Yesterday Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters surpassed the 1 million mark. Google revealed that a search for “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters” returned 1,010,000 page references.
You may laugh, but I think it’s a big deal. I can still remember when McDonald’s declared “more than a million served” – okay so I’m showing my age. I know Lady Gaga and Bieber have a billion but it’s a start AND honestly what’s more popular GAGA or a book that tells you how to take control of your life and get a great job? GAGA of course!
Of course the real test is what are the numbers for my mentor’s book? Dick Bolles and What Color is Your Parachute is the reason I became a head-hunter. After reading Richard’s book I created a self-help group with my friends and actually placed 23 of them before I naively thought I could do this for a living ... but that’s another story.
So while Parachute remains the most popular seller on Amazon, clearly people are talking about the guerrilla books too [there are three editions now... I got that idea from Dick... I’m just not as prolific.]
And Dick is ever the gentleman. Here is the cover quote from the first edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters in 2005:
This is an immensely helpful book, with the ancient wisdom of recruiters, and the up-to-date insights of two skilled Internet surfers. If you're job-hunting, you’ll be grateful to learn the tips and tricks of these two seasoned veterans. I learned a lot myself."
-Richard N. Bolles, author, What Color Is Your Parachute?
We feel great that people are landing jobs faster because of the book. Our Guerrilla Job Search methods have already passed the test in some of the toughest cities in America, like Detroit where one man landed a 6-figure job just 8 days after hearing us speak. Three others whom we tracked landed just 7 weeks later – 5 times faster than the national average of 38 weeks [9½ months].
Read that back – 5 times faster than the national average of 38 weeks. Why should your family or friends have to look for a job for 9 months? Imagine if everybody in America had this information. How much faster would this recession be over!
Commentary from the Jaded Hacks at the New York Post. Praise from New Yorkers is great. High praise from BRIAN MOORE is golden as he writes Jaded hacks with little remorse for the ordinary.
Fortune Magazine’s Cover Story didn't hurt though. What started as a request for a single coment for a 300 word piece evolved into the cover story for writer-reporter Jia Lynn Yang,
The secret to finding a suitable job today lies in mastering the digital search environment used by employers. A rapid transformation in hiring practices has gone unnoticed by those looking for work.
Every year, 50-million jobs are filled in the United States -- almost all without a job posting because employers can’t deal with the avalanche of resumes they get. Today, employers are relying on a brand new digital suite of tools and tactics to find the handful of “most qualified” recruits that they want to interview.”
Taking control of your employment is especially important in today’s demographic because so many people are looking for new kinds of work - work that has meaning for them. Our population is getting older – for the first time, there will be more people over 65 than under 5 -- and older people are more reflective: they want to know they are doing something meaningful. Our book helps provide a catalyst for their productivity.
The nature of work is also changing, as people seek control. A new business model for the 21st century is arising. Enjoyment-based motivation, namely how creative a person feels when working on the project, is the strongest and most pervasive drive for workers today. When you are in control of your work there is the pure joy of creating.
As the economy moves toward more right-brain, conceptual work, the motivators need to change as well: to those stressing self-satisfaction and self-motivation. More and more people are working to their own tune: 15 million people telecommute every day…a large part of the workforce beyond the gaze of a manager. These kinds of jobs require confident self-driven control of employment.
A rapid transformation in hiring practices has gone unnoticed by those looking for work and the secret to finding a suitable job today lies in mastering the digital search environmentused by employers
Every year, 50-million jobs are filled in the United States -- almost all without a job posting. This is happening because employers can’t deal with the avalanche of resumes they get. Today, employers are relying on a brand new digital suite of tools and tactics to find the handful of “most qualified” recruits that they want to interview.
Let me tell you about the “hidden” job market and how you can use it to get hired.
First, let’s dispense with a common misconception -- the hidden job market isn’t really hidden at all. It’s just not in plain sight. It’s referred to as the “hidden” job market because of how positions are created and filled. In most cases, jobs are created inone of three ways:
A company is growing and creates a new job;
An employee quits, vacating an existing job; or
An employee is fired from an existing job.
When a company is growing, the owner, president, or other hiring authority may know they need new employees, but haven’t initiated the process. They may not have the time, the budget, or the willingness to go through the hassle of advertising and interviewing. So, while the need is real, the job itself remains hidden inside the head of the hiring manager.
When someone quits or is fired, managers will first decide ifthey can eliminate the job, or combine it with another position. If they decide a new person is needed, they will first look inside their organization for someone to fill the role. If that doesn’t work, they’ll likely ask employee for referrals. And if that doesn’t work, they may opt to run an ad through HR, or hire a headhunter.
Companies often contact a headhunter when secrecy is required, because good recruiters can conduct a search without anyone ever knowing. This is especially important if an employee is going to be replaced without their knowledge – loose lips not only sink ships, they can also damage company morale.
In all of these cases, jobs remain hidden to the outside world for weeks if not months. Hence the term “hidden” job market.
The only way for you to access the hidden job market successfully is to reach out to hiring managers directly before they opt to go the advertising or HR route. The hidden job market is your private laboratory to test the best methods for finding your dream job.
One quick way to discover new opportunities is by doing structured search engine queries. And it’s fairly easy to do. Here’s how to do targeted research, in two easy steps:
Step #1 Develop a list of companies you want to work for.
Here’s how you build that list. Before you start, you have to answer two questions: What job do you want? and Where do you want to do it?
Let’s say youwant an advertising job in New York City. We’ll visit Google.com and use the Advanced Search option. The search string shown below instructs Google to search for a directory of advertising firms in New York or an industry conference on advertising held in New York. This will bring back leads for prospective employers.
Your search query should look like that in the picture above.
My search returned many hits, including one for AD:TECH, billed as “The Event for Interactive Marketing”. It’s a conference held in New York for the advertising industry. There where also hits for directories of advertising companies in New York, complete with web site addresses, phone numbers, and profiles of the owners. Pay dirt!
If you spend a few minutes experimenting with different combinations of search terms, you should turn up a nice list of potential employers who can hire you – your own private “hidden” job market.
Now, it’s on to …
Step #2 Find People Who Can Hire You:
Once you have a target list of companies, you need to find out who the people are in those companies that can actually hire you. A good headhunter would pick up the telephone, call and ask. You might not be so inclined, so here’s another way to get the names of hiring authorities …
Visit each company’s web site and look for names of people who can say yes. Who are you looking for? Executives, not human resource people – the latter group can only say NO … unless you’re another human resources professional. If you’re lucky, every corporate web site will identify its senior executives, including names, titles, phone numbers, career summaries and sometimes email and photos! Web information should be up-to-date, but I would still call the receptionist to confirm it.
Let’s go back to our advertising example. Let’s say I’m looking for a sales job in an ad agency in New York City. Who would have the power to hire a sales rep? I would scour company web sites for the name(s) of a VP of Sales, VP of Sales & Marketing or a General Manager.
If you’re having trouble finding names on a web site, go back to Google’s advanced search box and type in the company name in the first box and “Vice President Sales Marketing Director” in the thirdbox. (By the way, you don’t need to put the words in brackets and don’t include commas or punctuation.)
That search string will bring you:
♦ All the people who are, or have ever been, VPs or President or Directors of Sales and/or Marketing for that company.
♦ The resumes of a whole pile of people from that company whom you may be able to call and solicit for information.
Once you have the name of the person one rung up the ladder from the job you want, you need to process their name through Google again. This time, put their first and last name in the first box and the company name in the third box.
This will produce a list of press releases, and news articles in which they are mentioned, as well as conferences they’ve attended. Read an article or two and clip something memorable to use in your NarrowCast letter, in which you demonstrate your knowledge of the person, the company, and how you can help both. (You can view an example NarrowCast letter at this link).
When you send your letter, you can to write. “I read your article in … [name the publication] about … [name the subject] which prompted me to write.” Very powerful, and a great way to get interviews.
Article by David E. Perry Managing Partner of Perry-Martel International Inc., co-author Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters with Kevin Donlin, President Guaranteed Resumes, author, Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed, Guaranteed Sales Resumes, and 51 Ways to Find a Job Fast -- Guaranteed. David and Kevin are co-authors of Guerrilla Resumes for Job Hunters
I do not endorse job search sites - however ExecuNet has always been the exception because of the results obtained by senior people who take the time and make the effort to engage with the site's features.
There are tons of stories throughout Guerrilla Marketing - many of which came from successful job hunters who use ExecuNet. Here's just one of them provided by Lauryn Franzoni, Execunet's Managing Director [and a real class act]. Now, in her own words.
"A methodical strategy paid off for this ExecuNet member who was very active in her local human resources groups. She contacted the national headquarters for the names of local chapter presidents, and mounted a campaign of contacting each one every two months. Her persistence paid off when she received an offer. "
Proving once again, that a direct line is often the shortest distance between two points
Everyone needs a job-search buddy. The main objective of your “buddy” is to keep you motivated and honest with yourself. Few people can work well in isolation, but that’s exactly what happens when you’re looking for a job. You’re typically sitting at home night and day doing research, making calls, and writing letters. Life can becomevery lonely very quickly. It’s toughto stay motivated and committed to your job search. It’s important to have someone else to bounce ideas off who will make a “big deal” over your daily accomplishments, because you’re not likely to do it for yourself.
Your buddy can be looking for a job too but that’s not a necessity.
The number one rule: be honest with each other.
When someone is slacking off, the buddy needs to ask why and try and help work through the blockage.
Your buddy needs to hold you accountable, for both the quality and quantity of leads you are following.
Your buddy’s main jobs areto point out opportunities you may have missed, and to keep you motivated.
Trade shows: Don’t get stuck on booth duty.
Go spy on your competitors. Guerrilla intelligence is invaluable.Do they have new products or services? Are they expanding or contracting?
Does their booth look old and tired? Talk to their people (without revealing your identity) to see if they’re hiring.
Use LInkedIn.com and Zoominfo.com to follow up on leads and/or prepare for the event aead of time.
I know this sounds like heresybut there’s method in my madness. Call the personnel department of the companies on your target list. Ask their manager or recruiter what outside agency or third party recruiting firm they use. Why? For two strategic reasons, First, any personnel person will immediately ask why you want to know. To which you answer, “I’ve been to your web site and I understand that you’re not looking for someone with my skill set right now but the agency you use may be dealing with other firms who could use my skill set --- so I guess I’m looking for a recommendation from you.” After they get over the compliment they will likely ask you about your skill set etc., in which case you should tell them that, “I didn’t call you looking for a back door into your company but if you want to have a cup of coffee sometime I’d be happy to share my accomplishments with you.” If they push you be prepared to sell yourself shamelessly. Second, if they don’t press you for an interview, insist on knowing whom they use and why.
Personnel Managers love saving money on fees, so they may try to hire you directly.
Personnel Managers tend to group together by industry and make referrals to each other.
Getting a referral from one of their customers will insure the agency treats you with kid gloves.
Always ask for the name of a specific person and their direct dial number.
Get permission to use the Personnel Manager’s name as a reference.
Ask if they personally know of any other companies that could make appropriate use of your skills.
Send them a thank you note with a copy of your resume to keep on file for their future requirements.
If you want to increase the pull of your direct mail campaigns then consider putting together matching letterheadand envelopes that have your picture on them. I use the head and shoulders shot below with quotes from clients to increase my mass mailings. You can do the same thing. I recommend you do this with your second and third tier prospects because the direct one-on-oneapproach will work better. This is a great idea for marketing and sales people who want to change industry and need to generate a large quantity of leads quickly.
Use a good quality head shot.
To save money ask a friend to use their digital camera. Make sure it’s set on the highest quality. You’ll need a 400 dpi resolution jpeg to ensure a crisp picture.
Wear a good suit and tie.
Take off your glasses so the flash doesn’t reflect off them.
Use a light background behind you and wear dark clothes.
Make certain you wear a contrasting color shirt. For example white with a blue suit, so you can be seen clearly when the picture is shrunken to one square inch and printed in black & white or gray tones.
It’s a statistical fact that if you hand-address the envelopes more people will open them.
I received this email yesterday addressed to, "Dear Recruiter".
Let me ask you something... when was the last time an HR manager said to you at an interview: "Thanks for sending me your generic resume. And your generic email instructing me to read it. Aren't they the ones usually insisting you research the company and spell their name correctly?
Boy I sure felt special – honored even to have received it- Because you're the hottest candidate I've ever seen.
NOT!!!!!
Isn’t it HR who always complains about people who send resumes with generic cover letters that say; dear sir Madame... or something to that effect? It's un professional. Don’t they also say they prefer candidates who understand their business and can speak to their needs? It’s a rhetorical question. Of course they do! AND all the books on writing résumés and cover letters including my own, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, say the same thing. Customize your letter and resume to suit the opportunity. Research the company before you send the letter. Do your home work and show initiative by addressing your letter – email – fax to the person who’s responsible for hiring people into the role you’re looking to fill.
Well in my SPAM basket tonight is yet another RESPAM-ume [that’s a resume sent to me with a generic “hey buddy look at me message”.
But this one is different. It’s from an HR Director. And not a junior at that. No less than an “Accomplished Senior Human Resources Professional with over 12 years of experience".
Ok I admit her subject line got me to open it because it was so provocative: "Results Driven HR Professional" This, I thought - I have to read. So I clicked on it with great hope only to be disappointed again with her note to me, “I have attached my resume for your review. You are receiving this resume because your firm specializes in the industries and functions I selected while using resume distribution service. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you if an appropriate opportunity presents itself.” BLAH BLAH BLAH [emphasis mine]
So I think --- ok how bad can this be?
Their must be some merit to it, I was wrong, sooooo wrong. But all is not lost. I wasted 15 minutes of my time so you can benefit from their mistakes.
Let me tell you the top 3 things this candidate did wrong so you don’t do it too.
Their resume was titled, “current resume.doc". This is absolutely wrong. At a minimum your resume should have your name on it like John Smith when you save the document. Or better yet John Smith results driven HR Manager. It's recipient needs to be able find it later, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that you should make it easy for a harried recruiter or hiring manager. Do you know how long it would take to open and sift through ALL the other word documents titled “current resume doc?”. Do you think anyone is seriously going to bother!
Ok sowhat else? Well there wasn’t one shred of proof in the resume, anywhere, that this person was indeed “results driven” as her subject line had promised. Not one accomplishment in 3 pages, no savings of money or decreasing costs. No streamlining of processes. No revamping of procedures. Exactly the things this HR manager would likely be looking for in the resume of a new hire. The closest I came was this line:, “Displayed great enthusiasm, creativity, and initiative”. To which I must ask – so what? Ok, so now I’m really confused. I’m just a simple headhunter but I have to wonder if this “Results Driven HR Professional” would even bother to read their own resume if it came across their desk? I think not and
I conclude that because I opened up the properties box in the word document [it’s under the “file” prompt] to find out when the document was written. 11 months ago. So they’ve been looking for 11 months. Must be spamming now because they’re desperate. But it would be a whole lot easier less costly and better for the environment [less dead trees] if this HR Professional where to articulate their value proposition, research the market demand for their skills and target employers instead.
DON”T let this happen to you.
I concluded this candidate obviously isn’t “results driven” nor are they a hot property I would want to promote to any of my clients.
But the part that just kills me?This that this is the norm with HR people.
America is facing a crisis of confidence with its workforce.
The social bonds between employer and employee where severed in the last recession and are irreparable on a national scale. HR isn’t an island of trust anymore and it needs to be because culture is the last bastion of competitive advantage in America, just HR is responsible for guarding and extending culture.
Tonight, this candidate scars me to death. Because I know they’ll get a job. They’ll land somewhere --- eventually AND then they’ll be put in charge of hiring the company’s best and brightest – and yet another company will go belly up with everyone wondering why, is it any wonder applicants try to circumvent the “system” when clueless people are in charge? It just stuns me. Perhaps I should be thankful. No I – I hope HR wakes up and become a FULL PARTNER in building America’s businesses, because right now they’re still getting in the way --- and don't even realize it.
Here's Why you should use LinkedIn to Research your Interviewer
Know who you’re negotiating with. Ever drive a great deal on a car only to find the salesman couldn’t approve the deal? Did the 'Sales Manager" suddenly appear only to cause you to start the negotiations over? Frustrating isn't it! Suddenly you're sitting in the drivers seat and one wrong move and you crash. Knowing where a company is in the hiring process gives you power to negotiate.
You can leverage the situation you figure out:What’s their time frame for a hiring decision? How long has the position been open? What kind of deal you get with their competitor is if they have made any offers that were refused.
Lastly, do your homework to understand what’s in the deal for the interviewer. Can they afford to walk away?
"The Worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re dead.The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have. Leverage is having something the other guy wants. Or better yet, needs. Or best of all, simply can’t do without." —DONALD J. TRUMP, TRUMP: THE ART OF THE DEAL
There’s a huge obvious benefit to engaging in creative out-of-the-boxactivities which will bring you to the attention of hiring managers.
There’s also a real danger of crossing the line and doing something in poor taste or something that puts youor the potential employer at risk.
Here’s an example pulled from the pages of the Montreal Gazette in Montreal, Canada on October 15th , 2004:
“The job hunter hoped his resume would land him an interview. What he got was the attention of the bomb squad. The man was arrested after he included his CV in a ticking package left in a Montrealmarketing firm’s washroom last month. It was his way of drawing attention to the application, as he was among 400 contenders vying for six paid internships.
The 24-year-old didn’t get the job but he did get charged with public mischief. He had handed the receptionist an Arabic newspaper with a note alerting her to the ticking parcel in the men’s washroom, police said.
At a time of heightened concerns over terrorism, the package raised the specter of a bombing. Montreal police evacuated the company’s building. Later, police discovered the package was harmless. It contained a metronome - a device used by musicians to help maintain rhythm and tempo - along with the candidate’s CV. “
“I saw a job advertised online and applied by mail. I sent a box with a paper Starbucks coffee cup, my cover letter, and resume inside. On the side of the cup, where it has boxes for the type of coffee, I made my own box that said, ‘Hire Mary’ and checked it with a black marker. I heard back a couple days later to get my first interview,” says Berman.
After her first job interview, which went well, Berman followed up with panache. “It was Halloween time, so I decided to send them a chocolate covered apple with my hand-written thank-you note in a bag. I had a friend of mine, who was off work that day, take it over and deliver it to [the employer]. That was a big hit — they were thrilled — and I got the second interview out of it.”
Berman’s second job interview was with the executive vice president. Afterwards, she followed up diligently. “When I came home, I wrote a 30-60-90 day plan. I had taken copious notes during the interview and used that information to create suggestions for what I would do in my first 30, 60, and 90 days. I sent that to them via FedEx with another thank-you note. And I got a job offer.”
Now. Let’s break this successful Guerrilla Job Search down …
1. Start smart.The Coffee Cup Caper — a paper Starbucks cup, full-color Guerrilla Resume, and a cover letter (asking to meet for coffee), shipped in a box — gets extraordinary results. By contrast, ordinary resumes and cover letters, sent by email, get ordinary results.
2. Follow up with style. Delivering a Halloween treat with her thank-you note was correct seasonally, if not politically. Use good judgment before sending items that might be perceived as bribes by employers sensitive to such things, such as universities or public-sector organizations.
In Berman’s case, however, it worked like a (chocolate-covered) charm.
And, leaving out the gift, think of the impact a hand-delivered thank-you note can have on an employer, versus standard U.S. Mail or email. Could you arrange to have your thank-you note delivered by a courier, or a friend acting as one? Of course.
3. Give employers another reason to hire you. Mary did this in spades after her second interview, when she sent a written plan of action that outlined her first three months on the job.
A 30-60-90 day plan is a way of proving you can do the work — before you’re even on the payroll — by describing how you would learn the job, build rapport with employees/customers, and contribute to the bottom line.
Mary’s plan was 8 pages long and took the better part of a Friday night to prepare. (Before you balk at spending an entire evening at home researching and writing a 30-60-90 day plan, ask yourself if you wouldn’t trade a night out for getting a steady paycheck again.)
4. Score style points with your delivery. Mary’s first follow-up, the chocolate-apple-thank-you note, was delivered by a courier, not by email. Her 30-60-90 day plan was delivered by FedEx, not by email.
Do you not see a pattern?
Email should NOT be the delivery method for your career documents. Because you can’t delete a courier, and a FedEx envelope can’t get caught in a spam filter.
Bottom line: This smart Guerrilla had failed to get even one job interview in 20 weeks of job hunting with conventional tactics.
After adopting unconventional Guerrilla tactics, she found work in only 7 weeks.
If Guerrilla job search methods can work in Michigan, where the unemployment rate tops 15%, they can work where you live.
The only thing stopping you from thinking and acting like a Guerrilla Job Hunter - is you.
Grant Turck takes time out to talk to me about how he launched a targeted Facebook campaign at the Public relations firms he wanted to work at. Grant explains how he did it. What it costs and the results. He also has advice for others considering doing the same thing.
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT of the VIDEO
David Perry: How do I find you on Facebook, because that is what we’re here to talk about today?
Grant Turck: On Facebook you can search for me in the Search box under Grant Turck and I should pop right up.
David: I wanted to talk to you today, Grant, about what you did specifically on Facebook because you just graduated from Pepperdine University in Public Relations, right?
Grant: Correct.
David: You’re looking for a PR job in Hollywood, here in Los Angeles. Tell me, why did you use Facebook, how did this come about, what have the results been?
Grant: The first thing I did is I picked up a copy of your book, which I found out about one day when I was watching NBC News and they had some recruitment guy {The Recruiting Animal} on there talking about what you should do and he said, “The number one thing you should do is pick up this book-“
David: I’ll have to find that tape! [Laughter]
Grant: “-by David Perry and Jay Conrad Levinson called Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.” I picked that book up and read through it and was looking for good ideas and one of the ideas in there was talking about Facebook advertising. It talked about how despite our recommendation to do Facebook advertising and how powerful it is at making one stand out, the percentage of people that will actually take us up on what we say is very, very, very, very miniscule. I said, “What the heck. I’ll try this. They say it’s not going to cost much and it’s very easy.” So I did. I took you guys up on what you said in your book and it’s turned out great.
David: How did it work out? Did you get interviews out of it?
Grant: The greatest thing I got out of it was exposure and publicity for myself, which is the number one thing, and not just in Los Angeles or Hollywood but in this world at large in this job market is to make myself stand out from the crowd, so with Facebook advertising, if you target your ads specifically to those people that you want to reach directly in a very, kind of creative manner that not many people seem to take advantage of.
David: Everybody wants to know what are the results? Did you actually get any interviews?
Grant: Yeah, I’ve actually had, in the past four or five weeks, about one interview a week.
David: Okay. Have you gotten any offers, or are they ongoing conversations?
Grant: Several ongoing conversations and I’ve had one offer.
David: Obviously you didn’t take it because we’re sitting here talking, right?
Grant: Yes.
David: That’s an assumption. So with the Facebook targeting, is there anything else you’re doing in conjunction, or is there anything else you think you should be doing, or somebody else that is watching should be doing in conjunction with Facebook?
Grant: Yeah, definitely. There is always more one can do in the self promotion game. I think that is the key to getting a job these days. You have to self-promote yourself because if you’re not self-promoting yourself nobody else is going to.
I’m finally getting my blog started, so I just have my blog up and it’s going to be TurckishDelights.com.
David: Turckish Delights?
Grant: Yes, playing off of my last name and the unique branding of Turckish Delights.
David: That’s cool.
Grant: I’m going to start doing a blog. I do Twitter. I do LinkedIn.
David: Where do you get the most amounts of hits? I know you’re on LinkedIn. Where are you getting the biggest bang for your buck? Is it with Facebook? With Twitter? Is it with LinkedIn?
Grant: I think with Facebook, I think it really has all come about the entire nexus. I’ve recommended people to be on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, I would say those are the top three to invest time into doing each one of those in conjunction with one another as being the most important.
David: How much time is that typically taking out of your day?
Grant: To maintain it I would say anywhere from two to three hours.
David: Okay, that’s just two to three hours casually, or two to three hours working at pushing it to the next level?
Grant: I would say two to three hours casually, maybe like one hour hardcore direct focus.
David: The Facebook interviews that you got, they were target companies?
Grant: Yeah.
David: And how did they come about? I mean, who did you target? How did they find you? What unfolded?
Grant: I’ve done several different types of ads on Facebook. I’ve done ones that have just been focused on the keyword “public relations” in Canada and the United States. I put focused on specific companies within public relations, sometimes I was running maybe 20 different ads with all basically the same relative body copy within the ad but the headline was different. So it would say “I want to work at Bite.” “I want to work at GH” for Golin Harris, or “I want to work at _____” and then just target those specific company names within the targeting. With Facebook advertising you don’t have to worry that somebody from Golin Harris is going to see your ad that you’re running the same time for Bite Communications because-
David: Oh, I didn’t know that.
Grant: -if you don’t have that you worked at Bite Communications in your résumé and you’re now working at the other company, you’re never going to see the ad.
David: So what these people, Bite is one that you talked about, what happened at Bite? Who did you connect with and how did that interview come about?
Grant: That interview came about from a senior account executive at the company who saw the ad and wrote me an e-mail directly and actually said to me that he had never responded to an Internet ad ever before but saw my ad, was kind of uniquely intrigued by it and wanted to reach out to me and that it seemed like I had some great qualifications that could be a great fit for Bite and I should look at their Web site. If I was interested I should e-mail their HR person, and they gave me the HR person’s e-mail address and he said I could then say that he had referred me to the HR person. I took a look at their Web site, it seemed like a great place to work, it was in San Francisco, so I emailed the HR person who then scheduled a phone interview which took place about a week, week-and-a-half later, and then about two weeks later I went out for a physical in-person interview where I interviewed with four different people within the company.
David: Then you got an offer that you ended up not taking.
Grant: Right.
David: So you went in at the HR level and the senior executive level, and we talk in the book specifically about entering, going in at the level of your boss’s boss. Is that the level you went in at?
Grant: With Bite Communications I would say probably so because I went in, the senior guy was the person who reached out to me and directed me to the HR person, and the interviews I landed I interviewed with the account manager with the team I would be working on, the senior account executive, the account executive, and then the HR person again, so I think I did go in at that higher level.
David: Okay. Now, do you have a top ten list as we talk about this in the book? Do you have a top ten list?
Grant: I don’t know if I have a top ten, like a full top ten list? I would say I have a top five list.
David: Are they all here in LA?
Grant: Yes.
David: Looking at the camera, who do you want to work for?
Grant: I want to work for Golin Harris; Rogers & Cowan; Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli; Solters & Digney; or Warner Brothers.
David: Why those companies because you’re involved in other things. I mean you graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Public Relations, but you have other things that you work on that are really interesting. How can those programs you’re working on, the movies you’re working on, the books you’ve optioned…what was that one, The Secrets of…that you optioned for $20?
Grant: How to Succeed with Women Without Really Trying by Sheperd Mead, which is a book written in 1957. I’m pursuing that as a movie right now and we’ve just attached some great comedy writers, Dax Shelby and Robert Stevens. They’re a writing team so we’re currently going out next week to actors and talk with some people, Robert Downey, Jr., Matthew McConaughey, and folks like that to attach one of those names with the pitch that these guys come up with because the book is non-narrative, non-fiction and the plan is to take that pitch with the actor and take back to the studios for financing to have it written and developed and turned into a motion picture.
David: What is your involvement once it becomes an actual, what is it called, a product or…?
Grant: Once it gets put into active development and pre-production, which is basically my involvement, I’m a producer, I’ll be credited as a producer on the project, but when it comes down to the physical production that will be basically left up to another producer that does the physical line producing and on the set type stuff.
David: Once that happens, your involvement, other than getting paid for it, is gone?
Grant: Yeah, it’s minimal.
David: Tell me then, how these companies that you mentioned before, would benefit from hiring you given what else you’re doing. Is there a crossover? Is that an eco-system in itself that cross pollinates?
Grant: One of the things to look at from what I’ve done in the entertainment business is the ability that I’ve had to uniquely position myself and get things done that basically very few to no one else has been able to do. For example, one of the other projects that I’m working on, which is John Grisham’s The Partner, which I’m producing with Lynn Hende and Robert Chartoff, and people might know Robert’s name because he won an Oscar for Rocky, is I brought the money to the table to get it done but I had never produced a movie ever before. I knew one of the key things is that John Grisham - there are a lot of people in this city and Hollywood that want to make a John Grisham movie – is that because I never produced a movie before that John Grisham would never give me the rights to take his book and make it into a movie, so I knew that it would take somebody bringing somebody else on to the team with producing credibility to get that done so I went and brought Robert Chartoff on board and we pursued it together.
David: This is a family friend? How did you get Robert-?
Grant: I met Robert Chartoff through Lynn Hende who is the president of his company, and I met Lynn Hende through a client of mine, a science fiction author I was working with introduced me to Lynn Hende and said that if there is anybody in this business you can trust its Lynn. I went to Lynn and said, “I have the money to get this project up and running but I don't have the producing credibility. Can we pursue the co-production together?” Luckily it turned out and she said yes and so we did pursue that together. It’s very fortunate because a lot of times, especially in Hollywood, if you approach somebody and say, “There is this great book that would make a great movie,” they say, “Awesome, yeah, we’ll work together,” and you never hear back from that person again and they take that book and make it into a movie and you’re left on the sidewalk. I was very fortunate.
David: Where did you learn to do all of this? You’re not from here, right?
Grant: No, I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio, and I pride myself on the fact that I have no entertainment familial connection at all.
David: Where did you learn to do all the connections?
Grant: Just by doing. I learn best by doing and learning from mistakes and going with the flow. You learn so much more on the field than you do in the classroom.
David: Interesting. Facebook aside and LinkedIn aside, let’s go back to job hunters. I can see the value in hiring someone like you because you’ll just make connections until the deal is done, and that is the way things happen, right? Most people don’t realize that. What kind of advice would you offer job hunters now that may be struggling? For example, how do you keep yourself motivated? You’re here in Hollywood, you’re family is not here, right?
Grant: Right, they’re back in Ohio.
David: They’re back in Ohio. You supported yourself through Pepperdine, you graduated, you’re now looking for a job, you have all these different projects on the go, and you’re looking for a full-time gig as an account manager for one of these firms, how do you keep yourself motivated? How do you keep yourself going every day?
Grant: I exercise. That’s very helpful, but very basic, too. It releases endorphins, but beside that I do a lot of reading and ultimately, it may sound kind of dumb but you just have to tell yourself that in the long run it’s all going to work out and it’s all going to be okay. Think positive. You just do it.
Become recognized and branded as an "industry expert" by writing and producing a newsletter. All you really need to do is summarize best practices – add your experience or comments – print and mail it. When you send a newsletter with topical information that’s actually useful, employers may recognize your name when you telephone, making them more likely to take your call. When they in turn are looking to hire someone with your expertise you’re likely to be one of their first calls.
Newsletters should be 1-4 pages but no longer.
Summarize lengthy pieces and refer the reader to your web site for the full text version.
You can dress up the newsletter without breaking the bank by using pre-printed paper from companies like Paper Direct, http://paperdirect.com/
Make an electronic version and put it on your website.
Skeptical? Don't be. Everyone takes the "experts" phone call.
Tomorrow July 8th at 6 p.m. Eastern Time is the deadline to express your "genuine" interest.
It’s going to be an unforgettable summer for those fortunate enough to join he and I for the upcoming 10 week Guerrilla Job Seekers Boot Camp.
Why?
Because in this highly structured Guerrilla Job Seekers program, we are going to teach you unconventional tips, tricks and tactics that you WILL NOT find; even in the best-selling “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters” series of books !
Naturally the course will include countless strategies that we NEVER blog about herein or anywhere else for that matter.
Best of all---you will be getting your weekly lesson plans, our exclusive Guerrilla Job Seekers software not available to anyone who is not in our class ---at any price, you’ll be joining us for small group sessions as well as “one-on-one” time with us (both) throughout the program.
Participation is LIMITED in order to give those who enroll in our program the individual attention you will not only need--- but deserve, in this unprecedented lackluster job seeker market.
After some discussion, we came to the decision to extend enrollment until Friday, July 8th at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
We cannot accept any further applicants for the upcoming 10 week session after this firm date and time because Day 0 of the course is Saturday July 9th and you don’t want to fall behind !
For questions and more information you can call me (Mark Haluska) directly at my office at 724-495-2733. Should your reach my voice mail, simply leave me a message and I will return your call as quickly as possible.
Mark J. Haluska
Senior Certified Guerrilla Job Search Coach for North America
p.s. If after the 10 week course, and provided you perform all of your Guerrilla assignments, if you not working by then, we will stick with you FREE of charge until you are working !!!
Rejection - it's a fact of life for most job hunters. After a while it starts to grind on you. I know it's hard not to take it personally because every rejection pushes validates your worthlessness - at least that's how one woman described here feelings to me last week. "The silence from hiring mangers when you apply on-line is deafening," she said. I know exactly what she means. The lack of acknowledgment that you even exist eventually gets to most people.
As a head-hunter who's done quite well over the last 25 years, I've had a front row seat as friends and family had their "buttons pushed” — not once — but sometimes dozens of times each day.
BUT the cold hard truth is ... it doesn't have to be that way.
If you want to find a job faster than the national average of 39 weeks, you need to do four things average people don't do - starting with taking responsibility for developing empowering yourself.
Action Step 1: Take Charge of Your Job-Hunt
Only you know your strengths and weaknesses. Only you know what you really enjoy doing. Only you know where you want to work and why. Only you know how you can help a prospective employer. Only you can articulate your interests and strengths in a cover letter and resume. Don’t let anyone else do your resume or your cover letter. You need to do it yourself. You can ask people to review it but it must come from you—even if you are receiving outplacement counseling. Come interview time, you need to mirror the person you have portrayed on paper or you will strike out. You will represent yourself better when you own every word on the page. You can look at at example resumes for inspiration but yours must be unique.
Action Step 2: Adopt a Tough Mind-Set
Surround yourself with positive people. Get rid of anyone who sympathizes with your plight and is eager to commiserate. You do not need sympathy. You need support, and there is a huge difference. Supportive, helpful, optimistic family, friends, and reputable professionals remind you of your strengths and give needed encouragement and feedback. Sympathizers zap your energy and self-esteem. Staying inspired requires the input of inspiring people, so find a trusted confidante who can help you polish your presentation, provide moral support, and strategize.
Action Step 3: Stay Focused
You need to feed your opportunity funnel in the same way that sales people feed their sales funnel: so many leads, so many calls, and so many interviews. Like a good salesperson, you need to track and record your efforts. You must keep a record to show yourself that you are making progress. If you can visually see progress, you will have an extra incentive to keep at it. If you’ve completed 10 calls today, then record it. If you have sent out a batch of networking letters, note that, too. I encourage my friends to chart their accomplishments on the wall as I do, because “seeing is believing.” Note how many interviews you’ve scheduled, calls you’ve made, call-backs you’ve noted, and research you’ve completed. It is critical to be able to view your “job-hunting funnel” to ensure you have adequate leads to provide a steady supply of interviews. AND make certain your LinkedIn profile is working hard for you.
Action Step 4: Think Positive
As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” It is important for you to believe you’ll succeed. You must convince yourself through your own self-talk, that you are successful. Write out positive affirmations about your job-hunting skills such as the following:
- “I interview well.”
- “I come across with confidence in interviews.”
- “I find the perfect positions that use and grow all my talents.”
Keep your statements in the present not the future tense. Read your list every day. Post it at eye level as a subliminal motivator. You can be your own worst enemy or your biggest fan. Give yourself credit for what you’ve completed and don’t beat yourself up over what you haven’t yet accomplished. Work at a steady pace with your end goal in mind. Your new job, and the burst of self-esteem that comes with it, will be worth all the effort.
Now you may be thinking that all of this sounds a little too simple to work. And you would be 1/2 right. It is simple BUT it also does work. There is very powerful psychology behind it. Imagine for a second how you would feel if you just won the lotto. See how your body and mind just shifted? How positive you suddenly felt? Your brain is that powerful. Use it to your advantage by dwelling on the positive.
The best news you may read all day...
is that on average - throughout the recession - 4 million Americans are hired every month and many millions of jobs go unfilled.
You read that right!
How many jobs went unfilled in America last month? Click this link to see how many jobs went unfilled last month and this link to see how many people were hired. Surprised? The biggest untold story in America is that the way employers hire has dramatically changed and if you're relying on job boards, newspapers and "traditional networking" you're missing out on 99% of the action. That's the New Reality.
If you would like ideas on how to penetrate the hidden job market effectively today, grab a copy of this audio CD Job search Secrets Revealed. It's free you can thank me later.
