Happy Landings

Posted By: Mark Anderson
Filed Under: execunet, networking, mark anderson, executive job market, hidden job market, networking meetings, peers, connections, landing

Comments (2)

Every two weeks at ExecuNet, we have a company-wide staff meeting to review what's going on. Besides the bonding it creates among team members, it is a good opportunity to hear member feedback and get the viewpoints from these executives on their marketplace experiences.

Recently, an ExecuNet member wrote in to our Member Services group with what he learned in his job search. He said he started with a belief that it wouldn't take longer than 90 days (at most) to make a change. After all, he was an "A-Player" and never had to look for a job before.

Unexpectedly for him, it was a lot harder than he expected. He required help thinking about how to market and differentiate himself in today's marketplace and get connected with the right people. It wasn't the same, he soon discovered, now that he was on the other side of the desk.

His email reported he'd recently landed and that he found his job through an "out of work" contact he made at one of our local networking meetings. This surprised him. He mistakenly thought networking with those who were not working would be fruitless. He learned otherwise.

Job search is all about connections, not their career status, and you need to be out there building new relationships to uncover the hidden job market - that does exist even in today's tough market - but takes a different approach to find.

What worked was that the "out of work" executive happened to know the CEO of one of the member's target companies. Introductions were made, and the story had a happy ending.

We are pleased to be hearing many more "landings" these days. But one learning from recent landings is that it is not about waiting for a job posting to appear on your screen. You have to be out there connecting to shorten your job search.

The other learning is use your peer network, and if you don't have one, build one, one connection at a time. It is a small world, and peers are the best route to your next opportunity, especially in this market.

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Mark Anderson 's avatar Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson is ExecuNet's president and chief economist. An Arjay Miller Scholar, Mark received his MBA from Stanford University and a BA in economics from Yale University. He joined ExecuNet in 1993, with extensive marketing and new product and business development experience, having served as president and founder of A&M Associates, an investment management firm. Mark's corporate leadership experience includes several senior marketing and financial positions with RCA Global Communications (a GE subsidiary) and American Can Company.

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Posted by Rich Gee
07/25 @ 06:38 AM

Mark -

Powerful stuff. I wholeheartedly agree that connections are key and that you have to work the network.

I've always believed that your career is made up of three areas:
Technical - 'what' you know
Social - 'who' you know
Political - 'who' knows you

We're all good at the technical and partially at the social; but we let the political fall by the wayside. And that is the secret sauce of success!

Love to meet you sometime at an Execunet event! - Rich

Posted by mike doolin
07/24 @ 04:41 PM

Mark,
This was right on the money! There are so many talented people who are "in transition" right now who know influential decision makers and can help get your foot in the door. besides reaching out to former co-workers and the like, some of my best "networking" has been done at the health club and while taking classes for my MBA, with folks who are both in the workforce and out (like myself).