How to make long distance networking work

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Jason Alba of Jibberjobber.com had a great post today about long distance networking. One of his readers, Barry Groh, asked: “… how to (network) when you are not looking in the community where you live for any jobs? I have not searched for any groups here locally where I live because I am not planning on staying here, but I’m also too far away to be able to connect with other groups there, although I know a number of them that I would meet with if I was there.”

Jason provided five terrific tips – read them here: Jibberjobber.com.

And here are my own top five (Note: Barry’s relocating to Denver):

1. Make a list of everyone you know right now – THINK BIG. This means, third cousin twice removed counts as part of your network. Find out who knows someone in CO.

2. I agree with the earlier post – The Business Journal’s book of lists is terrific for identifying target companies. Take it a step further, check out the movers and shakers section. If someone’s been hired in a key role – that means there may be an opp. for you. (Here’s Denver’s direct link: http://tinyurl.com/5puk3v.)

3. Get the local paper for the area where you plan to move. Again, review movers and shakers. Also read the business section for names. Papers list the big cheese’s names – so you now have an actual name of a person where you can send your resume. And you can also ask who in your network knows someone who may know someone who knows this Big Cheese.

4. Chamber of Commerce – check out their website for the area where you plan to move. Not only do you get lists of local companies, you get contact names as well. If you move before you get a job (not something I recommend) – volunteer for the local chamber and press the flesh.

5. Your industry’s professional organizations. For example, PRSA is a national organization for public relations professionals. They have local chapters – you can connect from the website. And they also have job postings for members only. What’s your industry’s professional organization? Join and connect!

And here’s a direct link to my article on how to relocate and get hired faster:

http://www.knocks.com/Relocation_job_search_tips.html

And here’s a link to tons more articles and networking tips:

http://www.knocks.com/news.asp

Demand for Executive Talent Expected to Increase

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Compliments of www.execunet.com

While data on the declining value of homes and soaring energy and food prices continues to fuel speculation that the US economy is on the brink of recession, executive search firms believe job growth at the top of the
employment market will remain resilient, according to ExecuNet’s Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI). The RCI, which increased steadily during the past four consecutive months, remained just off its highest levels in nearly a year in June.

(Blogger’s Note: In talking with recruiters and trendwatchers, many feel with boomers retiring from high-level roles – an anticipated couple million – it leaves room for exec placement growth…)

According to June’s survey of 138 executive recruiters, 64 percent are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — down slightly from 66 percent in May, which arked a 10-month high for the Index. Nearly four-in-five recruiters (78 percent) are expecting at least a 10-percent increase in executive search assignment growth during the second half of 2008.

“After hitting a bottom in January, the outlook for the executive employment market has rebounded, as companies continue to actively recruit seasoned business leaders,” says Mark Anderson, president of ExecuNet. “If the pace of job growth at the top of the market maintains its current trajectory, C-suite executives with strong networks should see an increase in interview opportunities during the second half of this year.”

Introduced in May 2003, the Recruiter Confidence Index is based on a monthly survey of executive recruiters conducted by ExecuNet. Independent analysis of the RCI has confirmed it is a leading indicator of projected executive recruitment activity.

Facebook: Should you add your boss as a friend?

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Two pals of mine are quoted in this excellent article on how to use Facebook the RIGHT way. See great tips from Paul Copcutt, Square Peg Solution, and Jason Alba, Jibberjobber. Way to go!

Now on to the story’s topic: to share or not to share your personal life with your boss….

Allison Dunfield, Special to The Globe and Mail

July 9, 2008 at 9:37 AM EDT

When his boss found him on Facebook, a 26-year old worker with a Toronto theatre company thought nothing of accepting her request to make him her “friend.”

Now, he deeply regrets it.

“I ‘friended’ her, not really thinking anything of it, but she went through and looked at all my stuff,” he says.

That stuff included several photographs of him dancing in his living room, others of him “just standing around, looking forlorn off into the distance.”

His boss freely commented on them. About his dancing, she wrote: “Nice moves. I didn’t know you had it in you.” About looking forlorn: “You have that far-off look in your eyes.”

It all made him very uncomfortable, he says, as though she were invading a part of his life where she just did not belong.

 

Read on!

Uncle Sam Wants YOU – hired!

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

In honor of the Fourth (and I know this to be true, one of my clients landed a government gig in DC in September – and was already promoted!):

Uncle Sam really wants to hire you! Abridged: NBC4.com

WASHINGTON, DC — The job market may be tight in some places, but Washington’s biggest employer, the federal government, is recruiting new employees. Two million people work for the federal government, and many are baby boomers. As baby boomers retire, federal jobs open up and are becoming available to new job seekers.

By the year 2013, the federal government expects that 40 percent of its workforce will retire, leaving 800,000 jobs to be filled. The federal government has a broad range of opportunities for job seekers of any discipline, from biology to engineering. The official website for federal employment is USAjobs.gov.