I couldn’t resist replying to this comment on an article I wrote for the Star Tribune on networking.

The comment was this:

Networking — Have tried it for 40 years and in that time only one success. Sounds great…works poorly  

My reply (elongated here, because I can write whatever I want — it’s my blog):

You say you’ve tried networking for 40 years and it works poorly. Question: If you brushed your teeth for 40 years and still got cavities, would you say tooth brushing didn’t work, or might there be a chance you weren’t doing it correctly?

If you shifted your car into “P” on the highway, thinking it was Passing Gear, and the bottom dropped out of your transmission, would you say the car didn’t work, or could it be a case of operator error?

Most people love to blame outside events and circumstances for their setbacks. Childish people, that is.

Because saying that a proven idea like networking (or dental hygiene, or safe driving) doesn’t work, simply because it didn’t work for YOU, prevents you from learning anything from your mistakes. Which dooms you to repeating them, over and over.

That was the experience of one reader, who posted the comment below. 

If you’ve ever dealt with half-wits in your job search, read on for ideas to help unlock your creativity and solve the problems you will inevitably face.

Because, as they probably say somewhere, don’t get mad — get hired …

Dear Kevin,

I appreciate your advice about responding to rejection.

I am wondering what I should do in this situation:

I live in Michigan and this has been such a difficult time for our state. I have been unemployed for over 8 months now.

The economy here has been terrible here for several years, and it’s tougher to find a job than ever before.

I had an interview last Friday with a PR firm for an Account Exec position. The main partner got stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it. I ended up meeting, very briefly, with the other partner for about 5 or 10 minutes, while we waited for the other person to show up.

I hardly had a chance to talk about my qualifications or anything I could add to the company, after which, I waited in a conference room for almost 40 minutes, alone.

Finally, they said that the other partner was not able to attend. I wrote a thank you email to the man I did meet with within two hours of my interview, thanking him and letting him know that I was very interested in the opportunity and that I looked forward to continuing our discussion when we could all reconvene. He emailed me back and thanked me for my time, then said they’d be in touch (nothing concrete).

I called Monday and left a message with the person who set up the original interview, letting her know I would like to reschedule.

It is now a day later, and I still haven’t heard anything from them.

What would you do at this point if you were in my position? I don’t want to be a pest.

Thanks in advance for your help.

– Anne

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve written before that you need a list of employment targets — companies where you’d be happy working. To wit:

Embarking on a job search with no list of ideal employers is like going to the grocery store without a shopping list … on an empty stomach. You’ll grab the first things you see and probably end up regretting it later.

To illustrate the importance of having specific employers in mind when you start your search for work, here’s a success story from one of my clients, followed by a series of questions to ask yourself if you’re serious about finding the right job fast …

Read the rest of this entry »

A little humor can go a long way in your job search.

If you’re feeling a down at the mouth about your employment prospects, here you go — this “fauxtivational” poster is a guaranteed guffaw.

More importantly, though, let it be an idea starter for you.

Ask yourself, “How could I be having more fun in my job search?” Really.

An effective job hunt CAN be fun. Let your imagination run wild and try to think of at least 5 things you can do, starting tomorrow, to put more smiles into your search for work.

Until then, aim high …