Latest news with #IvanMisner
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
There's really only one way to get a new job these days
You've had it drilled into you that networking is essential for your career. Yet, if you're busy actually doing your job, it can feel like yet another thing on your list. So, you like a few posts on LinkedIn and move on. Increasingly, that's not going to cut it, workplace observers told Business Insider. That's especially true if you're among the growing share of workers who feel restless and wouldn't mind finding a new gig. Professional elbow-rubbing is becoming more important partly because many of us, especially desk workers, don't have the leverage with employers that we did in the pandemic years, when bosses were often desperate to fill seats. So, landing a new role can require more effort. Plus, as artificial intelligence threatens to take on more work and swallow some jobs entirely, more employers could become choosier about the people they hire. Add in economic X factors like tariffs and interest rates, which are further curbing some employers' appetites for hiring, and you've got more reasons to treat networking like healthy eating or hitting the gym — and not something you only do in January. "Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. It's about cultivating relationships with people," Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, a business networking organization focused on referrals, told BI. That's why he said he encourages people to start now, before they're unemployed. Misner, who for decades has been an evangelist of networking, compares the act of building relationships to the adage about the best time to plant a tree being 20 years ago — and the second-best time being today. "For those employees who have not planted an oak tree, who have not been out networking, they need to go do it now," he said. Joining the 'favor economy' One reason networking is more essential than ever is that our attention is often fractured by the amount of information coming at us, Dorie Clark, a communication coach who teaches at Columbia Business School and who wrote the book "The Long Game," told BI. "What is always going to get your attention is a close relationship with people that you care about and want to help," she told BI. Many of us, though, often find jobs not through our close contacts but through their acquaintances, Clark said. What can play out, she said, is an example of what's sometimes called the "favor economy." "You will help someone that you don't know that well, because you are indirectly doing a favor for the person you do know well," she said. Clark said that because AI threatens to take jobs and because many employers are cautious about hiring, some old-school relationship-building is essential. "The thing that is going to get you to the front of the line when jobs are scarce is interpersonal relationships with people who are willing to go above and beyond and expend political capital to help you," she said. Clark said that relying too much on social media as a means of networking can be dangerous because it's often a poor substitute for making deeper connections with people over time. "It gives you the illusion of productive networking. It gives you the illusion of connection," she said. Instead, Clark advises workers and job seekers to look for more "bespoke" ways of connecting. It might be as simple as sending someone you know a text once in a while without expecting a response. She said sharing something that reminds you of that person or simply saying hello can make a difference. "As long as you're friendly, you're thoughtful, you're relevant, you're not seeking something from them — most people will be very happy to hear from you," Clark said. The gold standard, however, remains spending time with someone IRL, she said. When you don't know someone well — and especially when there's a power imbalance — it's best to make a single small ask. So, don't request a coffee date, a job referral, and a testimonial quote, Clark said. Instead, she said, think about what would be the "highest and best use" of how someone might help you and what feels appropriate as an ask. Finding ways to stand out Networking is also important because as piles of résumés stack up for an open job, sifting through them, even with the help of applicant-tracking software, can be a heavy lift for busy managers, Gorick Ng, a Harvard University career advisor and the author of the book "The Unspoken Rules," told BI. What often stands out, he said, is someone walking down the hall and saying, "My niece is looking for a job. Here's their résumé. Do you mind just taking a closer look?" Or, Ng said, it could be that someone on the inside of an organization vouches for a former colleague by saying to the hiring manager that a candidate is likeable and trustworthy. "And just like that, somebody else who you do not know just got that leg up because they have somebody else behind the scenes pounding on the table for their name to be picked," Ng said. That's why, he said, it's so important for job seekers to be seen, heard, and remembered. After all, Ng said, hiring managers aren't likely to hire someone they haven't fallen in love with as a candidate. "It's hard to fall in love with an applicant that is nothing more than just a Word document that you may not even look at," he said.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Job Seekers: Replace Desperation With Tenacity To Land Your Dream Job
An NBC poll reveals more than 28% of Americans are searching for new jobs. And the question on every job seeker's mind is, 'What are recruiters looking for?' as applicants try to differentiate themselves and stand out from the pack. One of the most overlooked tips for job seekers is to learn the fine line between tenacity and desperation and make sure tenacity rules if you want to land that dream job. There is a list of nine must-haves that recruiters want from job applicants, but perhaps the least talked about is demonstrating how badly you want a job. Research shows that 72% of job seekers feel their search negatively affects their mental health. But experts emphasize that showing you are desperate is an immediate turn-off for hiring managers and could end your job prospects. "Desperation in a job search is never a good look," insists job networking expert and founder of Ivan Misner, who has been connecting people all over the globe for years as the world's biggest networking organization. He has bee called the "Father of Modern Networking" by both Forbes and CNN. Misner argues that the fastest way to make a bad impression is to act desperate because if you're desperate, you're not hirable. A blanket approach to bombarding hiring managers through multiple channels is not a good look, either, he says and will rarely work. Instead, tenacity is the ticket to landing your dream job. So what's the difference? 'Tenacity is about purpose-driven (yet diplomatic) persistence,' according to Misner. 'Desperation, on the other hand, comes from fear or panic. The key difference is mindset: tenacity moves forward with conviction, while desperation clings out of anxiety.' Misner offers an example of tenacity. 'The HR department at my company always had many people to interview for job openings, and it took time to get back to candidates because they hadn't decided who the right person was yet. In one particular instance, an applicant followed up once or twice, and we told him there was no update. The third time he reached out--he sent a video to us. In the video, he talked about a current project we were working on, his vision for it and his potential position with the company. Most importantly, he talked with conviction about how excited he would be to be in this role. When we saw that--all interviews stopped, and we hired him. He was diplomatically tenacious and not at all desperate in his communication.' Misner suggests that you can avoid looking desperate by using five words: 'How can I help you?' He advises that when you're networking for a job, ask that simple question, and it could open doors for you in ways you never thought possible. 'It's worked for me at the highest levels of networking,' he says, 'and it works for entry-level job seekers too. When you offer your time and resources without expectation of anything in return, you make yourself memorable.' When applying for a job Misner points out that it's important to not appear overly eager. "Bombarding the hiring manager through multiple channels, reaching out to other employees in the company and blatantly disregarding stated timelines are all red flags," adds Misner. But one of the biggest mistakes you can make when following up is to share personal struggles in an attempt to prove how badly you need a job. 'Employers are NOT interviewing for people who bring drama--they are interviewing for people who bring results," Misner cautions. "I almost hate to say this but when you tell your troubles to people you are interviewing with, you're likely to find out that--half the people don't care, and the other half are glad you're worse off than they are! Don't do it.' Misner recommends that when you get a 'no,' take the no. That said, if you don't have an answer yet, there is a way to make a great impression with your follow-up. If the job is really important to you, he encourages you to launch one last 'Hail Mary' and suggest a 'working interview.' He insists that this generally works with entry level positions or a little above. 'This is where you tell the person doing the hiring that you would be happy to come in for a day or two and work for free (although depending on the state, they may need to pay you something). Offer to come in for a working interview to show them what you are capable of. I have recommended this to many college students in my classes (as well as one of my own children), and it has worked amazingly well,' he concludes. Tenacity and persistent are one thing, but it's also important to know when it's time to accept rejection and call it quits. I spoke with game aficionado, Laura Robinson, who co-created the international mega-hit parlor game, Balderdash. Robinson, an advocate of persistence, shared her success advice with me that also applies to job seekers of any age. She states that you pitch your idea until someone accepts it. And if that doesn't happen, you muster the persistence to keep knocking on doors. If persistence isn't working after a while you pivot and do something differently to get your message (or yourself) out there. Robinson says if you believe in what you're doing and have passion for it, you can sell it--whether it's a product or yourself.
