DocQment, newsletter of the STC Quality SIG, June 2002.

Using Contacts to Make the Right Job Connection

In March, I was laid off when my company had another round of staff reductions. Fortunately, three weeks to the day, I accepted another position. This article conveys my thoughts on my job search and hopefully offers insights that others might find useful if they find themselves in a similar situation.

In Retrospect

The layoff came as a surprise. A surprise, because I was one of the ones laid off. However, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Anyone is a possible layoff candidate. My work environment had been very slow and the mood very quiet. We knew something was coming. Yet knowing that or perceiving that, I did nothing in preparation should I be let go. Or had I?

Taking Precautions

My resume and portfolio were not updated. I had not kept up-to-date with the job market, other than what I would hear from others or read in the newspaper, which was generally bleak. However, I did have a large network of contacts that I had cultivated over the years. And a recent volunteer commitment had helped expand my network and reconnect with many of my existing contacts. So I could congratulate myself for some preparation by keeping up my network of contacts. I had previously learned that when you need a network of contacts, when out of work, it's too late to create one.

Day One and Beyond

The day after the layoff (or my "graduation" as another former co-worker, who had also been let go in a previous layoff, referred to it), I set up a personal email account and began contacting everyone I knew, both personally and professionally. Over the next several weeks, that would form my workday: sending emails to contacts and on job postings, and then replying to responses. It might not sound like much, but it can easily fill your days. I would keep my same work hours and focus on finding a job as my work.

Connection Waiting to Happen

You never know where that right connection may come from. In late '92, I was out of a job after my employer closed the office where I worked. I learned then about STC and I mentioned it to my neighbor. This was in a small town north of Houston, and my neighbor was the receptionist at a car dealership, so I wasn't looking for a connection through her. However, she knew of STC because her sister-in-law had recently been awarded Associate Fellow. She gave me her sister-in-law's name and said to mention that I was her neighbor. A couple of months later, I met the woman at an STC meeting and she put me in touch with the guy who would give me my first tech writing job.

Contacts Come Through

When I first started looking for jobs, I found three postings on the Web for temporary/contract work. I happened to know people at all three companies. I sent my resume to each contact, and each one forwarded it to the right person. I got interviews at two of the companies, and was in initial contact with the third company when I received an offer for my current job.

My current employment was not one of the postings I had found. I was looking for the email of another former co-worker, who was out of work, to send them a lead. When I received their email from yet another former co-worker, it had the email of another former co-worker whom I had forgotten. So I dropped her an email to touch base. She requested my resume, and submitted it to HR at her company. The company wasn't hiring at that moment, but my resume was on the desk of its HR representative when a position suddenly came available.

Search Tips

Here are some tips I learned from this recent experience:

• Create a personal email account.
  You can get one for free.
• Contact everyone you know about your availability to be hired.
  You never know who can make the right connection for you, or you for them.
• Visit Hotjobs on yahoo.com.
  You can post your resume here, search their job database, and get useful information, such as tips on phone interviews. And update your resume weekly. I've been told that after you post your resume, notices are sent to all agencies and firms each time you update it.
• Maintain your same work hours/schedule.
  Having a routine helps you maintain your focus, confidence, and positive attitude.
• Frequent job networking activities such as professional meetings.
  I learned of job network ministries operated by various churches. One contact mentioned that she attended a weekly meeting where she usually got good leads and good support. (I didn't go to any due to the short time I was unemployed, so I don't know if any religious elements are involved at the meetings.)

Before You Get Laid Off

In the past, I have always focused on a job search when I needed a job. Then I got hired, and everything related to a job search was put aside. This time, I consciously want to make a change and get my search focus more current. Who knows when it might happen again. After all, the last hired is usually...

Jeff Staples
STC Senior Member, Houston Chapter