Knowledge is Power Develop a stron g understanding of the key fundamentals of your marketplace and your target organisations and benefit in the following areas: · Greater efficiency in the job search · More confidence when liaising with industry professionals · Better decision making on your own career Your Advantage: Most candidates don't allocate the time to perform even an hour of research on their industry. When you are in a job interview, your knowledge will be outstanding when compared with the other 3 - 6 people who are also being interviewed for the job. Having a thorough knowledge of your individual target companies positions you as someone who might be able to offer solutions to the challenges they are facing. Being identified as a candidate with valuable knowledge can enhance your ability to gain access to key people and hiring managers. The Best Information Sources A. Web: The first step is to find out how organisations like to see themselves portrayed. Read their websites to learn what language they use to describe their culture, their products and their services.
Search the web to find any other news related issues that this company is connected to and then do a search through the blogs and social networking sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and industry specific social networking sites) to hear what people in the organisation are commenting on.
B. Print: The business section of newspapers offer the most current information, so as do specialised industry trade journals and newsletters.
C. People: Talking with a wide range of people enables you to discover things that are never publically recorded in print or online. People have a great insight in to their industry, certain organisations and professions.
 Your Focus is to Gather Pertinent Workplace Information Your research will help you to define the opportunities, problems, trends and how the industry is adapting to any required changes. By talking with people in various parts of the industry, you will detect the general workplace culture and analyse whether you would feel energised working in such an environment. Different companies will have different values and cultures, so you will be able to compare the variety of small, medium and large organisations and evaluate what are the key strengths and weaknesses behind each of their products and services. Hints for a Brilliant Conversation: 1. Make this an enjoyable conversation for both you and the person you are talking with, and the information will flow into areas that are of interest and benefit to each of you. 2. Keep a keen ear open to what is been said, and the change of tone to how they are saying it, and you'll pick up on the cues of what the person might be eluding to! 3. Even though you have your list of questions, be flexible for the conversation to be guided into uncharted waters, on topics that are new to you. 4. Don't be sidetracked with what question you will ask next, as this will block your ability to really listen to what the person is saying. 5. Since you will be seen as an emerging industry expert, offer to email over a hyperlink to the subject that most interests the person. This demonstrates your willingness to share information to benefit someone else (hopefully one day, this person will share the knowledge that you are a candidate with a particular career goal!). 6. Always express genuine gratitude for the person's time taken to the conversation and confirm any action that you or they offered to do. Put a time frame on when it could be done, and follow up within due course. People are more comfortable talking with you about companies, industries and job functions than they would be talking about helping you to find a job. Don't ask them about vacancies until you have establi  shed a strong rapport and indicated you have outstanding knowledge on the industry. When you have in-depth knowledge, you can converse in a meaningful discussion with industry professionals and hiring managers which will ultimately present you as a hot contender for future roles. If you can keep your knowledge and research activities up to date, you may even be able to inform some of these industry professionals about new trends or developments within their industry. When you talk with 5 different companies who are all competing with each other, you'll obviously use discretion as to what information you make public, but the person will get a sense that you have a strong foundation of knowledge which may be useful for a diverse range of activities. The Benefits of Talking When you talk to people about your goals, they instinctively want to help you. It makes them feel good that they have made a positive difference to another's life. Some might even take some of the credit, when you win your fabulous new job! Lucky You The mo  re friends, colleagues and associates you talk with, the greater the chances will be that one of them knows of an organisation that needs someone with your particular skill set. Organisations love the fact that people connect up with their social network, as it saves them the massive cost of recruitment when there is an ideal candidate found through these means. Companies even give bonuses to people who can find candidates to fill jobs! So you'll be doing everyone a favour, (as Mr Molly Meldrum would say) by getting out and talking with as many people in the community as you realistically can make time for. Effective job seekers find a way to work their message briefly into almost every conversation they have. Information about the job seeker will then be shared with other relevant parties. Great Ideas Melbourne Resumes believe you will receive great ideas by talking with people on all levels of an organisation. To gain insight on what is happening at the coalface, we recommend that you speak with everyone from the receptionist to the sales representatives and keep an open mind about what you can learn from. Great Advice Once you are confident you have a strong foundation of knowledge of an organisation and an industry, you are in a position where you can contact the higher level management and executive level staff. Approaching them with the idea that you are interested to gain their insight, opinion and/or advice on career options within their industry is our suggested methodology. This kind of conversation could lead to a variety of doors being open for you, and may even provide you with a mentor in the field. Great Referrals As you contact more and more people, you will hone your ability to establish strong rapport with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. You'll be able to talk about any industry issue with confidence and insight, you'll have your opinion on pertinent topics and people will be interested to hear what you have to say. Sooner or later, someone is going to really want to help you secure your ideal job.....and will probably open up their network of contacts to consider which ones will be of relevant to your career goals. A stranger is more likely to be willing to meet with you if you have been referred by a mutual acquaintance. You'll get referred by the professional networking site, LinkedIn, as well as being physically invited to seminars, networking nights and social gatherings. Recommendations are the most effective way to get your foot in the door of an organisation. Combine your self-marketing campaign in with your researching efforts and everyday conversations with people. Sample conversation outline: I left/ I am still working at, and I am conducting substantial research on theindustry to secure a newposition with particular responsibility in industry needs more people with my type of background.
This is a logical career move, as I have years experience in the and industries, and from what I have found out, the
are all organisations that I believe would benefit from my specific skill set and experience. Actually, I have identified a few dozen other companies that I think may also benefit from my skills. I know you've got some great experience with these industries, would you mind if we caught up for a coffee/drink one Friday afternoon and see if you know anything about any of them?
 Sample Agenda for when you meet up with someone State Your Purpose Outline your career goal and what you are doing right now. Give two or three examples of typical positions that you are seeking. List two or three achievements you have done in the last 5 years, which will give the necessary information for the person to understand what benefit you could be to future organisations. Hand over a copy of your target organisations Ask them to be on the lookout for sources of information about these organisations. They will look over the list after your meeting, and may brainstorm what Does your target market ever recruit someone with your experience, skills and talents? What criteria do you have for assessing the viability of a company as a potential employer? Sample Agenda for when you meet up with someone Time Management Your mission is to build rapport within the first 3 minutes. You have probably only asked for 15 - 25 minutes of their time, so be conscious of how you are using the time. Only go over the allocated time, if you have verified they are available, and it's good practice to only use excess time to try and solve their problems or talk about contacts who could be useful to them. Structure State Your Purpose Outline your career goal and what you are doing right now. Give two or three examples of typical positions that you are seeking. List two or three achievements you have done in the last 5 years, which will give the necessary information for the person to understand what benefit you could be to future organisations. Describe your targeted industries, your geographical and organisational size preferences, and explain why you have made these choices. Hand over a copy of your target organisations Ask them to be on the lookout for sources of information about these organisations. They will look over the list after your meeting, and may brainstorm about people you could meet, so a follow up call will confirm the thoughts they had after meeting with you. Ask Open Questions about the targeted companies and direct the conversation to collect the information, facts and opinions you seek. Aim to obtain contact details of one or two people from each company, if the person can supply them. Get 2 referrals Ask for a Referral to one or two people who this person believes to be the most appropriate. If they don't know anyone, ask them for the names of two or three people who they believe might be able to connect them to people within any of the organisations. 1. Be sure to record the first and last name, job title, phone number, and the correct name of the company. 2. Ask how they know this person, and then if it would be possible for them to make contact with them. 3. Ask the person to make preliminary contact to advise that they will be receiving a phone call. Help Solve their Problem The plethora of knowledge you have acquired while researching the industry may just help this person solve a problem. When you are listening to the person responding to your questions, consider how other companies you have researched have handled the same type of problem. Give ideas to help the person think innovatively about solutions. Provide them with contact details of people within your network who you believe will help them. Offer to make the preliminary contact so the person can be expecting a call, or invite them to an event that you know the person will be attending. Follow up 1. Send a thank you card or even just an email on the following business day to thank the person for their time, and follow up with any activities you discussed. 2. Contact them by phone or email every 2 to 4 weeks with developments on topics that were discussed. Some people email hyperlinks to interesting blogs, LinkedIn profiles or articles they have seen which build on the conversation held. 3. Aim to introduce this person to a few people in your network who will assist the person achieve their personal or business goals. Develop a reputation for someone who knows the right people, and is happy to help introduce others to your network. 4. Ask your 'first degree' contacts to introduce you to people who you have not met yet, whether that is through LinkedIn, or a physical introduction. Your purpose is for market research, and you need  to meet with more industry insiders to develop your knowledge. Contact Referrals Contact your referrals within 24 hours of receiving the information to have the highest and most favourable impact. The objective of this phone call is to set up an informational meeting, not to conduct the meeting. The best method is always to have your initial contact mention you to the second degree contact before you call. Your most powerful opening with those people who have been referred to you is to state that ?they have been recommended bywho suggested that you may be a good source of information on..... I would like to make a 15 - 20 minute visit to obtain your opinion and reaction on information on thethat I have uncovered as part of my current career transition. believes you are very knowledgeable / passionate about this industry inand I thought that you would be an interesting person to talk with.
Would Wednesday or Friday afternoon of next week be convenient to talk for 15 - 20 minutes? Contact your initial contact after you have contacted all of the referrals they gave you. This sends a message that you are serious about your career and achieving a high level of research activity.
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