moms and
dads and entrepreneurs who are ready to overcome whatever limits or
obstacles are in their way. Her clients are committed to developing
clarity, designing a system with solutions, and taking actions that
help create business, career and life success quickly and with fewer
mistakes. Maria partners with her clients to create a well-rounded
process that may include support, assessment tests, resources,
training, an extra ear, encouragement, honesty, and a "gentle kick in
the rear." Maria's Place is a national virtual business whose
services are available by phone, e-mail, instant message, and fax.
She visits many of her clients when she drives across the country,
from Washington State to her native New York.
Maria Marsala of
