Maybe you’ve heard the “golden voice” of YouTube sensation, Ted Williams ..
Ted Williams is a formerly unemployed and homeless man who was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers as an announcer.
Can you imagine? One day homeless next day dealing with the the Basketball greats at courtside.
Ted Williams is still getting job offers from around the USA.
Totally amazing.
Congratulations Ted!!
But I am more interested in you and helping you get the job you want.
What can we learn from Ted’s story?
A boring job coach never says to a homeless person, “You know what you need to do? Go stand in traffic with a sign and talk like a radio DJ to every person you meet.”
If Ted had followed the regular boring and totally ineffective (and absolutely non guerrilla job hunting advice) — Ted would have gone to his local job and library, waited to use the free computers, and applied online for advertised jobs.
If he had done that – he would still be be looking for a job. That’s why so many people are unemployed for so long.
Ted Williams is a Guerrilla Job Hunter and you need to be too.
Ted did four things and you need to do the same four things. And I know you can do them!
Ted went out and met people.
You must meet people. You need to talk to as many people as you possibly can. Stop avoiding people.
Don’t be the unemployed person with a home that avoids people.
Never ever sit at home zapping out resumes by email and feeling productive. This is a pointless waste of time. It is not productive. Has it worked for you? How many job interviews have you had compared to resumes you have sent out?
Ted was out in the game, every day, meeting and telling people about the job he wanted. And he met just the right person — a reporter who told his story. The rest is history
You never know who you will meet on the street, ahead of you in line at 7-Eleven, or sitting next to you at Starbucks.
That person may be a VP at your dream employer. (Another reason to get 5,000 business cards for $199)
While the chances of meeting your dream employer on a street corner are small. Your chances will be ZERO if you stay at home and never get out. They will increase substantially if you go out and meet people in their environment.
Be prepared for that meeting:
- Know EXACTLY what job you want to do?
- There are plenty of people looking for “any job” … and they struggle for months.
- Keep track of how many people have you talked to this week about job. Know the number of people. Make a quota.
Ted didn’t use an ordinary resume
You can’t get much less ordinary than Ted’s “resume” — it was handwritten, in magic marker … on a piece
of cardboard. The first line read, “I have a God given gift of voice.”
That is a Guerrilla Resume.
I recommend most people, print their resume on paper and hand-deliver it to hiring managers. Its time consuming, but if you do it you will speak with hiring authorities.
Ted didn’t waste weeks revising his resume until it was “perfect.”
Things to think about:
- How many ordinary resumes have you sent to employers?
- If you’re not yet ready, how much longer will you wait for your resume to be “perfect” before sending it out?
- And how many jobs have you missed out on in the meantime?
Ted didn’t interview, he performed.
When job hunters get an interview, they retell success stories from their past, hoping employers wil take a leap of faith and hire them. How boring is that?
Ted performed for anyone who would listen. His first “interview” — the YouTube video that made him famous overnight — didn’t feature him begging for a job. No, he was DOING THE JOB in that video interview. Big difference.
Things to think about:
- How will you demonstrate in fifteen minutes what you can do?
- If you’re in sales, you can pick up a phone book and make cold calls. If you’re a designer, you can draw on napkin. A teacher can deliver a memorable 5-minute lesson. A customer service manager can pose as a customer, call his target employer, and analyze their phone service. A writer can rewrite the ad.
I recommend that you do this and bring it into your interview.
You get the idea — there is NO job that cannot be performed in an interview. Because, if you’re hired you will have to perform anyway. Why wait?
Ted had a Positive Mental Attitude
I understand that you are broke, your spouse is scared, you owe money everywhere. You may have been without a job for weeks, months or years. Being without a job affects your finances, family, or health.
But, more than likely you will be in a bed in a warm house tonight. Imagine how it would feel to be sleeping under a highway overpass tonight?
Since your situation is probably better than the overpasss, make the efffort to greet the world with a smile.
A smile is the fastest way to make the best impression on anyone.
Ted was a homeless, recovering alcoholic/addict, can be unfailingly polite and positive in his dealings with others, so can you.
Here are two things to do today.
- Fake being happy for 30 minutes today with a perfect stranger. Talk to them about your job.
- Find someone to perform your skill with and do it with a smile.
After you have completed these two tasks go home and complain for for the rest of the day.
Do it again tomorrow.
Then the day after.
You will find that each day its going to get easier and easier and the time will last longer.
What will happen?
When you get out, meet people, send a guerrilla resume and “perform” in a positive way — just like Ted Williams — you will find a job, or even better, the job will find you.
That’s the Guerrilla way.
This is my Monday Morning Job Hunting help. I have taken material provided to me by Kevin Donlin and David Perry, co-creators of the Guerrilla Job Search System.
Kevin and David have been interviewed by CNN, New York Times, Fortune magazine, and the Christian Science Monitor about their method to finding a job.
Get a free audio from Kevin and David on how to get your job search into high gear
This is my Monday Morning Job Hunting help. I have taken material provided to me by Kevin Donlin and David Perry, co-creators of the Guerrilla Job Search System.
Kevin and David have been interviewed by CNN, New York Times, Fortune magazine, and the Christian Science Monitor about their method to finding a job.
Get a free audio from Kevin and David on how to get your job search into high gear
Give Thanks, Get Hired
One day in September 1996, I was talking to Steve, my manager.
We had just interviewed a woman for a writing job. Discussing how we ourselves had been hired, I mentioned that I had mailed a thank-you note to the manager who interviewed me. “So did I,” replied Steve. And we were both hired. Wasn’t that a coincidence?
The next day, we each received a thank-you note in the mail from Leitha, the woman we interviewed. We hired Leitha.
Coincidence? I think not.
Because, according to the American psychologist William James: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”
When you thank someone, be it an employer after an interview or a friend who gave you a job lead, you help satisfy their need to be appreciated. Which can propel you faster toward employment.
And it all starts with two words: Thank you.
Here are the Whom, How, and When of giving thanks to employers that can help you get hired faster …
1) Whom do you thank?
You already know to send a thank-you note to hiring managers after every job interview. But that’s the bare minimum.
You can spread more goodwill — and start more positive conversations about you — by writing and saying, “Thank you,” to every person you meet at a potential employer, starting with the receptionist. Every. Person. You. Meet.
Ask everyone for a business card and give them yours in return. If someone is card-less, ask for their name. Then, call the receptionist after the interview and ask for help in clarifying or spelling any names. You’ll avoid mistakes and leave a terrific impression by making that simple phone call.
But don’t limit thank-you notes to employers. Mail them to anyone who does you a favor during your search: friends, relatives, vendors, neighbors, former co-workers, et al. If you mail at least one thank-you note per day, you’re on the right track. Two or more are better.
In the book, You, Inc., Harry Beckwith writes: “Handwritten thank-you notes feel like gifts because you took the time to find the paper and envelope, write the note, affix the stamp, and gift-wrap your note in its package.”
2) How do you thank them?
To be clear, you will write and mail one of those thank-you notes available at any office supply store (they come in boxes of 20-25), with a matching envelope, and a stamp. If your printing is neat, write your notes by hand.
What if your handwriting is illegible? I used to suggest laser printing a thank-you note and then signing it, but no more. I’m now convinced that nothing beats a handwritten note. So take the time to print a note that’s legible.
To be extra clear, a text message, voicemail, or email can never take the place of a thank-you note sent by mail. Never, ever.
To remove a final excuse — writer’s block — here’s exactly what to say in your thank-you notes to employers:
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me this morning.
I want you to know that I am extremely interested in the position of INSERT JOB TITLE we discussed. Based on the needs for insert BRIEF JOB description you outlined in our talk, I am sure that my skills in INSERT 2-3 SKILLS can help you in this area.
In any event, I want to thank you for your time and consideration. It was a pleasure to meet you and INSERT ALL OTHER NAMES.
Sincerely,
Your First and Last Name
3) When do you thank them?
Speed thrills. The faster you thank an employer or helpful friend, the more they’ll appreciate it.
Example: Mark Mullins, from Phoenix, Arizona, was hired in April 2010 after interviewing with a high-tech firm. He credits part of his success to a rapid response. “I went from the interview to a FedEx Kinko’s store, used their computers to print a thank-you letter, went back to the employer and delivered it by hand,” he says.
T
Give Thanks, Get Hired
One day in September 1996, I was talking to Steve, my manager.
We had just interviewed a woman for a writing job. Discussing how we ourselves had been hired, I mentioned that I had mailed a thank-you note to the manager who interviewed me. “So did I,” replied Steve. And we were both hired. Wasn’t that a coincidence?
The next day, we each received a thank-you note in the mail from Leitha, the woman we interviewed. We hired Leitha.
Coincidence? I think not.
Because, according to the American psychologist William James: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”
When you thank someone, be it an employer after an interview or a friend who gave you a job lead, you help satisfy their need to be appreciated. Which can propel you faster toward employment.
And it all starts with two words: Thank you.
Here are the Whom, How, and When of giving thanks to employers that can help you get hired faster …
1) Whom do you thank?
You already know to send a thank-you note to hiring managers after every job interview. But that’s the bare minimum.
You can spread more goodwill — and start more positive conversations about you — by writing and saying, “Thank you,” to every person you meet at a potential employer, starting with the receptionist. Every. Person. You. Meet.
Ask everyone for a business card and give them yours in return. If someone is card-less, ask for their name. Then, call the receptionist after the interview and ask for help in clarifying or spelling any names. You’ll avoid mistakes and leave a terrific impression by making that simple phone call.
But don’t limit thank-you notes to employers. Mail them to anyone who does you a favor during your search: friends, relatives, vendors, neighbors, former co-workers, et al. If you mail at least one thank-you note per day, you’re on the right track. Two or more are better.
In the book, You, Inc., Harry Beckwith writes: “Handwritten thank-you notes feel like gifts because you took the time to find the paper and envelope, write the note, affix the stamp, and gift-wrap your note in its package.
2) How do you thank them?
To be clear, you will write and mail one of those thank-you notes available at any office supply store (they come in boxes of 20-25), with a matching envelope, and a stamp. If your printing is neat, write your notes by hand.
What if your handwriting is illegible? I used to suggest laser printing a thank-you note and then signing it, but no more. I’m now convinced that nothing beats a handwritten note. So take the time to print a note that’s legible.
To be extra clear, a text message, voicemail, or email can never take the place of a thank-you note sent by mail. Never, ever.
To remove a final excuse — writer’s block — here’s exactly what to say in your thank-you notes to employers:
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me this morning.
I want you to know that I am extremely interested in the position of INSERT JOB TITLE we discussed. Based on the needs for insert BRIEF JOB description you outlined in our talk, I am sure that my skills in INSERT 2-3 SKILLS can help you in this area.
In any event, I want to thank you for your time and consideration. It was a pleasure to meet you and INSERT ALL OTHER NAMES.
Sincerely,
Your First and Last Name
3) When do you thank them?
Speed thrills. The faster you thank an employer or helpful friend, the more they’ll appreciate it.
Example: Mark Mullins, from Phoenix, Arizona, was hired in April 2010 after interviewing with a high-tech firm. He credits part of his success to a rapid response. “I went from the interview to a FedEx Kinko’s store, used their computers to print a thank-you letter, went back to the employer and delivered it by hand,” he says.
To save time, bring a box of thank-you notes with stamps to your next interview. Afterwards, write your notes in the parking lot. Drop them in the nearest mailbox on the way home. Your letters will arrive the next day and carry maximum impact.
Now. Here’s the kicker: In my experience counseling job seekers since 1996, I have never met anyone who faithfully mailed thank-you notes and struggled long-term to find a job. That’s how powerful thank-you notes are. Try mailing 10 this week and prove it for yourself.
o save time, bring a box of thank-you notes with stamps to your next interview. Afterwards, write your notes in the parking lot. Drop them in the nearest mailbox on the way home. Your letters will arrive the next day and carry maximum impact.
Now. Here’s the kicker: In my experience counseling job seekers since 1996, I have never met anyone who faithfully mailed thank-you notes and struggled long-term to find a job. That’s how powerful thank-you notes are. Try mailing 10 this week and prove it for yourself.
Keyword Related posts:
