Job Search 2.0

While not necessarily of my own choosing, I've been thrust into the 2.0 world looking for new opportunities. In my case, I've decided not to focus on finding *the* job and to look for contract and consulting opportunities instead (and working on creating my perfect job on the side...more about that later). I want to pursue work that is a really good fit for me personally...and a tight fit is much easier to find when you can control more of the decisions about what you work on and how you work.

Regardless of my preference for for contract work vs. looking for a position, it requires much of the same networking and opportunity scanning that a more traditional job search does. And it has been an interesting experience in this hyper-connected new world. Having a blog, a decent Twitter presence, and connections via LinkedIn & Facebook has been a phenomenal resource. It matters more than ever that you nurture your network before you need it. I thought I would share some of my observations in the hopes that it may help others:

• Twitter: Twitter allowed me to let everyone know what my situation was without the awkwardness of a mass-email. Why? By allowing people to opt-in to getting in touch I never made anyone feel bad by asking them directly if they could help. The reality is that you never know who is your network has opportunities and asking people who have no ability to help just makes them feel badly because they typically want to help but just don't have any information to give you. Making people feel badly can in the end make them avoid you a bit just because they don't want to disappoint you again.  I don't think the power of that dynamic can be underestimated. You are letting others decided for themselves if they don't have anything to say, whether they want to offer condolences, whether they would like to reach out for a conversation, or whether they have an opportunity to discuss with you. And I can't tell you how overwhelmed I was by the response of my network when I let people know I had been laid off.

• Blogging: If people are curious about my views on my work they need not go any further than my blog. I try to be fairly candid about what I think - and the more I share the better my ability to attract people who are looking to solve the same problems I am. That audience is likely to be the same types of people who may be interested in hiring me for a project or referring me to their network of associates. It's a prime example of content marketing. Offer something of interest or value on a somewhat consistent basis and you will be on the minds of the people who are most likely to make a difference to your business.

• Social Networks: Like marketing engagement metrics, all the social networks I'm involved in give me an ambient sense of what kinds of people are engaging with me. LinkedIn allows you to see who is looking at your profile and I still get alerts for new Twitter followers so I can see what types of people are finding me. Luckily I am not attracting just the 15-year-old gamers en masse.... that might indicate an issue with the content I distribute since they are not the ones likely to help me with my endeavors :)

So the social technologies have helped immensely but there are some behaviors that are also useful to consider:

• Tell people what you want to do and what you are passionate about - while projects and jobs aren't likely to come in that exact form, it will give people a very good idea of whether you are a good fit. It may also attract opportunities that you didn't know were out there.

• Take anyone who offers up on the chance to talk or meet - and don't use these conversations to press people for specific opportunities - just be engaged. If they have an interesting conversation with you and have an opportunity, they will let you know.

• Make connections between others. If you hear about an opportunity that is not right for you, pass it on and make a specific connection if you know of an individual that is a great fit. Call is karma if you want but it will make you feel good even if you never get anything else in return.

• Go out to as many events as you can - get in front of people and meet new ones. Have interesting conversations - people are likely to refer you to opportunities if they hear about them.

•  Don't be afraid to have a position or an opinion. While a strong opinion will likely make some people decide that they do not agree, you are more likely to connect closely with others. You don't need to find opportunities from 100% of the people you meet, you need to find the opportunities that are a good fit for your personality and skill set. Ask me about how I met my husband sometime if you are still wondering about this.

• Ask and you shall receive. If you need something specific, ask your network...again let them opt in, don't ask specific individuals unless they are uniquely suited to help. The more specific you can be in your requests, the more likely people can judge their own ability to help or refer.

Anyone else have more advice? Would love to hear about your experiences - not so different than general online marketing but much more personal.

Oh...and if anyone doubts the power of networking, thanks to Laura Fitton (aka @pistachio) and her generosity in helping friends with pink slip parties, I am now getting a lot of press...just for being unemployed. See coverag: WBUR, Mass High Tech, & WBZ/Channel 4 Not exactly what I'm looking to be known for but...if I can help others I am all for that.

My contribution to the general issue is The Deep Bench Series.

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Comments

[susan]

About.com choose 3 websites where job seekers got the best results -

http://www.linkedin.com (networking for professionals)
http://www.indeed.com (aggregated listings)
http://www.realmatch.com (matches you to the perfect jobs)

For those looking, good luck!

[Robert Lesser]

Great post Rachel on Job Search 2.0....I added my own twist and referenced your post with my post today on the MarketingProfs DailyFix - Job Search 2.0 meets Lead Generation 2.0 >>> http://bit.ly/D4rq9

[Career Search]

Good tips.This is a wonderful post. It is important to stay positive and I like how this post reinforces that!