JOBTALKS Direct Job Search Indiana University Kelley School of Business C. Randall Powell, Ph.D

JOBTALKSJOBTALKS

Direct Job Search

Indiana UniversityKelley School of BusinessC. Randall Powell, Ph.D

In a 1973 study, the average MBA spent 175

hours in the job search between

September and April

Introduction 1

You can't get by on a mere 6 hours per week devoted to your job search

Introduction 2

Direct Job

Search

Graph 1

Graph 2

To be effective:

– You MUST follow up with a phone call

– Don't send these "To whom it may concern" or "Personnel Department"

Direct Mail

The best methods:– Ask the receptionist– Check Dun's Reference Book of

Corporate Managements or Owners and Officers of Private Companies

– Ask a networking contact or a faculty member

– Check the Placement Office's Directory of Employers

Getting The Name

– Call the Placement Office's main contact for that company– Talk to someone who sells to or buys from that company– Ask an executive recruiter, placement agency, or member

of the local placement or trade association– Check the local Chamber of Commerce Directory or local

Trade Association Directory– Contact investor relations, corporate operator or public

relations

Getting The Name

Don't worry about getting the name on the first go round

Get the name of someone who works for that company and ask that person for the name

Getting The Name

The name you are shooting for should be the decision maker

– Get the proper spelling, the right address, and the right title

Getting The Name

It's pretty easy to say "Call the decision maker after you send your letter," but it's a whole lot different when you have to make the call

The Phone Call

Cold Calling is defined as:– Calling without any introduction or

forewarning other than a cover letter

For a sales representative, 100 cold calls result in 3 to 7 sales interviews

Cold Calling

To get the best effect of cold calling warm the call

– Get the name before you call– Get introduced before you call

Warming the Cold Call

The toughest step is determining whom you should call first

Traditionally, counselors have said to seek the decision maker

– Excellent for selling small items– Different sales cycle needed for

bigger, long-term items such as people

Who to Call?

First find someone who is receptive

Point ofDissatisfaction

Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception

Focus of Receptivity Flowchart

Get your point of reception to help you find the point of dissatisfaction--someone who has the problem and needs a solution


Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception


Gather Information

1. Ask questions about the organization 2. Ask about problems


Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception


3. Make the problem into an implication question

"Does having an untrained staff result in the loss of customers or orders?"


Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception


4. Make it into a need-payoff question

"Would having a training specialist on staff increase the effectiveness of your staff and result in more revenues?"


Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception


Your final stop should be the point of authority

– If you have done a good job preparing your point of dissatisfaction, the person who is your "Point of Reception" will do most of the selling for you


Leadsyouto

Point ofAuthority

Leadsyouto

Point ofReception


You are constantly put off by the receptionist or secretary, what do you do next?

There are two general tactics for handling this:

– Go through the secretary– Go around the secretary

More Phone Tips

Entrails using all your charm– You will be successful on 90% of your calls if you

establish rapport with the secretary– Be pleasant– Ask for and use the secretary's name– Put a smile in your voice--use a mirror

Remember, phones reduce your energy level by 30%

Going Through the Secretary

Tell her what you're doing and ask for assistance

"I'm a recent graduate from Indiana University and I am seeking some information on a career in brand management. Tony Smith from Budco gave me Alex's name as an excellent source for assistance."

Going Through the Secretary

– Be complementary

– Ask for assistance

– Act like you know what you're doing

Other Methods

Requires the instincts of a spy

Call at times when the secretary is not likely to be there

– Before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m.– During lunch– On weekends

Going Around the Secretary

Call another department and ask them to transfer you

Do some phone sliding.– If the number to the switchboard is

555-2300, try 555-2310 or 2320


Call from the top down

– Call the president or CEO and ask who you need to speak to

– Then, when you call the head of marketing, let the secretary know "Mr. Bigg's office referred me to Ms. Smith."


– Always ask, "Is this a good time?"– Never rush into what you have to say– Tape your intended conversation and listen to

your voice– Deal in positives rather than negatives

Other Tips

Be Prepared

There is an old saying among sales people: ad lib's are for amateurs

Prepare a script of the things you want to say

Making the Sale

Get AttentionCreate Interest

Generate DesireAsk for Action

Use AIDA

– Goal #1: To set up an interview (either informational or job) with this person

– Goal #2: To get names of individuals who might be able to either help me or hire me

– Goal #3: To set up another time to talk with this person

Have a Hierarchy of Goals

Get the prospect saying "YES"

Phrasing Questions

Be alert for buy signs

– "Where did you get your experience in marketing?"

Buy Signs

You may run into objections:

– "You are looking for too high a salary."– "We don't need anyone right now."– "We need someone with more experience."

Objections

Determine if the objection is sincere, ask:

"Why is that?"

If more than one objection is voiced, segregate them

Overcoming Objections

Never jump instantly into disagreeing about an objection.

First agree with the manager's concern:– "Yes, MBAs are generally paid well above entry level

salaries and that can create a bit of 'sticker shock' for those who are new to interviewing them. However, many of the top companies in the country--the same ones you are trying to compete with--have spent a great deal of time to hire these very people."

Overcoming Objections

Avoid the "Yes, but..." response.

Developing Interest and Desire

How would you handle these objections:

– "You don't have enough experience for the position."

– "We are overstaffed right now."

What Would You Do?

Include both buy signs and objections and how to handle the most common of each.

Practice your pitch.

Develop Your Script

"Good morning, Ms. Davis. My name is Robin Cook and I'm an MBA in Marketing from Indiana University with an extensive background in manufacturing. Have I caught you at a good time?""Well, sure."

Getting Attention

Never at a "bad" time

Getting Attention

"In my four years in production and product design at PDQ Industries, I led our account support team in bringing in over $2 million in new business. In the highly ranked MBA program at Indiana, I learned first hand the ways manufacturers and their customers are working together to make a better product--through two on-site consulting projects. In essence, Ms. Davis, I have gained the practical and theoretical skills needed to be successful in manufacturing marketing. I am looking for the leader in the industry and everyone points me

toward XYZ and I agree. Are these the accomplishments you look for in your staff?"



Well, quite often they are. What did you do for PDQ?"

"I worked on the team involved in producing and marketing the X420 Widget. What types of experience are you looking for, Ms. Davis?"

Short Answer Followed by a Question

Digging for Info

Buy Signal

"Usually I want 4 to 6 years in manufacturing plus some sales experience. How much experience do you have?"

Buy Signal

Buy Signal "I spent 4 years with PDQ in

manufacturing with my last 8 months of that spent working directly on the sales support team. I fit right in with what you're looking for, Ms. Davis, don't you agree?"

Pushing for Action

Presuming a "Yes"

"The one other skill I really need that I didn't mention was the ability to function well in teams."

Pushing for Action

"Well, Ms. Davis, as I mentioned my entire time at PDQ was spent in teams and I thrived on it. It sounds like we have a lot in common to talk about. I'll be in Cincinnati on Tuesday and would like to meet with you to discuss XYZ. Would morning or afternoon be better for you?"

Get names of people who can help you in your job search

– "What other divisions of your company might be looking for someone with my skills?"

– "Who could you recommend that would be willing to spend a few minutes helping me learn more about the industry?" "May I use your name?"

When All Else Fails…

Always follow-up with a thank you letter.

If the conversation was positive, include a resume with a line mentioning "I know you aren't looking for anyone with my skills currently, but if you hear of someone..."

Follow-Up

About 14% of jobs are obtained through ads

All but 1.7% are local ads– Employers aren't moving people

across country--they are finding them locally

Answering Ads

To make the best of ads, do whatever you can to avoid the "mail drop" where all resumes go

To avoid the crunch of resumes, find the name of the person who would likely be the boss and send your resume direct

Avoid the “Mail Drop”

A high majority of positions are filled locally

One company got 1600 resumes in response to an ad--they automatically eliminated all resumes not from the local area

– Have your resume mailed locally– get a post office box in your target cities– Use a friend's address

If You are Not a Local

Drop off your resume personally the day the ad comes out

Companies who advertise are often looking for someone right away

Getting your resume there first might get you called that day

Attention Getters

Blind ads do not have a company name listed

– Narrow the list of possible companies down "Major manufacturer of elevator parts with $4.5

billion in worldwide sales"– Send a resume and cover letter to each of the

companies after finding the name and title of the person most likely to be the boss

– Don't mention the ad at all

Blind Ads

If you wish to find out who the employer is for a blind ad

– Send a friend's resume (with his or her permission)– See what company responds

Many blind ads are placed to gather information

Identifying The Company

Other Sources of Job Leads

Not really skilled in the college graduate market

Useful for networking and gaining information

Government Agencies

Useful for working with a large number of companies at once

Position Databases

A gold mine of information– Find one in a targeted area with a

program similar to yours– Check out their listing of companies– Check out their posted job openings– Some will provide you with a job

listings newsletter

Other University Placement

Offices

These are great places for networking

– Check their catalog for faculty who went to your undergraduate or graduate program

Universities and Colleges

Check out – the Chamber of Commerce– the local Industrial Development

Commission– local Trade Associations– most have directories of memberships– Check the local libraries

Local Chamber of Commerce and Other

Organizations

– Check the federal government offices such as Small Business Administration or Federal Trade Commission

– Talk to someone in these types of offices--they know who is growing, who is in financial trouble, who are the movers and shakers

Local Chamber of Commerce and

Other Organizations

A new phenomenon in Job hunting

Many of these are connected through the Internet and other similar networks

Computer Bulletin Boards and Networks

Ones out there now include:– A federal government bulletin board for

employment– Local bulletin boards on job hunting– University placement offices– Technical groups' posting system for

resumesMany of these specialize in technical positions

Computer Bulletin Boards and Networks

– Set aside blocks of time to make phone calls, write letters, and do research

– Keep detailed records– Maintain an index card for each

company or person you contact– If you answered an ad, tape that to an

index card and keep track of your actions

Organization for the Direct

Job Search

Job hunting alone can be very discouraging

You can't get down on yourself or you will create a self-fulfilling prophesy

"You can't convince others of your worth if you don't feel good about yourself"

Keep a Positive Attitude

Direct Job Search

If you would like to If you would like to learn more, learn more, Career Career Planning StrategiesPlanning Strategies textbook will supply textbook will supply additional information additional information on this topic.on this topic.

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JOBTALKS Direct Job Search Indiana University Kelley School of Business C. Randall Powell, Ph.D