Four years ago I saw the writing on the wall. My job as a corporate recruiter was at risk. The trickling fall-in of the recession was taking its toll, seemingly one soul at a time. I surveyed the landscape of my gig and realized that, due to the changes that were taking place within my company and on Wall Street, I needed to prepare. I needed to prepare for the worst. I wasn’t really sure how to do that. My own landscape included a marriage beyond resuscitation, a job that was becoming as endangered as a spotted owl, and escalating bills.

I decided to look for work and once a new position was secured and that first month under my belt, I gave my husband his pink slip. With one less income in the house, the third issue -bills- was not going to go away any time soon. I had begun to write about recruiting and gone back to school to get my business degree, so life was well-rounded between my daytime job and the numerous activities my gut was telling me in which to get involved. Number one activity? Social Media. I had been unable to get enough of it - interestingly enough, I still feel that way today. While I watched the tragedy of the new recession unfold, my online writing increased and with much consternation from those around me, I decided that I needed to focus on new media / social media. I needed to figure it out and use it. I knew I did – I was pulled to it like a moth to flame.

I took a huge chance in making the choice to write more and dive into an unproven area of business. The thing is, the risk paid off. Through my study and writing, new areas opened up to me. I left the software sales recruiting firm at which I had landed and went in-house: my house. I started consulting small businesses about hiring practices and how to use social media to augment their online presence with the hope of increasing revenue as a result. I couldn’t stay away from the computer. I started getting asked to speak at local business meetings and networking events. I developed Bonus Track and presented the idea to Jason Davis at RecruitingBlogs. I worked consistently every day to build my own personal online presence. I created profiles on every network I could get my hands on. I attended networking events as close as two blocks from my home and as far away as 2600 miles. My bank account was non-existent and I was afraid…, but I kept at it.

Why? Why would I keep plugging along, working so hard at something that didn’t come close to paying my living expenses and supporting my family? Because it was work. It was hard work and in my book, hard work always has a pay-off. Always. The risk seemed greater every day. Every day, bills arrived at my door. Every day, I seemed to get further away from my goal. Then, about a year into my quest to survive and thrive, I met someone at a networking event that retained me to help him market his business – using social media. Then I contracted with someone else. Then someone else… It was working, I was working, getting paid a little, and I loved what I was doing. And it was hard work, it was constant work. I worked long hours and tried everything I could to scrounge a few dollars together to buy groceries. My children needed to be fed, I needed to be fed. I will be honest with you, it was extremely difficult. It was the hardest thing I have ever done; I wasn’t sleeping because those hours were filled with worry.

As a result of my involvement and work at RecruitingBlogs, I started getting noticed and my requests for conversations were being granted. One such request was to speak to and have lunch with Kelly Robinson at Broadbean. By the end of our first conversation, Kelly offered me a job. A full-time job – not a contract position – like I had first thought. That was in the summer of 2009. The risk, the macaroni and cheese, the endless hours spent online building relationships and expanding networks, the marketing and business plans written for clients and partners, the late nights spent writing – blogging, the losses, the changes… They were all worth it. Social media proved to bring me significant ROI.  The investment hurt, the ache in my stomach was hunger, and not just for food, but for total sustenance.

A risk that paid off more than my credit cards – a nice side effect, by the way.

** Celebrating my 750th Bonus Track by recalling how I got here **
This is Bonus Track #547 and was picked up for publication as a “war story” (page 43) in Jay Conrad Levinson’s and David Perry‘s 3rd Edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters. 

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

There are very few things in life you can control.

I have a neighbor with a barking dog – it keeps us awake at night or wakes us up too early.  It has barked for up to four hours straight.  We have talked to the neightbor numerous times, face-to-face.  We have called animal control, we have called the police.  They will leave up to three notices and then it falls into my court to talk to other neighbors, keep a daily log to check for patterns, start a petition, and also make sure that I am not upset at the neighbor for something else and the dog isn’t just an scapegoat for that anger.  I wasn’t angry at the neighbor until she refused to do anything about her barking dog – at 3am, I wonder how she cannot hear the same thing I hear.  It angers me that there really is no control.  The rules are laid out that I would have to do about two months worth of work before the city will do anything- ANYTHING, as they have already done their part and left three courtesy notices.  And really, I am not the one causing the problem nor are my neighbors, why should I do all the work or have to foot the bill?  The lack of control is almost as irritating as the insensitivity or ignorance.

How about something you really can control? Your database!

How many lists do you have? Are they on scratch paper piled up on your desk? Do you have names and numbers written on post-its? How often have you searched for some necessary information and not been able to access it? Is it beyond your control now or do you have the power to get organized? Determination is the first step. But it isn’t the last.

Not only will better organization of important data save you time but it just might mean the difference between your company finding success today or falling prey to the ongoing global economic crisis. Are you stuck in the days of a rolodex and business cards? Keeping track of employee, customer and client, or even candidate data has never been easier. Your company may already use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software or SaaS. If so, have you entrenched yourself in all of its capabilities? Most CRMs have recall, calendaring, invoicing, and email functionality that can make recording details and follow-up quick and painless.

If your company doesn’t have a CRM, consider investing in one. Some are very reasonably priced and can easily be added to your daily routine. Too often data is not kept up-to-date or duplications occur. Vital to business today is the ability to stay organized and follow up when need be. If you have to sift through piles of paper or endless spread sheets with out-of-date information or inaccurate details, what have you lost? Time. Time you could have spent on a warm call, getting a referral for more business, or strengthening your pitch, increasing your leads. One of your most valuable resources is time. Don’t waste it on disorganization. Vow to plan now for better organization.

The first step is the plan, the second is the follow through. Neither one brings success alone. Just because you have always done things a certain way doesn’t make it right. Be flexible to new ideas and tailor your day to coincide with keeping records and files up-to-date and easily accessible. The time spent in organization will pay off in tenfold. Would you leave a stack of hundred dollar bills in your driveway and hope it will still be there when you return? Why leave your contacts, your network, your most valuable asset, in disarray and disrepair?

Now is the time to market and advertise more, now is the time to stay in touch and in tune with your network, and now is the time to buckle down and take advantage of all the groundwork you have laid up until today. Further protect yourself by being acquainted with your database. Don’t rely on a sticky notes to expand or save your business. Be proactive and determined to take control, have the power, and close in on your goals. Control your data, don’t let it control you.

Don’t ignore the barking dog.  Sometimes you have to work for the peace.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Part of my own strategy to build my brand, gain business, and establish myself as an expert in my field is by using my blog to write and interview other experts and companies promoting them while continuing to build and strengthen my own relationships. Last Friday was no exception. Through a simple LinkedIn invitation to connect message, (Yes, LinkedIn) I was able to secure an interview with best selling author, Jeffrey Gitomer. Jeffrey Gitomer is one of my favorite authors and speakers. While his followers and fans are generally sales professionals, I am a firm believer that each and every person works in sales in some form either as a job seeker selling yourself to a company, when dating or meeting your prospective mate (the ultimate sales job), and when making a major life purchase like a car or house. Solid sales, negotiation, networking, and presentation skills are all very important in all three of these scenarios.

Jeffrey’s three hour seminar touched a great deal on how a solid sales marketing and branding plan can impact your success. The bottom line is that people buy from people and those that are ordinary end up in second place. Sitting among the more than 300 in attendance, I was surprised to learn that less than 10% utilized social media tools as part of their sales, branding, and lead generation strategy. While Jeffrey discussed the power of social media and how it can help you engage decision makers as well as hiring managers.

He says, “The challenge is for you to understand is that we are the bailout. The challenge is not just about sales tips and ideas but what you do that’s pretty ordinary.”

Jeffrey encourages everyone to take control of their bailout and suggested that we can accomplish this in the following ways:

• Get a creative voice mail. Be different from everyone else. Humor is an excellent tool to define who you are and differentiate yourself from the rest.

• Schedule a three way lunch. If someone you want to meet is giving you the run-around, invite someone you know that they need to know with you to lunch. Call your contact & invite them again. You will build instant rapport and credibility with both parties.

• Be the Best. Don’t settle for ordinary. When you are the best at what you do, everything else shows up.

• Business cards matter. Find creative ways to keep people talking. Your business card is a representation of yourself. How do you want people to remember you?

• Get a flip. Video testimonial and video references are extremely powerful on your blog or website lending you instant credibility. Use a flip to interview experts and promote them on your blog or website building solid rapport and relationships not only with the interviewee but also your blog audience.

Check out my video interview with Jeffrey Gitomer below and don’t forget to visit his website at JeffreyGitomer.com. A special thanks to the Journal Record.

Photo Credit Gitomer.com & Active Rain.

As job seekers enter into the job search, research and preparation are the two most important and also overlooked parts of the job search.  Eager candidates often dive into the super competitive world of resumes and personal branding without developing a proper self-marketing strategy.  Just like any project, it’s important to understand your product’s (you) features and benefits, your target market, as well as your current competition while having a clear plan and strategy to ensure success.  Whether you are currently waist deep in the job search or preparing to enter the race, here are some books to consider when developing your personal marketing strategy.

• Internet Your Way to the Job Search:  How to Really Find a Job Online. by Alison Doyle.  Alison is one of the leading job search experts on the internet and is a featured contributor on About.com.  Her book in its second addition includes expert advice and opinions from recruiters and career coaches to help you navigate the world wide web as a job seeker.  She discusses the importance of social media strategies, personal branding, and how to use technology effectively in the job search.  Her book is a must read for the serious job seeker.

• Crucial Conversations.  Tools for talking when stakes are high. by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, & Al Switzler. I am currently half way through this book but am loving every minute of it.  I have already begun using and taking steps to have those difficult yet crucial conversations not only in my professional life but also my personal. life  I recommend this book for employees who are considering taking the plunge into the job search but are reluctant.  This book can help you work with difficult bosses and destructive co-workers.  Vital Smarts, the company behind Crucial Conversations offers real world case studies, webinars, and other resources.

• Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling. by Jeffrey Gitomer.  I had the pleasure to listen to Jeffrey speak several years ago.  He is no-nonsense, engaging, and motivating sort of way.  I left his seminar pumped up and ready to take the tips and tools he provided me out into the real world.  Sales is so much a part of the job search.  It is most important to understand how to sell yourself and this book does that.  One of my favorite Jeffrey Gitomer quotes, “In sales, it’s not who you know.  In sales, it’s who knows you.”  This is equally true for job seekers in the job search.

• Hire With Your Head. by Lou Alder.  Lou’s company, The Adler Group as well as his book discusses the concept of Performance Based Hiring.  His book discusses how companies should use a combination of techniques to ensure that they are hiring quality candidates who will meet and exceed performance expectations.  One bad placement or hiring decision can cost a company thousands and thousands of dollars.  This book discusses techniques on how businesses can go beyond going with their gut when making a job offer.  As a candidate it is important for you to understand the methods, strategies, and decisions businesses make when making a candidate job offer.

• Me 2.0. by Dan Schawbel. Dan is the leader in personal branding.  At age 24, he wrote, Me 2.0. Although Me 2.o is geared to young professionals, it provides insight to professionals of all ages whether you are in the job market or as a professional interested in development and personal marketing.   Dan’s book is easy to read and offers a real-world 4 step strategy for discovering, creating, communicating, and maintaining your personal brand.  Additionally, Dan offers insight to how businesses can grow and develop their own personal brand to promote their products, service, or attract qualified candidates.  For more information surrounding personal branding, visit his Personal Branding Blog.

Get Paid To Sell Your Boss!! Isn’t Youtube wonderful! See the video below.

The job search isn’t just about resumes, responding to newspaper job ads, and interviewing anymore. It’s all about selling yourself. Here are some important points to consider as you begin your job search.

1. Follow the Girl Scout motto: Be Prepared. Do your research prior to meeting or contacting the company you are interested in working for. This means a variety of things inlcuding visiting the company website, researching their stock performance, and knowing that position qualifications and speaking to them. Have marketing tools ready to go including your sales pitch, resume, coverletter, business cards, and portfolio.

2. It’s a numbers game. Sales is a numbers game. I often use a deck of cards as an example. Consider the face cards as sales or interviews. The remaining cards are all no’s. As you flip through the deck of cards you may come across 12 consecutive no’s before coming upon a yes.

3. Be confident. Part of being a successful sales person is being confident, and it all starts with you. Dressing the part, a firm handshake, and good eye contact are a good start.

4. Keep it professional. Unless you are indepently wealthy or just lucky, having a job means being able to pay your bills. It’s very easy to cross the line from professional to personal. Always try to keep an open mind, an even keel, and keep your focus.

5. Opportunity knocks. Your sales opportunity can happen anytime and anywhere. Greet everyone you meet. Be ready with marketing materials and be prepared to sell. Networking opportunities happen at the most unusual places including Starbucks, the grocery store, movie theatre, and a Halloween party.

Finding the right job that meets your personal, professional, and finaicial goals is a full time job. However, with proper preparation, research, and a little bit of luck you’ll be off to a great start.

Next time. . . More Job Hunting on the Edge. Crazy, creative networking and job search ideas to get you noticed.