Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from a recent session with career coach Don Orlando.
Tough times call for aggressive measures, and in this week’s Ask the Coach call, one attendee asked about cold calling into companies. He said he has been using this method, making sure that he alerts his contacts that he will call to talk soon. The question posed: is this effort a waste of time?
Don noted that there are a lot of myths and folklore about cold calling. Before the web, hiring managers would use their community networks to find candidates – the Rotary Club, golf clubs, school organizations, etc. – seeking recommendations they would value. Now they are using other methods, and they aren’t as sure of the value the candidates bring. When you cold call, it’s up to you to demonstrate your value. Make your worth easy to recognize and you can talk to the right party.
Remember, too, that in today’s tight hiring market, managers need permission to bring on new hires. These managers are putting their own reputation on the line when they make a hire, assuring their bosses that their choice will do the job right and create more value than it will take to hire, train, and keep them. So to get hired, the hiring manager must feel very secure in your demonstrated value.
Before your reach out to any company, be sure to assess compatibility. Identify those that need your expertise. And don’t just ask for a job. Talk about the company, its competitors, and the future of the industry. Do your homework, and talk about how you applied your own expertise to deal with similar problems in the past. End with a request to meet to discuss their unique needs.
And most important of all, follow up! Promise to call about the information you sent, and then do it. Or ask for a convenient time for a follow up conversation.
Don also shared some of his own articles on researching companies using online resources, the evolution of the green economy, and the impact of the stimulus package on hiring. If you want to receive copies of these documents, please feel free to contact Sabrina at NETSHARE (Sabrina@netshare.com).
