Downsized? Fired? Here are the new rules of finding a job

Company lost its funding. Outsourced. Caught in a merger. Downsized. Fired.

It seems like every day I learn of another person who is on the job market. Usually that's because when they need a job, all of a sudden people jump into "networking mode" and I hear from them after years of silence. Hey, I'm OK with that, it's always good to hear from old friends. And I've been fired three times so I certainly know what it's like to be on the job market.

But is this the best strategy to find a job?

Hell no!

If you're like the vast majority of job seekers, you'd do what "everyone knows" is the way to find a job: You prepare a resume, obsessing over every entry to make sure it paints your background in the best possible light. You’d also begin a networking campaign, emailing and phoning your contacts and using networking tools like LinkedIn, hoping that someone in your extended network knows of a suitable job opportunity.

I got news for you. The old rules for finding a job suck in today's market. Well, OK, I admit that is a little harsh. Sure, many people find jobs the old way. Just like credit card companies may sell you a card via direct mail and you may hire some gutter cleaning services from a guy who interrupts you at dinner with a telemarketing call. But it's increasingly rare.

- The old rules of looking for a job rely on spamming your network. (Spam is email that is sent, unsolicited, to a large number of people in substantially the same format. That’s exactly what many job seekers do.)

- The old rules of finding a job required advertising a product (you) with direct mail (your resume that you send to potential employers).

- The old rules of job searches required you to interrupt people (friends and colleagues) to tell them that you were on the market and to coerce them to help you.

You want to find a new job? You have to stop thinking like an advertiser of a product and start thinking like a publisher of information.

Create information that people want. Create an online presence that people are eager to consume. Establish a virtual front door that people will happily link to. And one that employers will find.

As I've said at every speech I give: "On the web, you are what you publish." It's no different when the product is you and you're looking for a job.

It's not just me saying this. Consider Heather Hamilton, who leads Microsoft's efforts to build a pipeline of qualified talent and self describes herself as "Microsoft Employee Evangelist, Quasi-Marketer and Truth-Teller." Get this. Her team at Microsoft searches the Web for potential employees. So if you’re not publishing, you won't be found by Microsoft. Of course, you can always try spamming them…

So what should you publish?

There are many ways to get out there into the social media world. Start a blog that highlights your expertise. Create a Twitter feed. Shoot some videos. Establish a podcast channel where you interview people in your industry. Write an ebook that dives deep into a subject you know. Comment on the blogs and in the forums and chat rooms that are important to the business of prospective employers.

The new rules of finding a job require you to share your knowledge and expertise with a world that is looking for what you have to offer.

By the way, I am on several boards. When looking at candidates for a job, which do you think gets more attention from board members: A resume? Or a well-written blog, or ebook?

If you follow this strategy to find a new job, an added benefit is that you will stay in the mix. You won’t get stale. Instead of sending out resumes all day and trudging to "informational interviews" where you TELL people what you can do, you’ll be publishing things that SHOW them that you’d be a smart addition to the team. You'll stay fresh and connected to your marketplace.

Here are a few examples of people who have done this:

Instead of following the traditional path to finding a job, in September 2007 Steve Chazin started a blog and wrote an e-book, Marketing Apple: 5 Secrets of the World’s Best Marketing Machine, which he offered for free. Then Chazin waited for the world to find him.

He didn't have to wait long; the first day saw 2,900 downloads of Marketing Apple, with 2,100 on the second day and an average of 300 per day in the three months that followed. In a very short time, tens of thousands of people downloaded Marketing Apple, and hundreds of people wrote about it on their blogs. Chazin propelled himself into the world as a recognized expert on the kind of marketing used by Apple, Inc. And he instantly set himself far apart from the rest of the pack of job seekers looking for consulting work or a VP of marketing job.

"I've got a traditional resume, but it doesn't tell people how I think," Chazin says. "They get a sense of who I am from the e-book and the blog in a way that a resume can’t possibly deliver. There is also a sense of importance that the e-book has that a resume doesn't. The e-book is free, but it has a very real perceived value."

When he was caught in the global financial mess in mid-2008 and found himself without a full-time job, Tim Rogers, a well-known expert on the economy and interest rate direction started a blog called Trends + Risk. Rogers’ economic and rate outlooks have put him in the USA Today Top 10 Economic Forecasters list for four of the last five years. Rogers realizes that just sending out resumes isn’t the only way to find a job so he’s using his blog to continue to provide valuable forecasts to the global financial markets. Potential employers who may want to hire him as a consultant, a speaker, or even bring him on full-time see his valuable work. And they know he will be up to speed and ready to contribute from day one.

Of course, the best time to create your own presence in social media circles is not just when you find yourself out of work. Do it now. You may find yourself entertaining job offers even when you aren’t looking.

Consider Scott Monty, whose frequent updates on Twitter helped land him a new job at Ford. Monty uses Twitter every day and his smart updates are seen by many. No need to convince an employer that you can write when they can see your writing on the Web.

Or how about Mike Lefebvre, a Boston area real estate professional who created some great YouTube videos to sell houses. One of his videos, Steak Out in Franklin, MA won several awards and has been seen nearly 20,000 times, resulting in the sale of the home (at full price). Mike’s online publishing efforts got the attention of executives at Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty who hired him away from his former employer as a result of his online efforts.

Yes, it's tough to find a new gig. I've been there. Three times. But it's a heck of a lot easier if you put yourself out there and generate the sort of information that employers will find valuable in an employee.

Comments

[Ron Miller]

I think what you're suggesting is a fantastic idea, but you have to know that there is no way you can expect that the average person, who has not been as heavily immersed in social networking as we are, can suddenly while in full panic mode (having just lost a job) learn how to blog, Tweet, shoot video or whatever and do it well enough to get attention from potential employers.

I think it's great advice, but without help I don't see many people who don't already do this stuff following it.

Ron Miller
by Ron Miller Blog
http://byronmiller.typepad.com

[Iris Carter]

Thanks for the pep talk! When I lost my job the end of September I decided that I really wanted to make an effort to start freelance writing. I've been promising myself I'd go that route for years and felt this was my opportunity. I was new to blogging and had not been introduced to social media. I had already signed up for ConvergeSouth and didn't have to ask for time off from work! What an experience - I became immersed in a flood of information. Now I'm twittering, (or is that tweeting?), blogging, networking and making videos from still photos. I'm also working on building a website. Maybe the "average" person wouldn't be able to do these things but being a motivated, highly capable, quick-study has to put me in a better league, right? After all, the cream rises to the top! :) I was beginning to think that my efforts were misdirected but you have given me renewed hope. Thanks again!

[Deb Brown]

Great information! I am going to use it to sell myself and create a fantastic online presence - and to find new clients for my business.

Thanks!

[David Meerman Scott]

Ron, I agree that not everyone can do this. Just like not everyone can pick up the phone to call someone they worked with ten years earlier to ask about work. But for those who are motivated and capable, it is incredibly valuable and sets you apart from the stack of people who only have a resume to show for a decade or two of work.

Iris, keep up the good work. Many people are looking for good writers and if you show us what you can do, it is much easier for us to hire you.

Deb, good luck. Let us know how it works out.

David

[Brad J Garland]

@Ron - As I was reading this I had the same thoughts but I'm thinking DMS's point might be better angled if we're talking about putting that content out now (while you got the job) and so when 'times get tough' you have already established yourself in the market. My belief is 'you are always a prospect' whether you're looking for another job or not. So branding yourself is extremely important at all times. It doesn't have to be for job hunting, it could also be about finding new opportunities as well.

Start now before you lose the job and require going into 'panic mode'.

[David Meerman Scott]

Thanks Brad. I agree.

Another point, Ron. For many, the best strategy may not be to START a blog, but instead to begin by COMMENTING on other's blogs (like Iris did - now we know she is a writer looking for work) as well as PARTICIPATING in forums and chat rooms important to your industry. You can get yourself out there on other online real estate and show the world that you're a player. David

[Steve]

Thanks David for your mention of me. I now run marketing for http://www.Dimdim.com which offers extremely easy, free open source web conferencing and I just hired a community manager to help us leverage the power of social networking. In looking for the perfect person for this job I specifically focused on people who know the power of Twitter and blogs and can weave a fabric of modern social networking into the whole cloth of awareness that Dimdim thrives on. I strongly suggest that anyone worried about their job learn how to leverage these new tools as they will differentiate them from others who don't. Another case in point for you David; the local Boston Fox news station found me to comment on a social networking story based solely on a Google search and comments in my blog (view the video here: http://media.myfoxboston.com/news/specials/naked.html

[Anitra]

This is all good advice, and I loved reading about the people who've benefited from taking this approach to job hunting! One question: Do you think this advice is as applicable to less senior job-seekers? I suppose some would say that everyone's an expert in something, but to me it seems that a VP-level job-seeker with decades under their belt would have a much better chance at putting your advice into practice than someone at the entry to mid-level. Or am I just being young and pessimistic? :)

[iGoByDoc]

Great post!

This is a reminder for all to get your network in order now... do not wait until you are one of the fine folks that are laid off.

The stories you have shared are inspiring!

- Doc

[Rebekah Donaldson]

Three thoughts on this...

1. Thanks for a really thoughtful timely post.

2. Amen! And Microsoft isn't an exception to the rule -- several top marketing research analysts have shown the rise of biz engagement in social media. Some more on this at http://tinyurl.com/5kjgey

3. There's oodles of help here in this blog for those who are ready to learn. Might start by browsing the titles of other posts, in the left column here. There are threads to die for... and topics that just keep growing.

- Red

[Craig]

Great advice but that strategy will not work for everyone and in every industry. Granted I'm sure this is more social media related and to jobs in that industry. For more traditional jobs and companies they will not necessarily be interested in a link to a twitter or facebook account or to some blog. Resumes are still the number one way to be seen in most industries as well as through networking. These tips are great not just for finding a job but being proactive in extending your network. Great examples of people who this approached has worked for and I'm sure there are others.

[oggigorilla]

David,

I think your latest blog shows people that they have to become proactive in their social marketing efforts. So, you don't know how to blog or use Twitter? It's time that everyone who is serious about their business career find the way to tap into these tools.

[Adi]

It would be interesting to hear from international readers of this blog as well. I've no doubt what you write is true for America but I've yet to see much evidence of this here in England.

You're spot on though that the whole recruitment process needs an overhaul. I blogged about this myself a few weeks ago and am still baffled by the number of job adverts that don't tell you the company you'd be applying to, or providing a cookie cutter advert that fails to sell the job or the company at all.

In a service economy people are the greatest resource a company will have, it would certainly be heartening to see more companies take the recruitment of staff more seriously but I'm not sure we've reached that nirvana yet, in England at least.

[Joshua Kahn]

Nice post! Not surprisingly, many people have been thinking about this stuff. I posted a similar piece about managing your career before the layoff hits. Sort of a "what to do once the writing is on the wall" bit. http://find-attract.com/bad-economy-career-management/

[Susan/Unique Business Opportunity]

This is very useful information for someone who is seeking employment. I have already sent a link to your post of two of my friends who are executives looking for a new position. I have talked with both about using social media but have not been able to convince them. Perhaps your article will help.

[Angela Harms]

Yes, and the corollary to this is, surprise, you don't need a "job" at all. You need a life that's productive, creative, and pays your way. You're free!

[Beth Robinson]

I had my career in mind with my most recent blog, but I appreciate this well worded reminder. It helped me reclaim a bit of focus and commitment today.

@Anitra and @Craig - Having proof that you can communicate and think well, even if it's in a topic different from your field or in an industry that doesn't particularly value blogging can only be a plus. When I was job hunting out of college the combination of an English degree with an engineering degree raised questions and interest. I suspect a simple line on a resume pointing to a well-kept blog would do the same in the present.

[Carole Gunst]

Great piece and it's all too true. The old ways of getting a job or a consulting gig may not work this time around. I did a blog post on "Survival Tips for the Laid Off or About to Be" this weekend and my stats were higher than they've ever been. Hopefully, it can help a few folks out. Here it is: http://gunst.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/survival-tips-for-those-laid-off-or-about-to-be.html

[DaveMurr]

Where was this post 3 months ago when I was laid off?

Reviewing the comments there are some valid arguments

-how social media needs to be adopted when job hunting

- how it may not be helpful to everyone

- and how many may not be able to leverage (hate that word) social media to their advantage.

In fact if social media is now legit,as we've been reading, not knowing how to use it could be very harmful to job seekers.

When I was job hunting, I immediately did the traditional thing - build resume, post to job search engines, call people. But as my job search continued I began to use social media to my advantage.

In the end I found my job using Twitter and I think I still have 100+ resume submissions on CareerBuilder.

[Adam Swarr]

Love the advice! I have been working part time jobs since losing my full time job over a year ago. From now on less time reading the weekly employment section of the newspaper and more time establishing an online presence. Hey look, here's step one! I'm already on my way.

[Ted S]

Great advice although as a few other commenters mentioned, while those of in the field should get into blogging it's a lot easier to write than it is to get seen writing. One of the difficulties I've found myself since leaving my last job and taking this sort of approach a few months ago has been properly promoting my blog and other content in a way that is seen by the "right people". That said, even the limited visibility I've had has generated some great leads and more importantly, showing my site to people in the interview process has helped to explain what it is I'm all about. To paraphrase some of what you said, a resume just lists what you've done, social participation shows how you do it.

[David Meerman Scott]

Anyone notice that of 19 people who have commented on this post, two (Steve and DaveMurr) found jobs via social media. Yet nobody mentioned they found a job with just a resume and the social media part was a waste of time.

Of course, that's not a scientific test, but it is very interesting. David

[Claire]

Online presence is really the fad nowadays. I managed to get an online job myself. Although I haven't tried making my own public blog yet, since I don't know what to write. With your suggestions, I found a site with the combined effort for students. I built my free online resume at NUresume (www.nuresume.com). So it's like social networking plus resume plus online presence. But this one's only for students..so..

[Brett Slater]

Great post, indeed. And GREAT point to those who already have a gig about getting started now. As a freelance video/audio producer, I use these methods and sites like YouTube towards finding work, and they DO work. The trail you leave -- your Tweets, your blog, your YouTube channel, etc. become your living, breathing, always-available, and up-to-the-minute resume.

[Ron Miller]

Wow what a fantastic conversation has started over this. I think for a writer like Iris, getting involved in blogging is not only a good idea, it's a requirement and a starting point. It's also not a huge leap for her since writers write. They are creative people by nature and using social networking tools is not a huge leap.

But if you are not a writer or creative by nature, trying to use social networking is a bit more difficult learning curve then stealing up the courage to call your old colleague from 10 years ago.

You may have anxiety and fear about doing it, but you do know how to talk. :-)

What you might not know how to do is take the leap into social networking without some help and guidance. I'm not saying it's impossible, although I know it would be more difficult for some than others to do that, but it will take some guidance to get started.

I still think it's a fantastic idea and I agree completely with your premise, David. The more you can do to get your name out there the better, I'm just saying for many it's easier said than done.

Ron