Seven Acts of Random Courtesy After You Land

As I reflect on my years and experience as a career coach and a mentor I once again am reminded that there is an obligation to return the favor for the kindness and generosity of the network in securing a new gig.  This critical fact hit me like a brick the other day as I reached out to a couple of mentees on their successful landing following their arduous job campaigns. I was woefully disappointed at their lack of response to my message on their new gigs.   The silence was deadening. Their courtesy and good sense seems to have been lost in the shuffle of the new change in their fortunes.

With this in mind, I have highlighted the following acts of courtesy and kindness to consider in the aftermath of a successful conclusion to the journey for a job. It bears remembering that the career you save may be your own.

1. Say thanks.  Express your deep gratitude to those who helped you along the way particularly to those friends and colleagues who gave you leads, tips and advice on your resume, interview style and people and companies to contact.  Also pay attention to those patient folks who listened to your questions, rants, pleas and whines about being unemployed. 

 

2. Pay it forward. Now that you have landed, try to help others who have yet to secure employment.   Please don't ignore their requests.  Remember you were in the same boat without a paddle.  Lend a hand and a kind word or two.

3. Sympathy reigns.  I appreciate that you want to focus your energies on the new job.  You do need to give 150% to validate your value to the new employer. But don't lose sight of the desperation and uncertainty you experienced during unemployment.  If someone asks for your help, be sympathetic.

4. Sustain the network. You have been working your network for months, even years.   Stay the course. You never know when you will be back in the unemployment line again. The fact remains that people have long memories when it comes to kindness or lack thereof.

 

 

5. Remember your roots. Never lose sight of your origins, where you came from and how hard you have worked to get to this place in time.  Friends, colleagues and acquaintances likely will emulate what you have achieved.  Your model of behavior will be an example for others.

6. Update your content.  Keep your platforms and content current.  There is nothing like sending the wrong message by overlooking the need to update your Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, About.me and other platforms on which your profile lives.  Make sure folks know how and where to get in touch.

 

7. Spread the word. Tell your network about your new role and company.  Explain how it occurred and what were the chief factors in your hiring and your acceptance.  Friends, family and colleagues will appreciate the insight.  You will be telling them not just “what” but “why,” highlighting your distinguishing characteristics.  And don’t just inform your friends and colleagues, make sure those with whom you are peripherally connected know about your good fortune.

How to Use Networking to Get Working

There is no debate what so ever, networking is the chief avenue to landing a new job, hands down.  And the plethora of tips, tactics and tricks to network are limitless on the web. Just Google the term networking and you are likely to be inundated with information on how to do it and profit from it.  My cursory search found 127 million inks.   In thinking more deeply about the nature of working your contacts and connections, here are several ideas to get you started to use networking to get working.  So here goes:

Start a group.  Many of the popular social infrastructure platforms have tools to allow you to establish groups so you can gather like minds together in pursuit of common goals, ideas, strategies, friends or virtually anything your intelligent mind can dream up.   In this case though, in addition to virtual groups on LinkedIn or Facebook for example, set up an in-person lunch or dinner group, whereby you get together with colleagues on a monthly basis to collaborate or discuss matters of interest.  It could be a job networking group or a career management group.  The benefits can be many.  The key is consistency, camaraderie and collaboration.

Work your brain.  Sites like LinkedIn, Quora, Facebook, etc., have features that enable you to comment and answer questions from folks that need advice.  And the questions vary widely.  So pick a topic about which you may be a subject matter expert and let loose.  Add as much value as your intellect will allow.  Chances are good that smartly answering the inquirer’s question will be reciprocated in some fashion.  Now don’t expect it to be.  But be aware that adding value to the knowledge stream that is the web often times pays dividends.

Strut your stuff.  “Proof is in the pudding,” as my Grandmother used to say.  Put yourself in the position of demonstrating what you do well.  Volunteer with a non profit for a task or project that gives evidence of your skills and ability.  Perhaps you belong to a membership organization, where there is an opportunity to be on a committee that allows you to strut your stuff.  Is writing a passion or is strategic planning your cup of tea?  If so get busy and use those skills.  In the process you have a stage center role in showing what you can do.  Let others see your value.  Seeing is believing.

Buy coffee.  Yes, buy some coffee, or tea if that is your poison.  Invite someone to have coffee on you.  Look through your network to see if there is someone who works at a company you have targeted for employment.  Write them a note, give them a call, send them an email or even a tweet if that works for you.   Go to your favorite java shop or the closest one to the object of your networking exercise.  Write down some questions you have about how to network your way into the firm.  Ask for advice on your job search, career campaign or other people with whom you can ask for advice.  At the same time, offer your support to them.  Do they have a knotty problem that is keeping them up at night?  Ask about it and offer some concrete ideas to manage the problem. 


Say something nice.  The Web is now crawling with platforms that let you give credit, make kudos, recommend and say something nice about another person.  They run the gambit from Klout, Kred, LinkedIn, PeerIndex Twitter Grader, Connect.me, etc.  Take some time to give credit where credit is due.  Make certain it is honest and authentic.  Recognizing good work by good people is, well, good.  It also conveys to your network that no good deed goes unrecognized.  That said, just remember to never expect to be complemented yourself.  Keep your expectations in check and you will not be disappointed.




Get angry.  Networking is not easy.  It takes a commitment to do it daily.  It is hard work, that is why everyone does not do it.  But for the fortunate few that have the diligence, patience and a kind heart, networking works.  And it is ok to get angry and let out some steam during the job search process.  Take some time to scream, yell and get angry.  Just do it in the privacy of your own home, a deserted beach or empty hallway.  And when you are finished get back to networking or whatever you want to call “shining a spotlight on yourself and the value you can bring to an organization through your terrific skill set, even-keel demeanor and strong work ethic.

Reference Rules of the Road, Rigorous, Reliable, Respectable and Repeatable

So you finally passed muster in the 15 interviews you endured at ABC Company over two weeks.  You are exhausted. You lost about eight pounds, sweated bullets and are in the final throes of that seemingly elusive job offer.  Now comes the hard part.  Who and what references can you provide that will help seal the deal and pave the way towards the job offer that has had you in the waiting room for what appears to be a lifetime.  References are critical to bringing to a close your search for your next gig.
 

So as you compile your list, pay heed to the quality of your references.  Be rigorous in your selection.   Pick colleagues who are reliable, rational and repeatable and by all means respectable.  Here are some rules of the road on reference givers that can help you avoid the potholes that invariably and mysteriously appear on the highway to career contentment. 

1.      Former superiors or bosses.  This is generally a good idea particularly if you have had a good, productive relationship.  It is not advisable if your boss has ever appeared on Fortune magazine’s 10 Toughest Bosses lists or could be categorized as a screamer.  Generally a tough boss may crucify you or simply allow the reference checker to read between the lines.  And this is not always good.  So insure that you select prior superiors with whom you have had a solid relationship.  You would do well to inform them ahead of time and provide guidance on the areas of your job and performance most related to the new position you are hopeful to obtain.

 

2.      Co-Workers.  People with whom you have worked day to day can make excellent references for potential new employers.  Stick with true colleagues who know and appreciate your experience, value and work ethic.  Avoid folks with whom you have only had a casual work relationship.  You will want to stick with people who have shared tough times as well as victories.  Also choose a diverse base of former colleagues from differing job categories so that you portray your ability to easily navigate across the full spectrum of an enterprise. Inform the references ahead of time of potential reference checks and outline those areas on which you may want them to focus.   Encourage them to tell stories of an accomplishment or two.

 

3.      Friends.  This can be tricky.  Friends will always support you and likely convey all the good aspects about you.  But reference checkers generally stay away from friends for obvious reasons.  If you feel compelled, select friends who have known you for a long time.  Friends that may have been exposed to your work habits, academic credentials or volunteer work.  You want friends to be able to address your value and lifetime achievements.  As with other references, let them know in advance that the may be receiving a call and coach them on the job that you are being referenced about.

4.      Family. This is a category of people you would do well to avoid.  Yes, sure, your Mom knows everything about you and she is your biggest fan.  But a potential employer is not going to call your Mom or even your Dad, sister or brother.  Where is the objectivity?  The only circumstance where you may need to use a family member is if you were employed in the family business.  Make this clear to the reference checker or company HR folks.  And of course warn your family of the eventuality and make sure they know about the position you are seeking in advance.

5.      Others not elsewhere classified.  If you are not able to identify a sufficient population of references from the groups above, consider people with whom you have interacted in your life such as a preacher or priest, mentor, college professor, Scout Leader (Girl, Boy or Cub,) guidance counselor, teacher, coach or other professionals who know and respect you.  Avoid your mailperson, milkperson, grocery delivery person, or purloiner of your favorite substance.  These folks generally will not hold sway over your credentials or credibility.  As always, let any of your references know ahead of time of the possibility of an email or phone call about your character and employability.