3 Planning items for 2010 – and tools to help with the plan

Before you hit networking for a job hard this year, here are three areas to review your job search plan. The goal of this planning is to manage your most precious resource: time.

For each area listed below, there is a tool on the Candidates Chair site that can help you get this planning jump-started.

ONE: Planning Your Week
Each week should contain time for networking, business development (getting more networking meetings/interviews), networking preparation and follow-up. A common trap is to dedicate too much to networking. The preparation and follow-up are the keys to getting something out of the networking meeting.

To maintain a strong psyche, you need to keep to 35-40 hours a week. After this, your productivity and effectiveness simply declines (trust me on this one – I have experienced it firsthand).

Tool: Organizing Your Search Week

TWO: Planning Your Networking Meeting
You own the networking meeting from start to finish. When someone agrees to network with you, they are also agreeing (in principle) to help you. A well-run networking meeting is critical to getting them to actually follow-up.

There are three critical elements in a meeting: Identify what commitment you seek (e.g. make connections, offer insight to company), creating a true atmosphere of networking (what you can offer them) and time management.

Consider the practices of a Rainmaker, they need ‘wing it’ when it comes to sales pitch. This is your sales pitch – so prepare and plan well.

Tool: Anatomy of a Networking Meeting

THREE: Plan Who You Should Meet
One of my biggest mistakes was considering all networking meetings had equal value. I simply took too many meetings that offered me more connections, but not progress toward a hiring manager.

Later in my search, I began to use a simple point system to help manage who I asked to meet and allocation of my time. While this may sound counter to all advice, just because you can network with someone does not mean you should – unless they can move you closer to your goal. So look at what they can offer.

Tool: Daily Point System for Job Search

I hope this help you in 2010. I also wish each of you an excellent New Year. Please visit my prior posts, site and LinkedIn group for other thoughts on networking and search from a candidate’s perspective.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards
www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking
Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268




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