Asking for help can be one of the most difficult BUT one of the most essential activities "returners" should do when looking for a job.In one of our earlier blog posts, Taking the First Step - So now You have Decided to Go Back to Work our blogger, Clare Graham, offered some thoughts about networking to open as many doors as possible. But there are SO many questions...
- Who do I ask?
- How can this person help me?
- What will they think of me?
- Will they be annoyed?
- Will they think less of me?
- How many people should I ask? Can I ask too many?
- Is it ok to reach out someone I have not been in contact with after so many years?
- How do I explain my break in a positive way?
Your inner roommate (that voice inside your head) will love to answer these questions for you whether you asked it to or not. That voice will probably try to convince you to feel embarrassed, afraid, or even tell you it's not worth the effort. DON'T LISTEN TO IT. Yes, you may feel all of these things, but you must reach out anyway. For some of us, this is probably easy. You enjoy talking to anyone and everyone. You certainly enjoy talking about yourself. For others, this is a bit more difficult. Reaching out to people may be intimidating and often scary. Talking about yourself feels unnatural. But you must do it. Hockey great, Wayne Gretzky once said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." You never know where that job opportunity may come from so take the risk. Take that shot and start making those connections.
One of the first places to start is reaching out to people you worked with in the past. They can be a great source of advice and job opportunities. After all, they know you and they know your capabilities. They can advocate for you and help minimize that break in your work history. It can be the perfect place for re-entry into the paid workforce. The first thing I did once I decided to go back to work was to reach out to some of my former co-workers.
Another place to ask for help is with your friends. Not only are friends a great source of advice and support, they can also be a great way to connect to someone in a position to hire you. In his 2016 Linkedin post, New Survey reveals 85% if all jobs are filled via Networking, Lou Adler outlines the importance of networking. Getting a referral from a friend is a great way to network. Your friend most likely has a trusted relationship with whomever they are referring you to. We all like/want to do business with people we trust. So that trust is extended to you by virtue of the reference. In addition, your friend can help clarify your break from work in the referral and thus minimizing it being a detractor for you as a candidate.
Don't limit your circle of friends to just the people in your social circle. Include parents you know from your children's school and extracurricular activities. Include people you may know from volunteer work, church, and even your hairdresser. You will be amazed who your acquaintances know and how they may connect you to a job opportunity. But don't limit yourself to email. If possible have a conversation with them on the phone or maybe in person. The more you talk about who you are and what you can do, the more compelling candidate you become. It is great preparation for interviews.
In today's internet world driven by social media and having an on-line presence, there are hundreds of Facebook groups, Linkedin groups, blogs, and websites that are all devoted to networking and connecting people of similar skills and interests. Join those that you feel are a good fit for your background, disposition and budget. But don't be afraid to go old-school either. Consider attending a professional group event that fits in with your background. The group most likely has an on-line presence which you can use to find out about events in your area.
Another networking opportunity are consulting firms. They have established relationships with companies where you may be able to get a foot in the door with a short-term contract. It's a great way to ease back into the working world.
But what if where you previously worked does not have job openings? What if the people you knew are not in a position to influence hiring? Consulting firms can be great, but the all too frequent reality is that it's hard for them to explain and sell your break. What do you do if you really don't have a network that you can rely on?
Our next post titled reacHire will address one way to deal with these challenges.
Another place to ask for help is with your friends. Not only are friends a great source of advice and support, they can also be a great way to connect to someone in a position to hire you. In his 2016 Linkedin post, New Survey reveals 85% if all jobs are filled via Networking, Lou Adler outlines the importance of networking. Getting a referral from a friend is a great way to network. Your friend most likely has a trusted relationship with whomever they are referring you to. We all like/want to do business with people we trust. So that trust is extended to you by virtue of the reference. In addition, your friend can help clarify your break from work in the referral and thus minimizing it being a detractor for you as a candidate.
Don't limit your circle of friends to just the people in your social circle. Include parents you know from your children's school and extracurricular activities. Include people you may know from volunteer work, church, and even your hairdresser. You will be amazed who your acquaintances know and how they may connect you to a job opportunity. But don't limit yourself to email. If possible have a conversation with them on the phone or maybe in person. The more you talk about who you are and what you can do, the more compelling candidate you become. It is great preparation for interviews.
In today's internet world driven by social media and having an on-line presence, there are hundreds of Facebook groups, Linkedin groups, blogs, and websites that are all devoted to networking and connecting people of similar skills and interests. Join those that you feel are a good fit for your background, disposition and budget. But don't be afraid to go old-school either. Consider attending a professional group event that fits in with your background. The group most likely has an on-line presence which you can use to find out about events in your area.
Another networking opportunity are consulting firms. They have established relationships with companies where you may be able to get a foot in the door with a short-term contract. It's a great way to ease back into the working world.
But what if where you previously worked does not have job openings? What if the people you knew are not in a position to influence hiring? Consulting firms can be great, but the all too frequent reality is that it's hard for them to explain and sell your break. What do you do if you really don't have a network that you can rely on?
Our next post titled reacHire will address one way to deal with these challenges.
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