In his 1973 article, “The Strength of Weak Ties,” sociologist Mark Granovetter, after interviewing dozens of people, determined that most jobs were landed through “weak” interpersonal ties — not friends telling friends, but acquaintances telling friends.

In other words, if you’re mostly asking friends to send you job leads, you won’t succeed as fast as asking acquaintances, who then ask their friends to help you.

Counterintuitive, yes, but aiming your networking efforts at people you don’t know well is a faster way of gaining access to new social groups, where new job leads may be.

To quote Granovetter: “[T]hose to whom we are weakly tied are more likely to move in circles different from our own and will thus have access to information different from that which we receive.”

Weak ties include “an old college friend or a former work-mate or employer, with whom sporadic contact had been maintained,” according to Granovetter.

Here are three ways to turn weak ties with acquaintances into solid job leads …

1) Throw out “hooks”

An easy way to help people latch onto your ideas is to give them mental hooks.

About 6 weeks ago, I got a networking email from Cleo P., which began as follows:

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From: Cleo [mailto:cleo@XYZ.com]
Subject: Networking Favor Request from Cleo – Hey, Do You Know . . .

I have entered into a very targeted job search campaign which focuses on a select list of potential employers; and I was wondering if you could lend me a bit of help. Could you let me know if you know anyone who works at any of the companies on the following list so I can ask for a referral?

=========

Now. I get dozens of emails like this every week. Most I can’t do anything with. But for some reason, I decided to check Cleo’s profile on Zoominfo.com. It turns out that she and I graduated from the same university.

This changed everything. I’m more likely to refer a fellow alum to people in my network than someone out of the blue, because we share an affinity.

So, the more “affinity hooks” you give to people you barely know, the more likely they are to latch onto your message and forward it to people they know.

Example “hooks” to use in networking messages:

* schools you attended (alumni ties can be strong)
* companies you’ve worked at (former co-workers are another form of alumni)
* fraternities, sororities, other non-religious and non-political groups
* charities or non-profits you’ve volunteered at

In Cleo’s case, I know the director of alumni career services at my alma mater very well, so I forwarded her email to him. I don’t think it hurt her chances.

2) Offer a reward

One way to get people to pay attention is to pay them cash.

That’s the angle M. Shane Smith, a marketing professional from Bloomington, Minn., has taken. He’s offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who gives him a warm introduction to a senior-level executive that leads to a job.

What is a warm introduction?

“Networking for many people means just getting a name, but a warm introduction is when someone does a little ‘gushing’ about you to others. For someone to gush, we need to meet,” says Smith, who hopes his $1,000 bounty produces more meetings.

In about 6 months, it has led to 6-8 warm introductions, 80% of which produced conversations with decision makers, according to Smith.

Smith also encourages referrals by including talking points in his networking emails, so recipients can speak about his skills specifically. How does he do it? By including quotes from executives in his emails.

Example: “Challenging and problem situations do not intimidate Shane and I often referred to him as: Mr. Motivation, Mr. Communication and Mr. Innovation.” – Chief Operating Officer.

3) Mail out letters

If a networking email sent to 40-100 people can produce 2-3 job leads, that same message — printed and mailed to only 10-20 people — can produce an equal or greater number of leads.

That’s because, in my experience, a snail mail letter merits more attention than an email. Perhaps because paper letters imply that you took the time, effort, and postage to get in touch.

So, I suggest you make a shortlist of 20 “weak networking connections” you want to get the word out to by U.S. Mail.

What can you write?

One Guerrilla Job Hunter, Jeff D., from Oxford, Michigan, wrote and mailed a four-paragraph letter and hit pay dirt this past November — his 20 networking letters produced three solid leads and a job, within four weeks.

His letter had three key parts:

1. Introduction: “I have recently left XYZ Co., where I was a JOB TITLE, and handled THESE JOB DUTIES.”

2. Achievements: “I played a pro-active role by _______________ that added __________________ to the bottom line and reduced costs by _________________________.”

3. Employment goals: “I seek a significant leadership role where my ___________________ skills and experience are required.”

The words aren’t as important as the fact that you’re clear about what you’ve done, what you want to do next, and what you’d like the reader to do.

Whom can you write to?

Well-connected school friends, former co-workers or managers, former clients or vendors, attorneys, real estate agents, bankers, old neighbors, and the like.

Jeff mailed his letter to 20 such people he knew professionally. It was a “weak tie” — a former vendor — who ultimately helped him find a new job.

Now, go out and make your own luck.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities

So from a recruiters perspective, how do you become uber-marketable?

1. Start a blog. Easy to do these days, very easy. It’s a great way to prove that you know something about your profession. It’s also a great way to keep up with technology. My suggestion; research a certain topic/technology/trend you’re not familiar with, then write a review or blog post about it. You learn something, while also proving to others that you are familiar with that specific topic. Keep it clean, keep it professional, keep it updated, and keep it somewhat vanilla.
2. User Groups. Get involved online through the distribution lists, and in person. Attend events, network with other people. If I’m looking for a particular skillset, I search for the local user group, then dig around the discussions online and at times attend the events to see who’s involved or who’s participating. You can quickly see who the “go to” people are in that user group with a small bit of research.
3. Twitter. Another great personal branding avenue and a way to promote your knowledge and abilities, plus if you’re following the right people, a great learning tool. Plus, you can have your blog fed directly into Twitter. It takes a bit to grow your network and to attract and find the right audience, but it’s another way for recruiters and employers to find you. Again, keep it professional, with a little bit of personality.
4. Presentations. Instant PR and branding for yourself. Present at user groups, or wherever you can. It’s the single best way to get your name out there. And most user groups or conferences always have room for speakers.
5. LinkedIn….obviously. Network, network, network! If you don’t know about LinkedIn, you’re so far behind. The single best personal marketing tool out there. It’s a 365/24 hour a day online resume that employers won’t care if you’re using. Use it, and use it heavily. Then plug in your blog, twitter account, current reading list, and utilize slideshare to display your presentation materials….all on your profile page. It’s a recruiter’s one stop shop to find out all about you professionally. And do a google search on your name, LinkedIn will be one of the first items that pop up. Here’s some additional tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile for search purposes.

So how do you maintain marketability?

1. Training. Stay on top of the game. If your current job isn’t allowing you the opportunity to keep up with the trends, do so during your own time.
2. Relationships. Keep the relationships with those past clients or recruiters in tact, you never know when you’ll need them. Spend some time to reach out to them for happy hour or lunch, or send holiday cards or something out of the ordinary. Keep your name in front of them consistently.
3. References, either directly or indirectly. If you’re talking to a Sr. Recruiter in your profession, chances are that more than likely they know someone you’ve worked with in the past. And if those recruiters are any good, they’ll be reaching out to those connections to do a backdoor reference on you. You need to keep this in mind when you’re pissed at a client or particular colleague, you never know when someone will ask them how they feel about you professionally. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve checked references and they’ve come back negative (even ones that are supplied by the candidate).

Just keep in mind, recruiters and employers are always watching, we’re resourceful. If you become more visible and public, your chances of landing a job when you need one increase dramatically because people/employers will already know about you. Do a google search of your name, do you like what you see? Do you think employers will like what they see? If you do all the above steps (and do them well), I guarantee you will never have a difficult time finding employment.

“UNIX is basically a simple operating system, but you have to be a genius to understand the simplicity.” - Dennis Ritchie

Statistics, we love to quote them. And you know what they say – “so many statistics, so little time”. But there are some interesting statistics regarding Tech jobs like, did you know that Phoenix is a “top ten place for tech jobs“? Yes, you are reading this correctly (doubt me?, click the link). I’m sure that most people would never guess Phoenix. So what’s my point? You need to be open-minded in your job search and leave no stone unturned, you just never know where an opportunity will turn up. How about Omaha Nebraska – “Union Pacific Corp. will move 300 information technology jobs to Omaha“. Another example of a great opportunity, because I can guarantee you that a fair number of Tech employees decided not to move to Omaha. Another opportunity if you are willing to make a move.

Job search is an art. In addition to the traditional search (job boards, headhunters, etc.) that EVERYONE is doing, you need to think outside of the box and look for opportunities where fewer people are likely to look (like Omaha). Leverage your search engine skills and look for those unlikely combinations that will translate to better odds for you. Go where “few men have gone before” and there will be less competition and more opportunities.

Tech Job posts are among the most popular, so I thought it would be a good idea to both recap and provide some interesting links to help in your search.

• Technology Jobs – HotJobs – Most of the top job search sites have focused job search pages for many job functions, and HotJobs is no exception. Their Tech job search page is well put together and easy to read. Top of the page has a listing of Tech related jobs functions (Applications Engineer, Data Analyst, etc.). Click any of these to view a page listing jobs for this function. You can narrow the search (location, etc.) by using the additional criteria on the left hand side of the page. Below this are featured jobs, click on these to link directly to the job. The bottom of the page has additional career advise and services, right hand side of the page has a basic search function.

• hitechNY.com – While this particular site is focused on NY (and indicates that there are over 40,000 tech jobs in NY), most states and many cities have similar sites dedicated to Tech (and other careers). Not much on the main page here, and if you can’t figure out how to get to the next page, perhaps Tech is not a career for you. The next page has tabs at the top for Job Seekers, Partners and Job Fairs. Click on Job Seekers to link to a page with additional links to Search for Jobs, Search for Employers (don’t forget the strength of applying directly on employer sites), Training and more. Click on Search for Jobs, put in your criteria and off you go.

• .tech_centric – “Computer, Tech & IT Jobs Search, Careers, Employment, Postings” is the tag line for this website. Top of the main page has tabs for Job Search and Post resume. The left hand side of the page has the basic job search function as well as links for Create a Resume, Set-up Job Alerts and Review saved jobs. Featured recruiters are also listed on the left. The center of the page has Browse Jobs by job function followed by jobs by location and Latest News in Technology. The right hand side of the page has the latest jobs as well as a salary survey.

• information-technology Thingamajob – This is another job search site with a targeted search on information technology provided by Thingamajob.com. The top of the page has tabs for Create an Account, Post your Resume, Login, Find a Job and more. There is a basic search function right below the tabs, followed by Information Technology jobs by subcategory. At the bottom center of the main page has a listing by state. Left hand side of the page has a number of links to subcategories by function and state as well

• Articles about “find a new job” in Technology – These links, provided by About.com, has a number of links to articles and resources to help you in your Tech job search.

• JustTechJobs – This site, as you might suspect, focuses on job search for Technologists. There are tabs at the top for Searching Jobs, Posting a Resume and “About Us”. Clicking on the “About Us ” link launches an amazing page with 120 related websites which are specific to your technology specialty (like JustOracleJobs.com). The main page lists Recent Tech Jobs on the left-hand side, with a quick search at the top Tech news feeds below. There were 1,253 tech jobs when I checked the site.

• Hewlet Packard – HP’s career website provides an overview of the company with links to Search Job and Submit your Profile on the left of the page. Their are separate tabs for Students & Graduates and Diversity. Searching all HP jobs returns over 2,245 opportunities with Information Technology returning 155 jobs (additional technical jobs can be found under other categories).

• Where Are the Tech Jobs? - This article, produced by Internetnews.com, gives a little more information on where to find jobs. With any luck you will source a number of interesting job search ideas.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

• There WILL be continued higher than average unemployment numbers through the end of 2010. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but things aren’t going to get immediately better this year. After talking with colleagues in the consulting business, the general attitude towards 2009 was dismal. The silver lining was a busier than normal December. I always say the consulting business is a good barometer of the general employment market, but full-time hiring is about 6 months behind contingent hiring. So, if December was the start of something positive, we’re still not going to see the unemployment numbers dropping much until Q3-Q4.
• Increased contract/contingent workforce. IT has stabilized in general, but companies are still a little skeptical of making a large investment in hiring employees right now. I think we’re going to see a gradual increase in the number of full-time vacant positions in the upcoming months, but I’m certain we’re not going to notice a huge difference in non-contingent vacancies until the end of 2010 and into 2011. Companies need IT workers, so we’ll see more contract labor this year than in years past.
• High turnover. When things do officially get better, we’re going to see employees turning over like crazy. I talk to and know a lot of people who are getting handed more and more work and hours, for less money, and for no appreciation. However, most people are smart and aren’t complaining about having a job, and willfully accept the additional tasks and responsibilities. But beware, those people are looking, and when they find something they’ll be gone faster than donuts at a fat camp. Now is the time to invest in pumping up employee morale, the turnover that’s bound to happen will cripple some organizations.
• An increased investment in technology. Companies have been taking the wait and see approach now for well over a year. Projects have to be done, companies can’t take 2 years off of investing in technology. Besides, don’t you invest in technology to gain efficiency and a competitive edge? Gartner estimates that we’ll see a 3.3% increase in IT spending in 2010. I predict Application Development, IT Security, and SAP as growth areas specific to IT.
• An increased amount of “off-shore” / “on-shore” outsourcing/development. This is never going away, but I think the bargain shopping CIO/CEOs, IT leaders, etc. are going to look for ways to still invest in IT, but dramatically reduce their cost. Hate me if you want, but I think this is a fairly big misnomer. If managed correctly and heavily, off-shore development can reduce costs, but managing that relationship and model is extremely challenging. More times than not, the cost savings diminishes very quickly because of the quality of the work and the increased amount of time it takes to complete the assigned tasks. If anything, we’ll see a bigger increase in contract labor to clean up the mess that was made. I think the larger outsourcing arrangements will continue to fade, and smaller niche consulting companies will start to see an increased interest in their outsourcing capabilities.
• A small increase in start-ups, particularly healthcare. There’s more money flowing through the economy right now, the stock market is up, and more investors are looking for ways to make a buck. With government healthcare reform, we’re going to see companies popping up left and right to take advantage of the new policies and programs (when they’re all ironed out). The entrepreneurial spirit will kick in and people with smart ideas will get the funding they need to launch their ideas into solutions.
• Older workforce, and baby-boomers delaying retirement. 401k and retirement accounts were destroyed over the past 2 years. While some of that has come back, it’s going to be 2-5 years of additional work to recover what was lost (at least). Companies may offer buy-outs and incentives to get some employees into retirement, but I don’t think many will take the offers. Companies will continue to find ways to leverage the knowledge and experience of that workforce, and they will be a key demographic in assisting companies with their part-time openings, particularly retail.

It’s fun to throw out predictions, but let’s hope 2010 is better than anticipated. Dust of the cynical negative cobwebs and start thinking positive about the possibility of growth and stability in the employment sector. The economy is recovering, things are looking better and brighter, but it’s going to take some time for everything to shake out.

A few days back I saw the first ever job posting on Indeed advertising for a “Talent Community Manager”. (Kudos to Deluxe for taking a huge step forward in recruiting and leveraging this opportunity). Using social media for recruitment takes time, technology and people and they “get that”

Considering Facebook alone as over 300 million users, ½ of which log in to their account in a given day it would not be surprised to see other organizations follow their lead and take advantage of this untapped source of finding and engaging candidates.

Being that this is a VERY new type of position to any industry, let alone recruiting I can imagine how finding someone to fill such a position would be challenging.

Social Media Communities – It’s Not a Waste of Time

In addition to the enormous challenge of finding someone who can successfully build, manage and engage members of a community how do you convince the powers that be that social media is more than a big playground? The way I see it, there are a few different ways social media tools can be used in recruiting including;

• Finding candidates
• Building relationships with potential candidates
• Enhancing your employment brand

I don’t think many would argue with the above bullet points but how do you create a business case for allocating resources?

Measuring the ROI of Social Media used as a Recruiting Tool

Measuring the effectiveness of social media is another challenge because it means that people need to shift their way of thinking from quantitative to something more qualitative. That said, below are some ways to measure your social media success:

• Career Site Traffic – The more people coming to your career site and specific job postings the more people that are applying for your jobs. A free analytics tool like Google Analytics will help you track referrals. If you are sharing links to specific jobs on Facebook and Twitter, URL shortening tools like Bit.ly and Traceurl can measure click through rates.
• Influence – The greater influence you have in social media, the bigger your reach and of course audience and the more visibility your organizations employment brand gets. Your Twitter influence can be measured with tools like Twinfluence and Twitter Grader. Facebook has a similar tool that lets you measure the influence of your business pages.
• Buzz & Chatter – Are people talking about your organization? What are they saying? With any luck their talking about your career opportunities, what interviewing is like and how great your company culture is. Other important things are how often people are linking to you or mentioning you on Twitter. In addition to the tools mentioned above, you’ll want to use Google alerts to monitor both positive and negative buzz.

Social media is more of a long term investment; results won’t happen overnight. Simply creating a Twitter account and a Facebook business page won’t cut it – You have to take time to get to know people, the RIGHT people, listen, contribute and be transparent.

At the end of the day social media is an opportunity for your organizations to have engaging conversations with potential & current employees. Don’t be left behind.

Feel free to post a comment if you are actively engaging in a social media strategy, I’d love to hear what’s working and not working for you!

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Lately I have noticed a flurry of LinkedIn invitation activity. What bothers me is not the amount of invitations being sent or received but how users are going about the invitation process. So I’ve put together this brief blurb on LinkedIn invitation etiquette.

I do not mind receiving invitations from people I have never met (even though LinkedIn says you should really only accept invites from people you know.) If I feel that a connection would be mutually beneficial, in most cases I will accept. However, what irks me is when I receive inmail from someone I have never met requesting that I send them an invitation. I know you only receive a certain number of invitations from LinkedIn and it is NOT OK to request that I use one of mine to connect with you if: I’ve never met you before, have no clue who you are, and you have already used all your invitations. This is just poor form and will promptly get your message deleted.

If we don’t know each other, do not send a blanket invitation request. If you just send the standard invitation I won’t know who you are or why you want to connect. When I want to connect with someone I do not personally know I find a common link and then tell them about it. For example, I have not met all the other great professional resume writers out there but I want to make connections and learn and grow. So if I find someone’s blog that I really enjoy reading I’ll request to connect and tell them. I’ll say I really loved your blog, it’s very informative and I would really like to connect. In almost all cases the other person has accepted my invitation.

I have also connected with tons of recruiters. I connect with them because we have a career path that runs along the same track. We’re both trying to help job seekers, we just help them in two different ways. It is always a good idea to connect with people in similar industries who you could potentially partner with later down the road.

Don’t waste invitations on people that could really have no value to your job search or career. (Especially if you do not know them.) If you are in one part of the world and they are in the other, both in completely different industries, and the chances of either of you being beneficial to each other is slim to none – do not waste your invitation. Remember, you only get so many and when that one great connection comes along that you just HAVE to make – you want to make sure you have an invitation to send.

Scout out the right people and ensure you make connections ‘with a purpose’. Don’t just frivolously throw invitations away to connect on a whim.

Remember proper etiquette when sending invitations, let the ‘invited’ know WHY you want to connect and even what you can bring to the connection. The idea is that connections will be mutual beneficial and not just a one way street.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

My tip; ALWAYS disclose the bill rate. A former colleague/consultant of mine that went independent mentioned this on a post I wrote earlier. I’ve always done it, so I didn’t think it was a big deal. But after thinking about it, and talking to some other colleagues, it’s a rarity. In today’s consulting environment, people are going to find out their bill rate anyways, so why not disclose that before submitting to a client position? The way I look at it, they’ll appreciate the openness, and if they don’t like the margin you’re taking, they’re probably not someone you want to work with anyways. Do yourself a favor, open up your books to any incoming consultants. All parties will benefit from the information.

Flexibility/Adaptability

Huge huge huge part of being a consultant. Flexibility on commuting length, hours worked, clients worked at, technologies worked on, etc. You also need to be able to handle new situations, people, and technologies. If you only want to have a commute less than 15 minutes or only want to work with the latest and greatest technologies and projects, find a warm comphy place as an employee somewhere in corporate america, and just stay there. Consulting changes daily, and you have to be able to adapt to different challenges.. If I had to pick one area that was the biggest factor in consulting success (besides technical knowledge), it’s this one.

Team Player

I love working with good team players. The ones that really get a charge out of mentoring and helping others. They always make a project or job more fun, and really take a lot of stress out of the every day intricacies of working for “the man”. Good team players don’t have much of an ego, they typically stay under the radar, and are usually the quiet type. They make others look good, while not always taking the credit.

Looks (grooming, etc.)

Ahh yes, superficial us. But it’s so true. I don’t care what you say, good looking, well manicured people always have an easier time. Didn’t you see that episode of 30 rock? Now, there’s a fine line here too, especially in the software development field. Beautiful people are few and far between (no offense), but make sure you’re at least dressing appropriately for your situation. Shower, shave, use deodorant, don’t over do the cologne or perfume, and don’t dress like you just woke up under a bridge. Simple grooming habits go a long way.

Interviewing skills

Face it, some people interview great, and some people loathe interviewing. It’s a skill ALL consultants need to be able to master. Ultimately, you’re a product, and you’re your own sales person. It’s definitely something people take for granted, and something that needs to be rehearsed and practiced, just like anything else. If you can’t sell yourself, it’s going to difficult being a successful consultant.

Hunger for continuing education

Not everyone needs to go home and build their own network or web app, or whatever. But, the most successful ones do. You’re not always granted the luxury of working with the latest and greatest technologies, so how else are you going to learn it? By yourself, on your own, by either taking classes or from real world experiences. If I’m looking to hire people, one of the questions I ask is “how do you keep up with technology”? If the answer is “I don’t have time”, you’re probably not my guy.

Professional connections

This is all about the old saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know”. Oh how true that is. It goes back to the relationship piece. As a consultant, you’re meeting tons of new people, especially if you’re active in the local community at user groups and conferences. Make sure you keep in touch with those connections, you never know when you might need them. Use LinkedIn HEAVILY! It’s the easiest tool to keep in touch with past colleagues and managers.

Stay tuned, my next post will be the “Consultant Blueprint” quiz.

I know I say this A LOT, but I’m not perfect. I’ve made these same mistakes, but I make a diligent effort to help people out, no matter what the circumstance. After seeing people struggle to find jobs, it’s made me realize how much it hurts and how difficult that process can be, especially nowadays. If you’re a recruiter, please, please, please, make this one little effort. Respond to the candidates that you have interviewed or that have interviewed at your employer. I don’t care how big of a company you are and how busy you are, that is just simply common courtesy. I was a little disappointed to learn just how common this is. Simply ridiculous if you ask me, and something that takes so little time to do. If you’re afraid of hurting feelings, it hurts more by not responding.

A good example. We’ve all known or met a consultant that’s frickin’ brilliant, but when their end date is up, so are they. They don’t get extended. Feedback is always fine on these people. The client will say, “solid performer, I’d probably hire him again if the need arose”. But, they hop around on 6-9 month contracts, and never run into a real long term gig. These people are definitely employable, but they’re not going to get extended time and time again. They’ll continue their careers hopping from one gig to the next, making a decent living. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. But when really looking at it, it’s simple to understand why they don’t get extended often. Technical skills are only one piece of the puzzle. The may have an ego that’s tough to stand, or have a negative attitude towards everything. Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not perfect. And most people are in the same boat. But, if you’re going to be an “A” player in the consulting industry, you should read on and take bits and pieces from my “Blueprint” and incorporate them into your consulting toolbox.

Presentation Abilities

It’s all about personal branding these days, and being able to present your ideas and thoughts to clients with presentations in relation to your particular field is essential. Consultants that are heavily involved with user groups throughout the metro, or participate regularly at workshops at some of the local conferences always get noticed more. Clients and recruiters tend to drink the koolaid if you’re well spoken and can speak intelligently in front of audiences.

Political Acumen

Oh we all know how this can play. Some people just have that knack for being able to play the political game. And ask yourself this, how many clients have you been at where this is not an essential skill? If you say none, you’re nuts. Corporate america is political. Heck, mom and pop shops are political. Get to know the right people, and make sure you’re visible to those certain people. I know it sucks sometime to kiss ass, but it will help your chances of surviving. I’m sure you’ve worked with people that don’t really accomplish much, but they always know what to say and who to say it to. Unfortunately, most of the time those are the ones that keep getting extended. Play the game, become buddy buddy with the right people.

Technical Proficiency

This is obvious. You need some sort of technical competency to be marketable. Although, I do know people that don’t have any, and still remain employed. Key is, they’re not consultants! This is a very general category, but can be defined in many ways. Keep up with technology if you can. Read blogs, get involved, spend personal time brushing up. A lot of times your current client isn’t using current technology, well you better use your own time to learn the current technology, or else you run the risk of becoming obsolete.

Leadership Competence

Being able to lead a team is another piece of the puzzle. Not all people are leaders. And that’s fine, but people are drawn to leaders. That includes client managers and recruiters. I think leaders are just born. In fact, I consider myself a pretty good leader. I have a knack for being able to rally a team to a common goal, in a positive way. If you’re a leader, great. If you’re not, well you’re not. Hopefully you make up for your deficiencies in other areas of the blueprint.

Client Relationship Etiquette

Get to know your client/s. Pretty simple. Know them personally, not just professionally. A little ass kissing never does any harm, does it? But this is really more about maintaining relationships. Since the consulting industry is so relationship driven, it should be a priority to keep up with all of the current and past client relationships. Show some personality!

Communication Skills

Being able to speak, read, and write clearly is one of the biggest factors to marketability. If you can’t speak clearly, you can’t interview or interface with the client clearly. You can’t write? Your code, documentation, and emails will scream 6th grade arithmitic. If you can’t read, well that just sucks for you.

Attitude

This is so underrated in my opinion. I’m typically a pessimist, and I’m trying to get better. But working with negative people really drags you down. Those are the people that spread rumors and live on bitching about their jobs and co-workers. Their negativity spreads like cancer, and ultimately starts affecting others attitude and performance. You need to be able to shrug off situations at work, and grab positives from everything you encounter. A negative attitude will make it easy for a client to cut ties.

My next post will detail out the other 6 intangibles for consulting success; Flexibility/Adaptability, Team Player mentality, Looks (grooming, etc.), Interviewing skills, Hunger for continuing education, and Professional connections.