Date: Wednesday, May 6th 4pm CST

With Mary Elizabeth Bradford, The Career Artisan Internationally Certified Advanced Resume Writer & Internationally Certified Master Career Director

Space is filling up fast but you can still register for free here now:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/teleseminar050609.php

Know someone who would benefit from this information? Please, pay it forward and pass this information on!

Learn step-by-step techniques for identifying and connecting with companies who want to hire you – yes, even in a recession! (I am also going to be offering you an incredibly special gift).

No matter what level you are at in your career, or if you are in a passive or active job search, you are going to love this information!

On this 60-minute call, you’ll discover:

The two barriers most job seekers hit that cause instant disappointment and anxiety – and how to avoid them.

My top 3 job search strategy recommendations that are proven to work to get you quality interviews and offers.

My two best job search time saving strategies that immediately fr^ee up your time preserve your energy and enthusiasm for your job search!

My top recommendation to help you identify industries that are hiring!

Register for free here now:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/teleseminar050609.php

I hope to “see” you on the call.

***You may wish to call in 5 minutes early to make sure you get a spot on the call! If for some reason you receive a busy signal (indicating the call is full when you dial in) or you can’t make the call, an audio recording will be sent to you within 24 hours of the call as long as you are on the list – so you can still benefit from this valuable information!***
Inspiring your success,

Mary Elizabeth

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I would like to share a personal story with you. I remember a couple really lean months after I started my business. My husband and I would sit down at the table and I would start to tick off all the things I had done to market my business properly. “I have done everything right…so, what’s WRONG!?” I would exclaim.

The truth of the matter was, I hadn’t done anything wrong, per se, it just felt like that because I didn’t have the amount of clients that I had expected.

Interestingly enough, in all other ways I had succeeded in meeting all of my business goals and timelines. However, those achievements were overshadowed by the anxiety caused by not having a long line of clients waiting to work with me.

Turns out after about 6 weeks (which felt more like forever), I had plenty of wonderful clients.

You would think as a job search coach I would not fall into this trap! But the point is, when we are going through “the fire” it’s easy to panic and quickly loose perspective.

When you are in a job search it’s not much different. There are highs and lows. Sometimes the phone never stops ringing; sometimes it may feel like all potential employers are purposefully avoiding you. Inevitably one wonders, “What have I done wrong?” No doubt, it can be a confusing time. So here are some tips that provide the job seeker with a very helpful dose of reality.

Tip #1: Expect the peaks and valleys

It’s true. Every job search or career transition has its peaks and valleys. And yes, its uncomfortable.

If you are experiencing a dry spell in your job search you need to look at a few things before you can accurately determine the cause. These include:
Is your resume powerful enough to get you attention? Have you had it professionally written?
Do you have a plan to focus on a particular industry and position? Does that plan include strategies that you are implementing?
Have you investigated the health of the industry you are targeting? Is it in a growth mode or is it shrinking?
Do you know how to tap into the unadvertised job market and, if so, are you been using those strategies consistently and persistently?
Have you given your job search enough time? The average search in a good market can take 2 to 4 months for a mid level professional and 6 to 12 months for a senior executive.

Tip #2 Get realistic about marketing figures

Direct mail campaigns do the heavy lifting for you and I recommend them. They usually yield a 1% to 7% return.

Unadvertised job market strategies can take your positive responses to 20% to 60% in a good market and slightly less in a bad economy. Regardless, pursuing the unadvertised market beats out job boards by a long shot. Job boards are the toughest job market in which to compete. Period.

The bottom line: even still, most companies are not going to respond to you. I am not trying to be negative, but rather to demonstrate that it doesn’t mean your not good enough or not doing something right. Job searching is marketing. Job searching is a numbers game. The solution? Check your search against tip #1 and then increase your numbers.

Tip #3 Don’t Get Down On Yourself

There are loads of things you can do that actually do help emotionally, mentally and physically in a job search. A few of these include:

Use a coach to keep you motivated, make sure you are using the right techniques to leverage yourself in the market and to keep you on track with setting and reaching your goals on a weekly basis.

Work (i.e. job search) and life balance are incredibly vital! Set several hours aside each day to work on your job search and write out what your main activity is for each day. Take the rest of the day off (yes you heard me right!) to rest, relax, to be with your family, to enjoy sports or other activities, work on continuing education read or whatever else you like to do. This will keep you sane and balanced while you are waiting for your efforts to pay off.

Join a church group or a support group. The positive support helps, just trust me on this one.

If you hit a dry spell, remind yourself that its not you and its not personal. Getting depressed and feeling desperate is not the vibe you want to be taking into your upcoming interviews.

Do what you have to do. One executive client I know took a part-time job in a grocery store while he was looking for a full-time executive position. He said it helped him feel like he was still contributing monetarily to his family and just getting out and working part-time kept his head clear.

The wise job seeker and career changer know that dry spells in a job search don’t signal the end of a career as it is known . They use the time to market even harder.

Remember that every marketing effort is an accomplishment in and of itself and does contribute to action, forward movement and future activity. By looking at the situation realistically, using techniques to boost your activity and keeping your focus on what you want (not what you are afraid of) you will maximize your leverage and move consistently forward to the results you want.

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Imported wines are popular with wine fans. In fact, imported wine accounts for 26 percent of dollar sales in the wine industry, according to WineBusiness.com. The thirst for imported wine is creating opportunities for wine importers.

Robert Maxwell is the president of the National Association of Beverage Importers (NABI). In Maxwell’s opinion, the first step in becoming a successful wine importer is determining which products to import. That’s largely based on potential consumer interest. Then the wine importer, also known as a wine agent, must locate the wine supply.

Before wine can be imported into the U.S., agents must file for a free federal license, followed by the appropriate state license. License expenses can vary by state. After the product is imported, labels of approval from both the federal and state governments must be obtained.

Scott Fraser started Forbes Fraser Wines Ltd. over 12 years ago. It all began when a former professor, Jim Forbes, asked Fraser if he wanted to start a hobby company importing wine. “In my ignorance,” says Fraser, “I said yes.”

The company grew steadily, “in part because I think we were smart,” says Fraser, and “in part because of good timing.”

After four years, it was enough of a “real company” for Fraser to work on it part time, which quickly led to full-time employment. Soon even his wife, Sonia, quit her job to join the growing business, working as sales manager.

Essentially, Fraser says, their business is wholesaling. “We purchase wine by the tens, hundreds or thousands of cases from wineries around the world, ship them to our warehouse, then reship them to our customers.”

The Ways of a Wine Agent
Fraser’s job boils down to finding wines, getting them into the country and preparing marketing materials for the sales team. Sonia Fraser is in charge of selling the wine, with assistance from one full-time and one part-time employee.

The romantic notion of jet-setting around the world looking for wines is just that — a romantic notion. In reality, Fraser says he finds most of his global suppliers through fax and e-mail. He then deals with all the legalities required for import, takes orders and arranges shipping.

As a small business owner, he also manages the accounting, financial analysis and inventory for the company. “We work in a [government-regulated] environment, so there is no shortage of paperwork to deal with,” he says.

“The sales side involves dealing with a very wide range of customers, from…liquor store managers to food-and-wine-loving restaurant owners to individual consumers,” says Fraser.

Champagne Wages?
Most of the jobs in this industry are sales positions. Wages depend on factors like the person’s level of experience, the company they work for and its compensation plan. Fraser says a typical salesperson can expect to earn from the low-$30,000s to upwards of $50,000 in salary and commission.

“Owner-managers can obviously do better,” says Fraser. “But it takes many years to build up a wide enough selection of products and a broad enough customer base from a standing start.”

He notes that most companies are very lean, employing only a sales force, a sales manager, a senior manager-owner and support staff. Few companies have a middle-management level.

According to the most recent figures from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), purchasing managers earn an average annual salary of $81,570 in the U.S.

Degree-holders do tend to have an advantage when pursuing a sales position in the wine importing business: a degree in marketing may be particularly helpful. However, Fraser feels that for someone with a flair for sales and excellent people skills, the actual type of degree is unimportant.

Winning at Wine Importing
For Fraser, one of the high points of working in the wine importing trade is the camaraderie. “Everyone in the business knows everyone and [they] are largely on friendly terms,” he says. “Despite the fact our products compete, we all get along.”

The downsides of the business can include low profit margins and less than outstanding salaries. Since most of the people agents deal with are thousands of miles away, there can also be a sense of isolation.

Fraser points out that wine importing isn’t a high-pressure sales kind of business. The key, he says, lies in developing good relationships. “Success comes from building personal ties to your customers over a long period of time,” he says. To enjoy this business, you must like people, food, and of course, wine.

Net Sites

Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field, see Purchasing Managers, Buyers and Purchasing Agents in the OOH

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos023.htm

National Association of Beverage Importers
Check out the association’s home page

http://www.nabi-inc.org/

The Wine News Magazine
Timely feature stories and comment columns about happenings in the wine industry

http://www.thewinenews.com/

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Do you know someone who is looking for a new job? I bet you wish you could help them, but maybe you think you can’t because you don’t know of any open positions that would fit them? Well, there are lots of ways to help job seekers even if you can’t offer them their dream job. Here are seven tips you can use right now to help your friends and associates that may be in a job search:

Tip #1: Offer to give their resume to a key decision maker in your company
As long as your comfortable with it, why not pass along their resume? You never know when a position might come up or even be created to meet a need!

Tip #2: Invite them to join your network on LinkedIn
The bigger a job seeker’s LinkedIn network, the more chances they’ll have to find and connect with others! The tipping point on LinkedIn is about 65 connections, so you see, it doesn’t take much to quickly create a powerful network!

Tip#3: Endorse them (on LinkedIn), give them a recommendation or offer to be a reference
You don’t have to have been their boss to recommend or endorse them. So, if you can, why not brag a little on the strengths and skills you know they have?

Tip #4: Tell them about my free ezine and article library!
They can sign up here: www.maryelizabethbradford.com.

Tip#5: Hear them out
Let them share what they are looking for with you in terms of ideal industries and positions. Do you know ANYONE in their industry of choice that they could network with? You don’t have to know if they are hiring or not – every connection counts and could potentially lead to something else!

Tip #6: Invite them out
Do you attend chamber events, church functions, fundraisers or association meetings? Why not invite them along? Job seekers benefit from the opportunity to make new contacts and connections, PLUS it’s good for them to get out of the house and stay involved!

Tip #7: Be positive
Job seekers need positive support and to keep focused on opportunities rather than bad economic conditions and negative news. This is one of the most powerful ways you can support them…with your positive attitude!

My clients are finding and landing jobs every day – the jobs ARE out there and so is help and support. Be sure to remind them of this.

So, do you have additional ways that you have been supporting and assisting your job seeking friends and associates? Please share your helpful ideas here!

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Kathy Simmons recently wrote in her Netshare Newsletter about her participation in several NETSHARE Area Meetings, networking with very talented executives across the country.

Career coaches and attendees shared their tips and tricks for mining LinkedIn, targeting hiring companies, and researching new job opportunities. And at every meeting, at least one contact received a solid lead on the spot (thats powerful stuff!).

Here are some of the takeaways she shared:

Targeting companies isn’t about limiting your options, it’s about prioritizing them.
People want to help you, make it easier for them.
People know people, people don’t know jobs.
Conduct a people search not a job search.
Instead of looking for a job, look for work.
You have to be prepared to answer one of these three questions: Can you make me money? Can you save me money? Can you get me through the next six months?
No matter what you did before, now you’re in marketing and sales.

People want to help you, but unless you can give them a place to start, they can’t. As one of the group members said, “People know people, they don’t know jobs.” If you tell me you want a senior level marketing job in a consumer packaged goods company, chances are that the best I can do is promise to let you know if I hear anything. But, tell me you are interested in working for Nabisco, I suddenly remember that my cousin works for Nabisco.

I agree. BTW NETSHARE’s newsletter is excellent…and free. Check it out at www.netshare.com

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The economy is sputtering and you need a stomach of iron to watch the daily fluctuations of the stock market; but people ARE still buying. Many businesses are able to make money in spite of the economic meltdown and some are growing at a rapid pace.

According to Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a provider of business outsourcing solution, the outlook for small business looks optimistic. According to ADP, over 200,000 small business jobs have been created in the last six months. There has been a continuation of growth by small businesses, defined as companies with less than 50 workers, adding 28,000 new jobs in September.

Small businesses have advantages over large corporations. They are able to move quickly in response to market changes and customer demands. They can maintain close contact with their customer base more easily to build customer loyalty. And they can flex staff in response to business demands saving overhead.
Whether large or small, there are things you can do to grow your business in any economy. Smart businesses are taking advantage of the economic meltdown by marketing and acquiring new customers. Here are some techniques to build your business:

 
• Get closer. Have a focus group of key clients and ask them what types of challenges they are facing. Buy them lunch and listen to their issues and brainstorm possible solutions. Make sure you follow up with each participant, thanking them for their input. Look for possible opportunities for new products or service.

 
• Conduct periodic surveys. Use www.surveymonkey.com to get customer input quickly on issues in their industry. The basic membership is free and you can create surveys quickly to be completed on-line. This survey service can also be used to gather input from employees, etc.

 
• Offer solutions. People are willing to pay if you can solve their problems, save them money, or save them time. No one likes to be sold to but people love to buy, especially if they see value. What solutions can you offer that make life easier for your customers?

 
• Network your clients. Have an event where your clients have the opportunity to meet each other, network, and possibly get more business. The meeting can have a topic with an expert presenting or simply a dialog between participants.

 
• Contact your top 25. You top 25 customers are the key to your business. Make sure that you have regular contact including; phone calls, e-mails, snail mail, and face to face. Call them on their birthday or send an e-mail card. Send interesting articles that can help them build their business. Attend the meetings and events that they do.

 
• Advertise your business in everything you do. I recently bought “skins” for my laptop and cell phone that have a picture of my new book, Energy Suckers. Now, whether I am traveling with my laptop or using my phone, people see this new book logo. Create a “skin” for your electronics. Design them with photos, business taglines and logos for product recognition. You can get yours at www.skinit.com.

 
• Do direct mail campaigns. While an old method to get new customers, it still works. People like to receive snail mail and your promo might arrive just when they were looking for your type of product or service. Get comprehensive mailing lists ready for download by using www.hoovers.com. You can search by any industry, area of the country and other data to target your customer base. Send the letters directly to the people in charge using a stamped envelope; it is more likely to be opened than bulk mail.

 
• Write expert articles. Showcase your expertise in articles that you send to local papers, newsletters, and article portals on the internet. They can also be used in your press kit or as a quick mailing to key customers. Re-use the material by creating a “tip sheet” on commonly asked questions.

 
• Get plastered on the Internet. Submit your articles to as many article outlets as possible including a link on each article to your website. The inbound links will raise your website in the ratings. There are many programs that can submit articles automatically after setup. I use www.articlesubmitterpro.com and have a college student who submits articles on a regular basis.

 
• Speak at trade shows, conventions. Get yourself on the programs for tradeshows in your area of expertise. They are always looking for speakers and it is an excellent way to showcase in front of potential customers. Log onto the conference websites and submit proposals with catchy titles.

About The Author
Barbara Bartlein is the People Pro. She offers presentations, seminars and consultation to help you build your business and balance your life. She can be reached at barb@thepeoplepro.com or visit her website at www.thepeoplepro.com.

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This is a very common question I receive from new clients. There is no one right answer, but there are some quick and easy steps you can take to make sure you are assessing your situation correctly.

Usually when a professional isn’t getting responses or quality interviews from their resume, the reason falls within one of these categories:

• The resume is poorly written

• The resume hasn’t been distributed widely enough to generate interest

• The methods with which the resume is being distributed are generally poor methods

Let’s take a look at each category:

The resume is poorly written
The problems I see with resumes are too extensive to go into too much depth here, however basic reoccurring problems include resumes that are too wordy, resumes that are not laser focused on the preferred industry and resumes that aren’t loaded with quantifiable achievements.

Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for me to see resumes that were “written professionally” by a resume writer or outplacement agency that just don’t cut it.

In short, if you can’t afford a resume writer, look for up-to-date resume samples via print or online media and do your best to use them as a template. Read several how-to articles on resume writing basics so you know what to emphasize.

Finally, if you hire someone to write your resume for you, make certain they are certified through a reputable association (CMI or CDI for example) and that they have ample experience. Prices can range from as little as $300 to $3,000. Hire the best you can afford. You are worth it.

The resume hasn’t been distributed widely enough to generate interest
It’s a common error to feel that a submission of 10 to 20 resumes via a job board is a good call to action. Unfortunately most people will find that this produces little, if any results. Yielding slight higher results (optimistically 5 %+) include niche job boards, paid job boards, association job boards and direct-to-company websites.

The methods with which the resume is being distributed are generally poor methods
Do you want to see better than a 5% response rate? Then you are going to want to learn basic techniques to tap into the unadvertised job market.

Many people mistakenly believe this means “networking”. It does not, though learning basic networking techniques (that don’t involve calling everyone you know to ask them if they know who is hiring) will both boost your confidence, lower any contact-anxiety you may have and increase your overall results.

A final word about professional help
A certified resume writer and/or job search coach isn’t just for the 6-or-7 figure professional with money to burn.

In fact, a good resume writer and job search coach can save you a substantial amount of money, and that’s not hype. A few of the results a professional can help you achieve include:

• More interviews
• Bigger offers
• Shorter job search

If you are in between jobs, then the sooner you land your next position, the sooner you can regain your monthly income. Just saving one month of wasted effort in a job search can easily translate to savings of thousands of dollars.

A good job search coach knows how to help you identify and reach your goals. They have a goody bag of resources you probably would be hard pressed to find on your own and don’t forget that this help is often tax deductible (check with your CPA for details).

You can take what you learn and apply to your long term career strategy and future career transitions. Bottom line, an effective and meaningful investment in yourself and your career.

Before you decide what your next best step is in your career search, take a few minutes to apply the points in this article to your current situation. This will help you determine the solutions right for you so you can move forward with confidence.

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Do you know you can increase your job interviews in a bad economy? Does this statement sound absurd? Truly it is not.

Most people will fall into the temptation of holding on to the job they have (even if they are not really happy with it) rather than venture out into a poor economy…thinking it will garner them little result or create unnecessary risk.

You and I both know it’s easy to let fear paralyze our actions…sacrificing what we really want when we don’t think we can achieve our aim. However, let me share with you five tips to help you understand how you can start moving forward and achieving your goals now instead of later (and land more interviews in the process):

Tip number one: Start your search when your competition is at a minimum
Quite simply, this includes committing to your job search during a “bad” economy. It can also include months like December which is actually (statistically) a good time to begin a job search – another time when your competition is often absent.

Tip number two: Go for the growing markets
To explore growing markets online, visit jobbait.com and register for a free monthly report which details which markets are growing and in what states. When you target a growing market, you automatically increase you odds of landing more interviews.

Tip number three: Make sure your resume is written for your target market
Nothing tanks a good job search like a poorly focused and poorly crafted resume. Make certain your resume is written well.

If you are not sure how your resume stacks up, there are plenty of articles you can read on good resumes, samples you can look at online or in resume books (make sure to view the latest editions) and you can even get a resume critique.

One extra tip: it’s a great idea to have your resume professionally written. If you decide to go this route, make sure the writer is certified and has ample experience. You can find a whole list of certified resume writers at Careerdirectors.com.

Tip number four: Tap into the unadvertised job market
Major Job boards boast a measly 1 to 4% average response rate. That’s a lot of resumes to send out just to hear nothing back!

Make sure you have an adequate mix of associations, niche sites and direct company contacts in your job search strategy.

Depending on your particular goals, you might also benefit from working with recruiters, learning how to network properly (without asking for a job) and learning techniques for following up with companies that are experiencing some form of growth.

Tip number five: Understand the playing field
No matter how good you are, how exceptional your qualifications or how brilliant your references, it’s impossible for each and every connection you make to end up with a job offer.

Your positive responses are going to be smaller than the amount of inquiries you make, period. Such is the world of marketing. So make sure your expectations are congruent with the market so you don’t end up feeling discouraged over numbers which may actually be good!

Want to improve your odds? Techniques to tap into jobs that are not advertised can yield you from 20% to 60% favorable responses. If you are achieving those odds, then congratulations, you are doing a remarkable job!

Successful people generally have lots of good habits including taking challenges head on, investing in themselves and taking action. By integrating these five simple tips into your job search now, you too can achieve amazing results and reach your job search goals.

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Have you secretly been wondering what all the hoopla is over social networking sites like LinkedIn…but been too afraid to ask? Or perhaps you are in the midst of a job search and know using sites liked LinkedIn should be part of your job search strategy….but you are not exactly sure how to go about it?

If so, you are going to love these 5 easy tips for using LinkedIn to create powerful networking connections, brand your image and quickly get you noticed!

Tip #1: Create a powerful profile

It’s free to join and once you have, you’ll want to create a profile which best highlights the skills and strengths you most want to showcase. Here are a few tips to setting up your account:

Use a current version of your resume to post your profile.
Your profile should contain those things you wish to be known for – and nothing more!
Don’t go back too far with your job history unless you have a really good reason for it.
Have someone (friend, loved one, resume writer) edit and proof your profile.
Use discretion with listing personal information…just like a resume.

Tip #2: Find your friends

You can search for old classmates, past companies, friends or just try keyword searches in your area of interest. Invite friends and associates to connect with you and accept invitations from others to quickly grow your network (you will want to read LinkedIn’s information about accepting others’ invitations to help you decide whose invitations to accept). Bear in mind the larger your network, the wider your audience and that is generally what you want.

Tip #3: Get involved in Q&A

Easily search topics and offer answers to establish yourself as an expert. You can also ask questions to engage others and establish rapport. This small investment of your time will pay off abundantly in both the short and long term.

Tip #4: Join groups

There are tens of thousands of groups and group forums on LinkedIn.

Forums give you an instant audience in a particular industry, networking group, alumni group, company or geographic area! Currently you can join up to 50 groups.

You can post a question, post a news or blog article or announce you are open to new career opportunities.

If you are a job seeker, don’t forget to post your candidacy on the 10,000+ member recruiter groups. You will be casting a wide net, but stand to garner several positive responses. Just be clear about what your specialty is to make it easy for the recruiters to identify potential interest on their part.

Tip #5: Use LinkedIn’s group email feature

Sometimes LinkedIn will charge a user to connect with others, but not in group forums. Check out the member listings for your groups and email selected group members (in the group forums) absolutely free!

Being a member of LinkedIn quickly establishes your credibility, gives you an audience in an amazing choice of industries and allows you to fully leverage yourself in the market.

These five tips will get you quickly moving forward, however this is just the tip of the iceberg! My friend, Jason Alba, wrote an amazing little book called, “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?” That is packed with useful tips to quickly getting your LinkedIn membership working for you!

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In part one, I shared with you the benefits of creating your own “A” list of target companies. I also provided you with two examples of gathering research. Today’s article outlines what to do next in steps 3 through 5.

Tip #3: Create an Abundant List
The general rule of thumb is: the smaller your geographic parameters are, the more you really need to dig to add anyone and everyone that meets your career focus parameters to your list. If your list is too small, you minimize your responses. Try to begin with 30 to 50 companies, ideally.

Conversely, you may develop over 150 potential company picks in your industry of choice. If this is you, then consider sending your mailings out in phases or hiring a printer (I like Insty Prints) to help you with your mailings.

At Jobbait.com, you can find a “do-it-yourself” direct mail campaign kit for $150. If your list is large, you owe it to yourself to invest in this manual – it will save you a ton of time and money.

There is another industry school of thought that touts concentrating on just a few companies at a time. If you are highly specialized or not in a hurry and are willing to invest in learning about and networking with key decision makers in each of these companies, then I would agree this method is also effective.

Tip#4: Get to the Decision Maker
Sending all of your correspondence to the human resource department will get you far less valuable connections and interviews – primarily because unless HR has been handed a job description that closely matches your qualifications at the exact time you send them your resume, they are probably not going to show you much interest.

So, don’t gamble your confidence away! Though rarely you might hit the jackpot, these just aren’t very good odds. Get to the decision maker… the person two to four levels above your ideal position that is going to be interested to hear about your successes in productivity, profitability and problem solving.

No offense to my human resource friends that serve a valuable and honorable function.

Tip #5: Follow Up
You have to be prepared to follow up with a phone call once you have sent out your correspondence.

I know, you are thinking, “but it is so uncomfortable to follow up with someone I don’t know and ask them for a job!” Good news! You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) come right out and ask them for a job.

As a professional, one of the things you must do in your job is learn the basics of networking. We ALL have to do it, so let’s discuss for a moment the value of learning how to network in a way that is comfortable and breeds confidence.

Here is a technique that I use: when I network, I think about it in a way that does not put undue pressure on the outcome of the situation (I don’t like pressure)!

In other words, when you follow up, don’t set yourself up by rationalizing that the only acceptable outcome is a job interview. Here is your realistic goal: to make an introduction, either personally or via voice mail that you feel good about. That’s it. When you go on a first date, do you berate yourself that no one got married at the end of it? Of course not! So just take a deep breath and give the situation a chance to materialize into something positive.

Okay, so here is how to leave a nice message you can feel good about. Try something like this: “Hi this is ____, perhaps my name sounds familiar – I sent you some correspondence last week and indicated I would be following up with you. It’s Wednesday, 10am and I will be in the office all day. Please feel free to call me back at ____ and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.”

This is a nice general introduction. Not too short and not too long.

If you connect with your contact live, this is even better! Say hello, inform him or her why you are calling and then share what you specialize in. Perhaps you increased revenue in your division by 57% last year, you are a turnaround expert or you just led your corporation through a very successful merger. Whatever your latest and greatest achievement is, this is what you lead with.

State your achievement in just a sentence or two and then say that you greatly admire their company and for these reasons you wanted to introduce yourself and find out if he/she might have an interest in learning more. This structure concentrates on your quantifiable achievements and is, in short, flattering…a recipe for success!

Using these simple tips will put your job search focus in order and allow for a smooth transition from one objective to the other so in no time at all you will have garnered positive results from your ideal companies!

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