Help Your Friends to Help You Find a Job

First, describe your skills

No one can help you find a job unless they know what kind of jobs you can do. Even if you are close friends, the other person may not be familiar with your chief skills. Therefore, think of a statement that describes what you can or want to do. Don't assume that other people know — and even if they do, your statement will still refresh their memories. The following statements can be used to describe skills or experience:

 

• "I've worked as a secretary, receptionist, and bookkeeper."
• "I've worked in a service station, have done auto repair, and have worked as a clothing salesman."
• "I've had experience in driving a truck, heavy equipment, and equipment maintenance, and I make a very good supervisor."
• "I'm good at selling and was an assistant manager for a store, so any sales or managerial kind of position would be good."
• "I'm a great photographer and I have all types of publishing and printing experience."
• "I have a degree in business so I'd be good for any large company that could use a manager trainee."
• "I have great taste about styles so I'd be good in a ladies' clothing department or store."
• "My experience has been mainly with plants. I'd be good in a florist shop or nursery, and I'm also a good illustrator."
• "I do promotion work of all kinds, so any advertising place, public relations work, or even newspaper work is what I'd be good in."
• "I'm good at electronics and electrical repair and have experience with TV. I've done selling in electronics, also."
• "I've been a teacher but I'm looking for something in writing, such as for a newspaper, a company newsletter, or writing technical manuals for any large company."
• "I've worked in the field of social welfare, and so any agency with public assistance programs would want me."

Write a description of your own experiences or skills. As in the above examples, stress your specific skills—don't just say, "Any job would be fine," or "I need a good-paying job," "I need a job with fixed hours," "I want a job with a future," or "I don't want a factory job." To help the other person think of job possibilities, of course give your skills and experience, but also suggest the type of company that would be interested in you. For example, in addition to saying, "I was an M.P. in the service," you should also say, "I'm looking for a job as a guard or security person in places like a police department for a city, university, hospital, or large company." Despite the brevity of the above examples, provide as much information as you can; the more you give, the easier it will be for the other person to think of possible jobs.

Tell your friends what type of help they can give you

You need to tell your friends just how they can help. What, specifically, can they do? The most direct form of help would be to offer you a job, but probably only a very few of your friends are in a position to do that. Yet people can help in many different ways. Here are some examples, arranged according to the type of person from whom you would ask for that specific type of help.
 

• To a Close Friend or a Person with an Important Title: "Can I use your name as a reference when I fill out applications?" "Could you write me an open letter of recommendation addressed, To Whom It May Concern'?"
• To Any Friend or Acquaintance: "Have you heard of any job openings so far, and can you let me know whenever you do hear of any?" "Do you know of anyone who is leaving a job?" "Do you know of any companies or places that might have an opening?"
• To Someone Who Works at a Place Ton Would Consider: "Are there any openings where you work?" "Are there any people who are quitting where you work?" "Could you arrange for me to talk to your supervisor about a job at your place?" "Could you tell your supervisor (boss, personnel manager, etc.) about me in case he is thinking of hiring?" "Could you give your supervisor a copy of my resume?"
• To Someone Who Just Started Working: "Since you've been looking at different jobs, can you remember any places that could use someone like me?"
• To a Close Friend or Relative: "Could you ask some people you know if they know of any job openings?"
• To Someone Who has Contacts in Your Type of Work: "Could you take some copies of my resume and give one to anyone you think might be interested?"

Asking the same person for several types of help

The same person can be asked for more than just one type of help. Close friends can give you letters of recommendation, tell you about any existing openings, and also ask some of their friends. If you have friends who are employers, you can ask not only about jobs in their places but also about other places they might suggest

A request for recommendation can lead to a job offer

Often, requesting an open letter of recommendation causes the reference person to unexpectedly offer a job. For example, a student asks a professor to write him an open letter of recommendation, gives the professor a resume, and tells her about himself in order to help her write it. When he returns for the letter, he is told that his qualifications are so impressive that the professor wants to offer him a job in a project she is running. How did this happen? The very act of writing the letter required the reference person to concentrate on the applicant's skills and value. Consequently, ask for an open letter of recommendation from every friend who might also be a possible employer.

It takes time for people to connect and remember possible openings

When most people are asked about job openings, at first they can't remember any. But after a minute or two, they can recall several. The longer they think about it, the more possibilities come to mind—especially if some prompts are given.

If you indulge in a few minutes of conversation about your experiences, jobs you have worked at, or places you have already contacted, the other person may well declare, "Say, I just remembered something! I have a friend who. . . ."

So don't make your request too brief. Talk about the kinds of work you have done, what you are good at, the type of places you would like to work for, and what job possibilities you have been exploring.

Even general "small talk" can help — the state of employment, mutual friends, past experiences shared, and the friend's state of happiness. The general social conversation is an essential and natural part of a conversation with a friend, especially as part of the initial greeting. In addition, this conversation gives the friend time to think of job possibilities.

Suggest possibilities of job openings

One of the best strategies is to provide specific prompts about job opportunities. For example:
 

• "Can you think of any companies that are expanding or starting new programs, or of any new companies in town?"
• "Do you know anyone in your place who's quitting? Maybe going back to school, getting a promotion and needing to be replaced, moving out of town or being transferred, or near retirement?"
• "Are there any companies that are hiring anyone? Because if they are hiring at all, it means that things are going pretty well and maybe other jobs might be open."
• "The type of place where teaching jobs are most likely, I guess, are big universities that have so many people that someone is quitting at any given time. Which ones would fit that description on the East Coast? Or maybe some college that has a large remedial reading program, even if the college isn't too big—like a community college or a state university. I've contacted the state universities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine. I wish I knew someone in the other states, such as New York or Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Do you know anyone there whom I might contact? Which places would you try?"

Don’t forget to call back

Another useful procedure when talking to friends is to tell them that you will check back with them. This gives them time to think of other job possibilities. Ask, "Do you mind if I check back with you in a couple of weeks in case anything comes up in the meantime or in case you think of anything else? It will be easier for me to call you." Or, "Those leads you gave me are very good possibilities. Since you might think of some others after I hang up, would you like me to call you back—say, in about a week—in case you think of some more leads?" By arranging this callback you give the friends more time to remember leads, you spare them the trouble of contacting you, and you encourage them to be alert for possible leads for you. When you do call back, be sure to thank these friends for their previous suggestions.