That is why developing relationships is critical.

At this point let me blow up the paradigm that hard work and results are all that you need.

Masses of people have little to no measurable results. They have position titles and tenure. To a businessman, these people are commodities. That is, they are a group of people whom we assume have no value to helping us accomplish results in our organization. They become a drag on movers and shakers. We don’t need them and don’t want them in our high performance teams.

Those who are hard workers and have measurable results will get our attention but will often stay at the lower end of our organizations. Why? Because entry level positions require tactical results but the higher you move up in an organization the more you need to master leadership, teamwork, influencing other functions, and developing relationships that result in success. Those relationships include internal people, internal organizations, suppliers, clients, and industry influencers. In some cases, political and governmental figures, neighbors, and personal friends will also become critical factors to harm you or to help you.

Those who know how to develop relationships gain the emotional ties to people that will often save them from being fired when workers only are let go. That is also why the Peter Principle is frequently seen in organizations. The Peter Principle is when a person is promoted beyond their level of competency. That often is due to relationships. If you think about your past employers, I am sure you often saw this reality. Just think of Nepotism, which is a family relationship resulting in promotions often not based on any results. Relationships matter. Business is built upon relationships. You must learn to develop relationships if you want to get ahead.

Senior executives I know estimate that 50% or more of their working time is on building relationships, not work performance.

Networking gives you a chance to learn how to develop relationships, friendships, and alliances. These groups also give you a common point of interest that can become the foundation of those relationships. As you meet and greet one another you can begin identifying other areas of common interest. The more areas of common interest or respected achievement, the more likely their level of trust in you will grow.

For a simple example, I am an Eagle Scout and member of the Order of Arrow. If I meet someone with either background, that says something to me. It says that I will likely be willing to listen to them and trust them far more than someone coming up to me who I don’t know.

Developing relationships is critical to getting a job, keeping a job, and developing your career. If this is a weak area for you, Jobpreneurship™ is how you can begin to see why it is so important now and for the rest of your career.

What Will You Do For The Hiring Manager?
MP3 NOT For
Distribution

Let’s review the housing market, which is a downward valuation and hard to sell marketplace. Does that sound like jobs today?

When your house value is declining, you want to move fast before the value goes down further. When you are out of work, you feel pressure to get a job before your savings runs out or your value in the marketplace goes down further. That is why so many immediately put out their For Sale Sign (resume) and are willing to take a lower price. They are either scared, just don’t know better, or are not willing to do what any insider would do regardless of the economy.

So, what are the right steps to take?

1. Learn the Roadmap that successful people always use.
2. Identify what you really want to do, what you are passionate about, and where in this economy those jobs exist – by company name.
3. Find out what the hiring managers in those companies need and want.
4. Identify any red lights (gaps that may cause them to reject you) and proactively develop yourself as a product to meet and exceed what the hiring managers want.
5. Develop yourself and your message to show off your value in easy to remember simple language that others can understand.
6. Learn to network with those who know others who can help you.
7. Get referred into influencers, trusted advisors, and decision makers to have the opportunity to demonstrate your value, message, and passion to be the perfect job candidate.

Will that guarantee you a job? Of course not! There are too many other factors, such as a company hiring from within, that you cannot control. But this process will give you the greatest chance for success in the shortest time for the highest salary. Done right, this process will help you win over other candidates who may be more qualified but did not follow the Roadmap. Skip a step and you may wind up at square one.

Will you still need a resume, need to network, and need to put in the time to make this work? Of course! The difference is when and how you take each step on the path to success.

Why does this process work best?

Simple. You are selling yourself into a buyers market with declining values and a sea of competition. If you don’t distinguish yourself, you may not even be seen. If you are seen, your true value may not be recognized. Whose fault will that be? You. You are the one trying to be hired; not them.

Second, the Roadmap is the process that businesses use to develop their products, market their products, and sell their products. The only difference is that, in this case, you are the product.

That is why these are the steps we teach to everyone looking for a job.

• The economy is not what it used to be. The recession, debt levels, value of the US dollar, and future trends are scaring companies into hiring less.
• The geo-political and rapid pace of new US laws and regulations are scaring companies into freezing hiring decisions until they can feel more confident about the future.
• A tight economy threatens company survival. When you are in survival mode, you do not expand (hire or invest in the business).
• Even when the economy recovers, companies will likely outsource more and automate more, and hire less than in years past.

So, the first set of reasons is that there are fewer jobs! No one can predict when those factors will change. This is a long term trend.

The second reason is that there are a lot more people competing for fewer jobs. That trend will also continue for at least the next few years.

The third reason may be that you may not be a fit for the job. As bills pile up, it is not unusual to apply for any job that walks! Many are willing to take a lower level and lower paying job than they had before. Here are some reasons you may be frustrated:

• You are over qualified. The company is fearful that you will leave when the economy turns around.
• You are not currently working, so you must be damaged goods.
• Your education or certification may not meet job requirements.
• Your experience does not match the job requirements.
• You blast out generic resumes that don’t fit the job description
• Your appearance, attitude, or ability to speak “their language” does not match what they define as their “cultural fit.”

The fourth reason may be that you are assuming that the process for getting a job is the same as before. In my opinion, this is the biggest reason. Old ways used to work when companies were competing for employees to hire. New ways are required in today’s reality. Now unemployed, underemployed, career changers, industry changers, college graduates, immigrants, formerly retired, and high school graduates are competing to be “seen, wanted, and bought” by a company from a sea of applicants.

The market has changed from a seller’s market (you wanting a job) to a severe buyer’s market.

The real question is, “Am I willing to learn and do what it takes to sell myself in a severe buyer’s market?”

There are jobs created every day. You will either choose to hope that a job falls down your chimney into your lap or you will choose to compete in today’s real world.

In my opinion, almost anyone can learn and be successful. The challenge will be if you want to learn and do what it takes to be successful. My new book, Jobpreneurship™ 101 is a great way to get started.

Now that you put yourself into those shoes, let’s turn the tables. Let’s put on the hiring manager’s shoes. The hiring manager is now the one who is looking for a date (employee to fill a job) and potentially a long term employment relationship. You are the potential blind date.

If the hiring manager did not know you or ever talk to you and a stranger to the hiring manager suggested to her that she should commit her time to meet you, would you expect she would be interested in meeting?

This is what an unsolicited resume is to a hiring manager. They don’t know you and whether what you say is true or filled with a hidden motive. Most hiring managers don’t have the time or trust to pursue unknown people.

If your resume was referred to the hiring manager by someone she knew, would you expect she would immediately want to meet with you? Not necessarily. Certainly, in the context of you being one of five candidates coming in to be interviewed by a number of people, then the hiring manager may interview you or not. Many hiring managers want subordinates to do the first interview pass. Why? To get opinions of people whom they trust to screen unknown candidates first.

If you were referred by a trusted friend or advisor, would the hiring manager be willing to meet personally with you, bypassing the gatekeepers? In most cases, you will get the opportunity of at least meeting with them for 15-30 minutes. If they like you and become interested in you, then they would usually check you out with other advisors or, if you are at a lower level, have HR take a look at you.  During this process the company might be willing to consider including you in the interview process to see if the relationship should move toward a job offer.

Sound ridiculous? To a job seeker, perhaps. To a hiring manager, this is no different than being asked on a blind date.

The question then becomes, how are you seeking to get in front of the hiring manager?

Next week, we will be announcing our new book which walks you through the entire process and gives you a roadmap you can begin following immediately.

The groups are often made up of either those with common careers (sales, finance, hr, …), common levels (college students, managers, executives, senior executives…), and genders. However more diverse backgrounds are not uncommon.

For common backgrounds, if each person develops 10 leads and there are five group members, then the group now has 50 leads that can be shared. Who actually will get the job will depend upon experience, personality, culture, relationships and a host of other factors. The general belief is that “if someone is going to get the job, why not let it be one of us!”

For diverse backgrounds, there is less group competition and often a broader net of contacts. Further, diverse backgrounds can create a unique learning atmosphere where everyone can learn different perspectives and become more rounded and balanced. For example, a sales and a finance person in a group will not be competing for the same job but will know people for networking and can help each other understand how to perceive and meet the needs of other sales and finance people. For higher level jobs, cross-functional teaming is critical to company success – and being a qualified hire.

The size of the group is usually limited to around seven and most experts would recommend not exceeding fifteen members. The actual number who will show up will depend upon travel, meeting, and family commitment schedules.

The purpose of the group generally is focused upon a common urgent need, such as looking for work. Then, as members obtain work they will generally go in one of three directions. Those who appreciated the group but have still not learned the importance of networking will usually leave and not be heard from again. Those who appreciated the group and have developed trusted relationships and friendships with other members will often leave but regularly stay in touch with each other over the phone or email. Some will even continue networking through one-off times for coffee or over a meal. The third group usually decides to stay because they have benefited so much personally that they want to “pay it forward” to others and help other members, particularly newer members.

The timing of most meetings is either before or after work. This allows those getting a job to continue to participate and allows other members to focus on looking for work during prime time. However, some groups meet at various times throughout the day. The group determines what is best for them.

The bottom line is that the value of any group will depend upon the members and the level of participation by each member. If you join a group and find that it does not work for you, the problem may be who is in the group not that Power Groups are not useful.

The challenge is that deeper personal issues are difficult to deal with in this environment and usually are best dealt with on a one-to-one session with the facilitator. This is particularly true when, as is most cases, the audience are mixed genders. In some cases, the group can work at a deeper level unless the discussion keeps centering around the same person which takes away from the other members.

Can these small groups help? Absolutely! I recommend Vistage – and they have recommended me. We do not compete. Their focus is not job search or career development. By design, members are often from completely different careers, companies, and environments that limits usefulness in helping each other but also reduces competitive threats or misuse of information.

Small functional groups are often far less structured. A good example might be a roundtable comprised of CFOs or similar career individuals. These groups are often lead by a less skilled individual who may best serve as a facilitator to encourage other members to brainstorm issues that they are facing. Again, these issues are generally profession related but having members from the same profession, yet different companies, can be immensely useful for sharing ideas and asking questions that may not be suitable within their own company.

Functional groups usually do not get too personal but can be low risk environments to meet others of similar mindset who then could become part a personal trusted advisor network or of a Power Group.

In a typical Mastermind Group, there is often no leader or coach to facilitate the meetings. The same is true for Power Groups.

The major difference is that Mastermind Groups are typically used by entrepreneurs to help each other obtain customer or client leads, discuss business marketing, best practices, leadership, and a broad range of issues that are business focused.

A Power Group is usually job search or career development focused. Whereas business discussions can occur in both groups, a Power Group often gets far more personal, intimate, and may deal with very sensitive issues.

It is not unusual to see Mastermind Groups help each other at an arm’s length while Power Groups put their arms around each other. Both groups can develop into long term commitments but Power Groups have a stronger potential to develop into lifetime trusted relationships.

Which group should you join? It depends upon your objective. If you are in a job search or trying to develop your career, I recommend the Power Group. The only exception would be for those joining a Jobpreneurship™ Mastermind Group lead by a Job Doctors Certified Coach™.

Why bother with a Power Group? While you may find 10 job leads, a group of 5 may have a combined total of 50 jobs leads (10 per person). Which would you rather have? While you may know 500 people, a group of 5 may have a combined network of 2,500 people. Which network would you prefer?

We all have up times and down times. During a job search or a career cycle, there are always times when we need someone to talk to who will not share your comments outside of the group. Leaking conversations outside of the group is an immediate cause for being kicked out of the group – and great harm to their reputation / brand. We need encouragement, reflection, brain-storming, accountability, and what you might call a “Board of Advisors.”

How many of your friends do you know of in a Power Group? Your answer is probably, “None.” Do you think such a group might be helpful? Do you think you might be more effective and competitive by working as a team?

Obviously these are trick questions. If you are not interested in a Power Group that probably means that you are a Lone Ranger (not good), a hermit on a mountain top (have limited options), or don’t know enough about them. If the latter, stay tuned! I will spend a few days explaining them further.

The key for all of us is to remember that although LinkedIn is an incredible tool – a must use part of your strategy, it is only a tool. The principles of personal development, developing yourself as a product, learning how to market yourself, and learning how to sell and network are still required skills. The great news is that these are all teachable skills!

The caution is that using any networking without first being sure that you are ready for the public exposure could actually harm you more than help you. Use of the internet multiplies who you are faster than any other medium in history. You just want to be sure that what they see is the image that fits the job that you are trying to find, is easy for others to want to refer you, and shows the value that you can bring to the party.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!