You can be smart, or you can be like all the other job searchers during the holidays.  Almost everyone stops the job search process in the last five weeks of the year because they mistakenly think nothing is happening between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Now it is certainly true that the volume of ads and postings is way down during the holidays. But there are still jobs being filled, with start dates after the New Year for the most part. The truth is lots of things are happening in the way of job search. It’s just different than the rest of the year.

There are lots of opportunities to interact with friends and meet new people at the many holiday parties going on. Those social functions are not the best time to haul out your resume and have a deep conversation about your value in the workplace. But, it’s a great time to tell people briefly about your job search goals and ask for an opportunity to meet later to get information and advice on that topic, while assuring them you won’t put the arm on them for a job or interview. If you handle yourself well, you will get several opportunities to have productive follow-up meetings.

Read my other posts on Networking and you’ll get a good sense of what to do. Keep working at your search during the holidays and you’ll have a great leg up on the competition when the new year comes. And, maybe you’ll be starting a new job right after the ball drops in Times Square.

The biggest obstacle you face in networking may be you.  And you may trip over yourself before you ever get started actually meeting with people.

Early in my work with a client I ask them to make a list of everybody they know–in other words, list their network.  Ever heard Charlie Brown’s mother on the phone, “Wah wah wah wah wah.   Wah wah wah.”  I think that’s what my clients hear because when they come back to me, their list is 5 to 10 people.  They’ve heard my words, “…everybody you know,” but it gets filtered in their brain to, “…everybody you know who you think has a job or job lead for you.”

The problem in most cases is people start by looking at the list of people they know and thinking of reasons why a person in their network would not be helpful.  For example: he doesn’t work in my field, she is retired, his level is too high [or low], she doesn’t work in that part of the country.  The reasons go on and on.  Before you know it only about 5 to 10 people qualify for the list.

However, the way I look at these short lists is they comprise the people to be contacted first, but not to the exclusion of the others.  Clients have merely skipped to the next step in the process, sorting the list and putting the most likely helpers at the top.

As to the other people on your list, first you have to fight your impulse write them off before you give them a chance.  When this negativity hits you, think about your own life experiences where you were surprised to find friends had unexpected information or connections that were helpful on other issues.  The same will be true in your job search.

It takes only a brief discussion to find out the fact of the matter.  A few minutes which is very likely to produce helpful information and connections, and might just open the mother lode.

Statistics tell us that most of the time the connection that lands the job is not from your top picks in your network.  In fact, it very likely comes from a person you would have eliminated from your list on first impulse.

A client of mine had worked in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry for many years.  His role had been dealer management and support, so he dealt with the retail side of the business in marketing and sales.

We were having one of our review meetings and he told me he had been sending his resume to several big-box retailers [e.g. Best Buy] in response to Internet postings.  I told him there certainly might be a role for him somewhere in the retail industry, but his approach was likely a waste of time.  Why?  Because his resume was landing in a stack of resumes of people who had lots of big-box experience.

My recommendation was for him to start by having some informational meetings with people in the big-box retail segment.  We thought through who he might know.  There was no direct hit in his network, but he did know someone who was likely to know someone in the big-box segment.  So we talked about how to connect with the person he knew and get an introduction to someone more on target [no pun intended].  Next we looked at my connections and found someone who manages a big-box store.  So, I helped make a connection.

His approach to these people was purely information-gathering in nature.  He will not ask for an interview, nor whether jobs are available at the contact’s employer.  Instead the mission is to find out more about the industry: how they talk, what their challenges are, what initiatives are ongoing, what roles are in the industry that jibe with his background, how best to persuade decision makers that he is a great candidate.  And, very important, secure introductions to others who can help in a similar way.  Link by link these meetings inevitably lead to meetings with decision makers.

My experience shows that with every meeting he has, he will become a better candidate for employment in that new industry.  He will start to use their lexicon.  He will be better at relating his experiences to their needs.  He will, more and more, appear to be one of them.  And, without asking, he will likely be recommended to a hiring manager, assuming there truly is a transferability of his background to the new industry.

Through this networking approach he will have enhanced his chances in two important ways:

1. He will significantly improve his chances of being selected for an interview and will have eliminated a huge amount of competition before the interview takes place.  When he responds to an Internet posting his odds are likely 1:2,000 [maybe worse] of just getting a chance to talk to a screener.  If he comes to an interview through his network the odds improve to better than 1:10 of actually being selected for the job.  And…
2. When he gets an interview, he will be more effective at presenting himself as a viable candidate because of his improved knowledge base.

Now it may be that after a couple of meetings it’s obvious to you and your contacts that there is no future for you in this different industry.  But, isn’t that helpful too?  Rather than wasting your time responding to postings, getting nowhere and getting discouraged, you can redirect your energy and time in a more productive pursuit.

This is a process that really works, and saves you time in the long run.  Be creative in thinking about how your talents can be used in new industries and who you know that can help you learn more or meet the right people.  Then take the smart approach by making connections and having informational meetings.

Common wisdom says those of us over 50 need not apply.  Well, perhaps it’s not quite so absolute, but you know what I mean.

Know this first: common wisdom often has a way of outliving itself, and that’s the case here.  The over 50 thing still is a factor, but not near so big a factor as it was just 10 years ago.  Many businesses are now smarting from having released too many of us gray-hairs in recent years.  They now need experienced people age 50 and up who can help the younger set climb up the learning curve.

Here is something to contemplate: if you are over 50, the biggest barrier to your reemployment is likely you–not your age, your attitude and your self-image.  If you are in your 50′s, 60′s or even 70′s and believe in yourself and your value, it will show through to others and, believe me, they will take notice. 

Of course, the opposite is true too.  If you think people are going to discriminate against you, you will interpret every setback to be a result of it and you will be dragged down by it.  If you think you have nothing to offer and you’re an over-the-hill has-been, the message will come through in the way you talk, walk and behave.  Sure enough your thoughts will become reality.

The words you use, the way you say them, the way you walk, the way you hold your shoulders, the firmness of your handshake, the way you smile, the eye contact you have all make an impact.  And, this is important whether you are in an interview or just talking to a neighbor over the back fence.  Get some feedback and coaching on this if you sense yourself to be on an age-based downer.

The final word: Network.  Do yourself a favor and focus on networking as your primary channel for re-employment.  It is the most productive way to get re-employed no matter what your situation–and especially for us gray-hairs.  You can learn more about effective networking by reading other posts on this blog.

Most people in job search have only one measure they apply each day to determine success or failure–do I have a job yet.  This is a really bad way to measure the success of your day in my opinion.  In essence, every day ends as a failure except one.  What a downer!

It’s far better to evaluate each day in terms of process goals and results–i.e. how are you doing at the process of finding a job.  The process part of job search relates to posting your resume, making calls, meeting with people, writing emails, etc.  A good example of a better question to ask yourself at the end of each day is, “How many people did I talk to and what results came from those conversations?”

Let’s focus specifically on networking.  The process part of networking is reaching out to people you know, meeting with them, soliciting information and advice, getting introductions to new people you need to know and then going through the cycle with them.  You’ll notice there are several points in this process at which you can apply measures.

Reaching out to people you know:I don’t care who you are or what your situation is, you know at least 100 people, probably more like 300 if you give it serious thought.  So if your starting list is less than that you are thinking wrong about networking and how it works.  Reach out to everyone you know, yes, everyone.  I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense to you right now, but, if you think about it, you will recall numerous situations in your life where someone you know surprised you with what or who they knew.  You will experience deja vu on this score if you just give it a chance.  So, take this good advice and let everyone you know have a chance to learn what you are trying to accomplish in this job search, and let them have a chance to help.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Meeting with people: Set a goal for and keep track of how many real meetings you are having each week.  Phone meetings and face-to-face meetings both count, but casual conversations don’t.  A meeting has an agenda.  In this case it means you have talked about your objective, your background, the work environment that suits you best, your geographical preferences or limitations, the kind of information you need, categories of people you are hoping to meet, and specific industries and companies of potential interest to you.

Soliciting Information and Advice: Evaluate whether you are getting useful on-point advice or just a lot of random input.  If you follow a clear agenda  in meetings and have the right materials to show people, you should be getting relevant, high-quality information.

Getting Introductions to New People: This is a key dimension to track.  If you are getting introductions to an average of one or two new people in every meeting, you are doing an outstanding job for yourself.  But, you are not looking for introductions for introductions sake.  And, if you are clear in laying out for others your vision for yourself, you will get introductions to people who fit your strategy.  That is to say they will be at the right level and in the right organizations–or they will at least be people who can get you to the people you need to meet.

Also rate the quality of introductions you are getting.  If you are getting personal introductions, or phone, or email introductions, those are much better quality than call-and-use-my-name introductions.

After each meeting, debrief with yourself and rate yourself on these dimensions.  Don’t be too hard on yourself based on the results of a single meeting, but think about how you might have done better in that situation.  You’ll improve with each experience.  And, if you find you are consistently giving yourself low scores on a particular dimension, consider a major overhaul in your approach.  Perhaps this could be a topic of advice you raise with someone in your network.

All of the dimensions above are inferential indicators that your networking efforts are working.  Most people who network will reach a point where they wonder if their efforts are going to pay off.  They may find the meetings are producing the results identified above, but they wonder whether anything more will result from it–a job opportunity, for example, would be nice.  Soon they discover themselves in a meeting where an opportunity suddenly surfaces, or they start getting calls for interviews that have resulted from network connections.  If you do this right, the opportunities will come.

Many of my clients are reluctant to call on their networks for help in a job search situation.  Oh, they’ll reach out to a few close buddies, but not past that small group.  One of the reasons is guilt.  They feel they have neglected their network over the years and it’s really bad form to reach out only in time of need.  Not being a priest it’s hard to absolve them of this guilt and get them into the process–even though I see proof every day that networks are very forgiving and willing to help.

At the end of their search they all say they have learned their lesson about nurturing their networks and all vow to work at it faithfully in the future.  But, of course the majority of the time this vow is found in the trash heap with all the unfulfilled New Year’s Resolutions.  And the primary reason is building a personal network as an insurance policy against the next time you are unemployed is a flawed concept that is destined to fail.  When it comes to juggling all the priorities in day-to-day life, working your network on the if-come of possible job loss is an easy thing to let slide every time.  Successful network building has to be part of a larger , more tangible purpose.

Here is my advice: join a professional or avocational association, or volunteer your time at a not-for-profit organization–just one.  Not just any organization.  Do some research online, talk to friends and colleagues, and attend meetings.  Find an organization that is aligned with your goals [in business, or personal life].  Join the organization and then immediately join a committee that needs help–maybe organizing an upcoming event.  Be on at least one committee at all times, be reliable and do your share of the lifting.  Later, agree to lead a committee.  Ultimately, make yourself available to become an officer or board member of the organization.

If your employer will sponsor your membership, that’s great.  But, don’t make this a pre-condition to joining a group.  Join because you want to, because it’s important to be involved in what the organization is doing.

If you do a good job on the up-front research you will find great fulfillment in what you do and you will build an extensive network, without even knowing you’re doing it.  The momentum that comes from being aligned with the group’s goals and involved in its activities has the inevitable and concurrent effect of building and nurturing your network–with no special separate effort, with no self-serving motive.

Now, when the time comes for you to call on your network for help–whatever the need–there will be no guilt.

In business people generally return your calls within 24 hours and answer emails the same day or the next.  Well, reset your expectations in job search.

Employers and recruiters consistently miss their own self-imposed deadlines.  When you ask them what the next step in the process is and when it will happen, double the length of time they predict and you won’t be disappointed…at least not as often.  I know from personal experience in recruiting my intentions were always the best, but there were so many variables beyond my control I almost always underestimated timing of the next milestone.

And networking is no different.  Some people return your calls in a timely way, but many will take days, or weeks.  It’s maddening, and sometimes frightening, especially as you’re just getting out of the gate with your search.  Soon, you begin to feel like people don’t care.  Your self-confidence slips as you interpret this behavior as a harbinger of hard times and a long, long search.

You won’t like hearing this, but your job search is seldom the highest priority in someone else’s day.  But, that doesn’t mean they don’t care or won’t call you back.  And it doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong.  Put yourself in their shoes and your expectations will become more realistic.  Remember how your workdays go; meetings, projects, interruptions, the boss.  Did you ever let personal matters slip from one day to the next?  Of course you did.

So, reset your expectations for response timing, but not for the quality of outcomes.  If you approach them correctly and work hard at the process, your network will come through for you.

If you don’t know how to do research, or you don’t expend the energy to do it, you will pay the price.  Sir Francis Bacon reputedly was first to use the phrase, “Knowledge is power.”, back in the 1500′s.  It’s still true today, and it’s true in job search as well.

Research begins with understanding what it is you need to know.  Lots of questions will quickly pop into and out of your head during the entire course of your job search.  To keep them from vanishing, make a note immediately when the thought occurs.  I’d collect these questions all in one spot so I could more easily find them and work on them as I have time.  Encourage your own curiosity by keeping the 5 W’s close at hand and referring to them often.

What kinds of information do you need to know?  Some examples are in the list below, but there are a thousand more:

• What’s the best way to answer this interview question?
• Who will know about this?
• Who manages this function at XYZ Company?
• What industries and companies lie within my geographical target area[s]?
• What am I worth in this market?
• What other industries are likely to be interested in my experience?
• When should I bring up an item I want to negotiate?
• How do recruiters operate?

Now the honest truth is you can get a job without knowing any of the above.  But knowing the answers can save mistakes, save time, get you a better salary and accelerate you to a better future.

So, once you know the questions, where do you get the answers?  Finding information is getting easier all the time, but it still takes a time, ingenuity, and effort.  There are three resources you can tap to find out almost anything you want to know: the Internet, the library, and people you know.  But, always remember, information you find may not always be correct and true.  Make sure what you uncover passes the smell test and verify it through more than one source [just like the reputable news media do].

Let’s look at each resource briefly.  First, the Internet.  Google is usually a perfect starting point, but there are things you can learn about Googling that will make you faster and better at it.  Explore this Google Tutorial Site and you’ll be a pro in no time.  It’s worth your time to learn because you can easily waste a lot of time and miss some of the most applicable information if your research skills are poor.

Second, the library is a great resource.  If you can’t afford to buy a book on job search [or don't know which is best], go to the library.  If you can’t afford to subscribe to company and recruiter information databases like Dunn & Bradstreet, Hoovers, OneSource, CareerSearch, etc., go to the library.  And, BTW, the reference desk librarian is one of your best friends.  Ask her or him what resources they have, and what tips they have on using them.

The other excellent information resource I mentioned is people–i.e. your network.  If you will simply do two things with regard to people you know, you’ll be amazed at the result: 1] suspend judgment about who will know what, and 2] let everyone have a chance to help you.  In short, when you want to know something, ask everyone you encounter.  I guarantee your jaw will drop often as you find the information coming from a person you never would have imagined knowing anything about the subject.

Losing your job is a bummer, and an opportunity.  One of those opportunities can be finding a job in a place you’ve always wanted to live.  But, how do you do that?

The obvious approaches aren’t likely to produce great results.  Responding to postings on the Internet isn’t highly productive.  They are easy to do, but the competition is always fierce, and almost always overwhelming when you’re trying to compete with a local pool of candidates which is currently at high tide for most jobs .

How about recruiters?  Are they likely to be the answer?  Maybe, but the probability is pretty low.  All hires considered, recruiters account for only about 15% of placements.  Unless you are in the unique position of having a profession that is in high demand relative to supply, recruiters are looking locally first too.

So, what’s the best answer?  Two words: plan, network.  If the first response that comes to mind is, “Yeah, but…”, suck it up.  This is hard, but it isn’t it worth it to be able to move to the place of your dreams?

Plan.  What do I mean by plan?  Let’s say you want to relocate to Phoenix AZ.  First, list all the things you know about Phoenix, then all the things you need to know, but don’t.  Where would you want to live in the area?  What are the industries and businesses in the area for which you might work?  Where are they relative to the place you want to live?  Which ones are showing the best signs of hiring folks like you?  Use the Internet.  Use your local library–the reference section in particular.  Go there to Phoenix and do some on-the-ground research.  And, talk to friends you know in the area.

Once you have all this information, organize it and crystallize it into a page or two–a strategy document.  [See other posts in the Strategy category in this blog on for more information on this document.]  This will be your guide for action you take, and the elements of it become the agenda for a discussion with members of your network–both where you live now and in Phoenix.

Network.  This means use the connections you have now, however limited the list may be, and build on it strategically.  If you know people in the Phoenix area, great.  Start there.  But even if you don’t know a soul in Phoenix, think about what we all say so often, “It’s a small world.”  Tell your connections where you live now what you are trying to do for yourself.  Share your strategy document.  Find out what they know, and, more important, who they know in the Phoenix area or who are connected to the Phoenix area in some way.  Get introduced.  Repeat the above.

Remember, networking as I use the term is all about learning information, getting advice and expanding your network.  Stay clear of doing the traditional networking: asking for jobs or interviews, requesting ears be kept earthward.  It’s a conversation stopper.  Believe it, they will tell you if something is cookin’.  You don’t have to ask.

You will do yourself a BIG favor by stopping yourself every time you catch yourself finding a reason to not include someone on your network list.  I have learned after 18 years in the career consulting business, people in job search are very poor at predicting who will be the person to provide the initial connection to the eventual offer.  Put a list together of EVERYONE YOU KNOW and network your brains out!

When the economy is good college seniors at respected universities can readily find jobs through the campus placement office.  Company recruiters come to campus to make the connections. 

Ads and Internet postings are plentiful too.  So most soon-to-be grads can find interviews and get offers.  Job opportunities are plentiful, life is good.

But now…now is a different matter.  College placement offices have an eerie silence about them.  Ads and Internet postings are few and far between.   So, what’s a student body to do?

I’ll mention this first, but it’s not my first recommendation.  You can stay in school and get a graduate degree.  For a lot of people this isn’t a practical option because money is short and they have to earn a living.  And, I’m a believer you get more out of a graduate degree program if you have some real-world experience before you do it.  But, for those who can afford it, it is a way to outlast the economic downturn and return to the market when it’s on the uptick.  And, you’ll be far more competitive than classmates who have languished unemployed or underemployed in the meantime.

But, even now, when no jobs are visible anywhere, there are good jobs available.  So, how can you find them?  Well, if jobs aren’t visible you have to search for the invisible–the hidden job market. 

In tough times employers pull in their horns and cut way back on using some of the traditional hiring channels.  So, they invest little or nothing in ads and campus recruiting specialists.  Instead they focus almost entirely on hiring through referrals–from current and past employees, and other friends of the company.  This is the hidden market.  Hidden because very few people ever know about it before the job is filled.  There are no ads, no Internet postings.

So, the key to finding these jobs is to tap into your network and strategically expand it as much as you can, i.e. get introduced to new people.  It is in this way you can make your network overlap with the company’s network [employees, alums and friends] that they use to identify candidates for jobs. 

And, don’t forget to do your homework before you start networking.  Identify industries and specific companies within those industries that are logical targets for you.  Discuss your written strategy with them; get their advice and introductions to others who can help.  You can find out more about this by reading other related posts in this blog.