Tis' the Season to Look For Your New Career

Many of us have already started our holiday weekends putting work and job searches on hold. One of the largest myths around search and career management is that “no one is around during the holidays, so it is a bad time”.  That is just an excuse, it is actually one of the best times to look.  

o   People tend to avoid travel, they are in town and in the office.

o   Most are winding down, so they are available to take  calls.

o   It is the time of the year that people (hiring managers) are assessing their teams and planning for additions or replacements.

o   People tend to be in a happy mood, more open and receptive to “help” someone.

-          It is a lot easier to write the emails, you have a theme. 

o   Dear XXXX,

I wanted to reach out and wish you a happy holiday and see if you might have a few minutes for a call/coffee etc.

-          This can also be a good time to follow up on previous communications.

o   I just wanted to drop you a note and wish you a happy holiday and follow up on our last conversation

If you are very serious about a specific situation, it may, and I repeat, may be a good idea to follow up with a small gift.  Sending a small gift basket to a high potential project with a nice note can be very well received, but it can also be viewed as a bit pushy, but it is a case by case basis.

For more tips on networking, career searching and career coaching, visit MyHuntPath! 

MyHuntPath Story: Scott H.

What was your background prior to working with MyHuntPath?

“I have a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and an Executive MBA. Prior to working with the team at MyHuntPath, I was in between jobs and trying to secure a steady position. “

What lead you to MyHuntPath?

I was introduced to Tom Johnston (SearchPath/MyHuntPath Founder) by a colleague which lead me to explore career coaching through MyHuntPath.

Have you used other Career Coaching services and how was your experience different?

I had used other outsourced placement systems in the past, but found MyHuntPath to have the toolset that can help someone search for a job. The process was efficient with each step outlined and defined. The coaching I received was spot on, and my career coach was able to wrap his arms around what the next step in the process should be, and how to drive it.

Would you say that this experience helped shape your new career direction?

I received help shaping my LinkedIn profile. This lead to being found by the Executive Vice President I currently work with, and landing an interview. I was coached by MyHuntPath through the interview process and was given advice during salary negotiations. I would say without that help, I might not be in the position I am now.

General comments?

Overall the career coaching I received was very impressive, and efficient. There was no wasted time or wasted activity during the process and it was very clear what I needed to do to improve and complete action items. I also felt that the MyHuntPath team was very knowledgeable and up to date with latest and greatest tools with how a person can find a job in today’s society.

Based on your experience, would you recommend MyHuntPath services and product to other job seekers?

Of Course!

The Right (and only) Way to Search for a New Job

When you’re suddenly faced with searching for a new job or maybe your first job, it can be a very scary process. Most of us have no idea what to do, or how to begin. Many of the standard tools and techniques that are suggested do not work. Posting a resume on a job board or responding to an open role usually results in nothing, not even a response. In addition, many experts will tell job seekers to “network” and discuss tactics without discussing a strategy.  This is a very confusing and difficult process that most have not fully grasped.

  

The key to building a successful lifetime career plan is to learn the skills and techniques of the professional Headhunter and use those tactics to plan and execute your future. MyHuntPath is a new career management platform that was developed by Headhunters and recruiters to give everyone an opportunity to learn the skills to evolve from being a reactive job seeker to a proactive career hunter. Here are some points to consider when searching for a new job.

-          Chose a Niche

o   All great Headhunters usually specialize in a very specific industry niche.  The goal in most hires is to not just find a great candidate, but find one that can contribute immediately and to do that, it is important to have industry knowledge.  Moving from industry to industry is very difficult because in a sense, it requires starting over and over.  Find an industry you love and then target your movements.

-          Target Networking

o   One of the main benefits of choosing an industry niche is that it gives you a very targeted group of people to begin building relationships.  The key to a Headhunters success is the extensive relationships they build over the years with top candidates. Join associations, go to meetings, reach out and offer to help people so that when you need help, you will know exactly who to call.

-          Understand the Why

o   Ultimately, the only real question any company will ask you is Why?  “Why should we hire you and how are you going to help us.”  Spend every day building your “Why Statement”.   It is a very competitive market, no one is going to hire you because you think you're special.  You must have valid accomplishments that will make you appealing to the companies in your niche.

-          Have a Plan – Where is your Buffalo?

o   If you do not know where you’re going, you will spend your life moving randomly from company to company, job to job. Know where and what you want, before you start your search.

-          Follow Up

o   The key to building long term relationships is to always follow up with people.  Most Headhunters will reach out to key contacts at least 4 to 6 times per year and some up to once a month.

Once you learn some of the basic techniques of the Headhunter, you will have the skills you need to take control of your career.  It will help you get the roles in the companies you want, not just the ones that happen to be hiring.

Explore MyHuntPath for additional information and tools on the Headhunters Approach.

Building an Industry Focused Network

How do you build develop relationships? What is appropriate and customary follow up?  This is not nearly as difficult as most people think, you just need a variety of tools and options.

Start with identifying target companies, then look for individuals that you have something in common with, such as similar roles, education, personal interests, or membership in an industry association.

There are many ways to begin and build a relationship including, but not limited to:

1. Personal, face to face introductions/meetings
2. Phone
3. Email
4. Social Media (LinkedIn/Facebook)

Every contact must be specific and focused. Take a few minutes to understand a bit about the person and their background, then start with a simple message, “we are in the same industry and I would like to introduce myself and see if there is anything I can do to help you.”  Sharing industry news, articles and contacts will usually be very well received.

There is a fine line between appropriate networking and being an annoying stalker. Tenured Headhunter, Tom Johnston, shares his internal system for contacting people.

(A) – This is for people that are high potential contacts that hold a very high place in our world.  These are key decision makers. Make a point to touch base using a variety of methods at least once a month.

(B) – These are good contacts, but not quite as good as the A’s. Following up once a quarter is fine.

(C) – These contacts might have long term value, but they are not considered a prime contact, so reaching out and touching base once or twice a year is fine.

(D) – These are the people that you have no interest in building and maintaining a relationship. They are either not in your industry or they are someone you do not want to build a relationship with. Simply delete them.

One of the most common mistakes people make is to go out and actively build a relationship, then land the new role and forget everyone until you want something again. People hate that!

Never leave a message to “Please Call Me”. When you leave a message for someone to call you, you are giving them control. They might call you back, but if they do not, we start doubting ourselves, question our relationship and making that next call is very difficult. When reaching out, simply explain why your calling, offer your contact number if they have a chance to call you back, then tell them exactly when you will call them back and then make that call.  Repeat until you get them on the phone. Never give up control of the process.

As you begin the process of building your network, the keys are to help until you need help, and follow up consistently. When you are actually looking for a new role, don’t call someone and ask them for a job, reach out and ask about their experience with the company, seek their advice and guidance.  

The Creation of the "Why Me" Document

Did you ever wonder when and how the first resume was created?  Legend tells that Leonardo DaVinci created the first professional resume in 1482.  History shows Leonardo moved to Milan in the hope of obtaining the patronage of the ruler of the city, Ludovico Sforza. Leonardo offered his services as a military engineer, sculptor and painter. Ludovico accepted gladly, financing an independent workshop for the artist. Leonardo would stay in Ludovico's service for 18 years.

Now, new technology allows for editing on a minute to minute basis and YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn bring us "full disclosure" and instant access to the candidate. Now all we need to do is Google someone, to find that in fact they are all over social media sites. Some resumes are even now showing up with a video link for either a YouTube posted Video Resume, or some other professional created document residing on the "Web".

So, what is a candidate to do with all this new technology and the evolution of "how to get hired"?  Retain the basis of a resume - A resume needs to represent a living, breathing document that presents human capital in a format to show in resolute clarity the ROTH - Return on the Hire. As a representative of human capital this document needs to reflect accordingly.  Do resumes, in your reading or creation of them ever scream that to you?  Or, does it seem as if the document that you are reviewing could probably be used for any number of generic companies for the generic jobs posted?  If, this is what you are sending out there, or posting to job boards, chances are pretty good that you are not getting much contact or feedback on yourself as a potential candidate.

A "Why Me" document represents the eventual evolution of the antiquated resume.  As such, "why" you may be good for one position, company or even hiring authority; will most certainly not be the "why" that gets you noticed by another. Each time your resume or the evolutionary document "Why Me" goes out the door, it is a representation of you and what you bring to the table as a ROTH.  Think of that as an opportunity for you to shine. What may "shine" for one, will not "shine" for all.

When reviewing the job description, pick out key components that will be required to succeed in the position.  Highlight on those components of your professional and/or personal experience that would provide a feature, advantage and benefit (your ROTH).  Do some research on the company (I know the internet can be a daunting beast some times, but even a little bit of research will give you some return on your investment of time).  Find out some of their details, what has brought success to the company over the last five years?  Do you have applicable skills that will translate to their continued success, or in the alternative catapult them into success (again going back to your ROTH)?

Do you still need to put in the details of your professional career?  Do you think that Leonardo's resume just simply read "I think you should hire me for military engineer, sculptor and painter"?  Based upon his tenure with Ludovico Sforza, I am sure there were some details involved about his professional credentials.  Yes, you still need details - your vitals/best contact information; employment history (specifically, who, what and when); education and possibly other pertinent details, such as organizational memberships, etc.  All the stuff in between represents the selling of human capital and the "Why Me" factor.

10th Annual Fall Global Conference

We celebrated our 10^th Annual Fall Global Conference during the first week of October with guests from around the world! During the three-day event, we heard from many franchise owners about their experiences and shared exciting changes within our company to showcase that we are “Not Your Father’s Search Firm.”

This year, we selected speakers who are currently helping us build and position ourselves for the future, giving full exposure to what has become known as our “Life Path” approach to servicing our markets and communities. Some of our newest franchisees spoke about how they are working together, building from each other’s strengths to maximize results and get further faster. We also heard from our top producers who shared their unique perspectives on how they stay on top of their game.

We were excited to announce new partnerships and developments within the company as well including joint ventures with Alcor and Franchise Dynamics to ultimately help build our network and expand our global presence. Our franchise owners were introduced to MyHuntPath and how they can utilize the tool to grow and change the way they share their knowledge to individuals trying to define their career path.

During the conference, we were fortunate to have Todd Govig, President of Goving Associates, share the lessons he learned about being part of a family vision that has grown into a 15-million-dollar enterprise and how you can radically change your life through what he calls, “Journey Planning”. Olympic Silver Medalist, Matt Ghaffari, also spoke to the importance of dedication determination, desire and discipline in achieving your destiny.

Some key aspects that differentiate us are the services and programs we bring that no one else has. The purpose of our Annual Fall Global Conference is to help our franchisees continue to evolve their business to truly capitalize on their definition of success. Nothing discussed by our presenters has gone untried, but when tied all together, our hope is that our franchise owners realize that we have never been “Our Father’s Search Firm”.