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Your New Job: Tips for networking and standing out from the crowd

Getting noticed for that new job can seem impossible, thankfully there are many places you can go for one stop job hunting

CLEVELAND — Did you know that you have a better chance of getting into Harvard than you do of landing jobs with some companies? Even huge ones like Walmart. Several economic studies have show it.

Getting noticed for a job can be difficult. And it especially feels that way after being let go. Glenn Inn knows that pain. After more than two decades with Cisco Systems he was pink slipped.

"You go into an interview, you have to basically read, justify yourself to every person you talk to," Inn said. "I did this, I did this over and over and it really wears you down."

Unemployed for nearly a year, he made finding a job his full-time job. And the speaker he connected with at a job search seminar, Abby Kohut, was a gamechanger.

Kohut's been a job recruiter for 26 years, and created Absolutely Abby, a job search site with more than 200 articles on everything from writing résumés and interviewing to rejection resilience.

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"I realized that I wanted to tell people the absolute truth about why they weren't getting hired," Kohut said "And you can't do that when you're a recruiter. You can't tell people, 'You've missed this question,' 'You said this dumb thing during the interview.'"

You can use her tips when applying for one of the 1,500 jobs on Staffing Symphony, which is linked to her site. 

Then there's her book, 101 Job Search Secrets, which Inn used to help in his search.

"I've actually dogeared summaries because these were pretty significant things," Inn said. Things like knowing who you are, "because when you go out to interview, you're one of 10,000 people and it's hard for a recruiter to remember one person out of 10,000. But each of us has certain special abilities that we're born with and you should trust those because that's why you're different than me. 'I'm different from everybody else.' And that's what will get you noticed."

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Another one of Inn's 'things' is being passionate about the job you're interviewing for. 

"Do all the research so that when we get on the interview, on the Zoom call, you know what the job's all about and why you really want it and why you're qualified for it."

And just as important, networking, which is ultimately how Inn found that next job.

"People will say, 'I don't want to go to a networking event because all I'm going to find is job seekers,'" Kohut said. "Yes, bt every job seeker has a network just like you do. And so if you go to a networking event, you can tell the job seekers that are there what you're looking for and someone might have a lead for you."

Another tip, Kohut suggests, is writing articles or even a book about your experiences. Inn did. It's called I Lost My Job: Heaven Help Meand it's free to download. 

Other job search resources, courtesy of FranNet Franchise Consultants.

Grace Job Seekers NetWORK  — Speaker, Networking & Workbook

  • Grace Church - 7393 Pearl Rd., Middleburg Heights
  • Contact Jim Jasko
  • (440) 596-2240
  • Meets first ad third Mondays of each month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

North Canton Executive Networking Group — Speaker, Networking, Practice

  • Cleveland Clinic/Akron General Lifestyles Facility - 1940 Town Park Blvd. E, Uniontown, OH 44685
  • Contact Joyce Rodek
  • Meets every other Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

North Coast Job Seekers — Speaker & Networking

  • Pioneer Memorial Presbyterian Church - 35100 Solon Rd., Solon, OH
  • Meets 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., every second and fourth Monday of the month

Westlake Porter Public Library — Various Job Seeker Topics

  • 27333 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake, OH 44145
  • Contact Sue Provenzale (440) 871-2600
  • Presentations 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month

Hudson Job Search — Speaker & Networking

  • Christ Episcopal Church - 21 Aurora Street, Hudson, OH
  • Contact info@hudsonjobsearch.org
  • Meets 7:15 p.m. - 9 p.m., every first and third Monday of the month

FENG — Speaker & Networking for Senior Financial Executives

  • Eton Collection 2nd Floor Conference Room - 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood, OH
  • Contact Lamar Ratcliffe (216) 752-7137
  • Meets 5:45 p.m. - 7:35 p.m. on the third Monday of the month

St. Francis Xavier/Holy Martyrs Churches — Networking

  • 606 East Washington Street, Medina, OH 44256
  • Contact cathcartd@yahoo.com or jmayiras@yahoo.com or call (330) 721-9796 for information
  • Meets 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday at the month at Holy Martyrs - 3100 Weymouth Rd., Medina, OH
  • Meets 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at the Knights of Columbus Hall - 131 N. East Street, Medina, OH

ENCORE, 50 Group — Workshops

  • Meets Mondays at 7:30 a.m.
  • Contact Tim Lybarger (802) 760-8344

Ohio Means Jobs Summit County — Workshops

  • 1040 East Tallmadge Avenue, Akron, OH 44310
  • Contact (330) 633-1050

St. Albert the Great (STANEO)  

  • 6667 Wallings Rd., Church Lower Hall
  • Contacts: Lorie Milano and Noel Juguilon
  • Meets 10 a.m. - noon every second Tuesday of the month, and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every fourth Tuesday of the month

Summit Networking Group — Management and Executives Only

  • 3700 Embassy Parkway East, Bath, OH 44333
  • Facilitator: Mike Segal (330) 256-3786
  • Meets 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of the month
  • All job seekers must contact facilitator prior to attending

Transitions — Speaker & Networking

  • Lorain Community College Spitzer Conference Room - 189-199 Innovation Drive, Elyria, OH
  • Contact careers@lorainccc.edu
  • Meets 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Monday of the month

Ohio Means Jobs Medina County — Social Media & Networking

  • 72 Public Square 1st Floor, Medina, OH 44256
  • Contact (330) 723-9675 for more info

Executive Roundtable — Speaker & Networking (For executives making $100k+)

  • Corporate Plaza 1 Office Building, Independence, OH
  • Contact Sue Frammartino (216) 901-6000
  • Meets 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. every third Wednesday of the month
  • **$10.00 Fee**

SENIOR Executive Roundtable — Speaker & Networking (For executives making $200k+)

  • Corporate Plaza 1 Office Building, Independence, OH
  • Contact Sue Frammartino (216) 901-6000
  • Meets 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. every second Wednesday of the month
  • **$10.00 Fee**

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