How to Network in the Modern Era

While I’m in transition from Calix into that which is to come next, I thought I’d begin to provide you with some of the insights I've gained over the years as a recruiter and recruiting manager.  When I was with IBM, I handled their Internet Recruiting channels and designed their social media engagement strategies (which are now defunct and non-existent I have to add) and since then, my skills have only improved with the times, my experiences and the technology. In so doing, I’ll ask the kind favor of you to share my blog with someone you know who may find this new, and long run conversation interesting as well.

Social networking isn’t just about making content, it’s about sharing content. "Moving Words", so to speak (with a pun intended). It’s about sharing the authenticity of the experience with those you trust to keep the connection in good care, standing and esteem.

In this electronic age, it can feel surprising to run into someone who is actually, well, a real live, (and potentially interesting) human being who may just know what he’s talking about and is sharing it in real time. Even more so, it can feel just as surprising to learn that you don’t really know what to do with that valuable piece of information right now, in real time.  Now, with the live human being behind the hiring curtain.

Networking suddenly returns to mind. So let’s return to discussing it as a skill you can learn or a skill you can always improve.

Keep in mind, Networking is best when it is about Win Win. It’s a subtle point that will grow in your understanding over time but always fits the times. It's a universally attractive idea. Hold on to that.

I am very well connected  on LinkedIn, but there are surprisingly few people who actually know how to network successfully with me.  When it comes to job and career, it’s been my experience that people really don’t know how to make, nurture and develop valuable connections and relationships.   When it comes to job search, I would expect every candidate applying for a job with Calix to reach out to me on LinkedIn and get connected and start a conversation about their fit with the company and the roles we hire.

Saying Hello to the recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn is the new form of Cover Letter. Only no one knows that yet.  Well, now you do.

Reach out because you’re interested in building a relationship with that person about that company and learning what your prospects are of making that place a career destination in the years to come. I expect every candidate to know how to find me and how to gently influence my decision to give their resume an extra nod and overview. It’s a good idea and it’s so easy these days and yet, it’s a rare occurrence whenever it does happens.

So, How many people know how to do any of this?? Not many at all and well, now it’s as many people that also know about the value of sharing this article with someone they talk about work, job, bosses, coworkers, customers  or careers with... This is Behind the Hiring Curtain, don’t forget.

I’m right there on LinkedIn as easy as it can possibly be to find me. Type in: “Calix Recruiter” and you’ll find me at the Top of the list.  For that matter, type in “IBM Recruiter” and you’ll still find me. Think about that, the next time you’re interested in prospecting for a new job. Get connected, make things happen. Network. (Lots’ more on that in my book, but I digress and it’s not done, so that’s just a teaser and a reminder of how much work I have in front of me)

Networking is about connecting to add value to someone else’s life, not just to solve your own problems. When it does both, it’s Win Win and then it’s the best reason of all to network, because then value is added to all parties and the world feels just a little bit closer together.

I talk with a lot of people every day and I’ll tell you this much, generally speaking they all want to be as helpful as they can.  They are all mostly kind and usually recognize your appreciation for bringing some good will to their attention.  At least that’s my perception. It’s not as unfriendly out there as some may prefer to think. This isn't Gotham City. It's much better. 

Here’s a tip that might be helpful:  If you begin by sharing information or content, explain why you think it’s relevant to that person. Put yourself out on a limb and tell them why it was interesting to you. Here’s another tip: If you’re not sure what to say- just tell them “For some reason, you just came to mind. Hope you’re well, pass this along if you find it useful” and then be done with it.

In this case, this very article you’re reading  is an attempt to educate people on how to network successfully and with some good manners and technique I might add. Oh, another Hot Tip: manners are never out of fashion and neither is public or private praise.  Compliments come too rarely and when they do, take the time and learn to appreciate them. It’s worth standing in the glow of that moment for as long as it can last. Good Karma happens in that space and time.

Networking is about value propositions and relevancy. Maintain your value proposition and maintain your relevancy and people will recognize you for it over time. Take for instance this article, again…I'm the same guy I've always been, but now, my words are more public. Asked to be shared.

This space today is about networking some best practices that you may be interested in adopting yourself or seeing in the community that we share.

If you see a guy putting his name out there and you appreciate what you're reading, then share it and watch that good will find its way back to you over and over again.

Pay it Forward comes to mind.

Self Indulgently, this article is a great example yet again.  My book is filling up with all sorts of this kind of useful material and now I finally have the time on my hands to concentrate on finishing it. I want you to read it and to gain some real advantages in your career which will unfortunately sound like a cliché of exceptional life changes ending with a great life lived and the world in position for a better series of tomorrows but again, I digress.  It’s not fully cooked yet, so you’ll have to wait a little longer. 

My entire family is committed to making a great change in the world and I think I have something interesting to offer to that cause.

If you will, hang in there with me. The ideas bubbling up and beginning to manifest themselves in the world.

Oh- and let me know if you think I should meet or be introduced to anyone in your network. Think about it. One of my best skills in networking and I enjoy Win Win relationships... a lot.  I’m in transition, I have a lot to offer and great people, great Decision Makers are usually only one connection away looking for special Talent.  I’ve got a value proposition to share, who wants in? I’ll do the heavy lifting, you do the sharing: Win Win.

Cheers to the future, I see us all in it.

Rob Segall

PS- Thanks again for forgiving all the typos all the way to the end.

Equal but Separate: Life as a Contract Recruiter

They Say that when a man turns 40, something happens to you.  They say you see the world with a new focus and with greater meaning. They say you see the world with a reflection of the things that are more important to self, community and the world at large. They say you become more settled, more in touch, more involved in the making of the world forward. Reflections and lessons of the past are applied for the future.

I think I agree.

I started my job with Calix just before I turned 40.  A Corporate Contract Recruiter on a hamster wheel of a Career. There are hundreds if not thousands of people out there like me. The job is always evolving. It’s a changing industry and if you allow yourself to remain complicit to your original technique, and do not evolve your understanding to match the times, you’ll become an ineffective and undesirable dinosaur.

I have to wonder what they think of me. The praise I get from candidates is great, but because I’m not a member of the staff- full time, regular- I can’t be brought into the family as they would expect I should be. They probably can’t perceive the difference and difficulty of being a third party.

Separate but Equal comes to mind. But it may be more appropriate to say Equal, but Separate.

A livelihood as a contractor. 

It’s tough to live your professional life without a future. Every day there are questions. What’s next? How do I pay for Health Insurance? What about Retirement? What is my career path? Where will I wind up next? How does this year over year resume turnover affect my long term employment prospects? How do I break out of this cycle?

Different Questions; Difficult Questions.

I look for answers to hard questions from all the resources around me… the company is the first, since they are paying the bills. But really it’s candidates mostly that give me the most insight. They have an honest agenda of need for the Right Now and the Long Term. The unique nature of the individual and their problems is fascinating to me. I see threads that connect us all. I believe it’s a byproduct of the third party nature of my life and livelihood.

Like everyone, I have to first be true to myself. Circumstances around us swirl and we can sometimes feel caught up in a world that is moving on without us. But in the stillness of that isolation, if you can fight off that feeling of panic and dread, you can learn to see new opportunities and discover new strengths in yourself. I think these are the strengths that underscore our true nature and get to the essence of what we can, should and will become.

A job is the work you do for someone. A career is the knowledge and experience you gain from that work  applied to your own life and livelihood, over time.  It’s more than the daisy chain of jobs strung together to say where you have worked. It’s about your impact and what solutions you can make to the world and community around you.

A career is a valuable thing. Valuing one’s Career is a good idea. Employers who value Career value their communities and their employees. Career then becomes an important word. The people who talk about that Word (ie, recruiters) are important then too. It’s a problem then when the word isn't valued. It’s my problem at least.

SO what’s Next??

What good is knowledge and experience if you don’t use it…? Or don’t share it? It seems like an awful waste, so right now, I’m feeling my ground for what I can do with my knowledge and experience for what I want to do NEXT.

One thing’s for sure… In true Libra fashion, I’m going to see if I can help people and companies through and from my experience. I had one full year with Calix. It has been a great run. I have LOVED every minute of it, and believe in this company, but it’s definitely time to leave this job behind and get on with the mystery of what Next is for me.

41 is right around the corner… Another set of experiences under my belt, more perspective on the world around us, tons of experiences, tools and ideas to leverage and most of all, a lot of important decisions to make. NEXT is on its way. Stay Tuned for what that will mean to me. Things are moving fast now so hang on.

More to come, but for now it’s finish up with Calix. As always- thanks for being there and most especially for forgiving the typos. Stay tuned.

Cheers to the future,

Rob Segall

  

The Career of Careers

Recruiting is a great industry to be in. I get to work with the best candidates across the board, every one of them eager to challenge themselves for what’s next in their careers.

What’s next in my career is now the question. I’m so close to that equation and it’s such a good industry for me, but I feel compelled to try new things and express all of my talents, not just my ability to identify, attract and engage with the best and brightest in the market. That’s not dynamic enough for me any longer. 

Talent Acquisition is a strategy, not just a transaction. I’m in need of a challenge that accepts that notion and will allow me to really dominate that position. I like to shake things up, tell the truth and express through honesty the needs of the individual and the company. I make things happen. I make progress. Career Progress is now my objective.

My career ambition is to bridge the divide between those who have and those who want. There are good answers to be had and I have all that knowledge, waiting for a place to recognize it to its fullest degree. 

I have all the tricks in my bag and a bull horn to let the world know that I'm not afraid to use them.

I’m an expert at what I do. I’m eager to be recruited myself with an opportunity to really demonstrate my potential as it exists today, tomorrow and beyond.  All these years of working with candidates has filled my knowledge vault with details and understanding that can’t simply be applied in a traditional recruiting role any longer.  Those that know me, understand that fact.

I’m putting myself on the market for more. For a lot more.

Reach out. Connect. Discuss. Liberate that sense of dread that’s overhanging your problems and look to me for solutions. I’m eager and ready to offer my answers and to take things to that next level… and beyond. For all parties I work with. 

More to come… Don’t be shy. Forgive the typos. Reach out and let me know human beings actually still read.  :)

Cheers to the future.

Rob Segall

A word on IBM. This is MY OP-ED.

IBM announced yet more layoffs last month. I know a thing or two about what they're up to having been there and seen a lot out of their transformation. Here's my rub and see if this makes any sense and then ask yourself- Why isn't this being covered on the news and in the news? This is news.


This is a nasty game I see IBM playing.


IBM has invented a new public relations word: "Rebalancing". It's too clever by half. It's accurate, but it's pure shit.  They are laying off let's just say '5,000 American Workers'- which is par for their course. Every year, look at the numbers.
Just ask for them and they'll be shared. It's still a dangerous thing you know. Talking about this taboo subject is not easy at all, which is why IBM'ers inside and out don't talk about it. Risks are everywhere for individuals, especially employees but I'll put myself out there.

Using this unconfirmed but real '5,000 workers in America' number (because they won't announce the exact number of people impacted), what does this mean in the scope of 'rebalancing'? That they have used the reduction in force to justify an additional- quantifiable multiplier of additional global headcount to its workforce. (What?! and Huh?)


Let's just say for example sake:
One IBM-US job reduced equals 4 Chinese workers.
One IBM-US job reduced equals 2 Indian workers
One IBM-US job reduced equals 5 Bulgaria workers.
One IBM-US job reduced equals 3 South Africans.
etc. etc. etc.


You get the idea. Watson is at work on a very special and predictable equation here... check it out.


5,000 American jobs lost is a net gain of employment to their headcount by 20,000 jobs globally. The math may or may not be far off, but the concept is inescapable: what have they just done?
It works backwards too. Hire 20,000 abroad and just reduce 5,000 in the US to cover the cost... (Prefering of course that you train your replacements).


They've stimulated the economy globally without spending or investing really one extra dime of profits. Not bad at all!


At the cost of America and Americans though. Whoops- that part, we're not going to really stand for at all. Thanks IBM and Sorry IBM.


That's awesome of you. Stimulating the globe at the expense of your American workforce.
Nice new Analytic- Rebalanced American Employees.


Congratulations on such an innovative concept. Truly smart. Possibly nefarious, but smart.


There is a very real 2015 roadmap and there is a very real number of jobs that are going to be lost in the United States because of this company's executive policies- some say the number is as large as 75,000 American IBM'ers will be out of work by the end of 2015. Rebalancing is an aweful, aweful way of explaining your gross overreach of trust and confidence with your employees. They are begging to be properly managed and directed to discover a value proposition that can finally be returned to its own workforce.


IBM is full of the strangest contradictions. It's full of employees who are underutilized and yet tragically overworked. It is full of Talent desperate to be tapped on the shoulder and asked to be included in innovation. It is a top down management culture of command and control-- Draw your own analogy, but Win Win and mutual prosperity requires a generous source code and it is not in existence at IBM any longer. The worker can not win, unless Win means to be ground to dust professionally and spat out of the organization to be replaced by another warm body from around the globe.


These 'rejects' are some of the smartest and most productive people in the company- by IBM's own admission. And if that's the case, then why are they being let go? How is it that with all your profits and stock value, you can't make enough money to create a market opportunity and value proposition for these employees? You can't find a 'smarter way to manage your workforce' or is this the best you can come up with: Profit to the max at the expense of the employee, in a system that rewards staff canibalism'


They take the money and don't reinvest it in the domestic workforce. Period.


Some are loyal to a fault and have a desperate need to prove their worth again. Some are not as lucky to survive the IBM culture.


You've burned them out, but you haven't worn them down completely. They take with them their experiences of not only how to do their job, but they take with them the strongest desire to work in a better corporation and to make their next company better than the one they just left. They take with them All of their experiences- good and bad. I don't know many IBM employees who are also fans of the company. The disconnect has to be by design, otherwise it is a sign of incompetence and we certainly can't call IBM executives Incompetent, Can We?


To further degrade the value proposition of the IBM'er this company (IBM) is the most expensive Stock on the Dow. It consumes or Buys Back its own shares to increase its own value in a closed circuit. The value proposition for any and all who invest in this company is that they are in part or whole, supporting the deportation of not only American Jobs, but American Intellectual Property and an unbalanced employment/employer relationship that is not living up to the standard of fairness by most all employee standards. (Executives Exlcuded) They buy their own shares to drive the price up, perpetually. They borrow against cheap money and then buy back their stock. It is a financial markets play and it is not innovation and I do not support it as it does no good for society.


This is quite possibly grounds for Treason, but that's the move of a radical, and I am not.


Sam Palmesano made it clear- the Enterprise is more valuable than the Individual. The pensions are gone.
But so too are the office supplies, the fringe benefits and even Thank You awards-gone.  The sense of belonging and wonder- gone. The cafeteria is as empty as the parking lot. The real estate is empty. The buildings are crumbling. The Leadership is in denial. The Managers are in a can't win situation and the workforce is co-dependant and largely dysfunctional by any standard of psychological measure. (Happy to be wrong by the way)


I just wonder if there may be an expiration date for every IBM employee in America.


If that were the case, then is it fair to request that information from the employer? Is there a plan to eliminate 299,000 jobs from IBM??? If I worked there or if I were thinking about working there, I would want to know that up front and right now- What is the 2015 roadmap for American jobs?

If I were an American Citizen who is sending his tax dollars to DC so that IBM can win our government's contracts, I'd like to know why they are turning over so many Americans and making plans to reduce drastically further? Wait- I am an American Citizen and do want to know. This is important to all of us.


To borrow IBM's call for Smarter Planet- I beg them to find a smarter Talent Management Policy. How is it that no one is asking the right questions to the right people? When the a company valued at $230b (BILLION) can't find the means to discover a sustainable value proposition for its workforce, and when a company sitting on a mountain of cash tauts innovation, chooses not to find a way to create a means of prolonging and investing those massive profits in its own workforce in its own home country, there is something very unmistakably wrong. Who would work for a company like that? The transaction is dishonest.


There is so much to grieve about the loss of this American icon, but more importantly, if you're paying attention, it's the model of what's to come if no one puts a stop to it. I for one, see problems and I also see solutions.


I've got a good idea what to do.

Cheers to a great future everyone. Keep your chin up IBM (there are obvious answers) and to the IBM'er and Former IBM'er, there is help on the way.


You'll here from me again soon.