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By Debra Feldman

Is there a "vaccine" to prevent the undesirable situation of having to re-enter the job market unexpectedly? Technically speaking, job hunting is not life threatening. However, most executives would rather choose when to make a transition or take a sabbatical rather than be forced to look for a new position because their job was eliminated or they are let go.

Networking Purposefully™ is a way to decrease the likelihood of being caught high and dry without leads to new opportunities by having colleagues who can arrange introductions and keep their eyes open for potential job matches. Strong business connections provide long term career insurance:

• Inside access to unadvertised positions or the hidden job market;
• Introductions to employers promoted as a trusted expert;
• Competitive positioning as a top candidate for jobs matching your qualifications and career objectives.

Don't have the right contacts? Start networking strategically before you need a job. Purposefully get to know key industry leaders whom others go to for recommendations and who make referrals to decision makers. Planning ahead offers more control over the where you land, when it happens and the financial terms. When you are not under pressure or emotionally stressed, you can usually think more effectively and focus better to identify a challenge that is a good deal for the prospective employee as well as the company. Being confident is more attractive to hiring managers, too. Importantly, in addition to increasing your control over the campaign process, you'll have a cooler head and possibly larger bank account to back your search efforts.

Here are some ways to avoid becoming a desperate candidate.

1. Identify yourself as the expert, the go-to resource. Don't leave it to a potential employer to figure out your value to them.
2. Target employers likely to appreciate your background. To stand out in a very competitive industry, choose a niche and present your credentials to those chosen few who can appreciate you. Position yourself as their expert solution. Be a big fish in a small pond.
3. Focus your search. Name specific companies or industry icons that have outstanding reputations or intrigue you. Make them your project goals. You can expand your list to include companies chosen for characteristics like location, industry sector, size, ownership status, etc. Keep your prospects to a manageable number of employers with whom you can Network Purposefully™ encouraging relationships and credibility.
4. Create an attention-commanding value proposition. Do not attempt to adapt your background for every opening in order to get any job. You dilute your strengths, lower your market value and run counter to the prevailing preference for hiring exact fits with specific experience.
5. Customize your presentation for each opportunity. This is well worth the extra preparation. Address the specific needs of each prospect and demonstrate that you are their perfect solution.
6. Quantify your contribution. Show that hiring you pays for itself and then some. Use a model to illustrate your projected effect on the bottom line, customer relationships, revenues, savings, etc.
7. Connect with the hiring authority then be sure to stay in mind. Be remarkable and memorable. In today's highly competitive job market, a resume isn't always sufficient to command an interview. The best way to source a new job is a personal referral, a friendly recommendation, a confidential inside lead all of which depend on establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, i.e., networking. Don't be forgotten.
8. Follow up relentlessly. If there is not a current position available, stay in touch. Organizations are constantly in flux. Ask for referrals to others that you don't already know. Follow up on every lead on a regular basis. Networking is a relationship, not a one-time only interaction. Relationships yield results; single meetings may not be productive immediately.
9. Stay connected with your network contacts even after you land. Stay in touch so you don't miss out on inside news and to keep on friendly terms with those you've made the effort to know. Plus now you may be able to return favors and provide inside leads about your company.
10. Network Purposefully. What's the best way to penetrate an organization? Connections! Find a mutual contact that you share with your target contact and have this third party arrange an introduction for a more welcoming reception. Make it easier for the connector to produce results for you by creating a crisp synopsis of your potential value to endorse your credibility. Write out bullet points, examples that your liaison can cite showing your capabilities. Don't know anyone to set up an appointment for you? Make a cold call and enlist the help of their assistant or a junior associate. Don't say that you want to learn about upcoming job opportunities or ask about available jobs. Stress your interest in sharing ideas and be sure to convey that you have something to offer in return for their time and generosity.

It is not just what you know, but who knows you. If you don't let people know what your job search goal is, you are leaving your future to fate. Network purposefully to connect with specific individuals, those who might be able to hire you directly or can introduce you to new opportunities that match your requirements through their contacts. Then when it is time to job search, spend almost all of your job-search time working established contacts and making more connections.

Debra Feldman is the JobWhiz™, a nationally-recognized expert who designs and personally implements swift, strategic, and customized senior level executive job search campaigns, banishing barriers that prevent immediate success. Her gift for cold calling, executed with high energy and savvy panache, connects candidates directly to decision makers, not HR.

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