Use Me To Get Hired
By Kevin Donlin | April 15th, 2008
Did that headline grab your attention?
Good.
I want the biggest audience possible for this posting, because I think I may have stumbled onto a major breakthrough for you and your job search.
Here’s the deal …
Because my job-search column runs in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and about 15 other publications/Web sites, I get to meet almost anybody I want to. All I have to do is call them up and ask, “Would you like to be in the newspaper?” Then I interview them. I don’t recall anyone ever saying no.
What does that have to do with you?
Well, I was thinking that, if bloggers are sort of citizen journalists, and I myself am a sort of quasi-journalist because my rantings regularly make it into print, why not let you, my readers, help me write my next newspaper column?
That would make us all quasi-citizen-journalists in a sort of crypto-logical sense.
Wait. That made no sense.
Let’s try this: I want you to drop the name of my newspaper as a way to get an interview with someone you’ve been trying to meet. In the process, you’ll be starting a conversation with an influential person — a conversation that may lead to your next job, if you play this right.
Let me explain, step-by-step …
1) Think of the job you want. Let’s say you want to work at the local golf course as Head Groundskeeper.
2) Think of all the important people in your industry who could possibly send you job leads. Make a list of the top 10 movers and shakers. In our golf example, these Top 10 Bigwigs could be golf pros, PGA executives, former Groundskeepers, et al.
3) Pick the one person you most want to meet, someone you think is best-connected with employment leads.
4) Find their phone number in Zoominfo.com or Google.
5) Call them up and say this, word for word: “Hello Mr./Ms. LAST NAME. I’m working on an article for possible publication in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The topic is careers and I was wondering if I could interview you for 15 minutes about how you found your last 3 jobs?”
There’s about a 95% chance they’ll say yes. Set a time to call them back. Call them back. Ask how they found their last 3 jobs. Finish with this question: “What one piece of advice would you give someone who’s looking for work today?”
(If they say no, call number 2 on your list. Repeat as necessary.)
(If they press you for information, say that you’re working with a writer at the paper — me, Kevin Donlin — to gather material for the story.)
OK. How in the world can this get you hired?
Well, assuming that you do interview an Influential Person, and do write down what they tell you, I want you to email it to me at kevin-at-thesimplejobsearch.com.
I will almost certainly be able to use at least one paragraph from your interview in an upcoming column, citing you and the person you interviewed by name.
When the story runs, I will email you a link to it online. You then have an excuse to contact that Influential Person, and tell them that they’re in the newspaper.
Do you think that person might be inclined to thank you? To look upon you with favor? To possibly give you career advice or assistance later, if you ask politely? I would bet yes.
Now. This whole scheme may strike some of you as being a tad manipulative.
No no. This is win-win.
You win because you now have a valid reason to call, talk to and start a relationship with an Influential Person in your industry.
The Influential Person wins because they get a free mention in the newspaper.
(OK, I win too because I get free help with my next column.)
But this idea will only work if you use it.
Why not use it — and use me — to network your way toward your next job?
If you have questions, rants or raves about this, please email me — kevin-at-thesimplejobsearch.com.
------------------------------
Spread the Word:
digg this
del.icio.us
Technorati
Blogmemes
Ask Jeeves
Furl
Reddit
Rojo
Simpy
Spurl
Socialize It
Earthlink
Google
Netscape
Windows Live
Yahoo
------------------------------
