I try and keep up with LinkedIn and Yahoo answers. Both are good methods for getting the word out on you. The reason is easy. Answering questions establishes you as an expert in any number of topics. Experts are easy to hire.
I had the chance to answer a networking question recently, and it reminded me to tell once again, the story behind Marketing Me! and why I started this blog.
A few years ago, I found myself suddenly out of a job. Since then, I have turned the experience into the theme for my personal blog.
Here were my steps to secure a new and far better position in 30 days.
To start, know what you want to do and what industry you want to work in. That is a given that many overlook when they are out of work.
1) Collect your contacts. Divide them into hot, warm and cold with hot being good possible employers. Warm contacts are persons you use for advice and referrals. Cold contacts are names without possibility but good to have as referring points.
2) Start phoning. Never start out with email - nothing says lazy like email Call, connect and communicate.
3) Clearly state what you are looking for. Never phone and state "I need a job, got anything?". Instead, use the value proposition "I have known you a long time. What is your best advice about where I should look/what I should do?"
4) Plan to visit in person for follow up. I scheduled a trip to an industry convention which happened to take place two weeks after my last day. I scheduled meeting times with prospects. That included breakfasts, lunches, dinners, walks, anything which put me in front of a prospective employer. Remember to schedule with a set time and place. Leave nothing to chance. Be flexible. You may meet someone walking from one hall to another or on a shuttle bus or at a reception (all of these happened to me).
5) Meet. Be clear about your goals, skills and value to any prospect.
6) Thank. Send a thank you note, hand written, never email, to each person who took the time to meet with you.
7) Follow up. I was fortunate. I ended up with five solid job offers, two possibilities and dozens of future business contacts. Had this not happened I would have directly contacted each of these people again until something happened.
28 days to the day, I had my starting date at my next job. It was a lot of work and travel, but it has paid off nicely. To this day, I network constantly.
Marketing Me! has transformed into a blog about anything which appeals to me in my profession. Be it business travel, cell phones, productivity tools, conference calling and even entertainment.
In the 21st century, we are often defined by our career or more correctly, our work. Marketing Me! has become my diary, journal and sanity check over the past three years.
I don't plan on changing any time soon.
Thursday
Marketing Me! Funny resignation letters and emails
If levity is your aim, then make your resignation letter or email memorable.
- Use email. CC (courtesy copy) as many of your coworkers as possible.
- Be succinct, to the point and "snarky".
- Avoid seriousness.
Some exiting employees love emotional hand wringing when penning a resignation. Why bother I say? The employer is not going to take it serious and your remaining co-workers really need the humorous boost in their day.
Here is a good template:
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this notice of my resignation from Wally's Wonder Widgets affective June 1, 2008.
Although I have more than 18 days of unused vacation time, our lovely and talented HR manager Terry informed me that Wally's policy is "use 'em or lose 'em" so I guess I can kiss that time off good bye. And Wally, I have something for you to kiss as well!
Further, company policy dictates that I return all company property on or before my last day of employment. That would include my company shirt, laptop, sample case and company literature. In short, that would be next to impossible to do.
My company shirt disintegrated in the laundry the second time I washed it. I ended up making my own from an old t-shirt I had and my customers found it memorable to say the least.
My laptop conked out three weeks ago and our illustrious and oh so competent IT department managed to make it fully non-functional after seven days of ignoring it so they could play Half Life during work hours. I have been making do in the meantime with a legal pad, a calculator and text messaging on my cell phone.
My sample case was emptied months ago. I gave all of my working Wonder Widgets to customers who still had not received their orders or whose orders included non-functioning units. The sample case does make an attractive carrying case for my legal pad and calculator though!
As for company literature, I have been leaving that in the toilet because we have been out of toilet paper for some time.
Please forward my final paycheck to my home address on file although I would prefer to be paid in cash before exiting the building. You can pay me from the executive secretaries' cash box located at her desk. I have noticed that our CEO, Wally, has a habit of helping himself to the box on a regular basis so I assume that won't be a problem.
I would thank you for the opportunity at Wally's Wonder Widgets, but my therapist suggests that I put negative events in my life behind me and instead focus on the positive merits of unemployment.
Sincerely happy,
Your name,
- Use email. CC (courtesy copy) as many of your coworkers as possible.
- Be succinct, to the point and "snarky".
- Avoid seriousness.
Some exiting employees love emotional hand wringing when penning a resignation. Why bother I say? The employer is not going to take it serious and your remaining co-workers really need the humorous boost in their day.
Here is a good template:
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this notice of my resignation from Wally's Wonder Widgets affective June 1, 2008.
Although I have more than 18 days of unused vacation time, our lovely and talented HR manager Terry informed me that Wally's policy is "use 'em or lose 'em" so I guess I can kiss that time off good bye. And Wally, I have something for you to kiss as well!
Further, company policy dictates that I return all company property on or before my last day of employment. That would include my company shirt, laptop, sample case and company literature. In short, that would be next to impossible to do.
My company shirt disintegrated in the laundry the second time I washed it. I ended up making my own from an old t-shirt I had and my customers found it memorable to say the least.
My laptop conked out three weeks ago and our illustrious and oh so competent IT department managed to make it fully non-functional after seven days of ignoring it so they could play Half Life during work hours. I have been making do in the meantime with a legal pad, a calculator and text messaging on my cell phone.
My sample case was emptied months ago. I gave all of my working Wonder Widgets to customers who still had not received their orders or whose orders included non-functioning units. The sample case does make an attractive carrying case for my legal pad and calculator though!
As for company literature, I have been leaving that in the toilet because we have been out of toilet paper for some time.
Please forward my final paycheck to my home address on file although I would prefer to be paid in cash before exiting the building. You can pay me from the executive secretaries' cash box located at her desk. I have noticed that our CEO, Wally, has a habit of helping himself to the box on a regular basis so I assume that won't be a problem.
I would thank you for the opportunity at Wally's Wonder Widgets, but my therapist suggests that I put negative events in my life behind me and instead focus on the positive merits of unemployment.
Sincerely happy,
Your name,
Wednesday
Marketing Me! How to write a resignation letter
In a world where the average worker changes jobs and careers SEVEN times, somebody somewhere is going to be putting in their notice.
Perhaps that person is you. If so, there are good ways to quit a job and bad ways to quit. The best way to quit your job is to submit a resignation letter.
A resignation letter should be your professional notice of exit from the company. Now, there are fun ways to do a resignation letter which is a future post. For now, this covers the professional way to resign in writing.
Use this format.
Date - the date the resignation letter is delivered.
Salutation - never make your salutation generic. Put the name of the person you are addressing. If there is more than one person receiving your resignation letter, put their name in a cc; field at the top of your letter.
For example:
cc: Mary Smith - Human Resources
Jerry Jones - Supervisor/Operations
To Mr. Greg Green, CEO Wally's Wonder Widgets
The resignation notice with date and specifics in the format of a notice.
Example:
Please let this letter serve as notice of my voluntary separation from Wally's Wonder Widgets..
Include a final date.
Example:
... effective June 1, 2008.
Give notice of terms..
Example:
On or before that date, I will return my laptop, company ID, company shirt and sample case of Wonder Widgets to Mary Smith in Human Resources.
Let them know where to find you and where to send your final check.
Example:
Please remit payment for all unused vacation and personal time as well my final paycheck to my home address..
Closing.
Example:
If there are any questions or other arrangements which need to be made, please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Appreciation.
Example.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to work with you,
Your name.
Put it all together.
Final example.
April 9. 2008
cc: Mary Smith - Human Resources
Jerry Jones - Supervisor/Operations
To Mr. Greg Green, CEO Wally's Wonder Widgets
Please let this letter serve as notice of my voluntary separation from Wally's Wonder Widgets effective June 1, 2008.
On or before that date, I will return my laptop, company ID, company shirt and sample case of Wonder Widgets to Mary Smith in Human Resources.
If there are any questions or other arrangements which need to be made, please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to work with you,
Sincerely,
Your name
Keep your resignation letter short, to the point and effective. Let there be no ambiguity, remorse or vindictiveness in your correspondence. It will only come back to haunt you.
Now, if that is not of consequence.. Stay tuned for a more light hearted version later...
Perhaps that person is you. If so, there are good ways to quit a job and bad ways to quit. The best way to quit your job is to submit a resignation letter.
A resignation letter should be your professional notice of exit from the company. Now, there are fun ways to do a resignation letter which is a future post. For now, this covers the professional way to resign in writing.
Use this format.
Date - the date the resignation letter is delivered.
Salutation - never make your salutation generic. Put the name of the person you are addressing. If there is more than one person receiving your resignation letter, put their name in a cc; field at the top of your letter.
For example:
cc: Mary Smith - Human Resources
Jerry Jones - Supervisor/Operations
To Mr. Greg Green, CEO Wally's Wonder Widgets
The resignation notice with date and specifics in the format of a notice.
Example:
Please let this letter serve as notice of my voluntary separation from Wally's Wonder Widgets..
Include a final date.
Example:
... effective June 1, 2008.
Give notice of terms..
Example:
On or before that date, I will return my laptop, company ID, company shirt and sample case of Wonder Widgets to Mary Smith in Human Resources.
Let them know where to find you and where to send your final check.
Example:
Please remit payment for all unused vacation and personal time as well my final paycheck to my home address..
Closing.
Example:
If there are any questions or other arrangements which need to be made, please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Appreciation.
Example.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to work with you,
Your name.
Put it all together.
Final example.
April 9. 2008
cc: Mary Smith - Human Resources
Jerry Jones - Supervisor/Operations
To Mr. Greg Green, CEO Wally's Wonder Widgets
Please let this letter serve as notice of my voluntary separation from Wally's Wonder Widgets effective June 1, 2008.
On or before that date, I will return my laptop, company ID, company shirt and sample case of Wonder Widgets to Mary Smith in Human Resources.
If there are any questions or other arrangements which need to be made, please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to work with you,
Sincerely,
Your name
Keep your resignation letter short, to the point and effective. Let there be no ambiguity, remorse or vindictiveness in your correspondence. It will only come back to haunt you.
Now, if that is not of consequence.. Stay tuned for a more light hearted version later...
Tuesday
Marketing Me! Top Five Reasons to Quit Your Job Today
Top Five Reasons To Quit Your Job Today
1) You hate going to work. You may love what you do, but you hate where you do it. Be it for any reason, you hate your place of work. Quit today.
2) You do not like the people you work with. Be it your co-workers or customers, you do not get along with them OR they repulse you so much you cannot stand the sight of them. Quitting time!
3) You struggle with what you do. I don't mean the short term, "this is hard!" mentality, but the "I have no idea why I am here anymore". Maybe it is the project you have been on for the past thirteen months, the products you don't understand or the direction the company is going. All of it is a mystery and you no longer comprehend why you continue to labor through another day on the job. Punch out permanently.
4) You spend more time away from the office than in it. Sick time, vacation time, long lunches, personal errands, personal days, etc. Are you finding reasons not to be at work? Get thee away from thine jobbage.
5) You dream of doing something else. Maybe it is your own company, or working in a different field, or perhaps you simply see yourself (constantly) somewhere else doing something else. Stop dawdling, Dalton. Put in your 24-hour notice and motor-vate.
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