Part 12 (1/2)
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A WAR STORY.
Jim Reil
In the mid-1980s, my cousin Randy Smith graduated from the theater program at the University of Victoria. He wanted to be a director, not an actor. He directed a few small productions in Victoria but then what? How could he start the kind of career he wanted?
In a newspaper, he read that the great American theater and opera director Robert Wilson was staying at the Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver, a ferry ride from Victoria. So Randy called the front desk and asked for Robert Wilson's room. He was put through, and Robert Wilson answered the phone. Randy said something like, ”Mr. Wilson, I just graduated from theater studies and I want to study with you because you are the greatest living director in the world. I will do anything that needs doing so I can learn from you.” A pause. Then Wilson said something like, ”I've never got a call like this before. The answer is yes.”
A short time later, Randy was on his way first to Italy and then to Germany, where Wilson was directing. Everyone who knew Randy was astonished. He was a shy, quiet person. But he had a great pa.s.sion for theater and knew that it was his vocation. He ended up in senior management at the Vancouver Opera. His story will always be an inspiration to me.
Compliments of Jim Reil,
LOGISTICS-BUILDING YOUR WAR ROOM
Next to knowing what kind of job you want, there is nothing more important than being organized. You will need to compile research, track your job leads, schedule calls, follow up your interview activities, and send correspondence. While this may not sound like much, it is a lot to keep track of, and if you misplace or lose information, it could cost you your dream job.
Here is what I suggest. First, find a s.p.a.ce in your home where you can be out of everybody else's way-an area that you can get other family members to agree is yours and yours alone. Having said that, I must add that the lack of s.p.a.ce is no excuse for failure.
When I started looking for my second job, I was working full-time 50 to 70 hours per week. My works.p.a.ce was the dining-room table in my d.i.n.ky little apartment-until my best friend needed a place to stay. After he showed up, I put a filing cabinet in the trunk of my car with all my doc.u.ments and resumes and a suitcase with 2 suits, 4 s.h.i.+rts, and 2 matching ties. I landed 14 interviews and 13 offers in a 4-week period.
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It lets you manage a serious job search-while you focus on feeding your opportunity funnel. Very Guerrilla (/signup.php).* Natsjobs.com: This is a must-have applet. This is a must-have applet. Natsjobs.com searches over 328,173 web sites, including corporate, government, and major job boards in North America looking for unique jobs that suit your parameters. It then e-mails them to you so you can spend your time applying for jobs and not surfing the net looking. Think about it. Try to track 100 of your favorite companies. If you spend just 3 minutes per company, that's 5 hours a day-time you should be spending in interviews, not surfing ( searches over 328,173 web sites, including corporate, government, and major job boards in North America looking for unique jobs that suit your parameters. It then e-mails them to you so you can spend your time applying for jobs and not surfing the net looking. Think about it. Try to track 100 of your favorite companies. If you spend just 3 minutes per company, that's 5 hours a day-time you should be spending in interviews, not surfing ().* Google Local: Google Local: Do you hate to commute? Want to relocate? If where you work is as important as whom you work for, you can limit your job search to a specific location. Google can help. At Do you hate to commute? Want to relocate? If where you work is as important as whom you work for, you can limit your job search to a specific location. Google can help. At local.google.com you can search for employers and businesses in a specific area. Simply type in a business name or industry, as well as your city (the more specific the better). Example: ”advertising agencies near Detroit, MI.” Take this string complete with the ”” and put it into Google local. Always leave in the word ”near” but play around with keywords and the city or address. you can search for employers and businesses in a specific area. 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News search engines automatically collect stories from thousands of sites on the Internet. They then cl.u.s.ter the stories and photos into an online magazine format. It is like having CNN right on your desktop, but you get to decide what you want to see. The top news search engines are: Keep on top of breaking news on your desktop. News search engines automatically collect stories from thousands of sites on the Internet. They then cl.u.s.ter the stories and photos into an online magazine format. It is like having CNN right on your desktop, but you get to decide what you want to see. The top news search engines are:- Google News ( Google News (news.google.com)- Yahoo News ( Yahoo News (news.yahoo.com)- Alta Vista News ( Alta Vista News (/news/)- All the Web News ( All the Web News ()- MSN News ( MSN News (msnbc.msn.com)* Google Alerts: Google Alerts: Even more impressive for my money are Google Alerts, Even more impressive for my money are Google Alerts, a service a service available at available at /alerts/. Essentially, these are updates delivered by e-mail once a day based on information you tell Google to watch for. Use it like the job board agents to establish daily feeds of the information you need. It's a fundamental tool and it's free.* eVoice: eVoice: Need a telephone number you can always rely on for free? Want to have a number in a different city because you're moving and employers will screen you out if they think they have to pay for your relocation? Want a phone your thoughtful children or roommate can't tie up? Then you need eVoice. Did I mention it'll deliver messages to your desktop ( Need a telephone number you can always rely on for free? Want to have a number in a different city because you're moving and employers will screen you out if they think they have to pay for your relocation? Want a phone your thoughtful children or roommate can't tie up? Then you need eVoice. Did I mention it'll deliver messages to your desktop ()?* Grand Central: Grand Central: if you're on the go and live on your cell, then you need to check out if you're on the go and live on your cell, then you need to check outby Google. It's your one-stop solution as a guerrilla job hunter: voicemail, e-mail, and a whole lot more to your cell phone. by Google. It's your one-stop solution as a guerrilla job hunter: voicemail, e-mail, and a whole lot more to your cell phone.
GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE.
Guerrilla Googling and the Job Hunter's Dashboard Amitai Givertz
Google's search engine has become an indispensible tool for everyone who spends any amount of time online. In the hands of a highly motivated operative, Google can be a job seeker's most powerful weapon.
When Google's various products and services are integrated for the single purpose of landing a job, that's ”Googling.” Using Gmail for sending off resumes; Google Docs for writing cover letters; Google Calendar for rescheduling the latest sorry-something-just-came-up-can-we-reschedule-the-interview-for-next-week-speaking-too-fast-to-catch-my-number-click is at best, ho-hum.
But when those same tools are applied for the sole purpose of gaining a compet.i.tive advantage to ensure your job search goals are attained, that's ”Guerrilla Googling.” What's more, while potentially quite dangerous, it's also a lot of fun.
Your Job Hunter's Dashboard Guerrilla Googling is about replicating the enemies' process and systems to gather and monitor actionable intelligence so they can be engaged on the battleground of your choosing. All that is needed is a computer with Internet access and resolute determination.
A carefully chosen alias and pa.s.sword will give you access to your Job Hunter's Dashboard, a command-and-control center, if you will. And because Google is providing the platform, conceivably you could conduct your job search in places as far flung as the Smokin' Sadhu Cyber Cafe, Katmandu, or closer to home in the Kansas City Library.
Here are the first steps for getting your Dashboard up and running:1. Create a Google account. Because we will be using this account for covert operations, choose an innocuous user name that cannot be traced back to you.2. Register for the following services: iGoogle, Gmail, Google Reader, Google Docs, Notebook, Talk, and Google Sites. Other products and services will be added later.3. If you'll be using a personal computer, you should also download the Google Toolbar and Google Desktop.4. While you're at it, if you are not already using the Firefox browser, you should be. Firefox has a number of very useful extensions that will enhance your experience. Gmail s.p.a.ce, GMarks, Integrated Gmail, Google Date Keeper, and other add-ons will give you significantly improved results.
Next, sign into iGoogle where you'll see that everything you'll need to create a customizable homepage has been provided.
By configuring the various gadgets that are publicly available with some of our own creation, an innocuous iGoogle page can be transformed from something that's cool to something that is a mission-critical technology-your Job Hunter's Dashboard!
Armed with the same expertise as a top-notch recruiter, you can now wreak havoc by doing things like inserting yourself in the recruiting process before the recruiter even knows there is an opening coming down the pike.
Of course, we haven't discussed how to use Google Sites or Google Base to make your online resume easier for recruiters to find or how to text a recruiter who rarely, if ever, gets a resume delivered to his or her mobile.
We haven't discussed how to use Google for a soup-to-nuts direct marketing campaign or how to back up your most important files using your Gmail account. And we haven't mentioned yet that, with the exception of $0.51 paperback, all of this can be done without spending a dime.
Because all this and more can be achieved using a single Google account, and a well-managed command-and-control center, I hope you'll find some reason to explore these possibilities further.
Jump online and visit jobhunters.g-recruiting.com when you have a few minutes to spare. There you'll find a number of easy-to-follow tutorials that will guide you through the setup and configuration of your dashboard. You'll also find shortcuts and off-the-shelf gadgets that will save you time and effort as you get started. when you have a few minutes to spare. There you'll find a number of easy-to-follow tutorials that will guide you through the setup and configuration of your dashboard. You'll also find shortcuts and off-the-shelf gadgets that will save you time and effort as you get started.