Bill Clinton's Job Search Exhortation

As important as a resume is, it will be far more useful if you have done your networking. Spend your time searching for jobs on websites and in newspapers and you miss 70 percent of available opportunities, according to Forbes. Most jobs are available to networkers if you uncover them. Why? Studies show repeatedly that it is because people do the hiring and people are less comfortable with strangers. Get an introduction to a company and you will start out the job search process with a greater comfort level than you could by entering the process as a total stranger.

Networking also informs you of jobs before thousands of others learn about them. Networking, then, is simply the best way to find a job. Logically, then, it’s worth taking the time to learn how to network and how to take advantage of your networking. How? Keep records. In his book, Never Eat Alone, author Keith Ferrazzi described one of the great networkers of our time:

“In 1968, when President Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, he met a graduate student named Jeffrey Stamps at a party. Clinton promptly pulled out a black address book. ‘What are you doing here at Oxford, Jeff?’ he asked.

“‘I’m at Pembroke on a Fulbright,’ Jeff replied. Clinton penned ‘Pembroke’ into his book, then asked about Stamp’s undergraduate school and his major. ‘Bill, why are you writing this down?’ asked Stamps.

“‘I’m going into politics and plan to run for governor of Arkansas, and I’m keeping track of everyone I meet,’ said Clinton.”

Networking won’t get you elected president but it can surely help you get a better job. Be sure to write down your contacts. Organize a database. You’ll be glad you did. It will be a lynchpin in your job search.

CNN, Super-Sized Salaries and Your Resume

Your resume does impact your eventual salary. In fact, every facet of the job search process can make a big difference in compensation as well as other benefits throughout your career. CNN.com recently ran a helpful article that talked about salary ranges for top executive jobs. The piece discussed expected compensation for positions such as CFO, Director of Finance, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Security Officer. It’s reasonable to anticipate six-figure salaries for many of these jobs, according to the CareerBuilder article that CNN.com posted. (CareerBuilder.com is one of the more respected job search websites.) It’s important to add that your eventual salary will depend on a variety of factors, including geography (San Francisco and New York jobs will typically pay more than jobs in more remote locations), and your presentation. For these senior level jobs, companies often have a wide range in salary they are willing to pay. They will look for the right person and then they will offer a salary that they think the candidate will accept. This number is partly determined by your presentation on your resume and during interviews. Therefore, you want to learn to describe your job experience on your resume in a way that identifies yourself as top-tier. Take the time to do this right. The rewards will be great. To read the CNN article, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/08/14/cb.super.salary/index.html