So the economy isn’t so hot right now and you’re looking for a new job. Not the easiest of circumstances. You’re calling people to network. You’ve updated your resume. Maybe you’ve even called me. I looked for you on LinkedIn, but I can’t find you because your name is Tom Smith and there are several […]
While I draft an answer to George’s fake audition question, let me address Alex’s question about using LinkedIn for recommendations. I use LinkedIn, especially for coaching recommendations. I don’t know if it helps me get more clients, but I keep thinking it should 🙂 Just remember, a recommendation is not a reference. A recommendation does
Recently, a colleague whom I know from my writings and speaking asked me for a reference. I’ve never seen him work and I explained I could not provide a reference. He was quite angry with me. In Choose Enough References, I suggest asking people who can explain the value of your work. Let me be
I was talking with a junior colleague recently. He can’t find a job. I offered to help network with him. He said no, he’d look for a job himself. Big mistake. If someone offers you help networking, take it! No matter who you are, how many years of experience you have, how sure you are
I found my first job with the help of an on-campus recruiter, and with a local Boston-area recruiter. I found my second job through the newspaper. I’ve found all my other jobs (all of them, including my consulting engagements) via my network, which does include recruiters. That’s about 25 years of jobs. Louise Fletcher has
In response to my first recruiter interview, a colleague wrote in with the reasons he stays in touch with recruiters: Some of the best jobs / candidates are rarely advertised If you refer people to your friend the recruiter, there is the possibility of a finders fee They can keep you aware of trends in
Harvard’s alumni network is legendary. I have colleagues over 50 who’ve never looked for a job outside their Harvard network. But how many of us managed to attend or graduate from Harvard? Not that many, I suspect. On the other hand, many of us have worked for great companies—or at least worked with great people.
I’m one of the folks writing a monthly column over at Recruitingtrends.com. My first column is Exploiting Your Alumni Network.
I just spoke with someone who’s looking for a project/product management job in the Boston area (my area). He hasn’t been attending local dinner meetings of the PMI or the PDMA or any other professional society, so I suggested he start. Making contact with people, networking, is the single most important a hiring manager or
Too often, people think of conferences as boondoggles. As a frequent conference speaker, I can tell you that it’s possible you’d encounter a marketing presentation devoid of technical content at a conference–once. I doubt that speaker would be allowed to return. As a result, conferences are a great place to start learning about new things,