I feel the need, the need for speed (networking)!

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Business Network Chicago After Hours Event, which included a terrific, informative presentation on social media by my new friend Dean DeLisle (www.forwardprogress.net or @deandelisle) and my first experience with speed networking. I’ve been to regular networking events before, but speed networking was completely new to me.

The schedule of the event was pretty standard: check-in/network, first session/network, break/network, second session/network, go home and follow up with your new friends. There were people from almost every industry there, employed and in-transition. As such, the evening totally met my expectations…until we got to the speed networking session. Now, it’s not that my expectations changed for the speed networking session – I just didn’t have any, because I had no idea how speed networking worked! I’d never done speed dating either, so the only thing I knew of the concept was the speed dating scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and I was praying that speed networking wouldn’t be that awful. Fortunately, my prayers were answered, and the speed networking session proved to be outstanding.

There were 8 tables of 6, and we were randomly assigned a four-table sequence for the duration of the session. I went from table E to B to E to H and was lucky enough to meet new people every time. The process at each table was as such: trade business cards (see my post about networking), then give your elevator speech, explain why you attended the event, then work the connections you’ve made at the table until the moderator says it’s time to switch. 15 minutes was usually long enough for the aforementioned process to occur, and just short enough to consider it “speed” networking. Honestly, I was a little rusty at the first table, but as the session went on, I found my groove. By the end of the hour, I was a speed networking pro. And I had 20 new connections to prove it. (Math guy says: 6 people/table (minus the Author, so 5 people) x 4 tables = 20 people.) Sure, not everyone was “the perfect” connection, but you never know. I came home and immediately connected with those people I knew were the best connections for me. FYI, I’ve been corresponding with those new people all day. My LinkedIn stats prove it.

For those of you who are curious about speed networking, try it. It’s a very quick way to expand your network. You never know who you’ll meet! Maybe you’ll meet me.

So maybe it wasn’t Maverick and Goose launching F-14’s from an aircraft carrier to take down the enemy, but it was 3 hours very well spent. I have another speed networking event in a couple weeks with the Loyola Alumni Association, and I’m VERY excited for that one.  I think I’ll continue to look for more speed networking events, because I feel the need…the need for speed (networking)!

Hi, my name is Jonathan, and I'm a job seeker.

Group: Welcome, Jonathan, to Job Seekers Anonymous.

Me: Anonymous? Wait...I'm in the wrong meeting. I don't want to be anonymously searching for a job. I want people to know that I'm looking for a job. 

Group: You want people to know? You aren't embarrassed and ashamed to be unemployed?

Me: Well, I'm not saying I'm happy that I was downsized, but by no means do I want to keep this a secret. I want everyone to know that I'm looking for a job in Human Resources. That's how I'm going to get my next job. Don't you all feel the same way?

Group leader: No, I mean, uh, I'm...we're all looking for jobs, but anonymously. You know, using Monster or CareerBuilder, and the classified ads. We're confident that a job will come along one day for us. 

Me: I’m going to go out on a limb and say that hasn’t worked for you at all, has it? You really should be doing some networking. It's the way to go. I wrote a great blog post about it last week (http://bit.ly/NetworkingBlogPost) that promotes the value of networking. But the one thing it didn't mention enough was self-promotion. You have to let anyone and everyone know that you’re looking for a job. Employment isn’t going to fall into your lap. You have to make it happen. You never know who you’re going to talk to that will say “Oh, yeah, Jonathan, I know so-and-so in HR, and she’s definitely looking for an HR Manager with your background. Here’s her contact info.” Sitting at home and waiting for it to happen isn’t good enough.

Group leader: But you aren’t ashamed when you do that?

Me: Have you read the news lately? Do you know that the economy sucks and that over 10% of the available workforce is unemployed? That’s one out of ten people. It’s not like having the plague; it’s unemployment – and it’s very common these days. There’s even a new term for it: “in transition.”

Group leader: “In transition.” That doesn’t sound so bad. I could tell people that I’m in transition without feeling bad.

Me: There you go. Now get out there, tell people you’re in transition, and you’ll start meeting new people left and right. Soon enough, you’ll have a great new job, and you’ll be able to pass along the great lessons you learned and practiced from reading My HR Job Search to your friends in transition. Then you’ll look like the job search guru, even if you learned it all from me.

Group leader: Thanks, Jonathan. It’ll be our little secret.

Me: Well...in the job search community, there should be no secrets. Good information is for everyone. So please, share what you’ve learned from me by sharing my blog and Twitter (@myhrjobsearch). And if you know of anyone looking for an MBA-level HR Manager, have them contact me directly. Thanks!

[Author's note: THAT is what you call self-promotion!]

CareerBuilder/Monster, it's not you, it's me.

(or How I Learned to Move on From the Job Boards and Love Networking)

2-4% of jobs are found by online applications through websites like Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, etc.

80% of jobs are found by networking.

65% of reported statistics are made up.

Ok, the last stat may not be true, but my sources tell me that the first two are true. So that means that time spent networking will yield a job 20-40 times more often than time spent getting lost in the reams of applications companies receive via the big job boards. Most people would say here "I'm not a math whiz." But I am a math whiz, and I can tell you that if you're spending the vast majority of your time job hunting via a method that has a 2-4% success rate, you're wasting your time.

So how should I spend my time?  NETWORKING!!!

How do I network? That's a good question, but the answer is easier than you think.

If you're reading this, it means you can use a computer and the internet. Good job. Here's an easy step-by-step set of instructions that will help you discover networking opportunities.

1. Go to www.google.com (or www.bing.com if you believe the commercials and haven't been completely brainwashed by Google). Does anyone actually search with Yahoo or MSN anymore?
2. In the search box, type "networking [insert name of your city here]"
3. Please be smart enough to replace [insert name of your city here] with the actual name of your city, ie. Chicago, New York, Kalamazoo, Intercourse.
4. If you aren't smart enough to follow step 3, I'll save you the trouble of googling "networking insert name of your city here": http://bit.ly/a0HFp6
5. Yes, Intercourse is a city. It's in Pennsylvania. http://bit.ly/amrt5e
6. Start clicking on the various links and reading about your options for networking opportunities.
7. If you live in a small town, use the name of the closest big city (or bigger town) instead of your town.

(Shoutout: If you live in Chicago, check out the calendar posted by @InteractiveAmy at http://interactiveamy.com/networking-event-calendar/ - This is good good stuff. Amy has her digital fingers on the pulse.)

Now that you have a solid list of networking events in your area, here are some key suggestions and guidelines that will help you network like a pro:

• Try out different types of events in your area. Some are better than others.
• Use the local chapter of your industry-specific organization (ie. PRSA, SHRM, Bar Association, etc) for industry-specific events
• Note the pricing: Most events have a cover charge. Just make sure that you're getting something good out of it, like an open bar, appetizers, or a new car. But if it's a really awesome event that you know you can't pass up, and there's absolutely no chance you'll walk out of there with keys to a new car, that's ok, you can go to the event.
• Bring business cards. Sure, if you're employed, that's easy. Your company probably gives you business cards. But if you're in transition like I am, you have to make your own cards. Do not (I repeat, do not) print them at home on the Avery business card templates. Those look bad. Instead, order them online. I used OvernightPrints and found their designs, shipping and pricing to be the best. Plus, I found a coupon for 500 cards for free. All I paid was shipping. 
• ZZ Top said "every girl's crazy about a sharp dressed man." Well, this isn't the 80's, but the principle applies. You're going to meet people who may be able to help you find a new or better job, and they're more likely to offer themselves as a resource if you make a good first impression. So be a sharp dressed (wo)man. It's better to overdress than underdress. And many other things that Tim Gunn would say.

This seems like a lot, because it is. But it's the way to find a new or better job opportunity, expand your list of contacts, or just make new friends. Career professionals may have varying viewpoints on a lot of issues,m but the one thing they'll all agree on is that you have to get yourself out there if you want to make something happen, and networking is the way to do it.

So I'm sorry Careerbuilder/Monster/etc/etc, it's not you, it's me. I'm on the search for a new job, and I'm focusing my energy on the method with the proven higher rate of success. 

But that doesn't mean we can't still be friends...  

The internet is a beautiful thing

Happy Friday, everyone!

For those who are working, that has a much sweeter sound than those whose Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays aren't that different. Despite the fact that I fall into the latter category, this is a happy Friday for me.

Let's run down the list of this week's successes:

1. Started the My HR Job Search blog and Twitter (www.twitter.com/myhrjobsearch).
2. Slowly but surely, I'm gaining followers. I'm up to 35 as I type this.
3. Started mentoring folks in my Alumni Job Club about the benefits of social media in a job search.
4. Had a couple rough appointments this week that I made it through, and as a result, I'm going to see my favorite local band tonight (3 In Counting - www.3ICmusic.com)
5. Had a phone interview today and did a kick-ass job, if I may pat myself on the back.
5a. Referred the interviewer to my LinkedIn page with all of my recommendations.
6. Was surprisingly featured in Melissa Cooley (@thejobquest)'s blog, in her "Job Seekers Edition." - http://melissacooley.com/2010/04/ff-job-seekers-edition/
7. Received several solid responses to my request for a resume review.
8. Had a very busy #FollowFriday on both my jobsearch and personal Twitters.
9. Starting to lose the ho-hum feeling of being "in transition."

So why is the internet a beautiful thing? Without it, items 1-9 on this list would not be possible. Or, would not be possible in such a short period of time. In this age of "I need it yesterday," I don't think I could wait a week or two to receive a response to a resume, and I certainly wouldn't be able to make instant connections with people across the country (and world) to build this fruitful, mutually-beneficial community of job seekers, job search professionals, and all around good people.

If you've had to go through the job search with nothing but classified ads, I'm very sorry. This is the way to do it.

There's my positive thought for this Friday afternoon. So if you're reading this blog, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to join me on this journey. And if you're reading this blog because we've become connected by Twitter, then I have an extra big THANK YOU for you!

Off to enjoy a Mexican dinner and then cap off the evening with the aforementioned concert. Keep reading, and keep sharing this blog with all of your friends!

What's this all about?

I'm unemployed.

Let's call it "in transition." I've heard that quite often, and it sounds a heck of a lot better.

I'm in transition. There...better.

Regardless, it still means I have no job. Let me tell you the story of how that came to be. The summer after my freshman year in high school (age 15), I got a job. I actually had 2 jobs. That summer, I worked from 10-2 and 4-10 five or six days per week. Since then, I haven't stopped working. Even through college, I had a job. For a few years, I had 2 jobs. I was a busy guy. Most recently, I was working full time and going to grad school. You could even say that was equivalent to 2 full-time jobs. Then, on January 29 2010, after an overly hectic Open Enrollment season at the end of 2009 involving new implementations, lots of late nights, and East and West Coast travel, I was downsized. 2 short weeks later, I completed my MBA studies at Loyola University Chicago and was without a job of any type for the first time in nearly 17 years, thus beginning my HR job search.

Alas, with unemployment in Chicago over 11.3%, higher than the national average, I'm exploring - and exploiting - every method out there to find my next role. Facebook, Twitter, various types of networking, alumni associations, harassing family, friends, former colleagues, fellow students, and now a blog. 

So please, share my information with anyone and everyone you know. These days, it's not what you know - it's who you know. I'm happy to talk to anyone and everyone. 

A little about me:  I'm an MBA-level HR professional (with Beta Gamma Sigma honors), with over 7 years of experience in benefits, HRIS, outsourcing administration, consulting, and employee relations expertise gained through work at a boutique HR & benefits consulting firm and a nationwide Fortune 500 life insurance sales agency. My demonstrated skills include team and relationship building, project management, operations, and oral and written communication. I'm looking for an opportunity in HR with a growth-oriented organization that will offer challenges in a variety of HR facets - such as a Manager or Generalist role.  

Please see what others have to say about me on my LinkedIn site: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankrass

View my tweets at http://www.twitter.com/myhrjobsearch

For a copy of my resume, feel free to email me at MyHRJobSearch at Gmail.com

Stay tuned for the good, the bad, and the ugly as I soldier through My HR Job Search.