Post: #1

The longer I help out clients with their entry into Asia Pacific careers, the more I"m realizing that linkedin is immensely more useful than the cold call - although I certainly am not going to say that you should give up on the cold call.

Here is my guide to hacking into companies and dodging HR representatives by using linkedin. I'm going to make this entire thing specific to China so that the examples I use can be put into context.


STEP 1: JOIN LINKEDIN, UPGRADE TO BUSINESS PLUS ACCOUNT

You will have to pay a monthly fee of anywhere between 20-60 bucks, something like that, but it's worth it. By paying for this membership, you will be able to send "inmails" to strangers - in this case, decision makers and junior/senior managers in the company who have hiring power of some sort.

Think of it like paying 4-6 bucks for getting a personal introduction to someone with hiring power. That's an interview for less than the cost of lunch - it's a no brainer.

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR PROFILE A WORK OF ART

Linkedin will literally tell you, to the percent, how "complete" your profile is. Definitely add a picture, all of your academic information, and your previous work experience. Search for all your friends, former coworkers/bosses, current coworkers/bosses, former teachers, and basically anyone who could make you look like you have some kind of street cred. Add all of these people.

Request references from each of these people. For example, if you worked at an internship at "XYZ Consulting" in Atlanta, add as a contact the boss you had at that time. Then, request a reference for that specific position.

For academics and every single work experience, shamelessly request references. Beef up the amount of credibility your profile will have. The person viewing your profile should think " Wow, this person has clearly added value to every single organization with which he has ever come into contact."

Take a professional head shot and add it as your profile pic. This is not facebook - wear a suit/tie for your pic.

For each work experience you had, make four or five bullet points under each one specifying what your tasks were and WHAT THE POSITIVE RESULT OF EACH ACTION WAS.

Example: "Sourced and interviewed wind energy industry experts, enabling XYZ Consulting to explore business development opportunities in renewable energy."

The formula for each of these bullets points is WHAT YOU DID, followed by THE POSITIVE RESULT IT HAD FOR THE ORGANIZATION. Keep your grammar consistent throughout and make sure you explicitly display the value you created for the company.


STEP 3: COMPILE TARGET COMPANIES AND TARGET MANAGERS

Think of 3 industries you are particularly interested in working in.

Examples:

-Management Consulting
-Real Estate
-Luxury Goods

For each of these industries, compile 5-10 target companies you are particularly interested in. I suggest you get a mix of small/boutique firms as well as large ones.

Examples:

-Management Consulting - China Market Research Group, Deloitte, Technomic Asia, Boston Consulting Group

-Real Estate - Colliers, Jones Lang LaSalle, Cushman and Wakefield

-Luxury Goods - LVMH, Chivas, (Some boutique wine dealer), Christie's

Let's say that your target city is Beijing. Search for a "Target Manager" in each of the companies in Beijing by using the advanced search. First, search for the company name and then narrow it down to China, then to Beijing. Find managers with titles like "Senior Project Manager", "Managing Director", "Vice President." You don't want to go too high, like CEO, or else he'll just ignore you.

Ideally you want to find someone with whom you have something in common. A common nationality and/or similar alma mater are usually a great start.

RESULT:

You should now have compiled a list of target companies for each of your desired industries in your target city. Moreover, for each of these target companies, you should have at least one "target manager" who you will contact. Organize this in a word document or something.

STEP 4: CONTACT YOUR TARGET MANAGERS

You will want to create a template that you will use you message each target manager. Here is an example:

"Hello Mr. Wynwood,

My name is (your name) and I am a recent graduate of (your school). I have previously worked at (place you have worked and in what function). I am strongly interested in potential career opportunities with (the company he works for ) in (the city in which he currently works).

I believe I would be a good fit for your organization because (reason 1, reason 2, reason 3). I am interested in your specific company because (reason 1, reason 2, reason 3).

Is it possible we can set up a phone interview to discuss potential opportunities?

Best Regards,

YMG"



Create a custom "inmail" for each of your target managers and send them out, one by one. You will not get positive responses for all of them. Your goal is to set up at least 5 interviews out of however many attempts you make.

RESULT: SET UP PHONE OR IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS WITH TARGET MANAGERS, THEREBY DODGING HUMAN RESOURCES COCKBLOCKERS


STEP 5: CONDUCT PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS AND SET UP FINAL ROUND INTERVIEWS FOR YOUR ARRIVAL IN TARGET CITY

By this point you have already conducted your phone interviews with the target managers who have replied positively to you. Let's say that you've set up 5 in-person interviews in Beijing. Let each of these managers know that you will be arriving in Beijing at whatever date works for you. Set up the interviews so that you can bang them all out in one week.

STEP 6: INTERVIEW AND OFFER


At this point you are in your target city, armed with many copies of your CV and a nice suit and tie. Also bring a nice notepad with you to the interview so that you can take notes during the interview if necessary.

Read the company website obsessively. Scour your target manager's profile and memorize his professional history. Do your best to create a bond with him during the interview and comment on previous work that his office has done for clients in the past. Express your desire to work for that office and describe a clear vision of how working at their office fits perfectly into your long term career plan.


OPPORTUNITIES MULTIPLY AS THEY ARE SEIZED.


-------------------------------

Post: #2

This is good stuff man and a golden guide for anyone looking for a career opportunity that they couldn't even dream of in North America. Your depth of knowledge in the field is amazing. Guys, anyone in here stuck in some dead end job and want to get into the juicy international careers, get in touch with YMG as that'll be your best shot at that. Unless you want to spend or rather waste, a good decade paying your dues in NA...

Post: #3

Nice guide, thanks for posting it.

http://hk.linkedin.com/in/wisniewsky- This guy has the ideal linkedin profile for a young, global professional.

Post: #4

Thanks for the compliment, VP.

Zoom, I am unable to open that linkedin profile.

Post: #5

This link should work: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wisniewsky

Post: #6

Cool zoom. Not sure what is so compelling about this guy's profile though.

Post: #7

This shit is golden.

Just bringing it back so newcomers can see this thread.

Post: #8

Do you think that linkedin is better than xing?

Post: #9

Thanks OP that is a ballin guide - how sensitive should I be in regards to my current employer possibly finding out about my efforts in this fashion?

Post: #10

BoiBoi - I don't use Xing so I don't have a frame of reference

MikeinMKE - what about this would tip off your current employer? Sourcing references?

Post: #11

linkedin is full of IRT spamming the same messages over and over

Post: #12

Tagged.. upon returning to the US last summer I used the upgraded version of LinkedIn for 3 months straight, sent as many inmails as I could, and read a book about how to capitalize on its services. To be honest, 90% of the advice was the same as what you delivered, yet rarely did people reply and it was even rarer for them to be interested. I kept my inmails short, direct and professional. Nothing worked. Partially, I believe it's because I was coming from a place of low-value. However, it is also likely that most employed professionals managers don't seem to be active on LinkedIn. I'm talking visiting once a month - this, IMO, is the biggest reason the site isn't terribly effective.

It's always nice when recruiters add you. What do you do in that situation - send them a message, as if a position is open for you?

[note: I am a fairly recent grad, holding 2 part-time, relevant jobs]

Post: #13

(03-19-2013 04:31 PM)Wreckingball Wrote:  linkedin is full of IRT spamming the same messages over and over

That ain't shit. Go to any website for jobs in the U.A.E. and you'll see some serious IRT trolling. Wow.

Post: #14

(03-19-2013 06:23 PM)Cyclone Wrote:  Tagged.. upon returning to the US last summer I used the upgraded version of LinkedIn for 3 months straight, sent as many inmails as I could, and read a book about how to capitalize on its services. To be honest, 90% of the advice was the same as what you delivered, yet rarely did people reply and it was even rarer for them to be interested. I kept my inmails short, direct and professional. Nothing worked. Partially, I believe it's because I was coming from a place of low-value. However, it is also likely that most employed professionals managers don't seem to be active on LinkedIn. I'm talking visiting once a month - this, IMO, is the biggest reason the site isn't terribly effective.

It's always nice when recruiters add you. What do you do in that situation - send them a message, as if a position is open for you?

[note: I am a fairly recent grad, holding 2 part-time, relevant jobs]

You should be able to message anyone. If not the HR rep or Hiring Manager, email someone at the company that is more on your peer level. Make a friend and be sincere. Most major companies have a solid referral program. If this person refers you and you get the job they could get $2,000 up referral bonus. You have nothing to lose.

Post: #15

(03-19-2013 06:23 PM)Cyclone Wrote:  Tagged.. upon returning to the US last summer I used the upgraded version of LinkedIn for 3 months straight, sent as many inmails as I could, and read a book about how to capitalize on its services. To be honest, 90% of the advice was the same as what you delivered, yet rarely did people reply and it was even rarer for them to be interested. I kept my inmails short, direct and professional. Nothing worked. Partially, I believe it's because I was coming from a place of low-value. However, it is also likely that most employed professionals managers don't seem to be active on LinkedIn. I'm talking visiting once a month - this, IMO, is the biggest reason the site isn't terribly effective.

It's always nice when recruiters add you. What do you do in that situation - send them a message, as if a position is open for you?

[note: I am a fairly recent grad, holding 2 part-time, relevant jobs]

I wrote this pretty specifically for international careers. This is why a lot of the companies listed are China/Asia specific.

Yes, you will have a harder time breaking in with this strategy in a place like North America - particularly if you are young, lack work experience, and are battling in this horrible job market. The protocol and processes for recruitment are too set in stone in developed countries and the barriers to reaching decision makers are much higher.

In contrast, expatriate managers are generally very highly active on linkedin. It comes with the territory of being in an international placement.

Were you trying to use these for American companies domestically? Or companies abroad?

If you were going domestic then I really have no advice for you. I don't focus on domestic careers. If you were aiming for domestic careers then my suggestion is that you look for careers abroad.

If you are going for international careers and are still failing with the strategies I laid out then you should write out a slightly longer script and make cold calls to the offices that you are interested in and try to get in touch with managing directors directly. I've booked myself and my clients interviews with this strategy across Asia Pacific by utilizing both linkedin and cold calling.

--

Post: #16

Any thoughts on avenues to employment in Norway?

I'm under probation right now for a DUI from last summer and won't be able to move out of the country until July, so I'm waiting to fire up my LinkedIn account to paid status.

Thanks for the thread, OP. Helpful work.

Post: #17

(03-20-2013 01:59 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

(03-19-2013 06:23 PM)Cyclone Wrote:  Tagged.. upon returning to the US last summer I used the upgraded version of LinkedIn for 3 months straight, sent as many inmails as I could, and read a book about how to capitalize on its services. To be honest, 90% of the advice was the same as what you delivered, yet rarely did people reply and it was even rarer for them to be interested. I kept my inmails short, direct and professional. Nothing worked. Partially, I believe it's because I was coming from a place of low-value. However, it is also likely that most employed professionals managers don't seem to be active on LinkedIn. I'm talking visiting once a month - this, IMO, is the biggest reason the site isn't terribly effective.

It's always nice when recruiters add you. What do you do in that situation - send them a message, as if a position is open for you?

[note: I am a fairly recent grad, holding 2 part-time, relevant jobs]

I wrote this pretty specifically for international careers. This is why a lot of the companies listed are China/Asia specific.

Yes, you will have a harder time breaking in with this strategy in a place like North America - particularly if you are young, lack work experience, and are battling in this horrible job market. The protocol and processes for recruitment are too set in stone in developed countries and the barriers to reaching decision makers are much higher.

In contrast, expatriate managers are generally very highly active on linkedin. It comes with the territory of being in an international placement.

Were you trying to use these for American companies domestically? Or companies abroad?

If you were going domestic then I really have no advice for you. I don't focus on domestic careers. If you were aiming for domestic careers then my suggestion is that you look for careers abroad.

If you are going for international careers and are still failing with the strategies I laid out then you should write out a slightly longer script and make cold calls to the offices that you are interested in and try to get in touch with managing directors directly. I've booked myself and my clients interviews with this strategy across Asia Pacific by utilizing both linkedin and cold calling.

--

When you say clients, are you helping Executive Recruiting/ Retainer search?

Post: #18

(03-22-2013 01:34 AM)xmlenigma Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 01:59 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

(03-19-2013 06:23 PM)Cyclone Wrote:  Tagged.. upon returning to the US last summer I used the upgraded version of LinkedIn for 3 months straight, sent as many inmails as I could, and read a book about how to capitalize on its services. To be honest, 90% of the advice was the same as what you delivered, yet rarely did people reply and it was even rarer for them to be interested. I kept my inmails short, direct and professional. Nothing worked. Partially, I believe it's because I was coming from a place of low-value. However, it is also likely that most employed professionals managers don't seem to be active on LinkedIn. I'm talking visiting once a month - this, IMO, is the biggest reason the site isn't terribly effective.

It's always nice when recruiters add you. What do you do in that situation - send them a message, as if a position is open for you?

[note: I am a fairly recent grad, holding 2 part-time, relevant jobs]

I wrote this pretty specifically for international careers. This is why a lot of the companies listed are China/Asia specific.

Yes, you will have a harder time breaking in with this strategy in a place like North America - particularly if you are young, lack work experience, and are battling in this horrible job market. The protocol and processes for recruitment are too set in stone in developed countries and the barriers to reaching decision makers are much higher.

In contrast, expatriate managers are generally very highly active on linkedin. It comes with the territory of being in an international placement.

Were you trying to use these for American companies domestically? Or companies abroad?

If you were going domestic then I really have no advice for you. I don't focus on domestic careers. If you were aiming for domestic careers then my suggestion is that you look for careers abroad.

If you are going for international careers and are still failing with the strategies I laid out then you should write out a slightly longer script and make cold calls to the offices that you are interested in and try to get in touch with managing directors directly. I've booked myself and my clients interviews with this strategy across Asia Pacific by utilizing both linkedin and cold calling.

--

When you say clients, are you helping Executive Recruiting/ Retainer search?

No executives. I exclusively focus on the Gen Y demographic, who rarely if ever fall into the executive category.

Executive recruiters are a dime a dozen. While the Gen Y demographic is less lucrative of a market I've found it more personally fulfilling to help them break into international careers.



--

Post: #19

(03-21-2013 01:34 PM)Mr.Barbarian Wrote:  Any thoughts on avenues to employment in Norway?

I'm under probation right now for a DUI from last summer and won't be able to move out of the country until July, so I'm waiting to fire up my LinkedIn account to paid status.

Thanks for the thread, OP. Helpful work.

Haha, no I focus on emerging markets.

Good luck with Norway though. If you break in, let us know how you did it.

-

Post: #20

(03-22-2013 01:50 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  No executives. I exclusively focus on the Gen Y demographic, who rarely if ever fall into the executive category.

Executive recruiters are a dime a dozen. While the Gen Y demographic is less lucrative of a market I've found it more personally fulfilling to help them break into international careers.
--

Let's connect and talk about possibilities sometime.

Post: #21

This is how I got my last job. Formal postings are a crap shoot.

Post: #22

I've received numerous job offers from linkedin and I haven't invested a ton of time into it.

Worth spending the time to build your profile.

Post: #23

YMG,

Fantastic post and thread. I've had LinkedIn for a while now, but didn't put any effort into it and I don't even have a picture on my profile. I've felt for a while that LinkedIn had the potential to be utilized much more effectively than I have been doing and then I read this post which confirmed my belief.

I'm going to try your suggested method for both domestic AND international opportunities and see how it goes.

Post: #24

I tried almost the same thing on linkedIn except using a FREE way to send messages. Instead of paying for the membership, seek out groups that have your people of interest. Usually groups are free to join. Then when you and your target is in the same group you can send them a message. When you see "How do you know this person" just select the box that has "groups you belong in".

The bad news is that I didn't get any responses from my messages that went to PMs or similar employees. Although, I did get responses from internal recruiters. My message wasn't to ask for an interview, but to find out what a company is working on and what are their current challenges, so I could supposedly offer my help.

Post: #25

I am interested in finding new work in another country at the moment and I'm not sure Linkedin is going to help me
It seems Linkedin is mainly for office jobs.

I'm an automation / robotics technician. Although I speak a few languages, I'm not sure Linkedin is useful for any blue collar type work.
Or am I just doing it wrong?

Can I get some feedback on that?

(03-21-2013 01:34 PM)Mr.Barbarian Wrote:  Any thoughts on avenues to employment in Norway?

I'm under probation right now for a DUI from last summer and won't be able to move out of the country until July, so I'm waiting to fire up my LinkedIn account to paid status.

Thanks for the thread, OP. Helpful work.

Finn.no Is what you need to check.
For some reason, Norwegians only use 1 website for everything.