Archive for the ‘Networking’ Category

Network Like a Top Headhunter: 2 Lessons

July 10th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

In early June, I attended the Fordyce Forum in Las Vegas at the beautiful, relatively smoke-free M Resort - tough duty!

Billed as “a conference for search and placement professionals from the publishers of the Fordyce Letter,” the Fordyce Forum brought together over 120 independent recruiters (a.k.a. “head hunters”) to network and to learn new things.

These independent recruiters are a very interesting universe that most of us glimpse very briefly - if at all - in our careers.  They make their living by finding appropriate job candidates for their clients (employers) who have high level opportunities.  Not an easy way to make a living, but it can pay very well, apparently, if you are successful.

As described previously on Job-Hunt, head hunters, like all recruiters, work for employers, not for job seekers, because the employer pays them.  They are paid a fee either when a job is filled by someone they referred for the job, or, on a continuing basis  (a.k.a., “retained”), they are paid by their client employers to keep a look out for good potential employees.

Head hunters are relentless networkers.

Fordyce offered several unstructured networking opportunities in the 2-day Forum, and they were all very well attended.  These people definitely understand how to leverage networking opportunities, and watching them in action was quite educational.

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Networking for the Networking-Phobic

July 27th, 2010 by Susan P. Joyce

Career Collective post: Once every month or so, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We post our thoughts on our own blogs, and link to the posts of our colleagues on the same topic.

This month’s topic: “Networking.” Responses from others contributors are linked at the end.  For updates, follow our hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter. (A new window will open.)

“We get by with a little help from our friends…”

That’s what the Beatles told us in 1967, and many times that line has run through my mind when yet another good thing has happened for me as the result of the actions of one of my friends.  Or when I help a friend out with something.

On the other hand, when I talk with job seekers, I often hear comments like:

  • “I hate networking!”
  • “Networking is just another name for using people!”
  • “Networking doesn’t work for me.  Going to an event.  Collecting business cards.  What’s the point?  It just doesn’t work.”

Those are comments I hear often from people who are struggling in their job search.  Because if you aren’t doing well in your networking, your job search will be harder and longer.

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