Q & A: Gwen Ferguson on How a Job Search Team Can Help You Score Your Next Gig

Research conducted by global outplacement firms indicates that job seekers who get team-based support land their next job 15 to 20% faster than those who do not. In Charlotte, NC, volunteers, local government and corporations have joined forces to provide job seekers with comprehensive support from office space and workshops, to speaker series and job search teams.

We asked Gwen Ferguson, one of ProNet Charlotte’s Job Search team leaders, to shareinformation on ProNet as well as her advice for job seekers. Gwen offers over 20 years of experience in career coaching and has worked as both a university communications instructor, and as an outplacement consultant for Lee Hecht Harrison.

Tell me about ProNet

ProNet is a unique variation of community based job support groups. A key element of this organization is the job teams that have been formed.  We have set up 12 job teams consisting of 10 people and a facilitator.

Everyone in my first two job search teams, beginning in November 2009 landed a new job within about 12 months and we’re continuing to have the same success rate with new members.

ProNet’s Center for “Professionals in Transition” was only supposed to last for three months but because of our success rate we’re now in our second year of a public/private partnership that is sponsored by the Local Workforce Development Board.   The amazing part of this program is that it is essentially run by volunteers. You don’t get grumbling among our job seekers. It’s an upbeat place to be. People see the quality and talent of others in transition and realize that they are amongst a very talented group of people.

How do your meetings work? Any best practices you’d like to share for those interested in joining – or leading a job search team?

We have a structure; members must commit to coming once a week for two hours.  All participants account for their time, share successes, and barriers that they have encountered. The majority of the meetings are spent brainstorming solutions to overcome barriers to getting hired.

Our participants are asked not only to commit to being proactive in their own job search; they are also asked to help others. When a team member “lands” a job, they bring in food and celebrate with the rest of the group.

What’s the biggest mistake job seekers are making?

Job seekers are spending too little time on their job search and too much of that time focusing on jobs online. On average, job seekers are spending 5 hours on their search when  they should be spending at least 25 to 35 hours.  Finding a job is a full time occupation.

Any bad assumption that you’ve seen job seekers make?

One bad assumption is that your next job is likely to come directly through an ad. Since75% of positions come through networking that means job seekers should be spending 75% of their time connecting with people.

What is another key factor in a successful job search?

It’s important to have a marketing plan that helps to focus the search and give networking contacts a better way to help job seekers.  A marketing plan sets criteria for a search and lists target companies that job seekers think would be a good fit for their skills. Key criteria include:

•    what industries you want to target
•    what geographic area you want to target
•    the culture of the companies that would fit your values

Do you have any “never do” tips for job seekers in working with recruiters?

Never say anything negative about former companies or employers. You have to avoid all negativity.

Are there any questions I haven’t asked that I should be asking? What’s the question, and what’s your answer?

What is a major mistake people make on resumes?

People talk about what they did as opposed to what they accomplished. On a resume, you might say, “Reorganized an entire department.” That’s an action. Employers want to see results. What sets apart a good resume is providing  accomplishments.  In the above example the “action” becomes an “accomplishment” if the bullet says “Reorganized entire department increasing employee productivity by 10%.”

Metrics are not the only criteria for an accomplishment statement.  The statement simply has to answer the questions “so what?’

Use it now actionable advice for job seekers:

Explain how your work helped the company for whom you worked. Let a future employer see how you can help them.