If you’re a top sales producer looking to find that next great job, tap into the power of your network and make sure that you practice the same things that you do in your job, as you start looking for your next job. This may sound like foolish advice, but I see quite a few salespeople who actually start their job search and neglect to use the very tools that they used to be successful in their sales career! So this is something that you need to really think about.
The first thing that you want to do as you create your plan, once you decide on the type of job, size of company, industry and geographic location you are focusing on, is to start making a list of key people who you’d like to contact in order to light up your network and start bringing yourself opportunities. Typically there are 10 to 20, maybe 30 people who you need to be talking to in any given town in order to really start building the network effect to find great job opportunities. Think about key people who are network nodes, both in your industry and beyond your industry, and who are in positions of business leadership throughout the community. In particular, think about people who are well networked and who make it their business to know everyone and maintain relationships with a broad spectrum of business associates. Those are the people who you want to put on your top 20 list as you start thinking about a job search. Target as high as you can, to get to people who can really help you.
Then, once you’ve created that top 20 list, rather than going out and just having a quick cup of coffee with them and asking them for ideas, create an actual agenda for your discussion. That agenda should be much broader than just saying, “I’m looking for a job, can you help me?” The agenda should be to engage that person and to rejuvenate or develop a relationship with that person.
recruiting
employment
executive search
staffing
Labels: career, recruiting