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Thank you to those who responded to our search for a
Receptionist/ Secretary. I will introduce you to the successful applicant
in our next newsletter.
I would like to invite all of you located in Trinidad to the annual dinner of
the Information Technology Professional Society (ITPS) of Trinidad & Tobago at
the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on Friday 2nd December at
7pm. Contribution is TT$250 and the feature speaker is Sheldon Brewer, CEO
of Digicel T&T. For more information and to reserve tickets, please call (868)
627-8544.
The ITPS website
http://www.itps.org is in the process of
being updated so please keep trying to view it.
If you wish to join the ITPS, then please email
itps@crsitjobs.com for information and
an application form. I'll tell you about the good things that this
organisation is doing in a later issue.
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My cousin emailed me his resume a couple of weeks ago,
and asked me if I knew anyone from my past working life in the UK who might be
interested in his skills. He's moving there early next year and needs a
job. Unfortunately, my contacts were not able to help, but I couldn't help
thinking how effective this technique is of roping in the people you know to
help you in your job search.
At some time in your life, you will find yourself
networking to get a job. You would surely have done this to get your first
job. Maybe you are moving to a new area or country. You might have
been unfortunate enough to have been forced to leave a job through redundancy or
other means. Perhaps you just want to leave a job so badly that you ask
everyone to help you.
There is a very powerful strategy that you can use to build a network of contacts
to help you with your job search. “Informational interviewing” is the
approach of
talking to people to get information which would ultimately lead you to someone
who will hire you. You may think you’re not friendly, gregarious, or
aggressive enough to win the support of strangers who might be in a position to
help you. But you can, simply by following the Golden Rules of Networking.
1) Ask networking contacts for advice
2) Never ask them for a job
3) Never expect them to have a job for you
4) Never expect them to know of a job that would be right for you
The world is filled with professionals who remember how
hard it was to get a foot in the door . Such people are often especially
amenable to the idea of supporting others in their reemployment efforts. And
nearly every professional feels flattered and inclined to help, if at all
possible, when job seekers turn to him or her for advice, not a job.
Recognise that your networking contacts gained through informational
interviewing aren't career counselors, and not responsible for helping you
decide what kind of a job you want. In fact, they won't be able to help you
until you have a pretty good sense of what you want to do with the next phase of
your career.
If you're switching careers, know enough about the industry you're trying to
enter so that you can engage in intelligent "shop talk." If you know where
you're headed and what you want to do once you get there, you'll likely radiate
confidence along with a clear sense of direction. Your winning attitude and
sharp focus will impress your networking contacts and go a long way toward
convincing them to lend you their support in your job search.
If you violate the trust of your contacts, you've compromised everyone in the
network - the person you've affronted, the person who referred you to that
person, and the person who referred you to that first person. You have been
given the privilege of having doors opened by others who have allowed you to use
their good name to make a contact. Nothing shuts an informational
interview down quicker than if the contact senses that you have taken their time
under false pretenses.
Even if you know only a handful of potential contacts at the outset, don't
worry; it only takes two or three good informational interviews to propel you
through the networking process. Contacts beget contacts. You will find yourself
meeting with a greater number of decision-makers in a short time frame because,
suddenly, you're "in the loop."
To connect with "secondary contacts," i.e., referrals from the
contacts you first met with, you may want to switch to a more formal
approach: the written pitch and verbal follow-up combination. Your written pitch
should include a cover letter (that lets the reader know exactly who referred
you to them and when you'll be calling to set up an interview), résumé, and list
of interview questions.
Then, at the appointed day and time, follow up with a
phone call to arrange a meeting. Wednesdays and Thursdays tend to be the most
relaxed, business-as-usual days of the week, and they're the best days for phone
calls.
And that, in a nutshell, is what informational interviews
are all about.
Just select two or three people who know you well and whom you can trust. You're
likely to feel awkward and fumble your way through your first round of
informational interviews, and it's easiest - and safest - to make your mistakes
early on in the process with people who will be empathetic and provide helpful,
positive feedback.
Once you've polished your informational interviewing skills,
there's no limit to how extensive your network can become.
Ultimately, you'll want to network your way toward the most successful
professionals in your industry who are willing to meet with you. These are the
people who can best help you penetrate the hidden job market and get the word
out that you're available for work. No one, no matter how high-ranking, is off
limits to you as long as you can win a referral to him or her. Top-level
managers, vice presidents, and even CEOs can all be part of your networking
efforts.
In the Caribbean, often it’s who you know that’s important. The contact will
usually be receptive if they know your family, for instance or someone who knows
you well. So, go for it. You may be pleasantly surprised at how
effective the strategy of "Informational Interviewing" is.
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Letters to the Editor:
I have always enjoyed reading your newsletter and most of the issues
are quite relevant and are a keen observation of local and regional IT trends.
However, the newsletter articles never says who wrote them. I understand that
Susan is no longer with you all, as are a couple of people I met some years ago
when you all assisted in my landing a job. It would be nice to see who writes
the articles... Dexter
All will be revealed in our next issue. Susan is
most definitely still with us... Ed
We would love to hear what you think of this issue of
CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that
you would like to share with us, please send those too.
Comments, suggestions, feedback?
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© Copyright 2005
Caribbean Resourcing Solutions Ltd.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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In This Issue:
-
Editor's Note
-
Networking to Get a Job
- Tell Us What You Think
-
Subscriptions
Check our
website for a complete list of I.T. JOBS
New Requirements include:
Network Audit Technician
(TRINIDAD):-
Auditing of onsite equipment to ensure that they are working to
design specifications.
Job Ref:SJ133
System Administrator
(TRINIDAD):- To ensure the stability, integrity and efficient operation of the
in-house information technology systems that support core organizational
functions.
Job Ref:SJ132
Account Executive
(TRINIDAD):-
To significantly improve Customer/Partner relationships and increase
enterprise revenue for technical solutions.
Job Ref:SJ131
Solution Sales Professional
(TRINIDAD):-
To generate revenue and increase IT market share through new
technical solution opportunities.
Job Ref:SJ130
Systems Engineer/ Programmer (TRINIDAD):-Responsible for maintaining and supporting network infrastructure.
Job Ref:SJ129
Systems Engineer - Network & Security (TRINIDAD):-
Responsible for maintaining and supporting network infrastructure.
Job Ref:SJ128
Junior Network Administrator (TRINIDAD):-Responsible for maintaining and supporting a Windows 2000/2003 WAN
network infrastructure. Also to provide help desk support to all end users.
Job Ref:SJ127
Still urgently required:
Manager - IT
(TRINIDAD):-
Responsible For the overall management of the Company’s I.T.
infrastructure and to assist with the strategic development of the IT function.
At least 3 years experience actively working with AS/400 machines.
– Job Ref:SJ126
.NET Software Developer
(THE
BAHAMAS):-
Encompasses activities across the full system development Life
Cycle, from developing technical specifications through to testing and
documentation.
– Job Ref:SJ116
Do you have any of the following skills (or know someone who does)?:
I.T Sales
AS/400
UNIX
then please register with CRS via
www.crsitjobs.com
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first to know of exciting opportunities around the Caribbean for
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DID YOU KNOW?
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