December 2002
Dear friends and associates,
People ask, “How is your job search going?”This newsletter will help keep you posted on my progress.
The quick answer to the above question is “Unbelievable”.
- - Unbelievable how supportive people have been and continue to be – Thanks!
- - Unbelievable how many great people I find that are out of work – Too many!
- - Unbelievable how many people/companies I am discovering – Opportunities!
- - Unbelievable how time-consuming job hunting is – All day every day!
- - Unbelievable how fast my network has expanded – Lots of super good folks!
- - Unbelievable how long job-hunting takes in this economy – even the “very highly
employable” people I meet are surprised!
- - Unbelievable how much bonding there is among the unemployed – Hugs!
- - Unbelievable how humbling this can be – Was work really my life?!
As a lifetime project person with schedules and due dates, the idea of not knowing whether
I am 10% or 90% complete with my project is something new (Salespeople probably comprehend this,
but it’s new to me). I just figure that I am not done and continue to attack.
As reported last time, I was just getting into the thick of it - call backs, more
resumes/calls out, interviews, etc. That continues.
What’s going on?
1) Focus, I continue to use all avenues of search but have learned what works best for me.
- * Connect with recruiters MORE, they are actually finding me.
- * LESS time on Internet job boards, generally not fruitful with all the competition.
- * Networking MORE - This is my BEST SHOT.Face to face, phone, and e-mail.I participate in
several networking groups including a church outreach program. These require time and work,
but they generates leads that generate leads that generate leads that….There have been a few
of you are super stars at providing network contacts (Cliff, Rob, Frank, to name a few).
- * Location – I have sought Northern California jobs (preferring not to move),
but listened to those outside my home base. Since I am a global project person I now look
elsewhere with a virtual office in mind.
2) I do have fun!!
- * People - I continue to discover folks from my past. I recently had diner with college
chums - hadn’t seen some of them in 30 years.
- * Companies, capabilities, services that I never knew of. It’s an interesting world
out there. I won’t have this much research/surfing time when I get back to “work”.
3) I still need your help, more than ever.
- * I can confirm - “It’s a tough market!” Tough to find openings, tough to get noticed,
and even tougher to get to the finalist spot. There is a lot of good competition.
- * Please, I need names with phone numbers and/or e-mail address. I need the contact
information for people willing to share a few minutes of their time. Please think about
my experiences and talents and who might benefit from them, don’t just try to think of people
who might have openings (unpublished opportunities can be great).
- * Reminder – the kind of opportunity I am looking for: My background is in
Supply Chain Management (Logistics, Distribution) and I work on projects/initiatives in the
areas of process improvement & reengineering. You can send people to my website for more
information, including my resume.
4) Website
- * It’s finally done, at least for now.
- * If you haven’t tried it out take a couple of minutes.
www.tommagill.com The pictures and presentations draw
the most comments.
Suggestion for all - I have come across a book about job hunting that most people would benefit from,
employed or not. It’s a little controversial, and the author even says so in the book.I don’t agree with
all of it. It’s “The Rites of Passage” by John Lucht. It’s worth a quick skim to better understand the
ins and outs of recruiters, outplacement, etc. And should you ever find yourself unemployed please read
it at the beginning of your search.
Until the next time,
Happy Holidays!
