Many successful job
hunters talk to hiring managers informally to find out what problems need fixing before they apply for a job. They establish rapport sell their experience and skills at solving those problems. Cold-calling
is a good way of making direct voice contact to have the discussion. It isn't
the only way, but it is a proven, effective way.
Certainly some
people have greater knowledge of how to engage in cold-calling than others. But
many people who were never trained in the skills, like me, have learned through
good coaching and lots of practice. Cold-calling requires script preparation,
skills development, the right mental attitude, and the commitment to practice
and try. It is one of the most effective ways of getting hired.
What I like about
cold-calling is this:
It Works –
It establishes rapport with the hiring manager. It enables identification of
the hiring manager's specific needs and provides an opportunity to showcase how
you can help. It generates interest.
It Enables You to Edit
Your Resume and Cover Letter –
Armed with the reasons why the job is open enables editing your resume to be
responsive to the hiring managers' hot buttons. It also makes
writing your cover letter a 'walk in the park'.
It Gives You the
Competitive Advantage – Cold-calling demonstrates you
are willing to do what others won’t. You are different from the others. Differentiation creates
competitive advantage.
It Trains You for
Interviewing – Skills learned in
cold-calling have huge benefits for interviewing. You learn to be quick on your
feet and maintain composure under stress. Nothing sharpens communication skills
like cold calling.
It Builds Confidence –
Rejection to cold-calling is not uncommon and should not be taken personally.
What you learn from rejection is how to become better at cold-calling and interviewing.
It Builds Your
Network – Networking is critically important. I believe 'Who you Know' may not be as important as 'Who needs to know You'. Everyone you speak to is an addition to your network. They may know
of other positions you might fit.
It Identifies Hidden
Jobs – Cold-calling is useful for identifying
unadvertised opportunities. Some people identify a company they would like to
work for without knowing if a job exists. They use cold-calling to identify needs and generate a hiring manager’s
interest. Sometimes that exposes hidden jobs.
It Enables Follow-Up
Opportunities – Cold calling creates
follow-up opportunities. Sometimes now is not the right time, but sometime in
the future may be.
It
Trains You for Warm-Calling - Warm-calling to hiring managers you were referred to uses the same skills as cold-calling.
The
takeaway is this: If your job search is not making progress and you are looking
for alternatives ways of searching, seriously consider cold-calling. Be willing
to learn and practice alternatives to camping on job boards. Think of cold-calling as an informal way of speaking with a hiring manager, not as a quasi-interview. Don't think of
cold-calling as a hard sell technique. Hard selling is likely to create a
negative reaction. Making calls in an informal manner without pressuring the
hiring manager leads to success. Handled correctly even the most adamantly
opposed managers can be won over. Learning and practicing are key.
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please share it and leave a “comment” letting me know your thoughts. Thank
you!