Shortcuts - When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman - NYTimes.com

Shortcuts - When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman - NYTimes.com

In that case, he is one step ahead of a lot of people. William Wright-Swadel, executive director of career services at Duke University, said job hunters had to acknowledge first that “networking is not an easy thing. People think there’s a magic wand that will make it simple.”

The trouble is, networking brings up many of the same emotions as dating — fear of rejection, fear of looking like an idiot, fear of overstepping boundaries, fear of failing.

Rather, think specifically about what your aims are and what information you’re trying to transmit. Learn how to tell your story — what you’ve done, what your strengths are, w

hat you’re looking for — clearly and concisely. Or in the parlance of networking, practice your “elevator speech”: how you can sell yourself in as short a time as an elevator ride.

“Don’t just say, ‘I have very good communications skills,’ ” Mr. Wright-Swadel said. “What does that mean? Say, ‘I listen well, I can create trust relations with a wide variety

“What does that mean? Say, ‘I listen well, I can create trust relations with a wide variety

It is important, especially if you’ve been at it awhile, to step back and see how you are perceived. You don’t want to project a “you wouldn’t want to hire me,” attitude. Or thinly veiled desperation.

Finally, listen to the messages you are getting. It may be painful to acknowledge, but perhaps you need to reconsider your job expectations, at least in these economic times.

“If someone tells you that you’re overshooting the mark, that’s great information,” Mr. Wright-Swadel said. It does not mean you have to give up your aspirations, but take such comments into consideration. And perhaps revise your networking strategy.

My last piece of advice is trite but true. Be nice, or at least civil to everyone, if possible. Because the one person whose phone calls you ignored in the past may be the very person you are now asking to hire you. And if there is one thing harder than getting a job, it’s explaining to a potential boss why you acted like a jerk.