I’m at a Networking Event — Now What??? is a terrific resource for anyone who has to go to any kind of networking event for the purpose of… networking!

I remember a few years ago when I went to networking events and cheated… I went late and left early.  I totally missed the point of the event, and missed out on opportunities to meet people who could be helpful in my job search.

Now when I go to networking events I am really looking for networking opportunities.  But it is not as easy as I originally thought – to have a successful experience because of a networking event there is:

1. Preparation: what do you do BEFORE you go to the event.
2. On-site performance: not that you are performing, but I didn’t know how else to say this – you are “on!”  This means you need to put fear and pride aside and get the job done – many times all this takes is starting out by saying “hi” to someone.
3. Post-event followup: after you meet someone, get business cards, exchange emails, what do you do?  This is the key, and perhaps a great opportunity for failure (if you don’t followup).

In this book on how to work a networking event Sandy teaches you how to really, effectively get value out of your networking.  I don’t care if you are networking with job seekers, business owners at the  chamber of commerce meeting, at a luncheon with managers and directors, or with your target prospects – this book will help you understand how to more effectively work the room, find those key relationships, and then move forward from there.

Congratulations to first-time author Sandy Jones-Kaminski for this very useful book (see what others have said about it here)!

You can get it for $19.95 from Amazon or from Happy About, or get the ebook (immediate download) for only $11.95.

Once you get it, if you like it, consider giving it a favorable review on Amazon – thank you!

Twitter for Job Seekers (the video) is specifically designed for professionals in a job search.

It is a 1 hour and 24 minues (and one second) video, walking you through what Twitter is, and how to use it in your job search.

It’s based on the idea that you want to find network contacts who can help you in your job search – find people to add to your own personal/professional network, as well as how to communicate with them after you find them.

There is also training on what to do with your own Twitter account. As a professional, what could or should you be tweeting?  (going into personal branding, and how to use Twitter as a Personal Branding tool)

I show you how to get value out of Twitter EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A TWITTER ACCOUNT.  This is essential for many professionals who aren’t excited to jump on this bandwagon, but still want to tap into the power that Twitter.com has created.  There is significant power there – and you can tap into it without even signing up for an account.

I won’t try to convince anyone to get a Twitter account, but I do want you to learn how to use this tool so you can achieve your career management objectives.

To access the recording (as many times as you like) simply do the following:

1. Login to JibberJobber.com.  This is as security measure so this video isn’t shared out inappropriately.  If you don’t have a JibberJobber account, get one on the front page – it takes about 60 seconds.
2. Mouse over the Tools link (from the main menu) and go all the way down to Videos (click on the Videos link).
3. The last tab on Videos is “Premium Videos.” Twitter for Job Search is the last one there.

This $50 investment into your career management is worth it… once you are done you should have your brain wrapped around Twitter as a tool, and know how you are going to incorporate it into your job search strategy.

(if you are already logged into JibberJobber, simply click here)

Don from Pittsburgh suggested that we give free users the ability to add Job Journal entries without upgrading.  After chatting about it with my team we agreed, as this is such a significant part of managing your career.

The Job Journal allows you to record your past accomplishments:

• Were you Employee of the Month?
• Did you save the company $50,000, or earn the company a $3M contract?
• Did you do something that really helps others understand your character, skills, integrity, and what you bring to the table?

Let me suggest that when you most need this information (like when you are creating your resume, or when you are in an interview) is the time you are least likely to recall it.

I wrote Depression Clouds Everything, the most commented post on this blog, with this in mind.

You know you are awesome, and you have a terrific history of bringing value to your employer – but when you start your job search (or as it drags on) it’s easy to forget your accomplishments – and these accomplishments are part of your story.  These accomplishments are what you can use to help an interviewer understand just how valuable you are.

When I was putting together my own interview question responses, and my resume, I easily overlooked more than 50% of my accomplishments – they were long-forgotten.

This is where the Job Journal comes in – login to your JibberJobber account, mouse over Tools (in the main menu) and click on Job Journal.  You can enter 25 accomplishments in the free level… sure it’s not unlimited but it’s a great place to start.  I’d be quite impressed if you could list 25 accomplishments right now

As you put your accomplishments in the Job Journal, flesh out the story – you should be able to state the Problem, your Actions, and the Results (PAR).

Career Management is a long-term thing, for sure.  Please do not lose track of your professional accomplishments – you won’t remember all of them when you really need them – and that’s where JibberJobber and the Job Journal help.

Past posts about the Job Journal are here:

The Job Journal – Sept 2007

Liz Handlin writes Keep a Job Diary – Jan 2007

Not Just A Job Search Tracker – Why Professionals Need JibberJobber – Oct 2008

There is an irony I live with every day.  Some people think I am hear to help you land your next gig… to find your dream job.

You see, I personally don’t think a dream job exists… not in the way it did a few decades ago.  Even if you find the dream job you might not have it after 6 months or 6 years.

You are always in transition, always a job seeker, and thus, always CEO of Me, Inc.

Part of that, as I’ve mentioned before, is to figure out personal income security.

That’s what this series is about – thinking outside the box of “I’m getting my dream job soon!” to “I think there are other ways to crack this (income security) nut!”

Welcome the first person in the series – Gary Vaynerchuk (aka, GaryVee).

Gary is beyond a rockstar, although he’ll deny it.  His energy makes me think all I’m suited for is a government job… but he claims it  is not the craziness or energy that makes you WIN.  No, not win, that makes you CRUSH IT! Crush it is the name of his new book, which should start shipping today.

I interviewed Gary for about 45 minutes, you can listen on the BlogTalkRadio channel.  Lots of gems to apply to your own career here.

And check out his book Crush It - it’s less than $15 at Amazon.  I’ve got mine in the mail and I’m anxious to get into it!

This 90 minute LinkedIn for Executives webinar will go over various scenerios on how EXECUTIVES can get more value out of LinkedIn:

• how an executive finds and communicates with a key contact
• how and what they do with Target Companies
• how they network into a company
• what they could do with the network contacts they grow
• how they can grow their network with relevant CxO and board members,
• etc….

The cost is $50 if you are a Netshare member, $60 if you aren’t.  Register at Experts Connection.

Just who am I to give this webinar?  Jason Alba:

• served as VP, CIO and General Manager at his last employer during the course of three years,
• got laid off and found himself in a job search where flipping burgers wasn’t an option (based on personal expenses),
• wrote the best-selling book I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? (see Amazon reviews here)
• Created the DVD LinkedIn for Job Seekers (see Amazon reviews here),
• Speaks across the United States on career management, LinkedIn, Social Marketing, etc.

I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? was the second LinkedIn book in print, and the first to be in a Second Edition.

You can learn more about my LinkedIn thoughts on my LinkedIn blog, but don’t miss the webinar on Wednesday!

I was talking to my unemployed cousin about doing this and I said:

I guarantee you, as you knock on doors, whether you get the job cleaning the garbage can or not, people will ask you what kind of work you are looking for.

Think about it… if you do this you are showing a good, strong attitude, work ethic, creativity, humility, etc.  These are things that employers look for.  I’d gladly introduce someone like this to a networking contact.  I’m not positive that this person would be the right hire, but this person is out doing something to make it happen, rather than wait for the job to come in.

This might be one of the best networking tactics you employ – and you can make some serious money each day!

He recently wrote a blog post called Unique Service + Hard Work = Opportunity.  This is a terrific story, and one that we can learn from.  It starts:

A couple days ago, I got a knock on my door, and a guy that was wearing blue rubber gloves was there when I opened it. He said something like: “I lost my job a while back, and got sick of not working, so I’m out providing a service today. I’ll clean out your garbage cans for $10 each, or two for $15. I use a pressure washer and industrial strength bleach and I literally climb inside them and scrub them by hand.”

I hired him on the spot, for two reasons: 1. my garbage cans were nasty; 2. I’d have hired him anyway, because here’s a guy down on his luck making his own.

read the entire story here…

The story is awesome… remember the Thom Singer post where I talk about pride and humility?  I doubt this guy is too proud… don’t you think? In the next paragraph it says:

He says a lot of days, he makes $300-$400…

Can you believe this?  I absolutely love this.

$300 – $400 – that is a lot of money.  Here’s the math:

$300 * 5 days = $1,500/week

$1,500 * 4.33 weeks in a month (avg) = $6,495/month

$6,495 * 12 months = $77,940/year

That is a LOT of money.

In my neighborhood we have a ton of people who want to mow our lawn, or do our carpets.  But never have I had anyone come up to wash my garbage cans for $10.  I would pay it on the spot.

Why am I sharing this with you?  Some of you are beyond getting anywhere with your job search.  This is an idea that can help you pay your bills… even save your house from foreclosure.

Want a bonus idea?  Check the blog on Monday and I’ll share why this business idea is the bomb.

Thom has four points that he calls “four common job hunting mistakes.”  Here they are (in red) with MY commentary (in black)… read his full post for Thom’s no-nonsense thoughts.  Of course, he’s spot on.

1. Pride Kills Opportunities. Never be afraid to reach out to your network. If you have properly invested in establishing real “mutually beneficial” relationships with others, they will be there to help you in your hour of need.

When I sat down with a job counselor, after I finally admitted I couldn’t do this job search on my own (it was about a month into my job search), he asked “who do you know?”  I had mentally disqualified everyone (family can’t help, friends can’t help, past coworkers can’t help, I can’t reach out to past clients, etc.) and said “no one.”

I was so wrong to think that… but I was also too scared/proud to approach those people.  Humility will go a long ways in your job search, and pride will allow you to see all of the fake barriers that prevent you from moving forward.  Read Thom’s comments on this point.

2. Blindly sending resumes does not work. No matter how good you are, a blind inquiry will most likely not produce interviews.

Getting your resume (or LinkedIn Profile, or business card, or whatever) is going to be a lot more effective if you have someone hand it to the hiring manager or decision-maker – as opposed to a cold email.  There is one tactic I’m exploring that might produce different results, and that is having a targeted resume distribution sent out to recruiters and HR who are in your space… more on that later.

I was amazed that I sent out dozens and dozens and dozens of recruiters and got NO response.  It’s like my email was directed to the BLACK HOLE.

Then I came to understand that recruiters can get hundreds of resumes a day… what set mine apart from all of the others?  NOTHING.

Network your way into the job!

3. A bad attitude will keep you unemployed. How you think about your own situation will have an impact on your success.

SImilar to #1, of course… your attitude will have a huge, significant impact on your success.  Have a bad attitude?  No one you network with will want to introduce you to the person you need to talk to.  They don’t want to risk their “relationship capital” by sending someone so negative and hurt to their contact.

The perfect post to read with regard to your attitude is also one of my favorites: I Smell Blood is where I share a time when I had a bad attitude and an HR exec called me on it.  Favorite line?  “HR can smell blood from a mile away!”

4. Don’t just focus on yourself. Help others. Even when you are having a tough time, finding ways to helps others can make you feel good and bring good karma.

I stopped focusing on myself after I had read Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone.

Know what?

That’s when my job search got FUN. Seriously.  The stress started melting away as I focused more on helping others, and feeling the rewards from that type of service.  Try it – it’s almost magical.

Thanks Thom, for your four points!

Absolutely, totally, 100% agree with him.

The email I got, though, was “I can do this in JibberJobber!” or “How can I do this in JibberJobber?”

Here’s my response, in video… I’ll show you from start to finish – the scenerio is that you meet someone for the very first time and want to implement Ferrazzi’s suggestion to surpass 95% of your competition… check this out:

(in the bottom right of the video below you’ll see the image with four arrows pointing out – if you click on that you can see this video in full screen)

Are you doing this? Do you agree with Keith Ferrazzi?

“How can I find the best companies to work for?”

That’s a question I hear almost daily from job seekers.

It’s hard to answer … because it’s the wrong question.

Here’s the real issue beneath that question: “I don’t want to have to think hard about finding the best companies to work for.”

Admit it. You — like me and all humans — hate to think.

It takes time. You have to pick and choose. You might make a mistake. And it can give you a headache.

But unthinking behavior is a sure way to stay unemployed.

So, let’s re-phrase the query, because a well-phrased question is half-answered.

If you’ve been job hunting for more than 4 weeks, ask this question instead: “What have I NOT been willing to do to find the best companies to work for?”

That’s better. And easier to answer. In fact, I can think of 4 things you can do TODAY to find the best employers to work for …

1) Look at your connections on LinkedIn.

I mean really look. Pick 5 people you admire, view their profiles, and look for the following:

• Where do they work now? (Could you work there?)
• Where did they work before? (Could you work there?)
• Who are their clients? (Could you work there?)
• Who are their competitors? (Could you work there?)
• Who are their vendors? (Could you work there?)

Do this for 5, 10, or more people, and you’ll surely find 5-20 prospective employers.

2) Make connections at your last employers.

Specifically, think about everyplace you’ve worked before. Now ask yourself the following questions:

• Could you work there again? (Could you work there again? Don’t snicker — getting re-hired happens every day.)
• Could you work for your former clients?
• Could you work for your former competitors?
• Could you work for your former vendors?

3) Find companies in the news.

Spend 15-20 minutes researching the Business section of your local newspaper, looking for fast, smart, growing companies. Can’t find any? Consider moving (or looking harder).

4) Ask 5 people you admire.

I saved this for last, but it really ought to come first. Because, the more conversations you have, the more people will know about your job search — and the faster you’ll get hired.

So, ask the 5 most-connected people you know for advice.

Tip: Take them all out for coffee, bring a legal pad, take notes. In 30-45 minutes, you’ll surely come away with answers that will shorten your job search. Total cost: Less than $30.

Resource: If you’re in the job market and want to try something new, you can see Guerilla Job Search secrets caught on video and learn more here.

Kevin Donlin has partnered with Dave Perry, one of my all-time favorites in the job search world.  I had dinner with Kevin last year in Minneapolis, and got to know him pretty well – he’s a very cool guy, and quite passionate about helping people get results in their job search.  Kevin and Dave have a Guerilla Job Search Boot Camp and I hear great things about it from people who have finished it.

Also, here’s a P.S. from Kevin’s email: If you know anyone looking for a job in the Detroit area, please tell them to come meet David Perry and me in person on Sept. 17 — http://www.PutMichiganBackToWork.com. Doesn’t that look cool?

(some of the links in this post are affiliate links)