Have You Had A Victory This Week In Your Job Search? Even A Small One?

Tim,
Great advice! To share a small victory of mine, I am grateful to be able to buy you a cup of coffee today at lunch. See ya later.
Larry

Thank you Tim. NEVER underestimate the value of a networking opportunity. I was invited to a grand opening of a new hotel last night. Not expecting much, I went any way. I mentioned this event at three networking groups, and to several others individually.
Well, this was not only a grand opening, it was the company’s 35th hotel. All of their executives were there. In addition, there was a ribbon cutting, and it was a very festive event. They had invited many representatives from nearby companies who they are seeking as clients. There were also many city and county officials, as well as a business club leader.
I exchanged many business cards from several prominent employers, but perhaps most importantly made a connection with a VP of Purchasing with the hotel group. They may be interested in a person for Freight Management, and that would be a perfect position for me. In addition there was fabulous food, entertainment, and even door prizes. Not a bad evening at all.
It far exceeded my expectations, except in one regard. Except for one, others I mentioned this event to, failed to appear. Oh well, that’s less competition for me.

@Larry – enjoyed our meeting today! Great to learn about your objectives . . .
@Eric – I guess networking is in the eye of the beholder. You see opportunity where others see difficulty or hassle. It makes a big difference!

Hi Tim!
A week of various small victories – getting an e-mail response from a recent posting saying that they’re still reviewing resumes, but will get back to candidates soon; (some respons/acknowledgement is better then falling into the black hole!) another e-mail from a prospective employer saying that they liked my resume & included a questionnaire to fill out about my strengths/interest in the company/position;finding out about a reasonably priced computer class at a nearby high school that I can take while still doing the job search; volunteering at an event in the area for the person that gave me a computer last year for volunteering with her organization;staying in contact with a really great new LinkedIn connection to compare job search stories/ideas/thoughts/frustrations, etc.

All good ones, Linda! And yes, avoid the black hole!!

Hi Tim!
I’m not sure if this is a victory or not, but I look at it as being proactive & not sitting back.
I followed up with the previous week’s interview at a local non-profit temple. The Exec. Director that I had met with asked that I follow up with her the following week. After getting extremely frustrated & aggravated, after leaving several messages & not being able to talk with her & then being questioned by her Asst. as to the reason for the call, I finally decided to take action. I left a voice mail message for her, her husband (who set up the appointment) & e-mailed the husband saying how disappointed I was in how I was treated. I realize that a lot is going on in this particular organization, but it only takes several minutes to call a person or send them an e-mail with a status. This morning, I received a message from the Exec. Director’s assistant saying that she apologized for the lack of responsiveness, there’s a lot going on & the position is on hold. That’s really all I needed to know!
I’m not sure if it’s a victory or not, but I needed to “vent” (!!) how I felt for whatever it was worth & get the message to the appropriate person.
Thanks, Tim, for listening & commenting!

Thanks.
I have volunteered at a couple conferences last month which brought me closer to my goal. Discovered a few new leads but it seems like people are sending me to the places where they see job postings and not the hidden job market.
I sometimes wonder if I am pigeon holed as a part time worker. It is super frustrating.
I know this must not be the case but even when I network into a place I still don’t wind up getting an interview in MI. Super frustrating and I don’t want to be a part of the brain drain.

@Linda – I think that anytime you learn something new about yourself or the status of your search, you can count it as a small victory. Thanks!
@Jamie – Are you networking with the employed or your fellow friends in transition? Folks in transition tend to hear more about public jobs (from job boards/networks). The more you can network with the employed, the better. Can I help?

Hey Tim,
At of the blue, I received a call from an AVP of a company that I had done contract work in late 2008.
My initial contact with him was at a job 15 years ago lightly. Then our sons were in soccer together.
He called, the company has an opening in the same area where I did contract work. I went into the interview. The application is with their Home Office.
I am looking forward to the outcome.

Thanks Glenn – Good luck on this one. Good example of how long-term networking can deliver value on an ongoing basis. Thanks for adding your story here!

I had a phone interview, last week.

Hi Margaret – Great! I hope it went well!

A friend contacted me about a potential part-time job in what looks like an amazing organization… I called for more details and sent my resume on to her. I’m trying to switch careers at a time when I don’t have a job and this organization appears to be doing the kind of work that I’m gravitating toward in my career search. Color me “thrilled”.

Hi Gail – Good luck on this one! Not easy to switch these days, but it sounds like you have a good angle . . . consider yourself “thrilled”.

Tim – last week I met an old networking buddy of mine – he and I see one another at least once or twice every few weeks – he commented that my ‘elevator speech’ at the last networking event was so much more positive – he added that I’d seemed stale and flat in presenting it at recent meetings. So that’s my ‘win’ for last week – that I apparently have got back my mojo without even knowing I’d lost it
Richard