BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships are at the core of our families, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Many people can attribute success in their careers and businesses to a relationship that helped them connect a crucial dot when they needed it most. Today, I want to discuss connecting these dots for you and how building relationships will help you land your next job.

CORE BEHAVIORS

My goal is always to add practical value to these discussions. So, I will refrain from discussing generic concepts such as networking, job fairs, etc. Instead, I want to focus on the core behaviors that allow the top people to succeed in any job market:?(1) Openness, (2) Focus, and (3) Humility

1. BE OPEN: TAKE THE CALL

The most successful candidates in any job market are those who are always?open?to having conversations.

“The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”?

They are maintaining the quality of their roof while the sun is shining. So, even if you are not looking for a new opportunity, I encourage you to take the call and begin to build a relationship with recruiters and hiring teams. Why?

• Accessibility:?A ‘gatekeeper’ can remove roadblocks and open the right doors. For example, every great salesperson knows that building a relationship with an Administrative Assistant may help open the door to a Senior Executive because they are gatekeepers in the organization. I’ve seen more people secure contracts by going through an assistant, coordinator, and intern first?vs.?contacting a Manager or Executive directly. The same applies to your job search with a recruiter. They have relationships with multiple companies, other recruiters, and various hiring teams. If you’re qualified, they can help highlight your candidacy directly with the hiring manager — that’s the power of accessibility.
• Establishing Relationships:?I have found that hiring teams will gravitate towards qualified people with whom they’ve already built a relationship, so you want to develop these connections?before?you need them. Usually, you want to do this while you’re gainfully employed because once it starts ‘raining’ in the market, it will make it more difficult.?
• Long-term support:?Good recruiters are invested in your professional success, so just because a company did not hire you doesn’t mean that a recruiter is giving up on you. There have been numerous instances where we followed up with a candidate?a few weeks later?with a new opportunity, and they ended up securing an even better role. A plant will continue to bear fruit for you if you water it, so do the same with your contacts by nurturing a positive and ongoing relationship.

2. BE FOCUSED: LOW HANGING FRUIT

When trying to secure your next role, you want to be effective with your outreach by focusing on the people and scenarios that drive the most results.?

• Employee Referrals:?Many organizations incentivize their current employees to recommend top talent. If you know someone in the organization, perhaps they can submit your resume via their ‘employee referral’ program. If they agree to help you, be gracious for the support and consider the matter closed. They don’t control the hiring process, and HR will still need to review your qualifications. Additionally, HR will likely not disclose further information on your candidacy to your contact. However, an employee’s referral carries more weight, so your application is more likely to be seriously reviewed.
• Recruiter Outreach:?If you find a recruiter that specializes in your industry, send them a short note along with your resume and introduce yourself. Please consider that they are dealing with hundreds of candidates per month, so don’t take it personally if they don’t get back to you. However, if the recruiter replies, be ready to discuss your expertise, and be sure to ask if they can keep you in mind for positions as they come across their desk. Don’t be surprised if they follow up in a few weeks.?

EXAMPLE: "I hope you are well! My name is Sarah. I noticed that your company specializes in Automotive recruitment. I’m currently open to reviewing new opportunities, so I wanted to send you a short message and introduce myself. I specialize in SW Validation for Powertrain Systems and would greatly appreciate it if you could keep me in mind for opportunities as they come across your desk. I have attached my resume below and can be reached anytime via phone or email. Let me know if you ever want to talk to learn more about my expertise, and thank you again for your time."

• Project Collaborators:?I have seen numerous people get ‘poached’ by another company because of the work they’ve done for them on a project. A project is essentially a working interview where you display your skills in real-time. It’s one of the most effective ways to build relationships with another company. If you’re collaborating with another company, put your best foot forward and use it as a springboard to land your next role. If you're currently unemployed, consider reviewing the past projects you've worked on, and don't be surprised if the team is overjoyed to hear from you.

3. BE HUMBLE: ASK FOR HELP

Telling people that you need help can be very hard, but I have found that if people are capable of helping you, they will. It takes a lot of courage to post publicly on LinkedIn that you need help finding a job. It's always wonderful to see a wave of support come crashing in, and suddenly, the candidate is receiving messages from companies they never knew existed.?

REMEMBER: There are over 50,000,000 companies on LinkedIn, so expand your focus beyond the Top 500.

If you made it this far, I want to encourage you to ask for help. A few weeks ago, a client asked me to provide professional guidance to one of their trusted contacts. I told the contact that I didn’t specialize in his industry, but I connected him with someone who did, and after an exhaustive multi-month job search, he was able to land a job just a few weeks after our discussion. This all started because he had the courage to ask for help.

It’s important to remember two things.

1. BE A GIVER:?You have to give as much as you expect to receive. When you help others, help & support will be returned to you. I don’t know the physics behind it, but trust me, it works.
2. COMPLETE THE BASICS:?There are no shortcuts, so please take the first steps by completing the basics. For the past six weeks, I have detailed best practices that will allow someone to improve their job search significantly. Before you ask someone to assist you, ensure you have helped yourself by implementing the best practices we discussed.

Remember that building relationships is an investment in your career's long-term sustainability and success.

This article concludes my ‘GETTING DISCOVERED’ mini-series. If you complete all of the steps we have discussed over the past six weeks, you will drastically increase the success of your job search. The process works, and I've been receiving messages from people who are finding success — so be encouraged and remember your next opportunity is coming soon.

Moving forward,?in this?CAREER DIGEST?newsletter, I will discuss topics that range across advanced resume structure, setting employee expectations, strategic goal setting, employee development, interview tips, and so much more. I appreciate your support.