I have broken down this talk into different areas based on past personal experience and experience

with others that I have shared the unemployment challenges. This is about creating a personal brand

that is you, to make you more attractive to employers, understand what their needs are, how you

can fill those.

With my work with Small business, one of the initial questions that I pose, can you define your

customers, where do they hang out, and how can we meet them.

Slide 1 Agenda

Don't wait. Start now by letting more of your friends know you are job seeking, what you are after

and what you have that is special. Work that out into an "elevator pitch" that you can adapt to tell to

anybody you meet, in a natural way. Use your closest friends to try out this message, and realise

that you won't get it right first time. Practice will make perfect

Slide 2 Positive

Be positive. Nobody can help a moaner. The more definite you can be about what you want,

the more help you will get. If you don't know what you want for sure, then take a guess at it

and clearly describe something close to what you think it is (rather than being woolly and

losing traction).

Teach yourself to make friends quickly at networking events. Realise that everybody is there

for the same reason, i.e. to meet new people. Don't try the "hard sell" on a first encounter -

make friends with as many people as possible, then select who might be able to help you -

and who you want to help.

Help as many people as possible in any way you can. This will come back to you in

unpredictable ways - which is exactly what you want, it broadens your chances of getting

employment.

Practice meeting new kinds of people and give everybody a good chance. Diversity is good.

Slide 3 Elevator Pitch

This is where you outline what skills your have, your requirements and needs for a job. This is akin to a UPS, practice saying what you are looking for, with friends and out loud, that way you will be definite. There is little point in saying I am looking for a job, We have all been there, your experience, what you are looking for and what you can bring to the party of a new organisation. This is where you will sell yourself. Keep it short and sweet. http://jobsearch4execs.com/2012/02/07/simple-steps-to-make-your-elevator-pitch-memorable/#more-1825

Slide 4 Network

There are four kinds of network: family, friends, colleagues and contacts. The first two are

personal, the other two business.

Family / Friends are people who know you very well and share mutual interests. You will

have 3 to 10 of these (people find it hard to maintain more than about 5 close colleague

relationships). You share things with these people.

Contacts / Colleagues are people you meet and stay in touch with. You can have 1,000 of

these. You exchange things with these people - maybe not exactly tit for tat, but people

expect reciprocity. This can just be a matter of who buys the coffee when you meet, but be

aware of the etiquette, you gotta recognise somebody if they are doing you a favour.

Best book I have on this is "The STartup of You" by Linked In founder Reid Hoffman. He

has one thing I like in particular, three kinds of people you need in your network

Insiders - people who have been where you want to be and can tell you about it and maybe

even help you get in.

Diverse people - people who have different outlook from you and make you more creative.

He also identifies "smart people" as worth getting an opinion from, they may think of some

angle you had not covered ....

Close friends who know you and what you want, won’t lie to you or fob you off, can help

you keep your focus when you get infatuated with some idea, or when you feel down etc

.... you have to cultivate these relationships and nourish them.

Slide 5 Social Media Facebook

First, make a decision whether to keep Facebook social or expand your use.

If you decide to use Facebook for professional networking, take a close look at your Profile

and decide what you want business contacts or prospective employers to see - and what you

don't.

Post content relevant to your job search or career. www.linkedin.com

LinkedIn is a directory of professionals and companies. Individuals and companies use

LinkedIn for networking, job searching, hiring, company research, and connecting with

affiliates, including alumni, industry, and a variety of other business related groups. it's a site that allows you to connect to people you know. It also allows you to see profiles of anyone else on LinkedIn, and gives you ways to connect to them.

It's quick and easy to get started using LinkedIn. You'll need to sign up for LinkedIn and

create a Linkedin profile. Then you'll be able to start using LinkedIn to connect, to network,

and to job search and boost your career.

Company Search - One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is if you have a very specific company you are interested in. You search on that company, and hopefully find people who are connected to other people you know Email - When I was first laid off, I sent a large email to everyone in my LinkedIn network, letting them know of my situation, and asking for any help or people they could put me in touch with them.

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedin2.htm Using Linkedin for Networking

Slide 9 Have Fun

The Basic Rule of Job Searching

With more technology, opportunity and ways to communicate, it's easy to forget that there

are actually live human beings out there. Many job seekers fail to remember the basic rule of

job searching which is connecting. The internet and social networking sites can be great

sources of information and networking; but when it comes to giving yourself the edge for that

job you're after, you have to step away from the box.

When times are tough, it's important to remember the basics. The internet isn't a replacement

for your job search, recruiting efforts, connecting, selling, or whatever it is you use it for. It's

an enhancement and only that.

Informal Job Search Networking

Try job search networking, it really does work. Develop contacts - friends, family, neighbors,

people in associations - anyone who might help generate information and job leads. You can

take a direct approach and ask for job leads or try a less formal approach and ask for

information and advice. Contact everyone you know. You may be surprised by the people

they know

Formal Job Search Networking

Formal networking works too - try going to a business social or an association meeting or

event.

Focus on Networking

Consider for a moment what you might do if you had no access to the internet. How would

you conduct your job search? Basic networking is what job seekers should focus on first,

using the internet as only one tool of many available. Pick up the phone, talk to people, get

involved in groups that meet your interests, take a class. If you are out of work and still

sitting behind your computer you might be there longer than you'd planned.

Brian Andrews brian@id8.ie

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