Nov
05

16 comments

Have You Had A Victory This Week In Your Job Search? Even A Small One?

Creating momentum in job search can be hard. Carving out a few victories along the way is a big part of it. And you know what can be really hard? Recognizing them as victories when they may seem really small against your larger objective of finding that next great role.

So I’d like to give you a chance to speak up here and share yours. By making a comment below.

But before I open up the floor, I wanted to share some examples of victories that your fellow job seekers have shared in a great discussion. On the Linkedin group.

What? Not a member? It’s easy to join!

Click here to join the LinkedIn group!

Oh, and tell them Tim sent you. It’ll get you approved right away . . .

So, here they are. 10 examples of small victories:

A new connection. Some days these can seem really small, but each connection will lead to something. And it is something new to pursue.
A phone interview. Maybe you got it via connections on Linkedin. Perhaps a vendor friend from a prior job helped you get it.
An e-mail response. You finally heard back from that company you submitted to a month ago. No matter the answer, hopefully something was resolved or cleared up.
An informational interview. Not only did you learn something new about a target company or industry, but you just might have given someone a reason to forward your resume on to someone else.
A phone call. Maybe it was a recruiter. Maybe it was an old college friend who works in an industry you’ve been targeting.
A chance meeting. Someone in the line at Starbucks. On an elevator. At the grocery store.
A few new ideas. Perhaps they were suggestions for a new job site to check out. A new recruiter in your industry. A job search blog (hey, good idea!).
A short term consulting assignment. This means some money in your wallet and a chance to keep your skills fresh. Consulting can be a great interim victory if you understand the pros and cons of consulting.
A chance to volunteer. Yes, you can do something good with your time off. And think of all the new people you’ll meet! Whether you are stuffing envelopes for your local church or building a regional marketing plan for the local United Way, you put yourself in a target rich environment. Lots of new possible connections.
Take a friend. Have a friend who is a little shy? Bring them with you to your next networking event or one-on-one coffee meeting. It is a victory to help others. You’ve nudged them along and given them a reason to help you next time.

The key to all of these small victories though is that you have to be engaged. You have to be proactively creating a situation in which others want to help you. If you read the last post which included Eric’s story about waiting for his car at the dealer.

Eric did not get new connections by sitting on the comfy coach reading a car magazine, sipping free coffee and swallowing a few donuts. He looked around the room and took action.

Now maybe Eric is unique you say. Freakishly outgoing with no fear. Well, that’s just silly. All of us have some trepidation in networking. None are free of the nerves or ego restrictions that prevent starting a new conversation with a total stranger. Especially in an environment (like a car dealer) where most people are there for two reasons.

To get in and get out.

And with as little pain as possible on the wallet. And they don’t even know that they could be a key contact for you in your quest to find something new.

But if you say “yes” to everything during job search. Especially to those opportunities that you might normally shy away from, you will create energy. And that energy will lead to small victories.

And once you have one, you can share it here. Or on the Linkedin group.

Sharing those victories builds momentum. Both real inertia and the kind that keeps your confidence up.

When you really need it.

Comments

Larry G November 5, 2009 @ 9:03 am

Tim,
Great advice! To share a small victory of mine, I am grateful to be able to buy you a cup of coffee today at lunch. See ya later.
Larry
Eric Alfredson November 5, 2009 @ 2:11 pm

Thank you Tim. NEVER underestimate the value of a networking opportunity. I was invited to a grand opening of a new hotel last night. Not expecting much, I went any way. I mentioned this event at three networking groups, and to several others individually.
Well, this was not only a grand opening, it was the company’s 35th hotel. All of their executives were there. In addition, there was a ribbon cutting, and it was a very festive event. They had invited many representatives from nearby companies who they are seeking as clients. There were also many city and county officials, as well as a business club leader.
I exchanged many business cards from several prominent employers, but perhaps most importantly made a connection with a VP of Purchasing with the hotel group. They may be interested in a person for Freight Management, and that would be a perfect position for me. In addition there was fabulous food, entertainment, and even door prizes. Not a bad evening at all.
It far exceeded my expectations, except in one regard. Except for one, others I mentioned this event to, failed to appear. Oh well, that’s less competition for me.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 5, 2009 @ 6:31 pm

@Larry – enjoyed our meeting today! Great to learn about your objectives . . .
@Eric – I guess networking is in the eye of the beholder. You see opportunity where others see difficulty or hassle. It makes a big difference!
Linda November 5, 2009 @ 6:37 pm

Hi Tim!
A week of various small victories – getting an e-mail response from a recent posting saying that they’re still reviewing resumes, but will get back to candidates soon; (some respons/acknowledgement is better then falling into the black hole!) another e-mail from a prospective employer saying that they liked my resume & included a questionnaire to fill out about my strengths/interest in the company/position;finding out about a reasonably priced computer class at a nearby high school that I can take while still doing the job search; volunteering at an event in the area for the person that gave me a computer last year for volunteering with her organization;staying in contact with a really great new LinkedIn connection to compare job search stories/ideas/thoughts/frustrations, etc.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 5, 2009 @ 7:41 pm

All good ones, Linda! And yes, avoid the black hole!!
Linda November 6, 2009 @ 2:26 pm

Hi Tim!
I’m not sure if this is a victory or not, but I look at it as being proactive & not sitting back.
I followed up with the previous week’s interview at a local non-profit temple. The Exec. Director that I had met with asked that I follow up with her the following week. After getting extremely frustrated & aggravated, after leaving several messages & not being able to talk with her & then being questioned by her Asst. as to the reason for the call, I finally decided to take action. I left a voice mail message for her, her husband (who set up the appointment) & e-mailed the husband saying how disappointed I was in how I was treated. I realize that a lot is going on in this particular organization, but it only takes several minutes to call a person or send them an e-mail with a status. This morning, I received a message from the Exec. Director’s assistant saying that she apologized for the lack of responsiveness, there’s a lot going on & the position is on hold. That’s really all I needed to know!
I’m not sure if it’s a victory or not, but I needed to “vent” (!!) how I felt for whatever it was worth & get the message to the appropriate person.
Thanks, Tim, for listening & commenting!
Jamie Favreau November 6, 2009 @ 11:56 pm

Thanks.
I have volunteered at a couple conferences last month which brought me closer to my goal. Discovered a few new leads but it seems like people are sending me to the places where they see job postings and not the hidden job market.
I sometimes wonder if I am pigeon holed as a part time worker. It is super frustrating.
I know this must not be the case but even when I network into a place I still don’t wind up getting an interview in MI. Super frustrating and I don’t want to be a part of the brain drain.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 8, 2009 @ 10:14 am

@Linda – I think that anytime you learn something new about yourself or the status of your search, you can count it as a small victory. Thanks!
@Jamie – Are you networking with the employed or your fellow friends in transition? Folks in transition tend to hear more about public jobs (from job boards/networks). The more you can network with the employed, the better. Can I help?
Glenn Foote November 11, 2009 @ 10:30 am

Hey Tim,
At of the blue, I received a call from an AVP of a company that I had done contract work in late 2008.
My initial contact with him was at a job 15 years ago lightly. Then our sons were in soccer together.
He called, the company has an opening in the same area where I did contract work. I went into the interview. The application is with their Home Office.
I am looking forward to the outcome.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 12, 2009 @ 7:05 am

Thanks Glenn – Good luck on this one. Good example of how long-term networking can deliver value on an ongoing basis. Thanks for adding your story here!
Margaret A. Woody November 15, 2009 @ 6:15 pm

I had a phone interview, last week.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 15, 2009 @ 6:51 pm

Hi Margaret – Great! I hope it went well!
Gail Hutchison November 16, 2009 @ 9:11 am

A friend contacted me about a potential part-time job in what looks like an amazing organization… I called for more details and sent my resume on to her. I’m trying to switch careers at a time when I don’t have a job and this organization appears to be doing the kind of work that I’m gravitating toward in my career search. Color me “thrilled”.
Tim Tyrell-Smith November 17, 2009 @ 8:53 pm

Hi Gail – Good luck on this one! Not easy to switch these days, but it sounds like you have a good angle . . . consider yourself “thrilled”.
Richard Blackburn April 6, 2010 @ 2:08 pm

Tim – last week I met an old networking buddy of mine – he and I see one another at least once or twice every few weeks – he commented that my ‘elevator speech’ at the last networking event was so much more positive – he added that I’d seemed stale and flat in presenting it at recent meetings. So that’s my ‘win’ for last week – that I apparently have got back my mojo without even knowing I’d lost it
Richard
Tim Tyrell-Smith April 10, 2010 @ 6:20 pm

That’s an important one, Richard. People like to network with people they like. A positive “pitch” is a great first step!

Have You Had A Victory This Week In Your Job Search? Even A Small One?

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