A proposal to enhance the Career Search Process

 

Harlan Cohen and Jeff Goldman

 

 

The following outlines a proposal that may not be achievable as stated. It is meant to provide talking points for discussion.

 

Please make a positive remark before launching into a criticism. The essential question should be, “what would improve the process with the resources available”?

 

·        Increasing quality leads  by reducing unproductive leads

·        Gain more informational interviews

·        Reduce redundant efforts among team members

·         Incorporate CCRSC Body of Knowledge into a program

·        Make experience and knowledge accessible to newcomers

·        Encourage sharing and development of more tactics

Learn experiences, skills, and needs of team members in detail to enable a structured, synergetic and collaborative approach to networking.

Corporate Research

Each team member takes an industry and/or a company and briefly reports back on its competitive position as it relates to job growth. Examples include:  one-line statements about when to target; position of company or industry (what are the strengths and weaknesses plus current and future key job growth factors and risks); where the company is located, description of company functions and market, contacts in functional areas of interest as developed from a agreed upon template.

Issue: Selection of resources for research, especially if company is small, new, private, or a wholly owned subsidiary.

Classification

·  Table 1 – Corporate /  Company Position

Market Share   Growth	Low Share	High Share
High Growth	‘Question Marks’	Stars
Low Growth	Dogs	Grazers (Cash Cows)

 

Determine if worth pursuing

A vote to continue pursuing needn’t be unanimous, simply more than one. An individual may still pursue the lead individually, without the ‘endorsements’ of the following steps.

 

Market Research Survey

Cover letter focuses on need of community to understand job market opportunities and suggests benefits to employer (listed later).

 

Issue: More productive to have this on CCRSC/CGI letterhead with Laurie Atkins signature? Make it a joint effort with a non-profit sponsor like Greater Cleveland Growth Association?

Determine functional questions that management might generally share with employees and recruits  (Won’t always know or be able to tell you all the items in the example without advocates)

Example, IS/IT:

·        Major Applications and Platforms

·        Department’s Strategic Direction (Two years to Five years out)

·        ‘Fading’ skill sets in organization

·        ‘Stable’ skill sets for organization

·        ‘Growing’ skill sets required by organization

·        Projects under way

·        Culture and Work Environment

·        Hiring practices (promotion vs. recruitment and at what levels)

Follow up

Wait two (?) days (?) weeks (?) for response

Use phone script established by CCRSC so no misrepresentation of role

 

Determine if worth pursuing

Any or all to follow up as a representative of team.

 

Produce a more in-depth set of interview questions

New letter requesting a PR informational interview

• Disclose our intentions / plan  (JEFF: I am not in favor of a group interview. HRC: And I favor it because it is the most bang for the buck and to keep my ‘paranoia’ in check.)
• Introduce ourselves with a 30 second commercial / elevator speech
• Ask our questions
• Tour if appropriate
• Hope to produce networking contacts at conclusion
• Leave functional resumes and photos, hoping interviewee keeps us in mind (Sending a resume is an individual thing if we’re talking single interviewers)
• Use phone or fax if necessary (Don’t understand.)

 

(JEFF: I am not in favor of treating this like a standard job informational interview.  Let’s keep it simple. HARLAN: Don’t agree. Executives and managers should be accustomed to meeting with community groups, students, and government committees in similar fashion.)

Issues: Single interviewer goes out (Keep It Simple) and everyone follows up independently vs. everyone goes out (to gain face-to-face meeting time and observe the interviewee and workplace).

 

Team publishes results to CCRSC ‘fellowship’

Classify new networking contacts as public or private to individual(s) attending

Networking contact at a second company is not published if team decides to make it a new selection

 

A career counselor to follow up and evaluate the contact

Prefer a counselor to a job developer, to de-emphasize the job hunting aspects for the interviewee. (If the meetings are held at the Center, then it will, by definition, be done by a developer) (I don’t think every counselor is a developer.)

 

·        Promote goodwill in the community, favorable PR

·        Community service component, outreach

·        Make acquaintances that could produce unexpected results

·        Less imposition

·        Low investment, akin to existing programs used by many companies for recruitment and public relations

·        Find a job candidate before the position is identified

·        Advocates for each other

·        Share tactics more readily

·        Add structure and work to a mutually agreed on schedule

·        Share a network of job leads

·        Expand search by sharing research

Trust

Can you trust me? Can I trust you? Who are the guardians of the program and how do they audit the situation.

 

Ownership

Potential Owners: no one (public domain), everyone (?), the funding agencies, CGI.

 

Relationships

How long to continue a team? Can someone be voted out? Where are results maintained and who has access?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location

On-site

·        Two-hour blocks in the afternoon or evening may work best

·        ‘Reserve’ rooms through ?

·        Use it or Lose it

Chalkboard, Flip charts, overhead or lcd projector, computers (?)

Off-site Suggestions

·        Professional society building

·        Alumni associations

·        Union Halls?

·        Meet as independent study group(s) in  public library conference rooms ad hoc or via reservations (JEFF: We could meet at Brooklyn on Ridge Road near the Center) (HARLAN: Which library is not an issue. That we are citizens seeking a place to exchange information and advice is the essential truth. Anything else is secondary.)

·        Careerplace (CCC Metro) if you take their tour and register

Can we collectively outperform the job acquisitions of those not participating?

·        Months for new team member to obtain job, against those not in team who became unemployed over same period

·        % Salary (New*100/Old)