Don’t look for a job-look for needs!
Posted by Diana Needham on Friday, April 10th, 2009
Are you frustrated and discouraged in your job search? Then ask yourself this: “To what extent have I been looking for needs rather than searching for a position”?
Let me explain..
Recently I have been more aware of how true sales professionals approach their prospective clients and what works for them. As I considered how this relates to the job search, there are many key things that are of benefit to job seekers as it relates to networking.
Sales professionals are always “out there”, talking to others. They are pros at observing and listening. Their approach is to ask questions and look for signals that lead to business opportunities. They look for needs that their products or services can fill.
What does that have to do with your job search? Realize that you need to continuously be exploring and looking for new contacts in your job search. Since nearly 70% of all positions are never posted, it is critical to seek opportunities to talk with others, not to ask for a job but to find out what the needs are. Most positions are secured via a relationship that has been formed and being in the right place at the right time with the right person.
For those of us who are introverted, this may seem like a daunting challenge, since we may prefer to stay home and hide behind the computer screen, spending hours looking at the various job boards. You need to get out and talk with real people who work for real companies that are growing and have challenges and needs! Those challenges and needs are what drives the company to hire those who can solve the problems.
While you have your own needs (to find a position), remember when networking that this is not about what the other person can do for you…It is about active listening and figuring out what you can do for them. As you listen and learn about challenges and problems, ask yourself “What skills, experience, and talents are needed to solve the problem? Do I possess those skills? If those skills are not ones in my tool box, who do I know that has those skills and could help”?
Realize that you cannot plan these opportunities. They will come up as a natural outcome of your networking in this way and listening for needs. Invest time and energy in being engaged, listening, and recognizing the opportunities as they arise.
Let’s take an example. You have just arrived at a local business gathering and as you are getting coffee, you meet Sally and learn that she has a local marketing business. As you coverse with her and ask about her business, you learn that she is looking for a sales manager to expand her reach in a section of town where she currently does not have a presence. While sales is not one of your core strengths, you exchange contact information. The following week you are at another networking event and meet Bill, who is a sales professional and has recently been downsized from his position within a company that specializes in marketing. You exchange contact information. Remembering your conversation with Sally, you contact her and introduce her to Bill.
Congratulations! You just identified a need and found a way to fill it via your network…and made 2 new friends in the process!
The more you learn about and respond to others’ needs, the more people you help. As your network grows, so does your capacity to connect people with others and help them. When you help others, you build relationships, strengthen those bonds, and help yourself.
Now get out there. Don’t look for a job—search for a need!
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