One of the ways we can add ‘relevancy’ to our LinkedIn presence is to ask and answer questions in the ANSWERS area (Top navigation bar in the “More” drop down menu)… its especially worthy when your answer is selected as the #1 answer to any given question… here’s my ANSWER to the person that asked where ‘cold calling’ stacks up as a job search strategy…

<< “Cold calling” is, no doubt, the least popular, but most effective job search TACTIC for most job seekers, including sales oriented folks…

The challenge for the job seeker is to wrap the appropriate STRATEGIES around their cold-calling efforts. Sure, you’ll have an expedient job search if you ‘show up on the doorstep’ of an organization that needs your skill sets and likes you… but that’s needle-in-a-haystack odds!

Improve your odds by making networking a CAREER strategy instead of a job search drudgery. All by itself, this would accelerate your next job search by taking the randomness out of your ‘next steps.’ Use a coordinated, systematic approach to any career transition…

Have you fully embraced the OTHER job market? Not the one that the Department of Labor measures, but the one where the hiring authorities are seeking the most talented individuals… and are you PREPARED to address it?

Have you analyzed your skill sets and experience and determined clear objectives? Have you developed collateral materials that reflect CLEAR POSITIONING of your talent, and do you let them evolve through practice (constant) and marketplace feedback? Are your references in synch with your message? As a job seeker, have you researched the market to determine appropriate target organizations… the ones that actually use your talents? Can you identify trends that are attractive to you, uniquely YOU?

Most importantly, have you assembled your whole personal CONTACT LIST, leaving no stones unturned… and organized your priorities in networking to A) Folks you already know, but need to reconnect with… B) Folks that can bridge you to actual opportunity leads and, specifically, hiring authorities… C) Folks that can directly impact your hire, the actual hiring authorities. LinkedIn can provide you with a digital roadmap to your networking efforts… devote regular time to your LinkedIn network.

Reserve most of your cold calling strategy to the tactics of target organization networking around those organizations that are attractive to you and that need your talent.

Your most important job search strategy, and the skill most job seekers need to constantly develop, is that of converting leads into interviews! Effective tactics, here, include constantly working on your telephone skills… effectively researching your targeted industry and companies (Googled your interviewer lately?)… practicing your verbal collateral to the point of making them spontaneous and conversational…

ALL of which can improve a job seeker’s odds when employing cold-calling tactics, taking advantage of that huge percentage of actual placements that were initiated by a cold call! >>

The bold keywords were added for YOUR benefit… what strikes me is how similar this answer is to some of the things we discussed in today’s session!  I will be adding in a new handout I’m working on… Networking 101 !