I know I go on about networking – especially to get out of the ‘redundant’ trap – and I do it for a reason:

Who’s more likely to want to help you get back on the ladder of your choice – someone who knows, respects and likes you or someone you’ve never met?

Only three times in my entire working career have I got a job by responding to a published vacancy:

• The first was a long time ago when I was not long back in this country, new to town and knew very few people. That started my career in sales and sales training and I stayed with the company for seven years.
• The second turned out not to be looking for employees but to become an IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) tied to one company. It didn’t suit me and I left within six weeks.
• The third was selling mobile phones and air time contracts. I should have known from the outset that it wouldn’t be right for me. It was like a production line: Sell what’s in stock regardless of the customer’s requirements. I lasted about three months.

In retrospect, networking (even though we wouldn’t have called it that back then) has tended to bring very different results. Here are three networking outcomes that easily spring to mind:

• Seven hours a week using the telephone to open doors for the company of an ex work mate’s sister developed into a full time job with various responsibilities and continued until the company was sold three years later.
• A phone call to someone I’d tried to sell to (unsuccessfully!) in the past got an introduction to a 2-week ‘helping out’ post – that lasted for two years.
• A phone call on the suggestion of the MD of one place I worked to the CEO of another led to the creation of job specifically around my skills base – and that job (and salary ) grew over the next six years.

There are several differences between the networking approach and responding to advertised vacancies but two main ones stand out to me:

1. In the networking instances people who knew me opened the door for me – it was still up to me thereon in to make what I could of the opportunity
2. Nobody could have predicted what that door would lead to

So be adventurous – have a go – you don’t know where it might lead !

Technorati Tags: Networking

After the last post a change of mood that might raise a laugh…

This guy’s a career coach yet obviously takes time out to look at the more off-the-wall aspects of getting a job…

Read this – dye your hair if you want a job – see what you think and maybe take a look around his site for some inspiration.

A colleague told me a story a while ago.

It was about a ‘guru’ who claimed he could cure all sorts of personal issues. His challenge was taken up by a confirmed agorophobic. The guru applied his magic, only it didn’t work. What he hadn’t taken into account was the fact that the agoraphobia was what set the client apart from unaffected mortals and gave him reasons or excuses not to do or attempt a whole range of things.

Are you by any chance doing the same with your ‘redundant’ status?

If this sounds unnecessarily harsh, it could be worth taking a few moments to ponder whether you might, just might have allowed being made redundant (from a job – not life) to have ground you down to the point where you’re questioning your value and self-worth. Whilst understandable, that isn’t going to help you fly, is it?

What’s really going to be different for YOU this year? Novel ways of looking at things, new approaches, honestly assessing your situation, what you want, what you have going for you and what you believe may be holding you back? Or more of the same old, same old…

So let’s get on the case

• Should you do your best to secure any job?
• Hold out for a better one?
• Should you set up in business for yourself?
• Are you likely to soar or fall flat on your face?
• Is there some kind of middle ground that would suit you and your circumstances better?
• What do you need to think about/ research/ investigate?

Go to it and make your decisions based on emotions and data.

PS Motivational techniques that we can access about visualisation of abundance, having feelings of gratitude and believing that the universe is working to attract our desired outcomes to us are unlikely to give us more than fleeting lifts unless accompanied by appropriate action.

Technorati Tags: Agoraphobia, change