Job Hunting Techniques 3 Identifying possible vacancies Copyright 1992, A. Hough Introduction In order to be successful in job hunting there are a number of steps to follow. Expressed briefly, these are:- i) Identify your preferred career and goals, ii) Prepare resumes and letters, iii) Identify and apply for possible vacancies, iv) Get, and win, the interviews, v) Get the best job offer you can. The notes in this text consider briefly the third step listed above, that of identifying possible vacancies and how to apply for them. It assumes that you are sure about your career goals and have a good resume prepared. These techniques can be used by people currently in employment as well as those currently unemployed. Comments, queries and suggestions can be passed to me in conference 14 (The Job Advice Conference) on The Job Search BBS (416-588-9690) or in the NANET Job Advice conference. - * - * - * - Identifying possible vacancies Most people, when asked to say where they can find out about job vacancies, will only be able to think of newspaper adverts. Rarely will they be able to think of other sources of information. Whilst accepting that adverts in the newspaper are probably the most visible of job vacancies, they actually represent roughly 20% of all job vacancies. The vast majority of job vacancies are never advertised to the general public or are filled before the advert appears. During the present recession in fact, the figure of 20% is itself probably an overestimate. Most companies are reluctant to advertise a vacancy as they know they will have hundreds of replies, literally, to any single advert. Two specific examples of this are:- - A firm in BC ran a general advert for engineers and programmers. (A general advert means there were no specific vacancies, the company wanting to see who would reply and any who were considered useful were made a suitable offer). They had over 900 replies in the first two weeks alone and more were still arriving when I talked to them three weeks later. - A local firm (to Toronto) advertised a specific management position with a Master's degree and 10+ years of suitable experience as the basic requirements. They received over 700 applications, most of which they considered didn't even meet these basic requirements! I will return to this example later in the text. This set of notes describes how to use adverts more effectively, and how to obtain information from other sources that are more 'profitable' and that can provide additional opportunities. - * - * - * - Advertisements Although I deride adverts above, they are still a very useful source of possible jobs. In addition they can provide a lot of information about a particular company or industry and add to your research efforts which are discussed below. Adverts can appear in many places, including local or daily newspapers, trade magazines, store windows and job centres. For most professional positions probably the best ones to concentrate on are trade magazines and newspapers, weekend editions of the big newspapers followed by weekday editions. The main problem with replying to such adverts is that the companies can, and do, receive hundreds of replies. Hence the covering letter and resume have to be extremely good to grab their attention. After replying to an advert by letter, always follow up with a phone call. If nothing else you can check they have received your application. In practise, they probably won't remember receiving it and won't know who you are. No problem, make sure they are aware of your name and qualifications and say that you will send them another copy today. Address this one to the person you spoke to over the phone. Remember that firm who received over 700 applications? One of those applications was mine. I didn't hear from them in the appointed time, so I phoned them up and described myself and my experience over the phone and then sent another application. This time the covering letter referred to the telephone conversation earlier that day. A few days later, I was invited for an interview. As I am interested in job hunting techniques for their own sake, I asked about the success of their recruiting campaign. It was then that I was shown a table in the personnel office containing the 700+ applications piled on it. It was explained that their particular method of carrying out the initial sorting was to file the applications in alphabetical order and wait for people to phone. Those that phoned were obviously interested in a job, their applications were reviewed and suitable applicants invited for an interview. An advert can request replies by phone, letter (and resume) or walk in so read it carefully. Take special note of the job title and description and apply even if it doesn't meet all of your career goals or requirements or if you don't meet all of theirs. (Be sensible though, don't apply for a senior position requiring 15+ years of experience if you've less than 10). Always follow up with the phone call. Read all of the adverts carefully, some will advertise a position which you may consider totally unsuitable because of your lack of experience for example but will say, in the 'small print', words to the effect of "Positions for junior staff also available." A recent advert in a Montreal newspaper, for example, advertised a number of very specific positions for particular types of engineers. A little paragraph at the bottom, normally used for the details of where and how to apply, also included the sentence "Positions also available for program managers, cost accountants,..." and went on to list some half dozen other positions and invited people to apply for these as well. Always analyze the advert carefully and think around the requirements. Just because your specific expertise does not agree with their requirements, you may be able to offer an alternative. Your five years practical experience in design is just as good, if not better, than a degree plus two years experience. Remember too that the list of requirements stated in the advert may not be what is actually required. The advert may have been written by the HR department based on their understanding of the requirements. Even worse, it may have been produced by a recruitment agency and so may be a 'standard' advert designed to cover a multitude of possibilities. So long as you have expertise in that general area and, most importantly, an interest in the job advertised, it can do no harm to apply. If nothing else, it's good practise. Whilst reading adverts, note companies recruiting at a high level, a new manager may need new staff or be opening a new department ready for a new order. If the company works in the field you are interested in, try sending an unsolicited application. You never know... One question which is often heard is how to deal with blind adverts; the sort that require replies to post box number or to an agency that will forward either all or selected applications. These are appearing with increasing frequency in the papers. The problem is, of course, is that it may be your present company doing the advertising, or even worse, your particular job being advertised. Even if it isn't your company, it may well be a client ,or a friend of your boss, doing the advertising! You need to analyse a blind advert carefully and see if you can recognise the company recruiting or at least prepare a short list of a few possible companies. I discuss in the next section the idea of networking, ie the use of a series of contacts in the industry, and here is one use of that network. Check to see if anyone you know works for any of the companies on your shortlist or who may know someone who does. For example, does anyone in your network deal with a shortlisted company on a customer/supplier basis. If so phone them up and ask for further information. Are they aware of this position being advertised internally? (Most positions are advertised internally within a company before being publicly announced). If you think you have identified the company, phone them up and ask to speak to the person likely to be the one who is actually recruiting and ask if they can use you. Describe your experience but do not mention the advert. Do not talk to the HR manager. If they are recruiting, then the very fact you have approached them will be a major plus point in your favour. If you get the impression they were not the ones who placed the advert, then you must decide whether to respond to it, bearing in mind your boss may hear about your application. I would recommend, particularly in this recessionary time, that if you are currently employed you do not respond unless you are serious about looking for a new position. If your company is thinking about lay-offs and your boss knows you are job hunting, guess whose name will be top of the list... Networking or The Old Boys Net Most people know what a network is but consider it doesn't apply to them. They mistakenly believe it is for senior managers or graduates from fancy schools or colleges. This is not true ;everyone is already part of a network. At school, if you had a problem, you could go and ask someone for help, be it a friend in the class, a teacher or other member of the staff, or they may recommend you talk to someone else. At work, if you need to know something you can ask the company expert or a colleague. At home, you may ask a neighbour for a recipe, the proverbial 'cup of sugar' or even catch up on the gossip in the area. All of these are examples of networking and, I trust, show that everyone is already a member of a number of networks. How does chatting with your neighbour help your job hunting campaign? From one of my neighbours who is a accountant working from home, I have been made aware of several small companies in the area who are growing (and may be worth investigating) plus a few companies who are on their way out and who would be crossed off my list of possibilities. Another neighbour has given me an introduction to neighbours of hers who both work for a local electronics company. Another place for a network is here on a BBS. Most BBSs have a large number of members who are more than willing to help others with advice and suggestions and whose only reward is the knowledge they have helped others. Networking is by far the most successful of the techniques used to find job opportunities or to further your career goals. I mentioned above that only 20%+ of vacancies are advertised, well 70%+ are filled through networking. The obvious question is how do you get into this network. The answer is that you can't join it in the same way you join a sports club. Instead you start your own and you will find that as it grows you will be talking to others who have their own networks. In turn, you will be introduced to members of their networks who will in turn... Once past a certain point your network will be linked to many others and you can count yourself a member of a very large network. The first stage is to list _all_ the people you know. The list should include family, friends, colleagues (including ex-bosses )government advisors, teachers, competitors, members of sports, social and hobbies clubs, your church, members of professional and trade associations, and members of consulting organisations in the industry of your choice. (This last group, since they talk to a number of different companies, may be able to give general information about companies expanding, but don't expect them to break company confidentiality. Ask them if they could pass on your resume if they are, correctly, unable to give you specific information.) The approach to each group of people will be different but never phone any one up and ask outright for a job. Of those you know personally, most will be willing to help and will feel complimented by your approach. Talk directly, write, or telephone each one as appropriate with a direct and specific approach, if necessary arrange a formal meeting with them. Each of them must be aware that you are job hunting with the intention of improving your career. If you have a clear direction in mind for your future career, the assistance you will receive will be helpful. Briefly acquaint them with your background and the type of job you are after and ask if they are aware of such a position. The chances are they won't. Then ask if they know someone who might. The chances of them knowing someone else are better, so ask them if they will introduce you or allow you to use their name in your approach. Don't hesitate to ask them for their advice on finding a job and, if appropriate, ask if you can send them a copy of your resume. Remember, don't ask them for a job, no-one likes being out in the position of having to say No. Remember that you are after job opportunities and referrals and don't forget the Thank You letter. Even this will act as a reminder that you are job hunting and they will try just that little bit harder. For those you don't know personally, (the ones you have been referred, for example) the approach is slightly different. Remember that, as far as they are concerned, you are researching the industry as discussed below, not specifically looking for a position. Having identified the specific person you want to talk to, eg, the Engineering Manager, Head of Software development etc. introduce yourself, explain where you got the name and that you are not asking for a job but could you meet with him to discuss how best to continue your research in the industry. As such a discussion is best done in person, write a letter to introduce yourself saying that you are interested in working in that particular field, that his company has impressed you and that you would like to take a few minutes to discuss your objectives. If his name has been given to you by someone else, then state that Mr ...... has recommended that you talk to him. Emphasise that you are not looking for a job with that company, nor do you expect him to know of any. You must keep in control of the whole process so state that you would like to contact him to arrange a suitable time and then do so. If you are very happy using the telephone, most of us aren't incidently, then phone. You will need to tell him the same things as above. It is advisable to treat the meeting as a mini job interview or a practise cold call. Describe your background and objective briefly (taking no more than two minutes) and ask him/her serious questions on their industry. The questions could include how are they surviving the recession, is NAFTA having any effect on them and how are they looking to the future. Talk about their competitors, show that you know about the industry. You must have this genuine interest in the industry, the company and the person you are talking to. If you don't then you will receive no help to the next questions you are going to ask. These are:- - Is he/she aware of any companies with suitable vacancies or looking for someone with your experience? Remember that you got to see him on the basis that you were researching the industry so emphasise the research side much more than the vacancies aspect. If so ask for names and titles in that company. You must now approach them in the same manner as you talked to him. - Alternatively is he aware of any contacts who may be useful (always try to ask for 3-5 names since you should get one or two back). Ask for an introduction or if can you use his name to approach them. - Ask if you can send a copy of your resume to him, and if he seems particularly helpful ask if he would review it and provide comments on it Describe your strategy and ask if he has any suggestions on how it can be improved. Ask for an assessment of the industry, to what extent it is expanding/contracting and what are the key issues in the industry. Ideally you should know all of these but you may have missed one or a new one is about to develop and it hasn't reached the press yet. Always remember, you are trying to get him on your side. He is a new member of your network and may provide useful leads and other information in the future. In your thank you letter, which you will write that evening, thank him for the information he supplied and state that you would like to keep in touch with him in the future. Always prove that you took note of what he said by repeating back some of the information. For example, "I was particularly interested in the information on the new contract you have won. Congratulations." It is very highly recommended you keep records (eg 5 x 3 cards or a computer database) for each contact. These should show full name, address and telephone, source of contact, method of contact, date of contact, any referrals or any other information supplied and the results of the followup. You must keep in touch with your contacts on a regular basis, new possibilities are opening up all the time and you want your name in a person's mind if he is ever asked if he knows someone suitable for the new position. Your network, because this is what it now is, can also provide useful information on companies prior to interviews. For example, one of your contacts suggests that company X may have a few vacancies. You write to them and are invited to an interview. Phone your contact who recommended company X, thank him for suggesting it and then ask if he has any advice to offer for the forthcoming interview. Who are you likely to meet? What are their interests? Is there anything you should know beforehand? Most contacts will be very pleased that their suggestions have worked and will be more than willing to help you again. (Don't forget the Thank You letter again) Professional agencies Another source of possible vacancies is the recruitment agencies that exist in many forms. These can range from school or college placement offices to recruitment agencies who are usually specialised in one industry. These generally avoid the higher paid jobs. Although appearing to work for the job hunter, remember recruitment agencies are generally on the side of the employer. It is the employer who pays them for filling a job vacancy, never pay them to find a job for you. If you wish to use their services, try to visit them before you ask them to work for you. Send them a targeted cover letter, but NOT your resume, emphasising your best points and a brief summary of your career and request to meet with them. If they decline, take yourself elsewhere. Talk to people who have used their services before and ask for their recommendations. If you are trying to get a job at the other end of the country, recruitment agencies may be the only way to go. Try to talk to the local office of that agency first as most of the larger offices throughout the country have a common method of working and you should be able to assess the agency fairly well. When you do meet with them, say why you are the sort of candidate they want, and explain your achievements in greater detail than usual, including a salary range. Check with them that they will not plaster all of the firms in the industry with your resume as some are known to do. You don't want a potential employer to receive lots of copies of your resume from different sources as this gives him the impression you are desperate for a job. A slight disadvantage with finding jobs through such agencies is that your starting salary can be lower than it would normally be .The employer will be trying to recoup some of the high fee he will be paying the agency. If you receive an unsolicited call from a recruitment agency, make sure they are legitimate and useful to you, find out where they got your name, what sort of companies do they deal with and at what sort of levels. Then go and visit them. Never send them a resume until you are completely satisfied and be extra careful if you are still employed. Head-hunters or executive search firms (ESF) Head hunters work for the employer and so, like the recruitment agency, their loyalty is to that company. They generally work on a exclusive basis and usually only consider the higher paid jobs. As they come to you, they are generally of little use at the time you want to change jobs. However, if you think they can help you in the future, it may be worth writing to them and include a copy of your resume. The firm will generally have a number of specialists, each of whom will be working in a particular area, so you will need to know who is covering your area and talk directly to him. The headhunting firm will generally conduct their own interviews with potential candidates and carry out a very thorough reference check before reporting on finalists to the employer. They never represent the job hunter and will be on the side of the employer when any offer is made. Generally only interested in higher middle management and above, they are usually more discrete than recruitment agencies and as they are usually only working on a few assignments you may not hear from them for some time (if ever). As always beware of imposters. Should you be approached by someone claiming to be a Headhunter, check how they are paid for the service. An Executive Search Firm (ESF) works only on a retained, consultative basis and so are paid regardless of outcome. Employment or recruitment agencies are paid on a contingency basis (ie only on placement) or on retained contingency (ie some up front, the balance on completion). ESFs are not in business to find you a job and the best way to be actively sought by them, or others, is to already have a job similar to the one they are trying to fill and to be visible in that position. Career counsellors Career counsellors will advise you on how to go about job hunting. They work for you but they are not placement agencies. They will not find you a job but will offer very useful advice and suggestions. Good ones are usually selective. They may want to interview you before taking you on as they will want to be sure you are actively considering your career and are prepared to work on it. You will be wasting your time and money as well as their time if you are not actively going to follow their advice. They will not guarantee you a job or even an interview, and a professional firm will not arrange interviews or place you in a job. As with most organisations, avoid those that employ high pressure sales techniques. Be sure to use ones that will stay with you after you have a new position and that they do not limit their time spent with you. The relationship between you and your counsellor should be private and confidential and with trust on both sides. If you are invited to such an interview, ask to speak to the counsellor. You should be interviewing him as well. Note career counsellors do not reduce the amount of work you have to do neither are they a 'lazymans' solution to finding a job. Most will provide career and job counselling to define realistic objectives for your future career. This can include the use of one or more personality/aptitude tests, assistance in preparing resumes, training in use of job hunting sources and techniques, and training in job interview techniques. These will all be done on a one to one basis. Some of them may also provide support services (office space, telephone, library, typing) As always, beware phonies, ensure they are independent of job placement firms. You should ask them the following questions at the interview. What is their general approach to job hunting? How long have they been in business? How large is their organisation? How many clients do they have and what is their success rate? What are their total fees and what exactly do you get for your money? What are the qualifications and experience of the counsellor? Other sources Other sources of information include trade and professional associations and unemployment offices (although of dubious value, they can suggest companies who are hiring). With professional and trade associations read their membership handbooks, look for people at the appropriate level working in your companies of interest and write to them for advice as described above. Other useful sources, growing in popularity, are Job Fairs. These are usually aerospace, computers and defence companies although now they are expanding into other industries. They are usually after people with limited experience (<10 years) and are very crowded events. However they do give you the opportunity to talk to more than one company and to gather information on others for later use. It is well recommended you attend these if they cover your particular interest. Be prepared, however, for only one really useful interview due to the number of people present .Prepare beforehand and plan on visiting the company you are most interested in when you arrive. Research In a few places above I have mentioned research. What is it and why do you need it? By research, I mean finding out as much information as possible about the industry of your choice, the companies within it and the major people within those companies. Why do you need it? It is very impressive to be able to answer that well-known question that is always asked near the beginning of the first interview "What can you tell me about this company?". The art of 'winning' an interview is to impress them enough that they will make you an offer or, at least, invite you back for another visit. Provide them with a two minute verbal presentation of their achievements, sales records, growth record and product line and you will make a huge impression on them. I can quote a personal example for this case. I attended an interview for a senior management position in an electronics company where I was interviewed by two people, one of whom was the Personnel Manager. As expected one of her first questions was "What can you tell me about this company". I replied with a two minute presentation outlining everything listed above whereupon she admitted she was amazed. I was the fifth person to be interviewed for the position and was the only one to be able to give that information (and, yes, I was offered the position but that is another story...) For any company you are visiting for an interview you should know most of the following a) location of their Head Office b) other major divisional locations and the work done there c) nature of business, products, services and their main clients d) names of senior officials, particularly in your area of expertise e) size of staff at this location f) stock exchange info (particularly for the very senior positions or for the financial side of a company) g) financial info (sales, profitability etc.) h) competitive strength and ranking i) history of company and the particular division j) potential critical problems for the company and the industry k) future developments within the company and the industry There is a lot of information required but fortunately most of it is readily available or can be obtained with little effort if you are prepared. The best source of information is a good large library ;branch libraries unfortunately don't usually have the material. When you get to the library, talk to the librarians, get them on your side. Tell them you are researching a particular industry or company and ask what information they have. Read the better newspapers, directories like Scott or Dun and Bradstreet, trade magazines, corporate directories and books. While you're there investigate newspaper clipping or microfilm libraries. Incidently it is recommended you take a day off from work during the week and be prepared to spend most of the day there, at least the first time you carry out such research. You'll find that during weekends and evenings the library is too crowded and noisy for serious work. From newspapers you can investigate the history of companies and industry and you can identify good prospects. When reviewing adverts in papers, also read the business section, look for companies expanding, winning large orders, even for firms with problems, especially if your skills could help them. Also check the announcements about promotions, personal moves or new appointments. A manager being appointed to head a new department may mean vacancies. Write to him, congratulate him on the appointment, tell him that you are interested in that industry and could you go and talk to him for a few minutes. Tell him you'll phone to arrange the time. Take care to check all companies in a particular industry whilst you are there, and don't forget that large companies in other industries have smaller, less obvious, departments. Thesemight be of interest to you (eg major retailers have transport departments, paint manufacturers have chemical labs.). Check local Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce lists for possible companies. Even telephone directories have their uses. Some libraries have computerised or on-line databases available (Mississauga Square One for example) which can help considerably with collecting references to information. They can be expensive to use but may be worthwhile as a time saver. Always ensure you fully understand how to use the system before trying to use it by yourself. As always, the librarians are extremely helpful. Always make a note of where you got the information from as you may need to return to check it or to search for additional information. A good tip here is to always carry a large notebook or loose leaf binder and use it. In carrying out this research, always bear in mind your goals and ensure your research can help towards achieving them, don't get sidetracked. Whilst most of the information listed above is not required to apply for a position, you will need the information if it looks like an interview is possible so be aware of where you can find it quickly. Whilst on the subject of libraries, don't forget you can always build your own library of newspaper and magazine clippings over time. It will be a great help in preparing for an interview. Other sources of information, often overlooked, are the companies themselves. They will often have annual reports (don't bother with the actual figures too much but ensure you can generally understand them), PR handouts and company newspapers available for the public. Remember that electronics company where I impressed the Personnel Manager I mentioned earlier. I paid them a visit a few days before the interview and asked the receptionist if she had any information available, such as a company newspaper, etc. I left with a copy of the newspaper, three PR handouts on current orders and a sheaf of documents describing their current product line! That was where I got the information from to answer her question. The son of one of my neighbours took this advice to heart. He wanted to work in the aerospace industry and ideally in the sales or marketing department of a particular company. He visited the site one day and asked the receptionist for any information or handouts she may have as he was investigating the industry. She explained she didn't have any such information but if he could wait for a few minutes she would see what she could do. Two minutes later he was talking to their PR manager who couldn't have been more helpful. Since then, he has been for one interview with that company and has been invited back for a second interview for a position in their PR department. If you are investigating a non-profit organisation, then getting useful information can be very difficult. The information required includes name, address and phone number, history and purpose of organisation, sources of funding, governance of the organisation, locations of operations, size of budget, size of staff, problems of the organisation and of the industry in general, future outlook and career paths within the organisation. Since such organisations tend to rely on funding from the general public you can always try phoning them as an interested potential sponsor and ask for an information pack. Cold Calling There are two ways in which cold calling can be done. The first, and most common is to send a letter and resume to a named person asking for information (not a job) then followup by phone. Do not write it to Dear Sir/Madam, the recipient probably won't even bother reading past that line. You must address it to a specific person by name and job title. This is the same method as used above to research a company or industry. In your letter, say that you are interested in working for that industry and could you discuss your plans with him for a few minutes. State in the letter that you will phone him back on a specific day to arrange a suitable time. The other main method of cold calling is to use the phone and talk to the other person. This can work because companies often need people but not enough to warrant the time and expense of a recruitment campaign (remember those 700+ replies...). It has certain advantages over a letter or personal view in that you can hang up if in trouble. Only call companies likely to need your skills and talk to the best person likely to hire you, not to personnel. As always, you need a name, so phone up the receptionist and ask for the name of the Engineering Manager (or whoever). If she asks why you want the information (and all good receptionists should, incidently) explain that you are compiling a list of managers as you need to write to them about a new product for example. If, whilst talking, it is obvious they don't have any vacancies, ask if they are likely to have some in the future. Alternatively, do they know of any elsewhere in the industry? Is there anyone else they know who might be able to help you? (Another member of your network!). Don't bother sending a resume unless there is an actual opening available. Only use this second method if you are completely happy on the phone but it can be fun. Good for telemarketeers, sales and marketing positions as it proves to a potential employer that you are not afraid of the phone. As with everything else you do, record and analyze each phone call afterwards for information and for your mistakes. Note your mistakes and learn how to correct them. 'Advertise' self Another method that you can try is to advertise yourself, but don't make the mistake of appearing to beg for a job. You can advertise in the 'situations wanted' column but the chances of receiving an offer is almost nil. Besides engineering management, my preferred career path, I am interested in recruiting techniques and am considering a position in that field. To 'advertise' myself and to see if I would enjoy working in such a position, I suggested to the sysop of this BBS that what the board needed was a conference aimed at providing advice and suggestions to the many job hunters. This would be, I believe, unique for a BBS. I said that I would moderate it if no- one more suitable could be found. In effect, I persuaded the sysop that she had a vacancy she wasn't aware of and that I could fill it. Other worthwhile efforts for advertising yourself include writing articles for your local paper or trade magazine about your particular industry. Remember, you are trying to put your name in front of possible employers. Try voluntary work, particularly if you are unemployed. I am aware of one person who was laid off over a year ago. She started a campaign of job hunting as outlined here and found that, once it was set up and running, she had some spare time available. She joined one of the bigger charities working a few hours a week and found that one of the other volunteers there was a senior manager with one of the companies she was interested in joining. To cut a long story short, she now works for that company and one of her jobs is to act as the liaison between the company and the charity. Temping, Contracting or Seasonal Jobs Temping, or being employed as a temporary worker, can often be beneficial to those currently unemployed. Many temping jobs can be turned into permanent ones as a 'good' temp becomes well known and is more likely to be offered a job than a complete unknown. My wife, for example, took a temporary job recently making up gifts for a store ready for Christmas and being paid piece work rates. Within two weeks, she was transferred to an hourly rate (which effectively gave her a 20% pay rise). She was given another, formal, payrise a couple of weeks after that and asked if she would like to stay on after Christmas in a full time role. Temping is especially recommended if you have little or no experience in that field or if you are seeking an entry level position particularly in advertising, publishing or broadcasting. It is also useful if your target company isn't hiring yet or if you want to make a major career change. For those, like my wife, who are reentering the labour market after a long absence it gives an ideal introduction to the industry. It can also give a back door into a company and provide you with the opportunity to learn about the company and the industry from the inside. More importantly it can usefully increase your network. An important point, never think temp work is beneath you, make a good job of it, and you may be hired full time. Contracting also offers the same possibilities as temping and is becoming more common now as are the part time and Seasonal jobs. These can have the same benefits as 'temping' although with usually lower wages and lower benefits. Mailshot A mailshot campaign is not recommended as it has a very low success rate and can be very expensive unless you are can target a few companies (<15) at a time. It is usually done by those currently employed who have only limited time available to conduct a fully researched campaign. It has also been used successfully to obtain an entry level position. To be done successfully, however, it requires almost as much research as for a proper job hunting campaign. It is done in three stages:- a) research the target industry as described above, remember you will need names, addresses, product lines, profitability, and recent developments. Identify individuals within suitable companies, ideally your would-be boss or his superior. NEVER apply to personnel. b) write a personal letter to the individual. This can take the same form as described above, ("I am researching the industry and I believe you could be a helpful source of advice." etc) or it can be what I call a salesman's letter, ie, show him he has a problem and then demonstrate the solution, namely yourself. Remember how I got this moderators position? Avoid the standard cliched letters ("I am looking for a job and wonder if you could help me"). Managers receive lots of these letters a week and usually just throw them away unread. Think up something different, something that will catch their eye. You must individually address each letter (No 'Dear Sir/Madam' or, as I saw on one letter, 'To whom it may concern' using good quality paper and envelope, preferably typed or laser printed, (try to avoid 9 pin printers, they look terrible). Avoid using address labels, the letters MUST be personalised. c) send a follow up letter or phone call within two weeks, if phoning keep a copy of the letter in front of you. Target only 10- 15 companies at a time. - * - * - * - Reading these notes, you may receive the impression that it is a lot of hard work just to get another job. In a way, you would be correct. However, if your job hunt is to be successful in this recession, this work is necessary. You'll find that once past the initial stages, it can be fun finding that elusive contact. It can, and will, be disappointing at times. That job which sounds so perfect that the employer is bound to offer it to you without even an interview, forget it. There will be 10 or more applicants equally or better qualified. However, the thrill of being able to talk to a potential employer about a job vacancy he wasn't even aware he had and to persuade him you are right for the job... Finally, do these techniques work? I was laid off over twelve months ago when the company I was working for decided to reduce the size of several departments. Since then, I have had three jobs, all at professional levels. The first one I left because I made a fundamental mistake in not thoroughly checking out the office environment, the other two are consulting positions running concurrently, one in manufacturing and one in software and systems work. I believe they do work.