October 2020

Every Thursday like clockwork the latest job numbers are reported with follow-up comments. Stocks invariably tumble. I don’t have a magic answer as to how and when things will improve but what I do know is….

While you can’t control most of this, you can decide NOT to get caught up in this weekly ‘gloom and doom’ event. I know dozens of people across different industries who have gotten job interviews and others who are starting new jobs now.

The future of job search will be even less about applying to job boards and more about networking, attending events, joining job support groups and having follow-up conversations with as many people as possible along with a LinkedIn presence.

Sunday is a perfect day to plan out your networking week. That’s what I’m doing again now.

With cup of coffee in hand  I update my networking spreadsheet with my new contacts, how I met them and what my next steps will be with each. It takes an hour or so but listening to great ’60s music keeps me going.

Then, while suffering through another Giants game (maybe this week will be different) I’ll start winding down.

In the evening, I’ll list my planned weekly networking activities along with what I hope to accomplish at each.

You may not consider this part of networking or job search, but it’s just as important as preparing for an interview or updating your resume.

What are you doing to prepare for the week ahead?

Texting during job search is more acceptable now than a few years ago. Between an email overload and trying to get messages into a filled voicemail, you should be using every avenue to follow-up.

You could text to

* Ask about connecting
* Ask for more information about a job spec
* Reschedule a meeting you’ve set up
* Follow-up on your status for a job you applied to

I’m starting to see articles like these which suggest the proper etiquette for a recruiter.

I believe texting, if not abused by either job seeker or recruiter, should be part of your follow-up

Some quick do’s and dont’s

Do:

• Keep it short. Long messages are hard to read on a mobile screen. If you need to go into more detail, email or phone would be better. As a rule of thumb, follow the 140-character tweet length limit to ensure your messages are brief.
• Keep it professional. Texting is a more casual way of communicating, but you should still keep it professional. Emojis, abbreviations and slang are off limits.  Before hitting ‘send,’ double-check your message for grammar and spelling errors. Also, double-check who you’re texting, to ensure you’re contacting the right person,

Don’t:

• Text on first contact. If this is the first time you contact a recruiter, text messaging probably isn’t the best option. You might be asked who you are and how you got their number. They might even perceive your mobile approach as intrusive.