Part 2 of “Let’s face it…”

Part two of  “Let’s face it, the economy is fickle. This is what you are going to do about it!!”

Contacts:

Do you stay in touch with recruiters that you used before? When I lost my job a few months ago, I went on to Seek to apply. I could not get a single recruiter to call me back. My resume is quite good, if I may say so. The problem was general unemployment. The rate was the highest it had been since 2003. There were not that many vacancies. Three different recruiters ended up putting me forward for the same job.  They had many applicants and it was an employer’s market. The recruiters were not even looking at my resume as they had a lot of applicants. However, within 3 weeks I had found a job. Usually, it can take me up to three months. The trick was to contact recruiters I had used before or where I had a mutual acquaintance. Where that was the case, I got a call within the day.

Are you still in touch with colleagues from previous companies? You should be. Linkedin is a good tool for maintaining some of these relationships. And it is never too late. Even if it was a few years back, give it a go. However, you must always ensure you do a good job and manage your reputation well. Where you fail to do so, your colleagues will not want to talk to you again. The quality of your work is very important. That also means keeping people in the loop if you are about to leave a company. Do not leave on bad terms with anyone. I don’t care what the reason for leaving is. Mend broken relationships before you go. You may not have been happy with someone’s approach or style at work. That does not mean that person is not a great human being. I once knew a really harsh task master. However, the guys was spending all his spare time and cash to build schools for kids in Africa. My advice is to give people the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, I also have a policy of zero tolerance for absolute pricks i.e. there are exceptions. A spin off to creating this positivity is that you will have people willing to help you and support your efforts. But, please do not do it just for that reason. Firstly, you will come across as insincere. Secondly, you will not feel right about it either.

Developing a contact base is deceptively simple. It is really about giving. The more you help people, the more people will help you. The rate of attrition is nasty – be warned. For every ten people you help, maybe one will help you back. But then again, how many jobs are you looking for? One, right? So, it is worth it. This is another topic on its own. So let’s move on to the small business owner. He/She  will take less convincing.

For small companies, the same applies. For instance, only a few projects make it to tender. It is usually a big company issue. Word of mouth and contacts are more important for small companies. Take the time to develop a contact base that is larger than your current requirement. In good times, you have to think big and also save up for the bad times. However, this is not always the case for small businesses. You do have to incorporate this into a well-thought strategy. Regardless, do not grow the business for the sake of growing it. Remember, you cannot eat revenue – only profit matters.

Family support:

This is the deal-breaker. If your partner or wife or husband is not supportive during these hard times, you will probably not make it. You might as well throw in the towel now. If you have lost your job, morale will be at an all time low. Although, you will try your very best, there will be times when you will feel the blues gnawing at your heels.  Without their extra help, you will get depressed very quickly as the overall situation is already very negative. You will find that to feel positive, it is fought and won an inch at a time. However, negativity is an easy tumble down a very slippery slope. Sometimes, just the fact that you see them helping you, by maybe doing a few chores that you used to have to do! Other times, a few words of kindness and support.

Other family members:

The biggest financial waste in my life has been dysfunctional family relationships. If you want to save as much money as anyone else, if you are not on good terms with your family, you will not be able to.  But that in itself is another topic for another day.  If you are on good terms, these are people that care for you (and hopefully, you feel the same) that will be willing to refer you to their friends. But you have to ask. Do not feel awkward about asking. It’s alright. Looking at the way the economy is going, you will be returning the favour shortly anyway. Same goes for your close friends – I have already started returning the favour, less than a month later. Be mindful that if your acquaintances do not have a job to offer you, they will not forward your details to people they know. So if you have 10 acquaintances, that is probably how many opportunities you have. If you have 10 good friends or family members, they may forward your details to 5 more people, extending your reach to 50! It is well worth looking into. Does this feel too manipulative to you? These are the reasons why it is not. One, like I said before, you will likely be returning the favour shortly. Two, as you care for these people, why not help someone in need now? You will feel good about it, if nothing else. Trust me, the feeling of achievement beats an hour in front of the flat screen. Three, be honest about it to them – it can only be manipulative if you are hiding your intentions. Whatever you do, please don’t kiss ass! No one likes a kiss ass, least of all, your ego!

P.S. Apologies for the delay fora this new post. Yours truly has been quite sick and only now recovering.