He found a job: My Interview with Ross Dreher
Ross -
Thanks again for being a part of this little social job search experience.
First, can you give a brief over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?
My background is in IT sales, specifically as a software sales executive in my most most recent position. The company is national and my territory was the southeast USA. Due to the declining US economy and the effects on the company my position was eliminated as part of a company-wide reduction in force.
That sounds like a story that has unfortunately been repeated many times. What was the first thing you did when you started looking for a job?
The first thing I did when I got laid off was to update my resume and started using job boards like Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com that pull job listings from multiple boards. I posted my resume to traditional boards like Monster and Careerbuilder. I did a Google search in the first couple of weeks to find networking events in the area and started attending events from there.
You decided to go the more traditional route. What was the most valuable or successful thing you did to land the job?
Utilizing the contacts I met at the networking events as well as using LinkedIn are the most valuable things I did to land my new job. The job was posted in the Jobs section of LinkedIn and I was able to learn a tremendous amount about the position before the interview from an insider at the company who I also met through LinkedIn. I would not have met the insider through LinkedIn without developing relationships at the networking events, so networking is the most valuable.
How long were you unemployed?
I was unemployed for about 3 months.
What advice, based on what you’ve gone through, would you give someone who is looking?
I would recommend to post your resume to Monster and Careerbuilder but not browse their job postings. I used Indeed.com once or twice a day to present a compilation of postings from several boards and company websites. There are recruiters that look up resumes on job boards, so you should still have your resume out there. Attending local networking events is crucial. At every event I attended I either met someone that could help with my specific job search or I learned something new. Even if you don’t meet someone that can help or learn any new information, you still meet people that you can connect to on LinkedIn. The more contacts you have in LinkedIn, the more likely one of your contacts is connected to someone at a target company. You need to find an insider at every company or organization that you apply to if you expect to be contacted. There are hundreds or thousands of other people that apply to the same job and you have to somehow jump to the front of the line.
So here we have someone that used job boards, networking and social sites (ie LinkedIn) to actually find a job. Good to hear from someone who has had success using these tools.
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Tags: Career, Career Advice, Duane, Impressions, Job Search, My Interviews
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August 21st, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Great Blog! Thanks for sharing.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Thats true! Social networking certainly helps to jump to the front. But once u get a chance you should make the most of it. Its essential for a candidate to know his or her talent so that they can differentiate themselves from others.Talent assessment before an interview is important.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Jennifer - the thing I really liked about his situation is it shows that it is still possible to find a job using the tried and true methods that we have all been speaking about for so long. As I told Ross, his story is a good one for those that are feeling like finding a job is hopeless.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Your posts are very informative, I have my own company and am doing some work on the side as well, but in the event I decide to go back to the traditional corporate world, I think your successful job seekers postings are very helpful.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:27 pm
This actually has raised my awareness of areas deserving more attention as they relate to my personal strategic plan. In fact, as I review the steps Ross has taken to successfully land his job, I am almost convinced that I have actually neglected to even start it. Real eye-opener!
August 21st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Thanks for the comments. I think we often get so caught up in looking for a job and marketing ourselves that the little things fall through the cracks. The point of this is to give ideas and tips that might not be earth shattering but are proven to work. Thanks again.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Hi Duane
Great blog. You are indeed a coach at heart.
Don F Perkins
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Don -
Interesting you should say that. I actually approach my recruiting business like the softball team that I coach - get a little better each day (or each practice) and by the end of the year you’ve achieved a lot. Thanks for the comment.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Helpful and encouraging. Another reminder of the value and necessity of networking. Thanks for posting.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:01 am
I wish I could add to this discussion but that is the recipe we are using over here, use indeed.com to track job postings, then go on linkedin to add your connections.
The only other thing I can add is to volunteer, it help keeps you busy and you may find your next employer there.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Thanks Duane. It’s great to hear what makes for a successful job search, and hearing that others are landing jobs makes me hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel. (Hopefully it’s not an on coming train.)
Lou
August 24th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
All very interesting! Mostly common sense to be honest. As the old saying goes, it is not what you know but WHO you know! Sad thing is that it shouldn’t be like that. There should be an equal playing field when it comes to job hunting to give everyone a fair chance and opportunity. Life in reality is very much a dog eat dog world where the ‘goalposts’ for job hunting have been moved so many times I do not honestly think the recruiters know where there are nowadays!!! Linkedin.com does not seem to very beneficial to members based in the United Kingdom though…at all in fact! With this in mind, I have been seriously considering closing my account down with Linkedin completely. After all, what is the point if it only seems to be used mainly by non UK individuals?
August 24th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Andrew -LinkedIn enables me to keep in touch with my colleagues from the various companies I have worked in. I can see where they are and what they are doing.
You never know when one of your colleagues will give you a heads up of potential job opportunities.
Don’t close your account -build your network and try to stay positive.
Hope this helps.
August 24th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Thank you Manish for the encouragement. I am forever the optimist/realist despite how mad the world seems nowadays! I will keep on playing the quest for the holy job trail!!!
August 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Andrew - It’s always a good idea to evaluate your job search and the sites you are using to generate leads and open doors. I also think job seekers need to stop using the tools that are giving bang for the buck. Having said that, I think LinkedIn is an essential job search website. Given the millions of folks that use LI, you have to be there. I would agree with Manish that you will see greater returns if you focus on building your netwok but be sure you are targeting people who can help you get to your end goal.
Good luck and thanks for commenting!