Presentation given by Dan Padilla on how he applied the 8 Principles of Networking Naturally in order to secure a great new job shortly after being laid off. The end of the presentation includes Q+A highlights from the live session of the webinar.
3. Early Dec 2009: Friend mentions possible part-time teaching job. Application deadline had passed.
4. Mid-Dec 2009: Offered a full-time teaching position at school with benefits, higher paying than job that was lost.
5. Success Factors Cows are everywhere Knowing what you have to offer Understanding the needs of the employer Focus on giving instead of taking, adding value instead of satisfying own needs
7. Q+A Highlights During the Call: Q: How did you prepare for the interview? A: In preparing for the interview, I tried to figure out exactly what the school was looking for by carefully reading the job description. It turned out that they were looking for some things that I did not necessarily expect would be necessary from a music teacher. They were looking for someone with ties to the local teaching community and an interest in research. In preparing, I decided to research the school to find out what was the schools mission statement and how they approached teaching. Q: It sounds like the key was that cover letter. How did you structure it? A: I opened the letter with a one sentence introduction that mentioned how I had heard about the possibility of a position and named my friend.As the deadline had passed, I was sure that my tone indicated that I was unaware of the posting on line ... hoping that this would help them consider me after the deadline. I then took three very short paragraphs – 3 sentences each -- highlighting my career accomplishments as they lined up with the job description. The final paragraph closed with contact info and a request for a meeting.
8. Q+A Highlights, cont’d: Q: It seems like luck plays strongly into hearing about this job. Would you have sent this school a letter if you hadn't heard anything from your friend? A: Yes, it was 50% luck and 50% making sure people were aware that I was looking for work. Q: Carol, How do you recommend we deal with helping others who are looking for work? My neighbor is recently looking. I don't know what kind of employee she is. Do you think it's still okay to pass her name on to other cows? A: I would ask her about how she works best and what she’s looking for in an ideal job. This will help you to get more information about where that person’s “sweet spot” is. Once you understand that, you have an idea of where their talents lie. This is what gets me more comfortable with recommending someone’s work or passing along their name. This is the core of the “Get to know the whole cow” principle that we learn in the Networking Naturally Program.
