Midas Touch | Headphones and Speakers Blog
By: Mike Doria
“Mike, I need to talk to you about something when you are free,” read the Facebook message I received this morning. It was from a friend and Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ) fraternity brother from my college days. We’d chatted a couple times prior today on Facebook. I was a couple years ahead of him in college so we didn’t know each other all that well. But that’s the beauty of being in a fraternity — the never-ending networking opportunities. “Everything you touch seems to turn to gold,” he proclaimed as we began to chat on the phone. I smiled. While his statement isn’t entirely true — I’ve created plenty of piles of shit along with my mountains of gold — I was still flattered and humbled. It’s nice to know sometimes that people pay attention to your milestones and accomplishments as much as they do your missteps.
What’s even more interesting — a few days prior I was reading a numerology prediction that said that I was approaching a period in which I would have somewhat of a midas touch; or the chance to turn my endeavors and ideas into golden opportunities. Crazy coincidence? Doubtful. Maybe my fraternity brother’s request to chat and the phone call that followed was the universe’s way of reminding me of my value. And it certainly does no harm to remind people of their importance.
My fraternity brother is thinking about moving out of Rochester. Why he wants to leave the icy-cold weather the and ever increasing taxes of NY State is beyond me. But; it’s his choice. He is in the Higher Education industry and wants to find employment in one of the top 25 Universities in the nation. Here’s the list we came up with while he was picking my brain for ideas. And since I’m a firm believer in sharing information — maybe it’s a list of tips that could help you too!
1.) Sell Your Uniqueness: My fraternity brother managed to couple his Bachelors and Masters Degrees into a very unique position within the University where he currently works. This type of position might be exactly what other colleges and universities are also looking for without even knowing it. A few phone calls and some reaching out around the country could end up being a golden ticket. Do you have a unique position that could be a great selling point to advance your career? Can you come up with a way to make your standard position a bit more unique?
2.) Networking: My fraternity brother mentioned Duke University in Raleigh, NC as being a top choice. But, he doesn’t know anyone in that area. Turns out I have a very close friend who recently did her Master’s program at Duke and I also have friend who is a reporter in Charlotte (not far from Raleigh). And, I have a couple of friends in Raleigh who may have friends who work at Duke. Are you starting to understand the importance of using your network?
3. Cold Call: Much in the same way I was flattered that my fraternity brother reached out to me — I suggested he do some cold calling or cold emailing to some key people at Duke. If approached the right way, I have a feeling some of those people might also be flattered they were being thought of and willing to help my fraternity brother get to the correct people. Or, at the very least, he’s now started to build relationships with people at Duke. It’s a foot in the door.
4.) Recruiters: Wait — you mean there are people out there hired by top companies to find qualified candidates to fill open positions? It’s 2015 — work smarter, harder. Forward your resume to a few recruiters and see what happens. A search on Google is a great place to start. Do you already use recruiters but can’t seem to get a call-back? I have a BLOG BONUS! for you at the bottom of this post.
5.) Your Boss: There’s a reason why this tip is in the 5th position. Use it as a last resort. Though they are few and far between, there are some bosses who actually want you to succeed and go on to do great things. If you have one of these bosses, ask him or her to help you get to where you want to go. Maybe he or she has connections in the market where you want to work. Just maybe mention that you won’t leave your position high and dry without first helping to find your replacement.
In 10 minutes of talking — this was the list that my fraternity brother and I came up with. Sometimes it just helps to engage in conversation with someone else to get the ideas flowing. I hope you find some of these tips useful and you find an opportunity you can turn into your midas touch!
BLOG BONUS!
So you’ve reached out to recruiters but aren’t getting many calls regarding opportunities. Climber.com compiled a list of top reasons this may be happening — all straight from the mouths of recruiters:
* “The simple answer is based in Mathematics. Too many candidates, too little time. “
* “Get used to it, I have 300 resumes to look at per job. I spend 30 seconds on each resume. There are so many candidates, we only call the industry experienced local candidates.”
* “We email all of our candidate and try to keep them in the loop, but phone conversations with each one would be difficult.”
* “I can now hire masters level candidates for the amount I was paying bachelors degree candidates.”
* “The most qualified candidates are always going to get phone calls, but, they have to present themselves well on their resume.”
* “Be everywhere. Find someway to get referred to me.”
* “If you are qualified and outside the area, make it clear that you expect no or very little relocation.”
* “Target your resume to my job. Regurgitate back to me how your background and experience are a clear match for our opportunity. Highlight relevant content at the top of your resume.”
* “Don’t expect a call back if you applied for a stretch job (a stretch job is one that you think you might be qualified for) and don’t be afraid in this market to apply to my jobs for which you feel overqualified.”
* “Be of service. Candidates are always expecting something. They rarely give anything. Networking is a Recruiter‘s currency and most candidates know people who might be a good fit. Simply offering to refer a friends or co-workers goes a long way.”
