Time to Meet New People (who could help get you a job)

These days I’m becoming 100% convinced that it’s not what you’ve accomplished in your position that will get you your next job, but who you know. It could be the subconscious influence of the networking book Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi (HIGHLY recommend it for all my loyal readers), or just what I’ve witnessed this past week.

For the past several months I’ve subscribed to an email list produced by a public relations guy—Peter Shankman. The list started on Facebook as a way for him to connect his reporter friends who were looking for people to quote in stories, with his friends in PR who were looking to place their clients in the media. Simple enough right? Well over the course of the past year, he’s grown the list to over 22K people and is putting a serious dent in what had been a paid subscription service for the industry. If you Google him, you’ll see that he’s been on CNN several times, wrote a book, sold one of his PR firms and started another one—the guy gets around.

I’d been noticing his list growing (he provides pretty frequent updates to his subscribers) and decided to buy an ad in an upcoming issue. I also realized that since he’s in NYC, I could actually take him out to lunch! I was embarrassed at how long it took me to formulate that idea. There was never a reason not to ask—other than my “aw shucks, what would little ‘ole me have to talk to him about?” attitude. So just like that, I asked and he accepted. Lunch went well, he’s an interesting, down-to-earth guy who actually spent the first 10 minutes stressing that the lunchtime email he sent his 22K subscribers went out without a screwup on his part, and showed me a nice note he was got on his Blackberry from a subscriber. In some ways, he operates in a completely different world than mine, and it felt really good to mix it up a bit.

So what’s YOUR take-away from all this? First, his list grew from the strength of his network of contacts. He saw a need between 2 groups of people he knew, and decided to fill it. He then asks EVERYONE on his list to spread the word about the list. His motto is that everyone’s an expert in something, so why not get your name in the media about it? He’s built up a loyal fan base, and when he asks for help—he gets it. Are you doing this in your job search? Are you asking your friends and acquaintances for help? Are you asking them if there’s any way you can help them, whether it be if you know a good plumber or the best restaurant for Indian food in your area? Helping others is the best way to have that good Karma flow back to you.

And if you’re sitting there saying “but I just don’t know that many people” – then that’s a problem. First, take an actual inventory of people during a typical 3 month span whom you have conversations with. This includes activities like classes, work (of course), your kid’s soccer games and recitals, even people you may know in an online community. Unless you’re a complete hermit—you know people. Second, to get to know MORE people, check out networking sites like Meetup.com where you can find activities you like to do, and join groups of people who are interested in them as well. If you’re looking for a job, join a jobseekers group—but also join a Kayaking group if that’s your interest.

Lastly, no one is unapproachable. Just because this Shankman guy was sending out emails and has like a zillion Google hits didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be a nice lunch companion or accept my invitation. Don’t be intimidated by someone’s stature or your assumption of what their life is like relative to yours. If you find someone on LinkedIn who is in your dream job or industry, approach them and ask if they could take ½ hour of their time to give you some advice from their point of view. Chances are they’ll be flattered and if there’s a way you can help them down the road, they’ll appreciate that too.

Broadening your circle of acquaintances gets you into those different worlds and can really open your eyes to new possibilities in many different areas of your life.

Salary issues at your current job

I'm on approximately 200 websites as a career coach and field all sorts of questions during the week. One popped in today that's relevant to people looking as well as those trying to make the best of their current situation. Salary reviews and negotiations.

In this economy everyone's walking on eggshells with their employer, but there are still opportunities to lobby for a well-deserved raise.

First, be realistic. Take a reasonable look at what your company does and how sales have been over the past year, as well as their prospects for the future. A company's finances are like your home finances--if there isn't a reasonable expectation that you're bringing in more money over the course of the year, you won't put more money into upkeep on your home, and will try to make do with what you've got.

Companies need to do the same thing. If they're worried about the potential for additional revenue over the next year, they won't feel comfortable putting substantially more money in your pocket. No matter how awesome you are. They'll try to make you as happy as they can with what they've got. Some employers are tricker than others at this, but basically, that's all they're trying to do.

So what can you do?

1. Check out some salary comparison websites like Salary.com. My HR sources tell me that these can be off by 8-10%,and salaries do vary by market, but it can give you a feel for if you're way underpriced, or if you should just keep your mouth shut.

2. Develop a list of your contributions over the past year, and if you can demonstrate it, how they contributed to the bottom line of the company. What did you accomplish that hadn't been done before? You should have this anyway for your updated resume (ahem), but you'll need it when proving your case for a raise.

3. DO NOT tell them that you need more money so you can get a new car, house, etc. It's NOT about YOU! It's about what value you bring the company.

4. Also not a great idea to base your argument on other people's job descriptions and salaries. A friend of mine went through this recently where her staff member was making an argument that he had more work than another department. The problem is that the other department was favored by my friend's boss, so that argument didn't hold too much weight. Always be mindful of the office politics in play.

5. The moolah ain't gonna flow your way? Come up with other perks that will at least make you happier as you spend $200 on a tank of gas and eat Raman Noodles for lunch. Ask if they'll sponsor a corporate Toastmasters group (to improve public speaking skills), group yoga/weight loss classes, telecommuting, additional vacation days, flexible hours, a golf outing.

Present them with options to show that you're a team player and understand their budget issues. They'll be more likely to look favorably on you when the economy recovers.