Becoming a known Entity - Legacy Bowes Group Articles
Becoming a known Entity
Posted On Dec 31, Posted by Barbara Bowes Category Working World - Training &
Development
As published in the Winnipeg Free Press.
Have you ever heard a career quester (someone who wants to be promoted) or a job seeker
bitterly lamenting that getting a job depended more on who you know than what you can do?
How many times have you jumped to a candidate’s defense to readily declare that’s just not
right! Do you remember huffing in contempt when a candidate seemed lucky to be in the right
place at the right time? Well like it or not, securing a job, finding the right fit with an organization,
being in the right place at the right time or leveraging interpersonal relationships does indeed
depend a great deal on being “known” as an individual.
But, it’s critical not to become angry or misunderstand the importance of becoming a known
entity and how this is beneficial to the job search process. Honest, it isn’t about some shadowy
deep throat informant lurking behind the job scene waiting to assign a special posting to a
favourite crony. Rather it’s all about utilizing an informal assessment strategy or job fit filter to
determine if you are indeed the right candidate. And this strategy is equally as important to you
the job seeker as it is to an employer.
Why? Well first, it’s a reality that every organization has a unique sense of being, a sort of
chemistry, a personality or a work culture. In other words, people within an organization have
similar values, goals, work habits, and ways of thinking and doing. And it’s this organizational
work culture that drives a company toward the vision of success. Most importantly though, it’s
also a reality that work culture is so powerful that it overrides any and all technical skills an
individual may possess and it literally makes or breaks an employee’s success within an
organization.
Now you can understand why matching a candidate’s fit to organizational culture is such an
extremely important step in the job search or recruitment/selection process. So be aware that
when employers are interviewing, they are not just looking at technical skills, they are assessing
each person through the job filter of chemistry, personality and organizational fit.
And, as a job seeker, it’s critical that you use this “known entity” assessment filter as well. In
other words, you need to assess a potential employers personality, culture and chemistry to
determine if you really wish to work with that person or to be employed within their organization.
But, if being a known entity or aggressively becoming part of a “who you know network” is
critically important, where does one begin? For internal candidates looking to progress, the
following selected strategies have proven helpful:
* Consider yourself in perpetual marketing mode, campaigning with thoughtful strategy and
practical yet progressive tactics;
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Becoming a known Entity - Legacy Bowes Group Articles
* Understand the organization’s most valued key skills, abilities and personal traits; study and
learn from the success of your leaders; match your similarities to these critical assessment
criteria;
* Concentrate on becoming a known entity rather than directing your efforts simply on
advancement; sign up for committees that position you to develop relationships with senior
professionals;
* Understand the organizational chart; identify positions that provide the skills and experience
needed to fulfill your career path, then chart a developmental course to follow;
* Become a visible leader; volunteer for new learning assignments where you can develop
more personal contacts while continuing to excel at your current assignment.
On the other hand, it’s understandable that job seekers out pounding the pavement see
themselves as having a more daunting task. After all, it’s overwhelming to think about becoming
a known entity when you feel like such a small blip on a big career stage. But take comfort in an
old saying, everybody knows someone who knows somebody. And believe me, it’s really true.
So, how can the external job seeker make the known entity job strategy work? First and
foremost it’s important to have a positive attitude toward your task otherwise it just won’t work.
Becoming a known entity means networking with other people, making connections with those
of similar interests. It’s all about initiating and developing a sense of trust with people that you
might want to work with in the future; it’s all about communicating and developing reciprocal
relationships. The following suggestions have proven successful for my clients:
* Create a personal business card. Give yourself a title (accountant, business leader,
administrative professional) and add three key phrases that would attract a reader to your skills;
* Identify where your business professionals tend to congregate; attend those same functions;
if you can’t afford the banquet, then try to attend the free pre-dinner reception;
* Always give 2-3 business cards and ask that they be forwarded to others who might be
interested; make referrals to your contacts whenever you can;
* When exchanging business cards, suggest that you might call to learn more about their
particular business or industry; followup with an informational interview;
* Don’t be afraid to count on your friends and business acquaintances to help you out; after all,
everyone is looking for people to fill that banquet table, so you are really doing them a favour;
* Start with the people you know; make a list and systematically inform them you are looking for
a new job; ask for a minimum of two referrals for which you can use their name;
* Call the referrals and ask for two more referrals. Call back the original contacts, thank them
for the referrals and ask for two more. Finally, ask if you can keep them informed of your
progress.
Yes, securing a new job is all about becoming a known entity. So develop a networking strategy
and make it work for you!
Tags: networking , organizational fit
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