Friday, July 10, 2009

There Are Jobs Out There

Seriously. There are jobs out there.

Last night I heard about two job openings at an AAF-KC after hours event. The day before I heard about two others.

However, these openings are not widely known. Many hiring companies now keep openings to themselves. They don't want to be inundated with resumes and phone calls. And, with the load of talent out there, companies are being very picky about who they talk to, let alone hire.

Depressing? A little. But now that you know, you can work it to your advantage.
  • As I mentioned in my last post, keep in touch with people. What may look like lucky timing is usually consistent follow-up.
  • Attend industry events. It's the best place to meet people who can tell you about job openings. But, you have to do this over time. You can't expect to pick up job leads your first time there. People share leads with people they know. You have to attend consistently.
  • Follow agencies or people you've met on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. You'll learn when they land clients, which means they may be hiring. They may even post job openings.
  • Be sure to update anyone who provides you with a lead. Let them know if the lead turned into something or even if nothing happened. They are more likely to help you again. If I give you a lead and you don't let me know how it worked out, I'm very unlikely to provide you another.
It isn't easy. But remember, these rules apply to everyone. And now you've got a leg up on the competition. Because you know there are jobs out there – and how to root them out.