By Lance Winslow
The other day, I was talking to two individuals at Starbucks.
Both had been looking for a job for a number of weeks, and one had
secured a job and the other one had not. One was using online social
networking and contacting friends online to try to find a job, while the
other had gone out and literally went door to door in business
districts until they had found their job. Why do you think this is?
Well, let's talk about this for a few moments shall we?
You see, door-to-door job hunting still works, and if you have a highly experienced skill, you should probably make a list of all the companies in your area, their vendors, and the other types of businesses in that industry sector and go and talk to each one individually. You can't just talk to one or two, or expect to send an e-mail and get hired these days. Trying to use social networking might be wise, but if you are looking for something locally, you have to get out and go see these companies personally.
This reality shouldn't surprise anyone, as the same thing is true when you go out and do sales. You can spend lots of time on the phone, but eventually you have to get out in the field to meet and greet. I thought it was rather funny that one person had complained that no one is hiring, while the other individual got hired because they were doing the footwork in the real world not playing around online talking to their friends on social networks, and every so often mentioning that they were looking for a job.
Victory goes to the bold in military battles, and it is usually the working actor the gets the biggest parts. They'll sit around and wait for a big part in a major movie, they get out there and start working, taking any job they can, and they are networking in the real world, not hanging out and waiting for opportunity to knock on their door, because it usually won't.
This I suppose is a very good lesson for the up-and-coming generation who thinks they can do everything online. The online world of social networking can be a tool for business or for job opportunity seekers, but it is not the "be all end all" nor should anyone believe that it is. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it - then act accordingly.
You see, door-to-door job hunting still works, and if you have a highly experienced skill, you should probably make a list of all the companies in your area, their vendors, and the other types of businesses in that industry sector and go and talk to each one individually. You can't just talk to one or two, or expect to send an e-mail and get hired these days. Trying to use social networking might be wise, but if you are looking for something locally, you have to get out and go see these companies personally.
This reality shouldn't surprise anyone, as the same thing is true when you go out and do sales. You can spend lots of time on the phone, but eventually you have to get out in the field to meet and greet. I thought it was rather funny that one person had complained that no one is hiring, while the other individual got hired because they were doing the footwork in the real world not playing around online talking to their friends on social networks, and every so often mentioning that they were looking for a job.
Victory goes to the bold in military battles, and it is usually the working actor the gets the biggest parts. They'll sit around and wait for a big part in a major movie, they get out there and start working, taking any job they can, and they are networking in the real world, not hanging out and waiting for opportunity to knock on their door, because it usually won't.
This I suppose is a very good lesson for the up-and-coming generation who thinks they can do everything online. The online world of social networking can be a tool for business or for job opportunity seekers, but it is not the "be all end all" nor should anyone believe that it is. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it - then act accordingly.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Career Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net