I landed my first corporate, aka “real”, job out of college in early 1985. The company, Moore Business Forms the largest printing-forms provider in the world, was just finishing a hiring push for sales and business development talent. Please read this article; I have a question I would like you to ask yourself at the end of the piece. Here are some facts about my job search.

State of Technology

In 1985 there was no Internet, no fax machines, no cell phones in regular usage, and at that time answering machines were just beginning to hit the commercial market–I did not own one at the time.

Training and Resources

In 1985 the cottage industry of coaching, life-business or other niches, did not exist. The word tutor was attached primarily to language learning or students still in school. For job seekers interested in resume writing help, you could hire a resume writing service, buy an instruction book, or go to the library for resources.

Instead of instantly finding your job search answers via an online search, I was forced to drive to my nearest library or book store (national bookstore chains not prevalent at the time) wasting time traveling to and from my resource in search of answers.

1985 Job Search Activities that helped me land my job:

1. Purchased resume writing book; wrote my own resume
2. Crafted custom cover letters per job
3. Joined my alumni association
4. Called my friends, family, and contacts to announce my job search
5. Visited my library and bookstore 3 times per week in search
6. Collected 5 References for hiring managers to call
7. Hired a “Headhunter” aka recruiter
8. Read two newspaper’s Want Ads sections everyday; career or job sections dedicated to job search did not exist
9. Visited the unemployment office job board once per week
10. Spammed my local Chamber of Commerce with my resume

My Results

I sent over 150 resumes in a 5 month period. I hired a headhunter who continuously sent me out to interviews that were less than ideal–round peg in a square hole theory on her part. I read the newspaper want ad sections. I finally identified Moore as the opportunity for me. I requested my headhunter arrange an interview which she secured. I nailed the interview and I was hired the same day; nearly 5 months after beginning the job search process.

The Revelation

After being offered the Moore job, my manager asked me “Dean why didn’t you just come in and ask for an interview? Why did you go through a headhunter-I would have hired you and been more impressed if you had come to us directly.” Now it sunk in for me. I just spent $1,800 (1985 money mind you) when all I had to do was deliver my value directly to the company and my manager.

Ask Yourself:

• Are the majority of your job search functions, steps, and marketing based on the same “stuff” I did 25 years ago?
• Is the major focus, and marketing efforts, of your job search based on your resume?
• Do you approach each day like you would when you go to a job; simply put, are you treating your job search like you would a job that an employer pays you to perform?
• Are you educating yourself each day in order to add to your skill sets?
• Do you have an organized and structured plan you are executing?
• Have you performed your research and due diligence on the companies you target?
• Do you have a list of the companies and managers?
• Do you understand how to measure your job search efforts
• Are you networking in the right places online and in the real world?
• Do you understand how to provide value instead of bringing the hard sell approach in your job search efforts?

I am very happy to announce the finalized plans to present the Inner Architect workshop “Blogging to Employment” here in Northern California. The workshop is a detailed basic course on how to create an employment campaign utilizing your blog as the delivery system for your message. The goal is to provide people a plan on how to create their differentiating factor in order to stand apart from the estimated 1.1 million Americans who will lose their job in 2008.

Call to Action: If you know anyone who is unemployed, and I know I do at this time, please consider informing them of this valuable workshop.

Benefits for Attendees:

1. Your own Blog: We will help you register and set up your first blog.

2. Employment Campaign: Learn how to action plan an employment campaign so that you can answer the age old hiring manager’s question “So Bob, what have you been doing the past 6 months to find a job?”

3. New Skill Sets: You will add blogging, navigating blog software, Web 2.0 tools, and networking to your skill sets.

We are launching this program with two hands-on workshops:

Tue. Nov. 18, 2008: 6:30PM to 8:30PM, Holiday Inn Express, San Jose, CA

Wed. Nov. 19, 2008: 6:30PM to 8:30PM, Ace Conference Center, San Rafael, CA

Workshop Fee: $75- Registration required

Value Comparison: Blog set-up fees promoted on the internet run from $200-$300, which only covers the registration and setup without any coaching. Blog coaching and training fees run from $70 to as much as $500 per hour.

Workshop class size will be limited to 20 so that each student is provided hands on personalized instruction.

Come find out why you need to establish your brand, discover your differentiating factor, and add to your skill sets the latest Web 2.0 information. For complete details, visit our Blogging to Employment workshop page.

Now is the time to take action in this challenging and changing employment environment. If you are a job seeker, a soon to be laid off employee, or someone simply worried about your job security, this message is for you. Your greatest strategy to employment is to utilize Web 2.0 tools, network within the Social Media system, and join the global conversation by establishing your own blog.

Blogging to Employment is a hands-on powerful workshop that provides the job seeker the tool to showcase:

• Differentiating Factor: Stand out from the non-blogging job seekers.
• Knowledge to Expertise: Showcase your business intelligence and assets.
• Employment Campaign: Chronicle your search strategies and answer the hiring manager’s question: “What have you been doing during the past (insert your timeframe) to find employment?”
• Writing Platform: Establish the brand “You”, improve your writing skills through practice, and create content that hiring managers want to see.
• New Skill Sets: Learn to blog and utilize Web 2.0 Social Media Systems.
• Networking: Network globally, within your niche, and to your local market.
• Google Presence: Manage your search placement by populating your top 2 pages on a Google query of your name or business name.
• Reputation Management: Respond, correct, or defend against erroneous information about you online.
• “Living” Resume: Position your blog as an extension of your resume, a landing page where you send people to view your current activities.

4 Strategies to Employment

• Scenario Solution: Take on a company’s challenge, posit your solutions, or review actionable steps that showcase how you might solve their challenge.
• Promote Linkedin Profile: Place a Linkedin widget on your blog that links to your Linkedin profile; place a link within your profile on Linkedin to send readers back to your blog.
• Profile Linking: Link all your profiles on each Social Media site to one another. Also link from these profiles back to your blog.
• What Are You Doing Now?: Promote and tell the world about your employment campaign and writing by placing links on Linkedin and Twitter. Linkedin has a message board and Twitter has a “what are you doing now” message board.

Related Blogging Services:

Blogging to Employment Coaching Package

Business Blogging Basics

Business Blogging Strategies

In my last post I described how Susan and I are establishing our branding through networking within the community. The idea is to network with a variety of groups, organizations, firms, non profits, and charities in an effort to support our community and raise awareness of our products and services.

I identified what networking is and the best method to networking success: giving value. The following are 5 tips to help you identify what you have to offer that others would find valuable.

5 Tips to Finding Your Value “Give”

1. Make a list of your accomplishments: Don’t be shy in this exercise. Give a full list with details.
2. Make a list of your contacts of influence: Prioritize this list by who you know best and who knows you.
3. List your skill sets: Again do not be shy. Provide everything that is important to building your career.
4. From the first three lists: Analyze and choose what you believe to be the most valuable things you can give to your potential networking partners.
5. Create a plan on how to deliver: Will you utilize a blog or begin a public speaking platform to help benefit your potential networking partners? Identify all of the channels in which you can deliver your value.

Susan and I are expanding our product and services offering in the coming months with a strategy that many businesses and individuals utilize today: branding “You.” Currently we offer Susan’s book, her workshops on change, transition, and success, and we offer her audio products and coaching services.

The next phase is the establishment of my workshop and service offerings that provide an outline and plan for anyone to begin to “brand” themselves, introduce themselves to the business community, and start establishing name recognition. This branding strategy is based on my blog writing platform, workshop facilitation, and networking experience online and in the “real world.” The key beginning component to branding “You” is to build your network of business relationships.

What is Networking?

Networking is the art of engaging an individual, connecting, and ultimately establishing a mutually beneficial business relationship. Networking is not a hard sell sales pitch, endless elevator pitch, or quick business card exchange.

Networking is a skill set and no longer an optional obscure after thought performed on a part time basis to decidedly mixed results. It is the lifeblood of your business and your ability to successfully build “You” as a brand.

Networking is giving something that others value, giving it often on a continuous basis, and giving this value without asking for anything in return.

The goal of engaging, connecting and establishing a business relationship that lasts is to ensure that you help your networking partners benefit from your relationships first. Help these new friends understand your value and they will be motivated to bring value to you and your business.