Job Fair in San Jose next Wednesday, November 4th

Hi Everyone,

I want to share news about job fairs, networking events, and other free career resources that are available in the greater Bay Area and beyond. If you hear of something, please email me and I will share it with our KIT List community!

It’s really worth it to go to job fairs, since I can speak from personal experience — I found a job myself early in my career at a job fair. Meeting the HR teams personally is a tremendous advantage. 

So, put on your best professional attire, print out a bunch of resumes, give yourself a positive pep talk for confidence building, put a smile on your face and…GO!!!

There are a series of job fairs coming up through HIREevent in San Jose (11/4), San Francisco (12/7), Modesto (11/17), and Sacramento (12/8). The full list can be found at www.hirevents.com.

Here are the details for the San Jose job fair:

Silicon Valley HIREevent

Wednesday, November 4th

Noon – 4:00 PM
Biltmore Hotel
2151 Laurelwood Road

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Even if you think you may be too senior to go to some of these events, I always think it’s worth it to just get out and interact with new groups of people with whom you’d never have exposure. Also, the companies there have jobs all levels, so you just never know what might be the perfect fit for you!

If you aren’t an extroverted type of person (and even extroverts feel uncomfortable at these types of events, by the way!) grab a friend for mutual moral support and make the effort to go.

Half the advantage of doing this is simply getting out of the house. If you are in between opportunities, it’s always important to just…get…out!

Take advantage of the many opportunities for networking groups and professional organizations to get exposure to people in your particular field. It’s worth it to go to the lunch or dinner for your local professional business organization.

A different way to look at networking 

I firmly believe in the concept of what I call “Friendworking” since I am not fond of the word networking. Like most people, I feel uncomfortable with usual way of networking, even though most people would consider me an extrovert. In truth, everyone feels uncomfortable and awkward at these types of events, and I somehow felt that it seemed self-serving.

I found a way to turn it around in my own mind so that I could feel authentic and really tap into the true power of helping people. It creates this magical momentum that actually ends up attracting good things for yourself as well.

The idea of Friendworking is to go instead with an attitude of “I’m going to go there to help and connect others.” It puts you in a stronger role of a host, looking out for others and making THEM feel more comfortable, introducing them to other people at the event, and having a “What can I do to help YOU?” attitude. This actually changes your demeanor and body language, and you’ll actually feel more relaxed! I wrote more about it in a previous blog post:

https://kitlist.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/it%E2%80%99s-your-%E2%80%9Cfriendwork%E2%80%9D-not-a-network/

Try out the concept of Friendworking yourself, and remember that even in a room full of strangers…that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!

Have some fun with the process, go with an attitude of helping others, and see what happens!

Warmly,

Sue

It’s Worth it to Reply to Job Postings!

Hi Everyone,

You don’t see the emails we get from people who’ve landed jobs from the KIT List, so I want to encourage you to keep up your efforts. It really is WORTH it!

In fact, with the new KIT List web site that’s in final development, I’ll have a Testimonials section where you can read quotes from our KIT List recruiters and employers who’ve hired great people — and from job seekers who’ve landed jobs that will help keep you inspired!

I know it can be discouraging when you’re in the job-search mode. I also hear many job seekers worry that their resumes go into a black hole when they reply to jobs on the web. On the big sites, that can be true.

With the KIT List, there’s a big difference:

• Your email goes directly to the recruiter or hiring person who posted the job.
• Since we purposely don’t market the KIT List, the people on the KIT List have been referred by another friend or colleague. This has kept the quality of the people on the list high as top people refer other talented people.
• Since we’re smaller than the huge job boards, you’re not one of hundreds replying to a job and getting sorted via a software screening program, so your response will be seen by a real person.

For that reason, it’s also important to take the time to write even a brief cover note when you reply to a KIT List job.

Don’t Overlook the Power of a Good Cover Letter

Over the years, I’ve seen people blow their chance to make a good impression either by not including a cover note at all, or by writing the following:

• “Is this job still open?” Of course it is, they just posted it!
• “What’s the rate (or salary)?” Please don’t do that! Instead, show your interest and value to them first. Save the salary query until the interview, and better yet, let them bring it up!
• “Here’s my resume”

Tips for Your Cover Letter

I’ve talked to many recruiters over the years, and even had them as panelists at KIT List events and on the KIT List TV Show. Some recruiters don’t really look at cover letters, but you’d be surprised that so many actually do! Don’t run the risk of getting weeded out by not having a cover letter when it’s a recruiter or hiring manager who DOES care about a cover letter.

Your cover letter can be brief, but these are a few things that you should include:

• Something stating your interest in the role
•  The actual job title since they are likely hiring for multiple roles
• A few bullets from your experience that pertain to the key requirements listed in the job description
• Make sure you do not have any typos or grammatical errors
• Include a nice closing statement
• Your name and a good number to reach you

Avoid These Other Common Mistakes

It’s also a mistake is to reply to a job for which you are not remotely a fit. You don’t have to be a perfect match with all the requirements, but some people get a bad reputation for replying to just any job. Stay on focus and you’ll be a stronger candidate.

Another mistake is that you get put off by a long list of requirements and you don’t feel like you’re an exact fit. Job descriptions can be unintentionally misleading if it’s been cut and pasted from many other job posts, or if the person writing it didn’t research it well with the hiring manager. I’ve asked recruiters and they said that if you’re a 75% to 80% match with the job requirements to GO FOR IT! Don’t disqualify yourself prematurely.

Don’t get disheartened during the job search process. You never know what effort will be the one that will connect you with the right job. Keep at it, make a great impression with a good cover letter, and we hope you find a job you love soon!