Posts Tagged ‘Job Providers’

These days looking for work can require a certain amount of creativity. Not only are the jobs harder to find but also the market is saturated with other people competing for what jobs there are. On top of the fact that with today’s ever evolving use of social networking and technology new jobs are being created every day as well as new ways to find people to do them.

This is why you should always have a job search plan that goes beyond the old job board and newspaper ads. If your reading this blog, it should be safe to assume that you’ve already taken the initial steps in setting up an online presence. You’re on Facebook; maybe Twitter and you have a profile on LinkedIn. If not, you should head over there and do those things now.

I think it’s also safe to assume since you’re here hanging out on Ntroduction.com you’re familiar with the networking services we provide here. And again, if you’re not go check it and come back. Its ok, I’ll wait.

Since you have the basics down here a list of how you can use social networking to put you ahead of the game when it comes to competing for the job.

• Facebook- if you suddenly find yourself in need of work one of the first things you should do is put the word out to families and friends on Facebook. You never know who know someone who’s retiring or an opening that will be coming up soon. People won’t no to give you a heads up if they don’t know you’re looking. But take it to the next level, become a fan of companies who are in your field and that you’d like to work with. Be active on their page. Also think about paying for an ad. A few folks have had success with purchasing ads for themselves and targeting the ads for people and companies in the area their looking for work.
• Focus on LinkedIn- One of the cool things about you using the job search function on LinkedIn is that you can sort it by “relationship.” So that jobs you already have a connection with show up on top. This is one of the most important reasons to keep your LinkedIn network growing. Join groups that fit your interests and your field. Also, every time you meet someone new in real life or online find him or her on LinkedIn.
• Brand yourself – Get a blog and create a YouTube account. A blog is a great way to enhance your online network and allow people to get the chance to know you better. You can set something up on Wordpress.com for free with little effort. There you can also create a page for your resume and to list references. On your YouTube account (which you should link to your blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter accounts). Leave regular videos explaining what you have to offer or even examples of what you do and why you’re the best. Make a video resume. Stand out.
• Look somewhere else – If you’re not having any luck finding work in your chosen field, think about choosing another field. Sometimes when you find yourself looking for work and closing one chapter of your life, it’s fate’s way of telling to start a whole new book.

As always, good luck!

Though there will probably never some a time when job boards, newspaper want ads and employment agencies will ever become obsolete, the fact remains that in this day and age the true key to getting a job is who you know. Of course there has always been a lot of stock in that ideology since the beginning of time, but now who you know is really the name of the game when you’re playing the job hunt shuffle.

Research and studies are showing that not only are job seekers looking more at their online and real life network to find their next job, but employers are looking more to other employees or other personal referrals when looking to fill open positions.

Jeremiah Owyang of Web Strategy did a 5-part series based on a survey he took recently titled, “Jobs in a Recession.” In the first series of results Owyang found that of the all the respondents that had found work since September 2008 (when the recession started) 43% found those jobs through their immediate online network of friends, colleagues, alumni, or family. This is why many insiders and corporate insiders recommend devoting the majority of your job search time to networking.

The same can also be said for companies looking to hire, who trust a good referral more than a generic reference. This is why so many companies are either implementing new employee referral plans or building on plans that already exist.

A recent article on Martketwatch.com talked about just that. According to the article a good majority of positions are never even advertised because companies are choosing to rely on employee recommendations instead.

Companies such as Prudential and Vistaprint both offer lucrative employee referral programs. This benefits the company, who is hiring based on a trusted recommendation, the new hire, and of course the employee who made the recommendation who is not only helping the company succeed, but also making some quick cash in the process.

Prudential’s program offers $500 and $2,500 for each successful referral, depending on the job level. Vistaprint has the “Everyone Here is a Recruiter” program, which offers employees not only a home theater system for the employee with the most referrals hired, but also a $1,500 referral award for each successful hire. It’s no wonder that 48% of Vistaprint’s new hires in 2008 came from employee referrals.

This is a big part of the theory behind Ntroduction as well. With the majority of new hires coming from personal referrals, it’s important to know the right people. Be sure and check out our leads or list you own and see how YOUR network might work for you.

US News and World Report released its list of the Top 50 Careers for 2010. It was an interesting list that included five categories with 10 jobs in each. The jobs were chosen based a few factors. Pay scale, growth rate and of course educational requirements. Though a few of the jobs listed were no real surprise (Biomedical, environmental and computer software engineers) there were a few that I wouldn’t have guessed.

So here are a few of the more obscure or unexpected top jobs for 2010 hand picked from US New World Report’s list of the top 50. One job from each of the five categories. Science & Technology, Healthcare, Education & Civic, Creative Service, and Business & Finance.

• Meteorologist-Science & Technology- Though we all might first picture our local weatherman when we think meteorologist, the fact is the majority work for the National Weather Service. With Climate change and global warming becoming bigger issues each day it’s no surprise that jobs for meteorologists are expected to increase by about 15%. Meteorologists can move own to starting there own weather consulting firms or working in the private sector for research firms. The median salary is $81,000 not too shabby. To be a meteorologist you need a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology or at least chemistry or physics. To focus more on the research aspect of meteorology you’ll need your PHD.
• School Psychologist-Healthcare- Of the handful of healthcare positions mentioned, this one stuck out the most. School Psychologists is a career that’s expected to increase by 11%. Certainly more stressful than meteorology, becoming a school psychologist would mean obtaining a specialist degree, which most schools require. That would be on top of three years of graduate school. The median salary is $64,140 but could rise considerably if you start your own practice. Stressful, yes, but a job that would enable to truly help many children in need.
• Clergy-Education And Civic- This was one of the more surprising mentions on the list. And there was no real explanation as to why the growth in the Clergy. There is an expected increase of about 13% across the board.  Pay, opportunities and schooling require varies heavily depending on the church. Smaller congregations have the largest need but the smallest salary. Methodists and Catholic churches have the larger salaries and career paths. The room for growth also depends on the church and congregation. Education requirements for the clergy vary from needing a Masters n Theology to no previous education at all. Once again, depends on religion and church. Maybe the stressful economic times have created a growing need for clergy.
• Plumber-Creative & Service- So this is not usually on any list of top careers. In fact most people would not likely consider being a plumber very glamorous. But if the standard for a dream career is a steady work with a stable paycheck, than the Plumbing industry should top every list. With an expected increase of 15% and a median salary of about 45,000 to 79,000 it’s not a bad choice to make. While some people attend tech schools or community college, many plumbers find their way through on the job training or apprenticeships. Opportunities are large, as any successful plumber can eventually start his own business with an even larger income potential.
• Actuary- Business & Finance- Many of you may be starring blankly at your computer screen wondering what the heck is an actuary? Generally actuaries are most often found working for insurance providers and their job is to “evaluate the likelihood of events and quantify the contingent outcomes in order to minimize losses, both emotional and financial, associated with uncertain undesirable events.” Sound a little boring? Maybe. But with a median salary of $85,000 and an expected growth rate of 21% over the next decade, it’s wouldn’t take an actuary to figure out it’s a safe career to move into. In fact most Actuaries start at 56,000 right out of college. Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries offers certification programs and you would most likely need a bachelors degree in mathematics, statistics, economics or even actuarial science (if you’re local school offers it).

Maybe not the most glamorous of career choices but glamour isn’t exactly topping anyone’s list of needs as 2009 comes to a close. Check out these careers as well as the rest of US News and World Report’s list of top careers. Maybe you’ll find the perfect match for you in 2010.

Once you do be sure and update that resume and prepare for that interview! Before you know it you’ll be spending 2010 doing a job you love.

Good Luck and Happy New Year!

Earlier this week we posted Tips for updating your Resume.  Well of course you did! And now you’re updated and snazzy new resume has landed you the interview you’ve been hoping for. Now what?

Well now it’s time to prep for that interview to make sure you charm you’re way into that new job. What a way to start 2010, right? Take some time and review these steps for preparing for your next job interview.

• Do your homework! Always make sure you read up on the company before you go in for the interview. It will give you a huge edge to be armed with knowledge about the company you’re applying for.  The beauty of Google is that you have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.
• Dress for success. You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s always important to remember not to show up to an interview in jeans and a tennis shoes.
• Attitude is everything. If you walk in confident with a positive attitude it will show and set the tone of the entire interview.
• Ask questions. Nothing shows that you’re interested in the job more than asking questions about the company and the job you’re interviewing for.
• Follow Up. Always, always, always send a follow up email, letter, or phone call after an interview. It can sometimes be the final act that will help you win the job over another candidate.

Good luck!

You’ve done it! Congratulations, you’ve ut up your first listing on Ntroduction! You’ve already read the steps you should take leading up to craeting your first introfduction on Ntroduction, but now you’ve already got a repsonse. What next?

Well, that’s why we’re here. Read through these simple steps that will take you through how to make the most of your repsonse and real life introductions once they start rolling in.

After your Introduction proposal is listed:

• As soon as you list the introduction proposal, matching introductions are shown – feel free to respond to them.
• Respond to inquiries promptly with details for each and every question. For example: If the inquiry is about how many people are involved to make the decision, respond back to them clearly with ‘there will be 3 primary decision makers and 3 influencers – I will be providing an introduction to one of the key decision makers.”
• If you are in or around the neighborhood of the matching Seeker or Provider, meet with them in person – you never know, they can probably help you in future (we will provide a separate blog on what to discuss when you meet the matching seeker or provider in person).  At the very least, discuss how frequently you want to keep in touch.
• Always make sure you exchange your contact information and follow up to find out more about the opportunity.
• Remember, in order for the deal to close, introductions made (whether you are seeking or providing) can take a little time. Discussions between key players as well as putting heads together will have to happen first.
• You should always respond to inquiries within 5-7 days. A delay in response to inquiries can be deemed as not serious or really interested in the introduction.

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge that you need to make the most of Ntroduction, get out there and do it! And always feel free to contact us or even leave a question here on the blog if you have any questions. Good luck!

One of the great things about Ntroduction is how in can help you make the most of an otherwise bad situation, namely being laid off. Just because you’re no longer employed at a company doesn’t mean that you can’t turn your experience and the contacts you’ve made into something positive or even another opportunity.
That’s where Ntroduction steps in. Maybe it’s time you think about using the contacts you’ve made to help someone make an introduction and help you make a profit in the mean time.

This is part one of two posts that will help you through the steps you need to take before and after making an introduction through Ntroduction. Part one will list the steps you should follow before listing an introduction:

• Make a list of friends in your own department and related departments. In this list, create a smaller list of very close friends.
• Meet with them for lunch or call them and propose the idea of Ntroduction in this meeting and how you can help find suitable candidates for their business.
• Make sure that you let them know that you are not getting paid from the company but from the candidate through Ntroduction.com if the candidate gets hired.
• Keep in touch with them once every other week at least with a simple email “Hi, I am touching bases with you to see if you have any current needs. Simply reply back to this email with details about any positions you are in need of filling and I will try to find the candidate that is right for you – Thanks!”
• You can probably do this with your close friends at other companies – after all you have the experience and skills.
• Be clear when you place your listing with Ntroduction who you want to meet, what you need (Tax Director Job or Accepted Vendor at Fortune 500 company), when you want it and what is your differentiator from others preferably a strong opening statement that raises interest to respond back to you.
• Keep the details about your or your companies accomplishments simple and detailed – preferably bullet points.
• Clearly explain what you will do to them in future if the introduction is successful. For example “I know several finance auditors at Fortune 500 with financial service experience and can provide introductions as well as opinions when needed”
• Clearly explain how you want to provide introduction or seek introduction – whether you want to meet people face-to-face or would an email or phone be sufficient.

Now you’re ready to list an introduction, so go for it! Be sure and subscribe to the Ntroduction blog so you can follow up with the second post in this series to find out what to do AFTER you’ve made your introduction.

There are dozens of social networks out there and all of them have something to offer you. Though each and every one of these social networking can vary to some extreme degrees there is one thing they all have in common. They are all there to help you build a network. Networks not only help rebuild old friendships but nurture new ones. And that goes for connections related to your line of work as well.

One of the greatest parts of having a large social network is how strong and how much it can help you when you least expect it. One of the most important things to remember about building a social network is that it doesn’t grow over night. So it’s important to work at it everyday. You never know when someone in your network is going to come across a job or an opportunity tailor made just for you. And you never know when you may suddenly find yourself out of work and needing to tap into your network to find another job.

Here are four social network sites that you should be actively building a network on.

• LinkedIn – This has become one of the go-to sites for professional networking. If you want to stay in synch with folks in your industry or the industry you’d like to break into. With the opportunity to get recommendations from colleagues you find that the stronger your network is the more of an edge you’ll have when performing a job search on LinkedIn. The Q&A section and groups give you other opportunities to network with other people in your field of interest as well.
• Facebook – No surprise here. Facebook gives you a much more conversational and casual atmosphere than LinkedIn. It also gives you a broader opportunity to connect with both online friends as well as real life friends. I’ve seen people do everything from sell furniture, get animals to finding work by posting things on Facebook. As people get to know each other on Facebook they create more and more opportunities to open doors for one another when new opportunity arises.
• Twitter – Many people consider themselves either Facebook people or Twitter people. But in reality they compliment each other quite well. Twitter is probably the best place to meet new people. And with the ever growing search functions and hash tag system you are really able to comb the world for news and opportunities relating to just about anything. The conversations move fast but the networks built can be tight and help you just when you need them the most.
• Ning – Ning networks are do-it-yourself social networks that anyone can create for any topic they have an interest in. GovLoop & Twittermoms are two of the most heavily populated sites that have connected people in thousands of ways. From GovLoop has sprouted job opportunities, conferences, connections, and a much smaller world for Government employees across the country. Sites like “jobs in Social Media” among hundred of others provide numerous opportunities to connect with anyone in any industry.

One of the fastest growing areas of business is the Virtual Event arena. As many companies look for ways to cut costs yet boost company promotions they find the best answer lies in the world of virtual events. It just happens to work out that as more people look to cut costs in their own household, many people opt to attend virtual events from the comfort of the home instead of forking over the big bucks for a plain ticket, hotel, gas and the many other numerous costs of attending an event away from home.

There couldn’t be a better time for companies to start diving into the world of virtual events and virtual event marketing. With the incredibly low cost of putting on a virtual event the risk is minimal plus companies have a larger pool of possible attendees to promote an event too.

If your company is on the fence about holding a virtual event for your business, here are five simple reasons why it’s time to get off the fence and get to planning.

1. Cheap, cheap, and cheaper. The first and most obvious reason of course, it saves you money. With virtual events there are no expenses for air travel, catering, event venue rentals, hotel and time away from the office, the average virtual event can save almost 80% on what a live event would cost.
2. Higher Attendance. A recent survey commissioned by ON24 of 5,000 marketing executives found that 63 percent were more likely to attend a virtual conference than an in-person event. People are much more likely to attend an event online then spend the money traveling to the event and covering all the associated costs. Not to mention, some people just can’t. With virtual events you’re opening the door to a people all over the world who would otherwise not be attending.
3. Social Media Tools. Using the social media tools that are already in place, Twitter, Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, etc. you can draw on a community that’s already set in place. Within the virtual world you have an entire set of tools that help you target and promote your event to the very people who want to hear about it.
4. Greener is Better. On top of the struggling economy there is currently a struggling environment as well. By using virtual events many companies are able to greatly reduce their carbon footprint Sixty-six percent of marketers polled said they plan on implementing or have already added a Green Initiative, up from just 32 percent in 2007. Good for business and for the environment.
5. Information. One of the most difficult parts of any event is getting feedback and a true idea of the ROI. Virtual events offer an easier way to track those things and then integrate that data into a CRM program.

Virtual Events are truly the wave of the future. It’s no longer a matter of when your company will jump on the bandwagon; it’s a matter of when.

Planning Your Job Search: Think outside the Box Before you go Job Hunting

Today’s job market is one of the most volatile we’ve seen since the early 1980s or possibly even since the Great Depression. The number of people searching for work continues to grow each day, while the amount of jobs available continues to shrink.

The unfortunate reality is that even though there has been a small drop in overall unemployment, according to a recent article from Time.com, the more serious issue of long-term employment shows no signs of stopping. According to the article long-term unemployment (unemployed for 27 weeks or more) increased from 4.4 million to 4.9 million from June to July. One in three unemployed workers have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more. The most disturbing statistics is that one-quarter of long-term unemployed people; never return to the work force. This leaves the possibility of an almost permanent recession in the United States.

Given all this, competition is ruthless and salaries are shrinking. That doesn’t mean the right job isn’t out there for you. It just means you have to step outside the box a little to find it. Here are some tips to help make your job search work for you. Use these tips to figure where you should be living and looking for work.

• Where are jobs and who is hiring – what is happening
• What Professions are in demand
• Where are the safest and most affordable cities to live in?
• What Cities are the best places to live if your single?
• Consider how far are your friends & relatives

Once you picked a city or two that looks like the right place for you to find your next job, here is what you do next:

• Summarize the salaries.
• Visit some online resources that enable you to look for jobs at national level for the areas you have in mind.
• Online resources to gather neighborhood information on the neighborhood you’re thinking about moving too.

And don’t forget the most precious resource you have, a list of who you know. Former colleagues, friends, and associates. And of them may have the right connection to get you your next job. Don’t forget to spread the word that you’re looking, the right introduction may just be the one that leads you to your future.

You can also reach out beyond your Network here at Ntroduction.com – simply ask for introduction and achieve your career goal(s).

Good luck!

Would I introduce my buddy at Ntroduction?

Would I introduce my close buddy  at Ntroduction to a seeker?

That is a judgment call I have to make – I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’.

Let me define who is my  “close buddy” or “the buddy of my inner circle”?  If my buddy watches out for my interest and I watch out for him/her, then I would treat such buddy as buddy of my inner circle or close buddy.

Ntroduction : Who would you introduce at Ntroduction.com?

I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’  -  However, I would provide introduction to somebody who I know professionally and I am not very close to him or her – my buddy in my ‘outer circle’. I would also be upfront and tell him/her that I am getting paid for the introduction.

For example, while working as part of Finance department,  say, I came across Tom, a Sales Director who is looking for a sales person to hire.  Would I introduce Tom at Ntroduction to a member seeking for a sales job? Yes – it would depend if he is part of my ‘buddy of my inner circle’. If Tom is not part of my ‘inner circle’,  I will reach out to Tom, the Sales Director and inform that I may get paid if  he ends up hiring the candidate I introduced.

Needless to say, I will review the candidate’s resume, possibly meet him/her and obtain comfort that this person comes across as a Sales person, is personable and has general qualities of a sales person

However if Tom was really my close buddy, my buddy in my inner circle, that would be a judgment call. If my close buddy Tom reached out to me and said “I really  really need to find this Sales person as soon as possible,  please let me know if you know somebody that fits my requirement“, then I will probably think about helping Tom with the referral – I would probably ask Tom “I may get paid from this candidate for investing my time qualifying this person, is that OK?“  If Tom agrees, then I will probably proceed.

How about you?

Can Swine Flu turn professional world chaotic?

With flu’s favorite chilly weather fast approaching, get ready for the  Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu).  Media has been speaking about how bad it can be and looks like 1 in 5 would be affected by swine flu.

Nobody knows what might happen but the better news :

• Even with no vaccine, winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere without as much havoc as doctors had feared, a heavy season that started early but not an overwhelming one.
• The strain that doctors call the 2009 H1N1 flu isn’t any deadlier than typical winter flu so far. Most people recover without treatment; many become only mildly ill.
• Importantly, careful genetic tracking shows no sign yet that the virus is mutating into a harsher strain.

Only this week do U.S. researchers start blood tests to answer a critical question: How many doses of swine flu vaccine does it take to protect? The answer will determine whether many people need to line up for two flu shots – one against swine flu and one against the regular flu – or three.

As if we have life less complicated, when  the vaccine becomes available by mid October, there could be scarcity of vaccines so, there would be preference to  – pregnant women, young kid’s and young adults who have breathing problems – over others.

Alright! – What would happen to the professional world?

What if 1 in 5 in critical departments gets sick? Can this drive chaotic?

Typically Corporations have two plans – business continuity plan (BCP) and disaster recovery plan(DR) drafted and tested (mostly dry drills) that is executed when a crisis such as earth-quake or some action of god hits.

Can these plans be executed to avoid chaotic professional world?  Depends – It is designed for a situation to avoid losing business except that the assumption here is,  personnel who are responsible in executing the above plans should be mindful and healthy to execute the BCP.

You see where this is going?

So, let’s talk about how you can try to avoid getting affected:

• Make sure that it is a policy in your kids school to send sick kids home that shows the symptoms of flu (coughing, sneezing) – No disrespect intended to anyone. Same policy should be instilled within the corporate wall too.
• Take a lot of Vitamin-C and such, that can strengthen your immunity
• As soon as you and kids get home, no matter how tired you/they are, take a shower – Water vapor can help keep the lungs clean while body gets sanitized
• Avoid going to crowded places if you can
• Make sure you wipe your hands with anti-bacterial sanitizer as soon as you come from bathroom or from kitchen or meetings
• If you happen to catch  flu,  email the team to take leave and most importantly,  take the medication within one day, worst two (The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses)

Let’s hope that the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs

Am I stupid?

I know many of you got a good review, hoping to see teeny-weeny bit of a hike or a small bonus  or a promotion.

Heck… your boss walks up to you and indicates that you are not getting promoted this year and you need to be thankful for your paycheck.

Then, your boss sends a meeting invite that is scheduled in an hour along with a HR person into a conference room ‘Mount Fuji’.   Your blood pressure begins to build.

That moment comes – Your boss is not looking at you eye to eye but introduces the HR and excuses himself.

Now comes the ’striking moment’ – HR personnel slowly speaks about how good you have done, your recent ratings etc which you don’t really care as, all you want is, to hear the catch!

You are about to scream – “Get to the point! – Show me my money!”

The HR personnel slowly and smoothly talks about how the economy is affecting the company revenues and in fact corporate executives are doing everything they can to avoid laying off employees.

Sure! Fair enough! – “Get to the point!”

Now comes the Kamikaze that knocks you down – Management has decided to instead, rescale the salary on case-by-case basis. You realize that is why he is here to talk to you.Then he tells you, your salary is rescaled to go down by 20% starting this week.

Huh…? What…?

You now need, more than any other time – a hug, a caring person who can patiently hear you and say ‘honey, don’t worry, I will take care of your shortcoming salary’.  You wish!

You walk out of the conference room with a silent nod to HR person. He says  ‘ I totally understand this is a bomb blast and if you want to take the rest of the day off, please feel free to do so’ .

But there is a all-hands meeting in the afternoon. So, you want to stick around.

Alright! – The week started with aspirations on Salary Hike, a tiny bonus and  perhaps promotion – all of these got promoted to the dreamland!

Then the CIO speaks at the all-hands meeting in the afternoon – ‘You have to be flexible to do anything needed- sometimes my controller of finance fetches me coffee and that’s how flexible we ought to be’.

Everyone giggles without energy.

You walk out of the corporate building slowly towards the parking garage thinking – you got a great review, a good rating and everyone in cross-functional departments raved your last year performance  – So.., “Am I stupid?”

Recession Recovery? Where..? When? How..?

I do not know about you but I keep hearing  more and more bad news about the economy on all of the different media channels.  What we need is some good news, irrespective of how minute impact it does to this economy.

I don’t want to rant about more bad news here but let’s look outside of US.  China is doing great. India is not doing badly. Japan is back in shape and UK is seemingly showing progress in its economy.

I was speaking to a senior member of the Church of Scientology who, just came back from a Asia and Europe tour. I was picking his brain on his experiences on the street (Part of his job is to ’spread the word’ and  enroll needy members into the Church).  He had visited in Nov 2008 and this visit was totally different. This visit was lot better in terms of donations to church and he saw a lot more friendly smiles.

So, what is it that we are missing? My friend then turned his conversation  ‘American greed’. He had heard this mentioned by the non-US members of his church.  It was clear to everyone outside of US that American corporations are greedy and that it is self-destructing jobs and hence economy recovery is far away if not impossible.

I am not sure if I agree with them but  lets say assume that American corporations are greedy.

So what?

We should  not look at the Government to fix anything that happens but we got to put some kind of mitigating process in place

• Rather than expecting President to do something, ask the corporations to give back  -  when you came to our cities, we supported you with jobs, real-estate and such. Now its your responsibility to give back
• The jobs that are eliminated should be sent to Job  elimination monitoring committee  (JEMC – OK, I made this up!) which should decide on a case-by-case basis and recommend the corporation to hold-off or go ahead.  Corporations should prove that  Job elimination is not just for monetary reasons but for lack of talent, etc (If H1-Visa requires some mandate that the petitioning company need to prove lack of talent in USA, why not JEMC? )

These are some of  my suggestions and I  think the US should consider getting  unemployment below 6% as the top priority for the economy to grow positive.

Employed or unemployed? - Look who is hiring/buying at Ntroduction

Based on national statistics, for every 20 people in this country today, 3 of them are unemployed on an average.  In this world of social networking and all, how do I know who can help me in my job search and who cannot?  Here are some of my thoughts.

I observed a large number of professionals are unemployed but show themselves as employed. Reason?  The kind of look you get when you tell someone that you are looking for a job is way-out-of-whack.  So, professionals project themselves as employed  (you can observe on linkedin about several D-Levels/C-Level professionals who have been off-loaded from their positions long ago but the linkedin profile seems to show that as current)

Well, what does this mean to you? If you are looking for a customer or looking to connect with a hiring manager, that’s misleading information.

However if you are just trying to network with them, then its awesome.  I like Linkedin for the same reason that I can grow my network, find where my colleagues are  – whether its of use right this minute or not. The only gripe about this is it could be outdated or they may not be ready to buy / hire. Right?

Now, where can I find professionals who are ready to buy product/services or even hire? You can browse  for introductions sought or introductions provided to get a clear idea of professionals ready to buy or hire.

Job losses - How Ntroduction can help

I was yawning  at the San Jose airport waiting for my friend who I had not seen for over 14 years (limited to email, phone calls) and  news Flash on the TV monitor in front of me, shook me – CA has 14% unemployment.

Man! – That might be a bit exaggertated. I would say perhaps 12% would be near to reality. I opened my iphone to check emails and my friend had sent me this link which is related to CA job situation.
Lets not feel happy comparing to the last year’s July planned job cuts as that’s not a happy news but overall, Say I am walking on a street of 20 people, 3 of them are without job in CA – Scary isn’t it?

These  are lost jobs to outsourcing or corporate greed or stockholders pressure or M&A. Whatever the reasons are, most of the jobs are ‘Gone Baby Gone’. What happenned to the promise by President that companies sending jobs would be taxed more?

I was talking to a friend, Director of IT in leading storage company and he agreed with me that IT jobs are now outsourced every second as we speak. So, , my advice to future employment force is to stay away from IT and look for something that is core to the business and that would be essential to keep it within corporate.  I would suggest you to browse professional introductions Seeked and provided and you will get an idea of what seems to be in demand.

Do I know you?

During 1999/2000, when the market was booming,  I played a role of Director of Business Development for about 6 months. I was part of several organizations where I would meet people, handshake and exchange business cards.

In one such event, I happened to exchange a business card with a Director of Marketing at Siebel. I called the gentleman next day or two and introduced myself on the phone. He immediately says “Do I know you….? Are you introduced to me by anybody?”.

Fair enough. We just met in an event and it is a two way street – he may need our product/service – but let’s put ourselves in his shoes – maybe, he had a bad day or it is his policy to speak to people that are introduced to him only.

But after years , I realize – I have been in both places – Buyer or a Seller and I have learnt to ask the same question “Do I know you…? Are you introduced to me by anybody?”.  If we have met in an event, I will simply answer the call with “Please send me an email – if I have budget, I will let you know”.

However, if I had been introduced first hand by somebody, it would have made a difference – he would probably have said “You know, I have a very bad day and I do not have budget. Can we discuss this on phone a month or two later?”.

We recently did a poll of our existing members (for those who answered our poll, THANK YOU!) and the question was simple:  “Top few things you do not know about yourself”

We gave these answers to choose from and users could pick more than one answer.

Question: Top few things you do not know about yourself

Multiple Choice Answers:

a. I know people but do not know how to leverage them

b. I surprise myself sometimes but don’t know how to convert from sometimes to almost always

c. I know what I don’t know but I don’t know what I know.

d. I believe I know enough about my self and I am content with it.

The poll were answered by 412  members and answers are captured below:

Question: Top few things you do not know about yourself

a. Know people but do not know how to leverage them :  63%

b. I surprise myself sometimes but don’t know how to convert from sometimes to almost always : 43%

c. I know what I don’t know but I don’t know what I know : 27%

d. I believe I know enough about my self and I am content with it : 19%

Well,  the top most thing we do not know about ourselves – we know people and we do not know what to do with them. Now, there is Ntroduction for your help.  “Better an ounce of luck than an ounce of gold” – find this luck with introductions at Ntroduction.

As of today, here is a quick statistics on Ntroduction

The following introductions are being exchanged :

• 40% of the introductions are exchanged for Director level
• 16% of introductions are exchanged for C-level
• 20% of introductions are exchanged for specialized ‘hard to find people’
• Rest are for Solo contributors, Investors, Company Founders etc.

The following introductions are being searched:

• 36% of searches are performed for C-level
• 20% of searches are performed for Managers
• 11% of searches are performed for Directors
• Rest of searches are others

We will update this statistics maybe again in about 3 months. Please let us know if you would like to see any other statistics.

On  one afternoon in this month, July we decided to go for a drive together on Tesla.

If there is one thing that gets you excited in life, that is Tesla driving. I have driven Hummer, driven muscle cars before but the thrill in this is different

a. As you can see in the pictures, its shorter than Prius.

b. The leg space and the comfort is unbeatable

c. the design, the mold the details – awesome!

See below for the pictures – I will soon upload video to show interior and comfy!

Our friend Darrell waited for 8 months or probably more to get it.  He chose the colors about 4 months ago – Orange and Silver – superb combination.  You got to appreciate the sleek front slope and the design.

Initially I thought when I sat inside, I thought it is a new experience – as though I am sitting in a Japanese restaurant – you know what I am talking. The seat is low and almost the floor and with your legs stretched out.

But when we drove out to the street, it is the race car experience on a main stream street. We took a mini-van driver for a surprise that we overtook him just before he got into the highway ramp. We parked next to our office and people who came to TOGO’s there pretty much forgot what they came for. One of them got so embroiled that we had to push him aside, politely of course and get out of the place.

We drive on 101, 237 and 880 – and every time we got into circular ramps on these high ways, it was like a roller coaster ride. Although the height is low, the shock absorbers are amazingly jitter free and makes a very comfortable drive.

Anyway, I will let you check out the photos and if you get a chance, check it out at Tesla Auto dealer stores  near you.

Life is worth it when you own one!

Dear Ntroduction.com reader

Recently, a friend of mine (who reported to me before at Symantec) requested that I circulate her resume around. She was working with Symantec and is now looking for a new job.

I simply forwarded her email to several of my friends. As you may have guessed, in the current market condition, such emails do not get sufficient attention due to inbox flooded with similar emails. Then I posted this at ntroduction.com – I said, I will introduce her to you for $750. I explained my title, my previous experience and titles held and why this person is important.

In the past few weeks, I have 2 offers to get her introduced. The key here is: People value your track record and if  it has worked for you, it will work for them too. Of course, I will make sure to know before I make the introduction to my friend.
Introductions has always worked before. If you need to find a job quickly, find a person who can vouch for you to make an introduction at Ntroduction.com.

The choice is yours – either keep responding to your resumes online/networking online or quickly get introduced to a hiring manager at Ntroduction.com.

Dear Ntroduction.com visitor

I was a Manager at a company for about 8 months and got introduced to yet another company’s CIO. My testimonials/references was so good that CIO placed the offer to me for Senior Manager’s position with a raise. This is not uncommon and probably you have gone through one of these!

Rather than waiting at a company for 3 or more years to be promoted, it is probably a little known way (a secret) – Get introduced to a C-level person at another company.

Furthermore, because you were referred at that high level, you will push yourself and your team to achieve the best sales numbers or best job results.  You add more track record to your career.

Without such introductions, you will have to grow organically and wait 3+ years for every promotion.  You can request for introductions at ntroduction.com

Dear Ntroduction.com visitor

I happen to know Sales Whizs working at Hitachi, Oracle, Salesforce.com  etc. who owns Teslas and the sorts.  I have tried to observe successful Sales people around me. They build a strong network who back each other with introductions during good times and bad times.

The keyword here is ‘introductions’.  Think about it for a moment: These introductions enable them to invite the introduced person for lunch/dinner/golf/game. They can speak with introduced person on a first name basis, discus their family, vacations, favorite spots etc. They can peek into the organizational pains, issues, concerns and ask what is their budget and when will they be able to spend it. Knowing these, they will be able to tailor the offerings to bag the deal.

Bottom line, after following these successful people, I figured  ‘Introduction’ is key. That is what makes them have a successful sales career.You can too with ntroduction.com

Granted, you have to have a successful track record or urge to achieve. When you request introductions at Ntroduction.com, make sure you demonstrate your track record and/or impress them with your knowledge, experience, foresights.  You belong in that club – good luck!