Do you want to be on the frontlines with customers? Do you want
to be a manager? Do you want to be VP of Marketing? Do you
know what level is the lowest point you’re willing to start in a new position
and what future growth potential is available for the jobs you are
seeking? With over twenty years in the financial industry, I knew clearly
that I didn’t want an entry-level position. There is nothing wrong with
entry-level, but it needs to make sense with your background, tenure,
and competencies. Also, not everyone wants to be a manager of people.
Is the career path associated with the job you’re looking into leading to a
management role? You need to be clear in what you want—this includes
the level.

The name of this chapter may seem redundant based on the rest of this
book. To an extent, it is—but there are a number of aspects you need to
be clear on when applying for a new job. If you rely on the assumption
that you and your prospective employer are on the same page, you may
well be disappointed. Within days of first losing my job, for example, I
was offered a position with a local company, but it didn’t match the role
and level I was chasing.

In addition to the type of role you may want, you need to know what
level you want. Being in the banking industry, SVP means different things
to different people, including recruiters and hiring managers. Some companies
hand out the title like it’s candy while others limit it to only the
highest levels. Looking from the outside in, it became obvious that my
former company handed out SVP titles closer to the candy version. Don’t
get me wrong, I was proud of my promotion, but I was also proud of the
many peers who also had the same level and title. One of the changes that
I made on the résumé included removing that title.

As I mentioned, I was proud of my past accomplishment, but ultimately
it didn’t carry much weight on my résumé. Some prospective companies
simply didn’t have any of those types of roles open because they
were few and far between since people in that position typically oversaw
significant operations or employees, for example. I had that title when I
managed many people; I had the same title when I was managing projects
with no direct reports. I had to start speaking the external language of the
companies I was pursuing, not the company I’d just left. That meant extra
diligence in laying out what I wanted. The changes had to occur on my
résumé, my marketing plans, my strategic plans, and in the conversations
I was having. All forms of communication had to be moving in the direction
of my laser-focused desires.

As a previous executive, I was still open to senior manager roles in order
to get in the door, knowing I would put in the effort and attitude to
get to the next level eventually. I needed to put that to paper so that everyone
was on the same page. For example, on one of my marketing plans, I
listed the following as my potential roles and options I was seeking:

Senior Risk Management Leader
VP, Operational Risk Manager, or
Executive SVP, Business Control, or
VP, Business Control Senior Manager

There was no question about what I was looking for and what opportunities
could be presented. That description made it very clear what I
wanted specific to the level of employment I was seeking and the type of
role I was best suited for.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

I was fascinated by the networking conversation I had with John
Brubaker, author of “The Coach Approach: Success Strategies From The
Locker Room to the Board Room.” He and I had many common interests
and hit it off right away, sharing notes about professional development.
John turned on his coaching charm and we found instant connections as
he shared his own stories of triumphs and tribulations when he was in a
similar situation. He left me with the following information to chew on:

• Know your ideal job in the perfect world.
• Recognize your unique talents and passions. Pursue ways to ensure
they are part of the job-search process to marry them with what
you’re looking for. You will be more motivated to follow a path of
something that drives you.
• Figure out whom to get in front of to help you pursue these ideal
jobs, unique talents, and passions.
• Know your strong general skills that can be carried with you and
emphasized regardless of field.
• Sell the abilities and competencies that make up these skills in a
targeted approach by aligning it to the jobs you’re interested in so
you don’t come across as a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.
o The jack-of-all-trades and master of none comment got my attention.
I would ask people who knew me well and people I’d
just met for their opinions of whether my story made me seem
like more of a generalist or a specialist, and made appropriate
adaptations based on their responses.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Leads are just leads until you bring them to life. Every networking session should end with, “Who else should I meet?” and, “Is there anything else I should be doing, or doing differently?” I was asked on many occasions during the job-seeking process if I knew a particular person. If the answer was “yes,” I would set up an appointment with them. If the answer was “no,” I asked if we could be introduced. Most times, I didn’t try to keep it to a single business area or even try to determine how close the connection was—it didn’t matter. What was important was that leads were being offered and it became my responsibility to do something with them. We have an opportunity to go beyond our immediate friends and past colleagues to tap friends of friends, long-lost relatives, and every other person who comes across our radar screen. If you have a lead, take advantage and send out requests to network. The ability to ask questions and find ways to connect the dots of your growing web of a network can be intriguing and fun. You might surprise yourself at how fruitful it is to be curious and pull that string all the way through.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Maybe the word predator is a little strong. I don’t consider myself a
full-blown sales and marketing person, so maybe I am a little more
sensitive to this type of business. Immediately after I lost my job, some
of the quickest responses I received from people with opportunities were
from individuals involved in sales and marketing positions. Many were
heavily commission-based with a bonus when they signed on new people.
I remember years ago when a close friend of mine tried to get me involved
in selling water purifiers. We agreed I would support him and go to one
meeting; if I didn’t like it, we would stop talking about it. I attended one
meeting and instantly knew it wasn’t for me. It was a business that worked
well for him and taught him skills that would make him an eventual giant
in the sales world. I knew it didn’t match my skills or desires, but it was
my first experience with multi-level marketing.

There are people with sales and marketing experience who would be
perfect candidates for this type of position—people with an entrepreneurial
spirit of independence who enjoy the adrenaline rush of knowing
their success is purely contingent on the next sale. The number of instant
responses I had from people in this type of field who were instantly on
my calendar was amazing. Staying true to my mantra of casting a broad
net, I listened objectively and asked enough questions to get a good feel
for what was being offered. As I’ve mentioned before, it is important to
stay open to all opportunities. I am being a little tongue-and-cheek with
the chapter title, because I was doing something similar in trying to sell
and market myself to others.

One of the key teachings was to be assertive enough to say “Thanks,
but no thanks” if I was no longer interested. I found that persistency is a
common trait in successful sales and marketing people. When I was pursuing
jobs, I appreciated when someone said to me that they needed more
time to think about it, or in some cases, that my follow-up in some cases
was too much. Most professionals get it and will move along. I connected
with many great people in what I found to be called the “level marketing”
field, and respect the amount of time and effort it takes to really make it
in that field. I also learned about persistency, assertiveness, and the drive
to develop strong personal relationships in my own job search. Every connection
can be a learning moment.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

I’ve just written that you should be open to feedback on your résumé.
I’m not contradicting myself when I also note that it’s yours to make
the final decision on how it looks and feels. Some of the feedback I received
was negative. After taking in all that feedback, even though it was
not always pleasant, I did listen to it. I then had to determine how much
of it was related to style as opposed to influence and how much of an impact
it would have on the decision makers who read it. People providing
feedback is a gift—it is also an opinion. Many people base their thoughts
on their own template. There is no perfect formula for résumés. Even
when I teach résumé writing, I clearly have to articulate that my own
résumé is a guide, and that their own résumés don’t have to be an exact
replica.

You should be conscious of the jobs you are applying for and ensure
that your résumé meets the target and alignment of that job. However,
there is no right or wrong résumé. To prove this, go to any search engine
and put in the word “résumé” and see how many options pop up. The
last time I did this in Google, more than 73 million results came back.
You will find many varying opinions on résumés. In the end, you have the
final determination of how you want your story told—and you must be
comfortable with it.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

You don’t want to create an overflow of pity, but you can glean lessons
learned from others who have been through it. Within three days
of the infamous call, I was having lunch with someone who had been
unemployed the year before and had landed a great job. Even as simple
as him telling me to have lower expectations for contacting people in
July due to vacation eased my mind about the process. With advice such
as, I don’t have to accept the first job offer, I was beginning to grasp the
number of choices and the control that I had with the swirl around me.
The level-setting discussion made me a little more “go with the flow” and
patient during the summer months, while making sure that I knew my
true value so I didn’t get low-ball job offers. There is no need for you to
reinvent the wheel. With millions of people who are or were out of work,
you are bound to know someone who is going through it or has recently
been through the process of finding a new job. In addition to the empathy,
you will find insight from mistakes they may have made and can give
you specific and actionable insight to run with.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Having the same résumé for over nine years that I maintained each
quarter provided stability and confidence to feel pretty good about
it. It was used often in training classes and mentoring sessions, so I received
plenty of solicited and unsolicited feedback. I used it as a template
for what I taught others, and constantly made the adjustments based on
the feedback I received.

I felt confident that my extensive experience in the financial industry
was a positive attribute and started the first line of my profile with the
statement, “Highly qualified executive offering over twenty-three years
of…” However, a number of people let me know that the executive and
twenty-three years comments may have priced me out of some roles and
put constricting boundaries on opportunities. Even after nine years, I was
getting new feedback! The opinions of some hiring managers may have
been that I would be over-qualified for some positions, even though I
would be satisfied with senior management level positions of growth. It’s not
easy to change something you feel so comfortable with, but the revamped
version received more attention and created more discussion. I’m convinced
the new-and-improved résumé made a significant difference in
how I was viewed on paper.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

You will be rejected. You will have passive rejections, when people forget lunch meetings, or do not return your calls or emails. You won’t get interviews you thought you should, and you won’t even get a glance from jobs that you know you are qualified for. With the high unemployment rates, we have to get used to the fact that this unfortunately is normal. The reality is that there are far too many résumés flying around. Recruiters and hiring managers can’t always filter or interpret them all
accurately, quickly, or both. What you do with this rejection is another story.

When your phone is silent and your email inbox is empty, are you following up with past requests? When turned down, are you asking for feedback to become better the next time? Are you asking for suggestions for other possible leads? On several occasions, I was told that “other candidates were more qualified,” that I was “over-qualified,” or that I was “under-qualified,” depending on the job and the people I was working through. In my conversations, I asked questions and was curious. The
conversations that ensued led to times when I became considered for other similar roles, or for lines of businesses within that company that were not previously on the radar screen. I had circumstances when I was reconsidered after further discussion. My thinking is that one person creates an opinion of you based on the block of time that you spoke. Asking questions and possibly involving more people can get your name around, create new context to the conversation, and more importantly, keep you relevant. The goal is not to be over-the-top and in-your-face with the approach. The aim is to be curious, develop, and learn something for the
next time around. If the next time around happens to create a path for you, you can look at it as a bonus opportunity. Even asking questions as simple as, “Who else should I talk to?” can turn rejection into your friend immediately. Rejection: expect it, learn from it, and then use it to move forward.

As a side note, you do need to understand that some people and companies may not discuss the “whys” of their decision-making process. Whether it is out of fear of being sued for discrimination, misinterpretation, or other reasons, it’s important not to be discouraged if a request for feedback goes unanswered or is answered unsatisfactorily. The fact that you asked the question gave you the potential to gather some information to make you better, and is better than not asking at all.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Down the Chute: A Toboggan Tale (children’s book for ages 4-10 years old)
• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

I would typically put in a ten-to-twelve hour day of job-searching. I don’t want to contradict the need to pursue the main goal—to find a job—but we do need to find balance. I am expanding on it as a distraction to break up your day. Take a lunch break and do a chore or address something you’ve always wanted or needed to do. A fellow unemployed friend wisely gave me the advice to at least take the weekends off to recharge. The amount of productive work goes down naturally, because not everyone is checking emails and messages, although I admit that many of the responses I did get were from people who slowed down enough from their own jobs to send a quick note or response on the weekends. You can partially control your own working schedule now that you’re at home, so take advantage of it. Your spouse’s honey-do list will appreciate it.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

What’s your plan for today? What about tomorrow? Have a game
plan and a regular routine scheduled. This is your job. For example,
you may want to set up the morning to review emails, spend the next
section of the morning making phone calls, and the next section of the
day sending out emails for potential networking sessions. You must have a
daily goal, including writing a certain number of cover letters, dedicating
time to review your résumé and marketing plan, looking at the openings
at your highest prospect companies, and sending out a minimum number
of networking requests.

Regardless of the action, building regular routines will keep you motivated
when you wake up in the morning. If your first response when you
wake up starts with you blankly staring at your computer asking, “What
do I need to do?” then it’s time to take a step back and establish a plan.
You are most likely thinking tactically before you’ve thought strategically.
Stop what you’re doing and invest the time to set up a strategic plan*—
even if it takes an entire day. The invested time of organization and time
management will pay high dividends by making you more efficient and
having a clearly formulated plan each day. In fact, this strategic day in establishing
how the rest of your days will play out may be one of the more
important days in the entire job-search process.
*A Strategic Plan will vary based on individual needs and preferences.
Ultimately, it’s your plan of attack. You may want to establish a priority of
people you will be attempting to contact. For example:

• Go to family members (immediate and extended). Generate a list
based on instant ideas.
• Call closest business friends. Generate a list comprised of immediate
contacts.
• Contact friends not associated with the business you are interested
in, but who may have ideas about the job-seeking process.
• Send emails/make calls to inner network: mentors, mentees, outside
interest contacts (Toastmasters, local community/school, etc.),
past colleagues—those with whom you have a strong familiarity.
• Contact people at companies you’re interested in pursuing. Look at
LinkedIn and other sources to obtain details.
• Continue searching LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media
sites with connections to look for secondary contacts.
• Go to known openings or known opportunities.
• Review job openings on LinkedIn and other sources (write down
sources as they are obtained).
• Review LinkedIn contacts alphabetically.
• Go back to dormant contacts.
This list can go on based on your desires, and the order may be different
for you. However, it should be your starting point. Then, decide
how much time to dedicate daily to networking, sending emails to set up
meetings, exercising, and other activities that will consume your day.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com