Number 2, “Social Networking Websites”: Social networking sites are NOT job sites, job boards, or any type of employment site.  Good social networking websites include www.LinkedIn.com there are others that are also effective.  If you do not have a profile on LinkedIn, it is time to create a profile and get involved in social networking online to make professional contacts, collaborate and learn from other professionals, and be found by recruiters.  Creating a profile does NOT mean posting a resume.  Follow the profile guidelines.  Also, look yourself up on www.zoominfo.com to see what you find; zoom aggregates information about people, if you find yourself on zoom, claim your profile and enhance it.  This is where recruiters and employers are looking for candidates, on sites like www.LinkedIn.com and www.zoominfo.com.

At a meeting of the Arizona Search Professionals Association, Dave Knutson, President The Knutson Group, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, talked about changes in the executive search business.  A selling point he uses with companies is that he is able to source “passive candidates”; those professionals and executives whose resumes are not splashed all over the Internet.

He calls them “Non-Lookers” those passive candidates who are employed, who make up 80% of the workforce, and are not found in the online databases or job boards, “nor do they respond to your ads or website postings” according to Knutson.  The candidates that Dave sources for companies go through behavioral assessments, in-depth interviews; and reference check, background, and education verification processes before being presented to a company.

To Dave, an ideal candidate has the following:

• Employed, and not unhappy
• Can do the job
• Not too long at one company
• Location
• Appearance
• Achievements

When a company hires through a recruiter, the fee is often 30% of first year projected compensation.  For a salary of $100,000 with a potential bonus of $40,000 that is a $42,000 fee (30% of $140,000) that the company pays.  For that amount of money, they expect there to be no surprises and that thorough due diligence has been done by the recruiter.

Active job seekers often wonder why they get little response from recruiters. The last thing a recruiter wants to do is find a candidate online, go through the process of qualifying them, present them to the company and then hear that the company already has the person’s resume…..from several sources.

Fortunately, for the active JOB SEEKER, only 10% or so of companies rely upon recruiters.  The job seeker still has opportunity to connect with decision makers and show that they can do the job, often with transferable skills from a different industry!

The most effective job search plan focuses on getting face to face meetings with industry leaders and executives.  Why?  Because more than 70% of hiring occurs without a posted opening or a recruiter being involved, job seekers have huge opportunity to get hired IF they can meet people face to face.

When an employer meets a person face to face and that person has the ability, attitude, attributes, and transferable skills to bring value and meet their needs, they are often hired.

The bottom line for job seekers:  Rather than relying on the internet and recruiters, employ a strategy of getting appointments with people who could potentially hire you or help you; that is how 70% of hiring occurs!

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Unfortunately, there are several things you really do need to address ASAP, and the sooner you take care of them, the smoother your transition will be.

1. Review your separation package: At the termination meeting, your employer should provide you with a folder of information containing specific forms and instructions to review. In addition to details regarding severance payment (and payment for accrued vacation time), your separation package may include information regarding outplacement/ job search assistance services, continuation of insurance benefits (COBRA), 401-K and/or other pension plans, access to employee assistance services and details regarding payment of outstanding bonuses, commissions, profit sharing plans, etc.

Remember it is not always necessary to file all of the papers in your package within the first 72 hours, but it is extremely important that you take the time to review all of the components of your separation package carefully to insure that you receive the maximum benefits being offered to you. If you have any questions regarding your separation package, do not hesitate to contact your employer, accountant or attorney for clarification.

2. Share the news with EVERYONE: It may seem odd to list this as a “must-do” step, because most people will automatically do this without prompting. I know situations where this step was delayed, at least temporarily. As difficult as it may be to share this news, the sooner people know of your situation the sooner and easier it is to get exposure. Putting it off will only make matters worse. Networking has and will continue to become very important in this market. I had a client a month ago inform me of a recent job opening and asked if I knew of any qualified individuals. The day before my dry cleaner was telling me of his brother-in-law who was laid off from a major bank. The position was ironically tailored for someone with his background, a week later he was employed.

You’ll also want to discuss with your spouse the best way to share the news with your children. While you can probably wait a day or two before meeting with your children, thereby giving yourself some time to calm down and gather your thoughts, don’t let weeks go by without sharing the news. Children often have a sixth sense when something is wrong, so letting them know what is happening, in an age-appropriate manner, is vital.

3. Let people know how they can reach you during this transition: One of the problems associated with losing your job, is that you can quickly lose touch with business associates if they no longer know how to get a hold of you. To avoid this problem, immediately send an e-mail to your business associates letting them know your new contact information. While you may want to send a personal note to close contacts, a simple business-like note to the majority of your client list will suffice. You can (and probably should) follow up with a more detailed piece of correspondence a few weeks down the road, but for now you just want to ensure they can reach you in the interim.

4. Rollover your 401k into an IRA: It is important to not miss this step. Many individuals will forget or choose to miss this step. By rolling over your 401k you will save your retirement from being eaten away from associated fees. Some 401k plans, if not active or actively contributed have fees that can slowly nibble away at your retirement.  In addition to plan fees, it is important to take advantage of active management that a professional can offer. Financial advisors can select the proper allocation for your unique situation and help grow and preserve your wealth while anticipating market trends.  Many times the cost of utilizing an investment professional is equal to if not more cost effective than a typical 401k plan.

5.  File for unemployment benefits: The fifth, but by no means least important “must-do” step is to file for unemployment. Granted, you won’t get paid very much, but it is money that you are entitled to and you’d be foolish not to claim it. Don’t let pride stand in your way - this is money you’ve earned fair and square. If it makes you feel any better, be aware that unemployment is funded by employers and the more claims are credited against any one employer, the higher their rate of taxation becomes - a not so subtle way to try to limit the number of layoffs.

Fortunately, filing for unemployment has been simplified in recent years. In many states, you can now file by telephone, removing the stigma of having to stand on long lines at the unemployment office. Once your claim is processed, you’ll be required to call in once a week to keep your account active.

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