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By admin, April 21, 2009 3:24 pm

Don’t be afraid to discover your true identity

DIGITAL JOB SEARCH AND PERSONAL BRANDING

Installment number four

Are you Clark Kent or Superman?  Both have viable identities; each with a different niche.  How can you determine your own brand identity?

One of my more successful clients, we will call him Sam, believed his brand was, “Technology savvy product development executive.”  He was proud of his knowledge and that he was able to lead his teams to create technologically complex products with scarce resources and impossible deadlines.

While any employer would be interested in someone with a track record releasing products on time, I believed he could distinguish himself further; create a real brand.

Here are just a few questions we used to discovered his real brand:

1. What are your long term career goals?
2. What are you most proud of in your last four years of work?
3. What were the obstacles?
4. What resources did you use to over come those obstacles?
5. What tools did you employ?
6. What do people say about you within your department?
7. What do people say about you in other departments?
8. What topics are you most likely to be asked to discuss?
9. What do other departments invite you to teach them?
10. How did they affect the corporate bottom line?

At first, Sam was horrified at the idea he could not lead with his vast knowledge and deep technical education.  Once he understood his objective was marketing his brand for career development, he understood his brand is more effective as something employers needed but rarely found in technology executives. Sam wanted to be seen as a technology leader, not just another successful software development manager.  He aspired to “C” level responsibilities.

Ultimately, Sam’s brand is defined as, “A technology executive who builds corporate success through collaboration and unrelenting commitment to stated priorities.“  His brand identity is “Collaboration creator.’”

How does Sam promote his brand?  He is ever vigilant of his corporate presence.  As Shivonne Byrne, Director of Brand and Content for Microsoft advises, “Every encounter, every phone conversation, every meeting, every report, every PowerPoint, every email – basically every interaction – is an opportunity to build or deconstruct your personal brand.”

Sam makes a concerted effort to maintain strong connections across all departments to keep the products for which he is responsible visible and on point to meet corporate and customer goals.  Sam updates departments throughout the company and invites comment. He attends and hosts internal discussions and forums to foster communication about his department’s mission and how it relates to other departments and the corporate mission.  He demonstrates collaborative, ethical behavior, and encourages the same of his team; especially between the development staff and the quality assurance team members.

Externally, he attends networking events and conferences to learn from others.  He participates in the question and answer sessions of seminars and presentations and is never shy about contributing comments on Blogs relevant to his area of expertise.

Sam writes a Blog on Agile software development implementations (tools which facilitate collaboration between marketing, development and users to create products customers actually want), insights on the benefits of collaborative work for the SaaS/cloud computing software delivery method and general advice on managing for quality. There is no doubt of his technical expertise as expressed in the blogs and venues, and he is branded with the over-riding concept of collaborative software development.

He dresses well, attends seminars and writes white papers.  Sam uses social networking sites to engage both his internal and external networks to promote his point of view, publications and successes. He knows how to brag about relevant accomplishments without appearing braggadocios.

Sam has made managing his brand part of his every day activities.  It appears to be working.  His employer of five months invited him to create a first-of-year outlook based on Sam’s own plan plus input he was to obtain from other departments.  He has also been asked to undertake a major project that affects several departments to vet and hire a new vendor critical to the success of several product lines.  Only someone known for his collaborative successes would be invited to accomplish such a sensitive goal.   Sam is not looking for a job, but he keeps notes to incorporate examples that prove his brand for any future job interview.

He will be sure to journal and blog about how he accomplishes tasks that demonstrate collaboration and problem solving using collaborative techniqes.

Sam manages his brand well because he knows what it is. His brand informs him of where his time is best spent and with whom to expand his network.  Sam frequently searches the Internet to monitor how the world sees him and he comments on complimentary blogs to keep his name in the Agile-world radar.  He is often delighted to find himself quoted or his papers mentioned.  Sam’s brand is “Collaboration expert.”  What is yours?

Click here to learn why your brand is critical to your job search Installment One

Click here for installment two on Digital Job Search and Branding.

For discussion of how to discover how the world sees you: installment three.

Click here for installment four to discover your current identity.

Click here to start your branding efforts for your job search installment five

Click here for more resources

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By admin, April 2, 2009 12:44 pm

One estimate of  job openings filled by recruiters is over 35%.  The percentage is higher for executive-level positions in the $100,000+ salary range.  Clearly, cultivating a professional relationship with a recruiter or two is an excellent career development strategy.  But how do you avoid exposure to the wrong ones?  I believe knowledge is power.  The more you know about how and why recruiters set traps for you, the easier you can avoid getting caught.

A crafty recruiter or a representative from a ‘resume mill’ can entice you to send your resume because they are trained to handle any objection you can produce.  Unless you verify an actual search for a real company, don’t send your resume.

1. Vet the recruiter immediately. Ask for the recruiter’s company name and contact information.  If the recruiter is vague or unresponsive to your direct questions, they are bogus and up to no good.  Request the hiring company name and the job description.  If they can’t supply all this information, there is no reason to go forward.  If they can, offer to get back to them after you have a chance to think about the opportunity.  Use that time to ascertain the validity of the recruiting company, the company with the open req and the job.  If you still have doubts, call the company in question and ask if they work with that recruiter.  If the recruiter cannot supply the information or objects to giving you time, run away.
2. Protect your contact information.  Resume mills are or sell your resume to resume aggregators.  These resumes are then used to cull contact information which is subsequently sold to the highest bidders.  Don’t include your home address and use a public email such as gmail.  If you submit a resume, it is lost in space and you will never hear from the recruiter again no matter how terrific the match to that imaginary job.
3. Job boards are not your friend.  The recruiter submits your resume to job boards. Resumes are stripped of your name and contact information and the recruiter’s contact information is substituted.  If someone is interested in your credentials, they have to go through the recruiter and split fees.
4. Cover the earth.  Resumes are sent to prospective employers at random and nationwide with the recruiter’s contact information, not yours.  Most companies do not follow-up on unsolicited resumes submitted by unknown recruiters.  They flag the resume and file it.  When a genuine presentation of your credentials occurs by you or your recruiter of choice, your resume is cast aside because of the previous connection.
5. The Trojan horse. Recruiters contact a company with an open req and pretend to represent you.  If the employer takes the bait, the recruiter can say they have the search.  While this sounds like an opportunity to get exposure with someone else doing the heavy lifting, it is just the opposite.  Candidates from recruiters known to the company get higher consideration.  The recruiter doesn’t know you so he can’t represent you (or the company) with any usable knowledge.  And worse, if the company rejects the recruiter, they flag your resume so neither you nor another reputable recruiter can breach that company’s defenses for consideration.
6. Is your resume part of their quota? Some recruiting companies have a resume quota for their recruiters.  This encourages new recruiters to get resumes with any story possible.  This is where the complaint “The recruiter didn’t even understand what I do,” comes from.  Your resume is submitted to their data base with no real understanding of the job you want or the special circumstances.  You can contact these recruiters till the cows come home and never get a response or follow up.  In fact, the likelihood that recruiter is still employed by the recruiting company after a year is very low. These recruiting companies can advertise and boast of a database with over xxx# current resumes.
7. The oldest trick.  A recruiter trick as old as the hills is to court an unsuspecting candidate with the ‘perfect’ job then ask the names and contact information of their boss or direct reports; the real target of their search.  While this is clearly a short-term solution, many recruiters cannot see past the next placement.  You will never hear back but your connections will.

New recruiter scams and bad-actors arise weekly.  It is up to you to protect yourself from bad recruiters.  The best way to avoid the disappointment and harm done by these disreputable folks is to vet them before you ever send a resume or give any information…regardless of their pitch.  No opportunity is so critical that receiving your resume can’t wait a day or two while you research the recruiter.

If a recruiter asks for a fee, they are not a recruiter.  By definition, no recruiter should ever charge the candidate; if they have a search, the company pays.  If they charge, that makes them an employment agency, not a recruiter. Again, run away.

Don’t let your desire to find a plethora of resources cloud your vision about recruiters. If you chose the wrong one(s) they can do serious damage to your self confidence and your search.  There are many excellent recruiters hired by companies to source qualified candidates. Learn to tell the difference and you will avoid all the angst and anger the recruiting’s bad apples spread.

This just in:  GadBall reports on scams where job seekers lose money and their identity.

Rita Ashley, Job Search Coach
Author: Job Search Debugged
www.jobsearchdebugged.com
ritathejobcoach@gmail.com
My clients get hired; not a guarantee, it’s a track record.

For more insights on recruiters, purchase Job Search Debugged. 

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By admin, October 23, 2008 11:49 am

Once you achieve the status of a $100,000+ job, how long you stay with an employer is very important. You must ascertain if a company is a good fit before you take the job. You need all the information you can get.

Just as it is important to monitor and protect your online reputation, it is also important to vet your prospective employer. If you feel strongly that you don’t want to work for people who have certain views or engage in certain activities, you can vet your prospective employer.

Hoovers.com or Vault.com and search engines like Google and Yahoo! all prove valuable when researching companies online.  Other research tools are magazines, periodicals and other publications such as Fortune, Forbes, Black Enterprise, BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Jungle Media, Hispanic Business, Working Mother, to name a few. Through best-of and worst-of lists and other featured articles,  these publications  provide  current research on companies.

Use the sites listed on my blog about your reputation to discover your prospective employer’s online presence. Chances are, they are doing the same about you. Also, check out glass door for input from people who work or have worked at the company. Come to your own conclusions about who would make entries on glass door to determine how much weight to give the entries. Also notice the dates. One entry defamed a department of a large company but a new manager was brought in 18 months ago so the critique is no longer valid.

It is important to your career and well being to work for people with whom you feel comfortable. No amount of discovery is too much. Check out former employees using linked. Invite them to discuss their experience with the employer; ask what they liked and what they would like to see change. Don’t ask for dirt; that is unprofessional and not especially useful. Ask how you can succeed and about the culture, don’t ask for gossip.

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By admin, October 18, 2008 6:12 pm

Leaving the $100,000+ job requires finesse. Why? Because every single person in your organization will work in another company or know someone who works in a company you’d like to consider as a future employer. You want those people to be convinced you are a class act and not the least bit negative about your former employer; that you did not/will not spread harmful rumors about the company, products or colleagues.

People love to gossip and the more negative the gossip, the more quickly it is spread.

• Give only positive reasons for leaving, commenting on what you are going towards, not going away from.
• Stick to the story. Don’t discuss the “real reason” with your favorite colleagues. Human nature being what it is, that reason, the confidential one, will soon replace the “for publication” reason throughout the company and on the street.
• Don’t rant. When co-workers want to discuss their own dissatisfaction, mention only your good experiences and things you like about the company.

THE EXIT INTERVIEW:

Of importance, as mentioned by Lyndsay Swinton author of the blog, The Rest of Us, “…is a mental checklist to run through to remind you how to behave in the exit interview.

• Have I chosen to attend this interview? It’s not compulsory, so if you’ve decided to attend, do so with grace and dignity.
• Will anything change based on my comments? …
• Who will benefit from my honesty?…
• Who will be harmed by my honesty? Remember that bland answers are an option if you’re likely to get upset during the interview.
• Do I want to work for this employer again? Burnt bridges are difficult to repair.”

The possible list of exit interview questions is exhaustive. Be prepared for those which are most likely to trigger a negative or emotional response from you. It is imperative to keep a positive attitude.

The temptation to “let the employer have it” during the exit interview must be resisted in every case. There is nothing you can say that will change their behaviors or erase the reasons for which you are leaving.

While HR professionals honestly believe there is merit in conducting an in-depth exit interview, senior management (your peers) rarely views the actual interview as more than an indication of how you as a former employee will represent your time in service.

Remember too, that when casting aspersions on your soon to be former employer is an indictment of those who chose to stay. Tread lightly and avoid generalizations and a critique of the company as a decent employer.

Don’t be fooled by the questions that ask your opinions about what could be changed or improved. Companies know disgruntled former employees can be a liability and make recruiting and hiring other $100,000+ employees difficult. Thus, they show they care by asking your advice about how they can be a better company.

Chances are, they won’t make any changes and they don’t really care. They ask these questions primarily to make you feel you are listened to and that you might make a difference thereby diffusing some of your anger towards them. Don’t take the bait.

Let all your comments be neutral, innocuous and positive. Remember, every person who reads your exit interview is a prospective reference for your next two jobs. Be on your best behavior and manage your personal PR with finesse. Your next two $100,000+ jobs may depend on it.
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By admin, October 17, 2008 9:33 am

I didn’t eat the dog food. My counsel to $100,000+ candidates has long been to negotiate a higher base in lieu of stock. Yet I found myself shaking my head in disgust last week. A company for whom I accepted partial payment ( six years ago, for recruiting fees) in shares finally had a liquidity event…with a 20 to 1 reverse split. My six figure options are now three figures.

Early stage companies trade on the wishful thinking for enthusiastic employees. Most people believe it won’t happen to them; or they have protected shares. When a liquidity event occurs, all bets are off. Whatever it takes to make the deal is what happens. I have seen technology leaders invest 90 hour weeks for years in hopes of a huge Microsoft-style reward devastated when the actual return on their life’s investment is a few thousand dollars.

And some companies, large public companies, offset base or reduce raises because they award stock options yearly. Employees are expected to liquidate those stocks and consider them as income rather than a perk or retirement investment.

There are very few truly great outcomes these days for accepting shares instead of cash. Wherever possible, take the money, invest it on your own and be relieved that you don’t have all your eggs in one basket. To have both your income and your investments in one place is rarely a winning proposition, just ask your financial advisor. Don’t have one? All $100,000+ earners need a financial advisor because it isn’t how much you make, it is how much you keep.

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By admin, September 25, 2008 9:17 pm

This is the first of several blogs on landing a six figure job in a bad employment market. The national financial crisis, real estate bubble and war expenses all affect business locally and internationally. This forum will discuss ways to hedge your bet if you are considering a job change or engaged in a job search for a $100,000+ job.

The bad employment market takes no pity on executives in search of $100,000+ jobs. It’s a tough time to land a job and tough techniques are required.

First focus on your career, and not a job. Take the long view of your search; does company A have more staying power than company B who is offering you a bigger title or salary? Is that relocation really cost effective compared to a lessor job locally?

HOW TO LAND A $100,000+ JOB: Advice to anyone who has a choice about changing jobs is to reevaluate that choice; the devil you know is easier to deal with than the devil you don’t know. Are the reasons you want to look around based on things that can be fixed, altered or ignored? Can you buy yourself some time in order to prevent a hasty decision?

Stay in your current position long enough to shore up your references. Your objective is to exceed expectations on the one area you hope to leverage to a new position. Do not underestimate the power of an excellent reference.

Already left your employer? Get external visibility and be your own public relations guru. Get quoted, be a speaker and become a known expert on that topic or process. If you are an Agile and SaaS savvy executive, join the appropriate groups, participate in threads, blogs and write, articles for the ezine community. Are you an SEO expert? Volunteer to get high profile charities noticed on the web. Get involved in fund raisers, charity events and donate your expertise where it will get noticed.

Once you are known in your arena, networking for a new job is much easier. And networking is how to land the $100,000+ jobs.

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE-HOW TO NEGOTIATE COMPENSATION FOR $100,000+ JOBS

During an economic downturn many executives and technology leaders believe they must take a cut in salary to land a new job. If you are already in a $100,000+ job, chances are your compensation is heavily weighted with bonus and other compensation variables.

Your base pay, however will no doubt stay the same from opportunity to opportunity. If you are unsure what your base should be do some research. Even people in place are seeing a negative compensation when incentives are considered. When you negotiate compensation for a $100,000+ job, focus on the base and accept that the incentives will fluctuate; that they are only indicators, not guarantees.

To keep your six figure income as high as possible, learn how the incentives are derived. Once you understand the parameters, offer metrics that demonstrate your ability to achieve the incentives, then, and only then, you can ask for more.

In many cases the incentives are tied to corporate performance. Talking points should include how you have had and will have a positive affect on the variables that affect corporate performance. If for example you are a Director of applications development, give examples of how your teams consistently beat the release dates with quality products which require minimal technical and customer support.

Once you have established an acceptable base and you have proved your point on why the incentives can be generous+, you have negotiated your $100,000+ compensation even in a bad employment market.

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By admin, September 23, 2008 2:45 pm

NETWORKING FOR $100,000+ JOBS isn’t easy, but it is simple.

Networking, a simple word that pierces even the bravest executive’s confidence. Networking is not easy, takes guts, persistence and is the best way to discover leads for a new job and create your personal champions. If you are in job search mode, networking for $100,000+ jobs is even harder because the keepers of the gates are elusive, hidden and sometimes, harsh.

Start simple: Call someone. Maybe it is your last boss or best buddy at your last job. After the chit chat and niceties, here’s what you can say: “Larry, I am looking for a new job. Here’s how you can help. I would like introductions to three people you suspect can direct me to where the jobs are.”

Too obvious? Let’s drill down and ask for something more specific. Do some research. Sure you know Larry, but do you know who Larry knows? That’s what Linkedin and Facebook are for. Use the Internet. Find out who he knows that you want to meet. Then ask: “Larry, I am looking for a new job as a Director of Marketing. I believe Craig Ferguson with whom you worked at Acme Trading may be able to point me in the right direction. Would you introduce me?”

Want Larry to figure out others who can help? Point him in the right direction: “I would like an introduction to Craig Ferguson because he serves on the Board for the kind of company I’d like to work for. The wireless industry really appeals to me. Are there others like Craig you could introduce me to?”

I WANT MY CONTACTS TO SAY THE RIGHT THING.

You asked for an introduction. Do you want to rely on Larry’s clumsy, “Craig, I want to introduce you to David. He’s looking for a job and thought you could help,”? Since an introduction is the gold key to the successful job search, give Larry what he needs to make an introduction that makes Craig start thinking of how he can help before he even meets you.

Tell Larry you will write the introduction for him to make things easier for him-to simplify. Now get your Elevator Pitch in gear. “Craig, I’d like to introduce you to David who worked with me at Arcane. He is a Marketing Pro with such strong skills in SEO and Internet marketing that we went from a new site to 70% click through in less than six months. He’s looking for a wireless company in need of his talents, perhaps you can talk to him. Here’s his contact information.”

I DON’T KNOW WHO I WANT TO TALK TO.

Start at the beginning. What kind of job do you want? Who do you know that has the kind of job you want? Start a list. Now research the individual’s former employers. Anyone there you want to meet?

Still not sure you know anyone? Research your preferred industry and decide which companies are your best targets. Find the name of the person who has the same type of job you want to land. There’s a good chance recruiters have been calling her and she has a few ideas of where there are openings. Give her a call.

Hard to pick up the phone to call a stranger? Of course it is. Do you want a job? Then bite the bullet and do it. The worst that can happen is that stranger will not take your call or be dismissive. It is a stranger, what do you care? Hang up the phone and remind yourself of all the people who love and enjoy you. Then get back on the phone and call someone else.

Best case, the stranger will be understanding and eager to help. Prepare for the worst but applaud the best. The trick to making this call work is you deliver a brief and very concise message. Since it is a hard call to make, create a script and print it in very large font so even under stress, you can read and come across confident. You might say, “My name is Rick Stevens, and like you, I am a Marketing Professional. I am in the midst of a job search and I am contacting you in hopes you can refer me to recruiters and others who have contacted you lately about job opportunities in which you were not interested.”

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By thejobcoach, September 22, 2008 3:08 pm

Jump from Director to Vice President

The biggest leap you will make in your career is from Director to Vice President. The jump from Director to Vice President is so difficult because a Vice President is commonly an officer of the company with implied legal liability.

The Board and “C” level employees are certain to vet a prospective Vice President very carefully because it is extremely costly to remove a VP once in place. Firing a Vice President creates bad publicity and can affect the stock price, not to mention the disruption of running the business.

1. The clearest path to jump to a VP level job is to be promoted. More commonly, currently in place Directors are promoted to Vice President because they have proven they can stand up to the challenge and the scrutiny of the Board. They have proven themselves in a manner no outside candidate can. Even if you are not especially interested in a longer career with your current employer, a promotion is your clearest path to VP. Take steps to make that happen possibly using a Coach. Once you have achieved VP status, you will be seen as a VP candidate generally.

2. To get to a VP level job from outside the company a candidate must be so outstanding they can be compared favorably with the Director in place. This takes excellent credentials, notable references and usually, a referral to the company by a respected Board member.

Your job is to connect with Board members and “C” level executives in a way that demonstrates your expertise and experience. Become a speaker and a contributor on your area of expertise and you get not just name recognition, but the panache of positive publicity.

3. Focus on companies with half the revenue and half the personnel of your current company. Position yourself as the person who can get the company where it wants to go. Understand that a Vice President is all about strategy whereas a Director is about tactics. Calibrate your vocabulary accordingly. Make absolutely certain you know and understand the target company’s corporate mission before you approach them. Tailor your remarks to include their mission.

Your next challenge is to find opportunities as a Vice President. One quick method is to meet and impress existing VPs and encourage them to forward inquiries in which they are not interested your way. For more advice on making the jump from Director to Vice President read Job Search Debugged.

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By admin, September 16, 2008 6:24 pm

Landing $100,000+ jobs can often take about six months. The amount of time is less important than what occurs in that time. To be extremely effective your networking activities objective is to rise above the competition with outstanding messaging, industry presence and recognized expertise. Get started by a review of the basics. Be critical and perhaps ask a colleague to evaluate your efforts.

Are all the basics handled in the classiest way possible?

1. An executive summary that addresses exact needs of the prospective employer based on your research or knowledge of the job description
2. Emails that ask for only one thing with a specific call to action or request
3. You use news feeds as a resource to find leads and connections
4. Your world class elevator pitch generates questions and requests for your business card
5. You wear a well fitted suit to all networking events and interviews?

When you are unemployed and are in job search mode you can commit to it. A proper job search requires a minimum of five hours a day in networking, researching, meeting and planning.

To optimize your time and efforts, create a job search budget that includes a proven Job Search Coach. A good coach can make the difference between a salary and prolonged unemployment, so consider the value of earning even one more month’s salary. Choose a job coach who can assist with excellent networking coaching and messaging including a specific resume for each opportunity.

Job Search today is a shell game; companies are not advertising and most deplore use of job boards. Jobs are discovered by networking because employers are fragile; they need to know the people they hire are part of their community in order to hedge their bets.

Amp up your networking techniques.

1. Go to industry conferences.
2. Pay the tariff to attend trade shows.
3. Blog on topics on which you are an expert.
4. Answer questions about strategic topics on other people’s blogs.
5. If you are a $100,000+ executive, buddy up with others who are also in job search mode.
6. Share leads, encourage one another and stay focused.
7. Talk to people who have a job like the one you want; ask them to refer people to you when they are contacted about jobs.
8. Become a known face at networking events, don’t just go occasionally.

The name of the game is exposure, accessibility and expertise. The more people see you, see your name or hear from you with targeted links and articles, the higher the probability you will be thought of when that next $100,000+ job opens up. Don’t be a hit and run executive. Make your presence known and expected.

For more detailed networking guidance, “Networking Debugged” is available.

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By admin, September 16, 2008 3:57 pm

NETWORKING TIPS YOU MAY NOT HAVE USED

You have already accepted Networking as a way of life and you engage in some form of outreach weekly. For those of you after $100,000+ jobs, the rules are different. You need more than a name and email address of contacts. There is a fine line between excellent, classy networking and spamming. Here’s how to make networking work for you.

1. Sign up for news feeds that feature the names of key people (and companies) on your networking priority list. Stay informed on topics of interest to your contacts and occasionally, send an article or link based on what you learn. Demonstrate you are interested in and knowledgeable about their arena by sharing only those things germane to their niche.

2. Don’t spam. When you send something to a contact, be sure it is on point. I receive emails from “networking” contacts that have nothing to do with my business, my niche or my interests. These people lose any credibility with me; in fact, I have blocked a few people based on their poor choices regarding what I want to know about.

If you want to send something and are not certain it will resonate, say so. “I saw this and while I am not sure it is on point for you, wanted to hear your thoughts,” goes a long way towards mitigating the, “I am randomly sending things to you to remind you I am out here,” perception.

Be sure to send links rather than attachments. Most people ignore attachments from people they do not know well and a link allows them the choice of when to take a look. Make your subject and email message compelling, and you will have done enough.

3. Enlarge the topic. When you attend a networking function learn your contacts’ other interests. Come prepared with “conversations starters” that have nothing to do with the topic at hand, but which will be of general interest. I read an article in Forbes on “Gray is the new Green” on alternative energy. Everyone has an opinion on the topic so mention of this particular point of view enlivened the conversation and forged a deeper bond with all participants.

One contact in my network is a high end motorcycle enthusiast. I found a test ride/article on a $120,000 bike which I forwarded. My contact appreciated the outreach and responded with a much warmer email than any business news article has garnered.

For people engaged in a search for a $100,000+ job, amped up networking techniques are a requirement to stand out from the crowd. There is a lot of competition for the same jobs and there is nothing like the personal touch to make your name rise to the top of consideration for your next big job.

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