The Best Ways To Get Interviews

The Best Ways to
Get Interviews
Robert Hellmann, Presenter
Five O’Clock Club Career Coach Presented at Baruch College
www.hellmannconsulting.com October 22, 2009

Introduction

• I’m Robert Hellmann, a certified Five O’Clock Club Career Coach and an
Adjunct Professor of Career Development at NYU
• The material I’m sharing with you is based on the Five O’Clock Club
methodology for the job search.

Material based on Five O’Clock Club Methodology
Copyright 2009, Robert Hellmann LLC / www.hellmannconsulting.com 2 rob@hellmannconsulting.com / 917-825-9595

GETTING INTERVIEWS

Your Promotional Materials
Resume
Pitch
Cover letters
Sometimes a website

Contact Channels
Ads (passive) 6%
Headhunters (passive) 6%
Direct Contact (active) 46%
Networking (active) 42% Focus of this discussion
Contact Techniques
Writing letters / e-mails
Following up using the phone


A Step Back: “Position” Yourself Correctly for a Specific Target
Have a focused message that positions you for your specific job target, NOT your last job. Use
this message consistently through all your communications channels:
Resumes
Cover Letters
Meetings / Interviews (Your Pitch)

Your job target is a combination of the following:
Job title or description
Industry or Company Size
Geography
Changing any one of these may require a change in your positioning.


Answering Ads

Sources of ads
Internet Job Boards
Company Websites
Newspapers and Magazines
Some online Chamber of Commerce websites
Trade publications
Association Journals or websites
Challenges with answering ads:
Your background has to be almost identical to the requirements for your resume not
to be discarded
The average NY Times or Wall Street Journal ad receives 1,500 responses.
Ads are a passive method for searching.


Answering Ads- Techniques to Improve Response

Don’t list your salary.
Say: “I’d be glad to discuss salary requirements upon mutual interest. I look
forward meeting with you to further discuss the position.”
If ad says you must give salary, give a broad range.
Always write a cover letter.
Highly effective if you match the requirements closely: Use the “Your
Requirements vs. My Qualifications” format in your cover letter.
Don’t use this format if your background is not a close match with their
requirements.

Use ads as a means of identifying opportunities, then use Networking
or Direct Contact.
Be careful of “Blind Ads”.


Ad Response Example

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R o r He l a n n
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(the ‘Your Requirements, My Response’ section is on the next page)

Ad Response Example, continued

…and so on…

Answering Online Ads

On the Internet, often people aren’t looking at your resume, computers are.
Use the right keywords.
If you’re employed, never post your resume on the internet.
Consider using a PDF file for a resume, since you will be sure the recipient
will see the same thing that you see.
Forrester Research found that only 4% of regular job site users found their
last jobs through the Internet.


Search Firms

Can be effective if they are good, or damaging if not.
Make sure the search firm asks you before sending your resume to an
organization!
Retained firms have very different motivations from contingency firms.
Look for reputable headhunters, those that ask you for permission
before sending your resume.
Again, your background needs to match nearly exactly with the
position.
You will need to give your salary requirements.


Which Search Firms to Contact?

Directory of Executive Recruiters- put out by Kennedy Publications.
Lists every search firm, contingency or retainer
List of their specialties.
Word of mouth.
Ask HR department which firms they use.
Your Association may have a list.
If staying in the same field, contact firm your prior employer used.


Direct Contact

When you contact someone directly who you don’t know and haven’t been
referred to.
Develop Contacts Via:
LinkedIn-- search “out of network”
Company website
Google searches on Company
Trade or industry Association- membership lists via online databases
Alumni Associations
Databases such as Hoovers (expensive- get from Library or association),
Zapdata.com (inexpensive, used for direct mail).
Articles, online journals
Calling the organization switchboard and asking for the contact info.
Contact using E-mail or letter, depending on the person; follow up with call.
Ideally, want to contact the person one or two levels above


Powerful Cover Letters
Know the pros and cons of ‘asking for a job’ vs. ‘asking for an informational meeting’.
If you’re positioning your letter as having an informational meeting, attaching your
resume could be confusing to the recipient.
Sometimes you can get attention if mention vulnerabilities with company, based on your
research.
If an e-mail, the subject line is crucial
Most cover letters work well with the following structure:
Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself- say something specific about company. If
networking, say who you were referred by.
Paragraph 2: Pitch- summary about yourself
Paragraph 3: Bulleted accomplishments
Paragraph 4: Ask for a meeting


Direct Contact Letter- when knew of opening via an Ad

*From Five O’Clock Club book “Shortcut Your Job Search”


Direct Contact– Targeted e-mail, didn’t know of an opening
This e-mail, and others like it, resulted in interviews
Subject: Open to discussing Development/Fundraising at Ivy University? for me. Note: no resume attached, asked for “20
minutes” made it clear not asking for a job, pitch is in
Dear John, e-mail, focus on how can help them...
Upon reading your bio on the Ivy website, I thought I would reach out to you, as I myself have experience that could
support fundraising and development efforts.

I currently work in New York City (at and teaching part-time at ), and in the long run am looking to work in the
Hudson Valley, preferably at Ivy or one of the other area Universities. Though not yet looking for a job, I would greatly
appreciate 20 minutes or so of your time to gain your insight on how my experience might be a fit in a University
setting. Given my many years of experience with Data Mining and DataMart design, perhaps I could also share with
you some knowledge that you would find useful for Ivy's fundraising efforts.

Some background: I currently develop Marketing and Sales strategy at and teach at part-time.
My experience includes nearly 14 years in Database Marketing analytics/Data Mining, that is, turning raw data into
actionable knowledge for Marketing or Sales teams. I believe that a University would find this experience valuable in
helping to optimize fundrasing contacts, target enrollment prospects efficiently, and improve retention. Highlights from
my background include:
• Doubled Marketing's ROI to 23% by adopting a "test-learn-enhance" approach to campaigns, and by developing
segmentation/modeling strategies.
• Increased retention by 57% for high potential customers, and increased new account acquisition revenue by
79%, by developing segment-based targeting strategies.
• Led development of DataMarts that dramatically increased marketing analytics capabilities.
• Created a 3-D, 360 degree view of potential customers, both across the customer lifecycle and by relationships,
which led to profitable, highly targeted marketing campaigns.
• Drove enhancements in service delivery that are resulting in substantial client satisfaction gains, by
leveraging relationships with clients and establishing metrics.

I also notice from your bio that you made the transition from corporate to university that I'm looking to make. I would
greatly value your insight regarding this transition I'm seeking. Would you be available for a brief meeting?

Networking

When you’re using someone as introduction to get to someone else
Purpose of Networking
Get information
Form lifelong relationships- “re-contacting” is key
Get referrals- show them your marketing plan
To be remembered- Clear pitch is important
Don’t let the person you know speak for you– you are your best representative. i.e. try
to avoid having them just forward your resume into “oblivion”. Maintain control!


Networking- Ways to Find Contacts
Linked-In

Join Associations- may be one of the most important steps you can take, trade journals,
annual events- meet people there, then you can become an insider.

Send a mass e-mail to your broad network: family and friends, dentist, accountant,
colleagues you haven’t worked with in 10 years but they liked you, former professors, etc.

Make it easy for people to help you!
Tell them what you’re interested in– high level pitch.

Ask for help making contacts in any department at a list of firms

Say you will not be asking for a job, but rather a 10 minute conversation

Say you want to ask them about how the company is organized and where would fit down the
road.

Make sure to bcc all the recipients- don’t expose their e-mail addresses!

• Facebook


Networking- Surround the Hiring Exec

• Technique to use when you know there’s an opening.
• Get information from others before you talk to the Hiring Exec.
• Influence people who can influence the Hiring Manager.
• Become an insider in the organization.


Networking Meetings

Contact people by mail (or e-mail) on first contact, not phone call- intrusive.
Some feel that if want someone to spend time with you, go thru trouble of writing a letter.
Shows effort, you care.
Need to know something about the person you’re going to contact, and about the person who
referred you in.
Don’t ask people to call you back. Instead, you follow up.
Ask questions appropriate to the level of the people you’re meeting with.
Meet junior people first before senior people.
Do your research before the meeting.
Your networking should change over time, from outsider to insider.


Structure of Typical Direct Contact/Networking Meeting

1. Exchange pleasantries
2. tell why there
Networking- I’m here because Jon Doe said I should contact you.
Direct Contact- Thanks so much for agreeing to meet with me. Everyone says your top, and I
felt it was time we met.

3. Two minute pitch
4. Ask questions
5. show them personal marketing plan
6. ask, “of those companies that you liked, can I use your name to contact them?”
7. thank them for their time.
8. follow up with a thank you note.


Combine Three Techniques

Split your campaign, e.g. if contact 100 org’s:
10 organizations by networking (followup phone call)
30 by targeted direct contact mailings (followup phone call)
Remaining 60 organizations through Direct Mail campaigns (no
followup phone call)
Networking takes a lot of time.
You can contact someone more than once using two different
methods.


Following Up on the Telephone

The first time, it’s o.k. to leave a message. After that, don’t.

Try calling well before 9am or after 5pm, for those difficult to reach.

Enlist gatekeepers as your ally.

Takes an average of 8 followup phone calls to get a meeting.

Have a script ready for 1) if they answer, 2) if an admin answers, 3) if you leave a voice-
message

In case they call you, make sure your answering machine sounds professional.


Five O’Clock Club Books -- www.fiveoclockclub.com


rob@hellmannconsulting.com

E-mail me and I’ll send you a copy of this presentation. Feel
free to contact me with any questions.

Check my website for updates to career links, job search tips,
and other places I’ll be speaking.
www.hellmannconsulting.com


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