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TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Networking confidential
How can you mount a robust networking effort to support a job search that must be kept under wraps? Develop your industry networking into a kind of camouflage for career-boosting activities. Also, don’t conduct any job search networking activity using company property. — John Rossheim, Monster.com
JOB SEEKING
Network in new ways with
handbillS By Melissa Erickson More Content Now
W
hen it comes to finding a job, it’s often who you know — and can network with — that can lead to successful employment. When you meet someone new, do you have the right tools to help them help you find a job? Smart job seekers don’t limit their search to postings on Monster.com, TheLadders. com, Indeed.com and other sites. About 80 percent of jobs are landed through networking, according to a recent ABC News poll. In addition to a well-crafted resume, job seekers should employ other tools to get them noticed by the right people, said Steve Frederick, career coach with Lucrative Careers Inc., located near Chicago. “There are different audiences a job seeker wants to reach. A resume reaches a certain segment of people: human resources, recruiters, hiring people. A handbill on the other hand is targeted toward a more friendly audience: fellow job seekers, friends and family members, the people who want to help you find a job,” Frederick said.
“The goal is to keep focused in the job search and let your networking lead you somewhere.” Steve Frederick, career coach
A handbill and a resume serve different purposes. A handbill is a concise and condensed version of a resume that highlights the position you’re seeking rather than what positions you’ve already held. While similar to a resume, a handbill is more like a personal flier or an upscale calling card filled with what distinguishes you from other job seekers, Frederick said. In the typical scenario, a job seeker will talk with friends, family and acquaintances asking, “Have you heard of any job openings?” In these instances, a resume is not the right tool to pass along; a handbill is. A handbill allows you to engage in conversation without appearing to be a job applicant. Hand over a resume and most people won’t know what to do with it. It can stop the conversa-
tion cold. A handbill is a conversationopener. You can pass along a handbill to someone you meet at an open house or standing in line at the grocery store, Frederick said. What’s listed on the handbill should help trigger conversation about the job industry, contacts and potential companies. Frederick suggests creating a handbill on 8?-by-3?-inch cardstock. Printed on both sides it can include a your name at the top and a profile photo, contact information, the position you’re seeking and target companies you would like to work for. Then, add PAR stories (problem, action, result) and accomplishments. Other information to include would be relevant companies you’ve worked for including positions and dates. “A handbill helps people access their mental database,” Frederick said. “They may not know of a job opening, but they may know a manager of sales or someone who works in insurance. The goal is to keep focused in the job search and let your networking lead you somewhere.”
Check out these handbills from the University of Illinois for tips on how to create a handbill. University of Illinois Alumni Career Center images
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JOBS
pubname
AutoPageNo
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Networking confidential
How can you mount a robust networking effort to support a job search that must be kept under wraps? Develop your industry networking into a kind of camouflage for career-boosting activities. Also, don’t conduct any job search networking activity using company property. — John Rossheim, Monster.com
JOB SEEKING
Network in new ways with
handbillS By Melissa Erickson More Content Now
W
hen it comes to finding a job, it’s often who you know — and can network with — that can lead to successful employment. When you meet someone new, do you have the right tools to help them help you find a job? Smart job seekers don’t limit their search to postings on Monster.com, TheLadders. com, Indeed.com and other sites. About 80 percent of jobs are landed through networking, according to a recent ABC News poll. In addition to a well-crafted resume, job seekers should employ other tools to get them noticed by the right people, said Steve Frederick, career coach with Lucrative Careers Inc., located near Chicago. “There are different audiences a job seeker wants to reach. A resume reaches a certain segment of people: human resources, recruiters, hiring people. A handbill on the other hand is targeted toward a more friendly audience: fellow job seekers, friends and family members, the people who want to help you find a job,” Frederick said.
“The goal is to keep focused in the job search and let your networking lead you somewhere.” Steve Frederick, career coach
A handbill and a resume serve different purposes. A handbill is a concise and condensed version of a resume that highlights the position you’re seeking rather than what positions you’ve already held. While similar to a resume, a handbill is more like a personal flier or an upscale calling card filled with what distinguishes you from other job seekers, Frederick said. In the typical scenario, a job seeker will talk with friends, family and acquaintances asking, “Have you heard of any job openings?” In these instances, a resume is not the right tool to pass along; a handbill is. A handbill allows you to engage in conversation without appearing to be a job applicant. Hand over a resume and most people won’t know what to do with it. It can stop the conversa-
tion cold. A handbill is a conversationopener. You can pass along a handbill to someone you meet at an open house or standing in line at the grocery store, Frederick said. What’s listed on the handbill should help trigger conversation about the job industry, contacts and potential companies. Frederick suggests creating a handbill on 8?-by-3?-inch cardstock. Printed on both sides it can include a your name at the top and a profile photo, contact information, the position you’re seeking and target companies you would like to work for. Then, add PAR stories (problem, action, result) and accomplishments. Other information to include would be relevant companies you’ve worked for including positions and dates. “A handbill helps people access their mental database,” Frederick said. “They may not know of a job opening, but they may know a manager of sales or someone who works in insurance. The goal is to keep focused in the job search and let your networking lead you somewhere.”
Check out these handbills from the University of Illinois for tips on how to create a handbill. University of Illinois Alumni Career Center images
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