Building Your Job Search Team

Conducting a Professional Job Search today is a complex and expensive process. The longer it takes, the costlier it becomes. It’s not that much different from running a manufacturing or service business. If you try to do it all alone, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, behind in your follow-ups and even discouraged. If we know anything about efficiency and productivity in today’s world, it’s that teamwork pays off. So how can you apply the teamwork principles to your job search?

You can start by building a job search team -- joining an existing group or forming one made up of other executives in transition. If you happen to live in a city where there is an operating office of FortyPlus (Northern California, Washington DC, for example) or an executive branch of the state human resources offices (Executives Unlimited/One Stop Centers in California, for example), you can network with other people in the same situation. Some church groups sponsor centers as well. Otherwise, you will need to be creative.

You Will Find Each Other Through Your Active Networking Activities.

The ideal situation is a group of about 6-8 people, each in different disciplines. Ideally, someone will be in finance, another in sales, marketing, production, etc. The job search group needs to meet regularly, once or twice a week, preferably away from home in a business setting . . . a bank conference room or a private dining room can work if you can’t get the use of a room in a local business or non-profit organization. The agenda is simple, but important on a number of fronts.

The “Team” Is Both Functionally Efficient And Mutually Supportive.

In addition to keeping each other’s spirits up, you exchange notes on contacts you’ve made for the week and pass along any tips to other members of the job search team that may be appropriate for them. The effect is a synergy that accelerates the progress of everyone in the group. If the group is too big, you not only have trouble keeping up with everyone’s needs and progress, you will likely end up with more than one person looking for the same type of job and that could be self-defeating for the team.

Sample Five-Point Agenda

General Comments – Members discuss any pertinent events of the week and share general knowledge about developments in the job market.
Week in Review – Each participant in turn runs down his or her Personal Marketing Plan activities for the previous days or week. This includes phone calls, research, interviews, letters, etc. Other members of the team ask questions, comment on answers, make suggestions, etc. The comments may include suggestions for additional contacts in one of the companies or in a specific industry the speaking member is pursuing.
The Week Ahead – Again, in turn, each participant lays out his or her planned activities for the week, to include the number of letters to be sent, phone calls to be made, interviews (informational or job specific), etc.
Wrap-up – Members exchange information about trade associations, referral network contacts in different businesses, important items in the news, etc.
Scribe – It is helpful to take notes on each team member’s plans for the coming week. That way they will all be accountable to one another to follow through on their activities. People who consistently do not perform will likely drop out of the group and should be replaced.

You Benefit From The Synergy.

Example of the synergy: Let’s say that one of the job search team members runs across a lead in a company you’ve targeted . . . someone she knows. She can call that person and ask some questions about the company and give her contact your name. You then meet with that person, establish rapport and, if appropriate, receive an introduction to a senior manager in the company.

That personal referral is worth its weight in gold to you!

Each of the job search team members works on behalf of the others, which is often easier than working only on their own plan. As long as everyone works the same way, it’s beneficial to all concerned.

But, you have to do your part in upholding the momentum. It’s not fair to consistently lean on others when you’re low on ideas or energy. By making your contribution and sincerely looking for ways to be of help to one another, your job search will become both easier and shorter.

Staying on Top of Current Events & Industry Developments.

Finding ways to keep up with industry trends and developments as well as general business topics can be invaluable in maintaining your executive posture and self-confidence in networking or interview situations. Your job search team can help in this regard.

If each person takes on the responsibility of skimming specific publications and reporting on appropriate articles to the group, it will magnify your ability to keep up with current events. It will also ensure that you are able to carry on a conversation of a topical nature in professional circles.

Sharing The Reading And Research Burden Benefits Everyone.

So how do you tap into the flood of material that comes out on a daily or weekly basis? First, of course, is the web. But, there is so much available that you can spend all of your waking hours chasing down articles of interest. Dividing up the responsibilities in a group cuts the cost (time and money) by 80% to the benefit of all concerned.

You can tap into current books on business through Soundview Digests and get free subscriptions to industry publications through TradePub.com. We will also conduct regular reviews and make reading recommendation in our Universal Executive Newsletter . . . to which you can subscribe for free.

You Also Need A Support Team.

It’s important to make a point here that you also need a “Support Team.” This is not necessarily the same thing as your Job Search Team . . . although it can be. In a separate section we discuss the Support team more fully. The difference is that the Support Team primarily provides the emotional support you need in the conduct of your Professional Job Search. The line between “emotional” support and “professional motivation” provided by your Job Search Team is not clear. And, it is largely determined by the personalities of people involved. It’s up to you to be sensitive to the type of support you need and can realistically expect from those around you. To ignore the “limits” is to risk losing it all.

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