Somebody Jim Kerrigan Already Knows Can Introduce Him To His Next Boss

Somebody Jim Kerrigan already knows can introduce Jim to his next boss. Jim would like that very much. But before that can happen, the person with the power to introduce Jim Kerrigan to his next boss would have to be able to recognize what kind of a job opening is right for Jim.  He'd have to know Jim's transferable skills. He'd have to know what Jim did with most of his adult life and what it all means.

Jim's Linkedin profile says he was an "Associate Dean of Students" but, besides those of you who work in academia, who really knows what an "Associate Dean of Students" does and what skills this title suggests?

Oh, yeah, many of my readers know Jim Kerrigan is a member of the Kanawha County Democratic Executive Committee and that he cooks great chili and that he loves his dog, Molly Collie, and that he is a yinzer and a bon vivant but none of Jim's "networking" really helps Jim with his job search until somebody figures out what Jim's transferable skills are,  right?

Like I said, somebody Jim Kerrigan already knows can introduce him to his next boss. Jim would like that very much. Jim probably has friends who would like to help him out. But before anybody can introduce Jim to his next boss, somebody has to figure out what Jim's SKEs - skills, knowledge,experience - are. 

As a recovering headhunter I can tell you that employers almost never hire a total stranger. Yeah, they hire headhunters to "find" them people they don't know but they end up actually hiring people they could have found on their own without the headhunter. When you  talk to Jim, ask him about the times I got paid ridiculous sums of money for "finding" clients somebody they already knew. Ask him how any times they passed over the  best candidate I brought them because nobody in the organization knew the person. Yeah, I got paid whether they hired my best "find" or my 2nd best find but the point is, they pass over the best candidate if he's a stranger and they hire the guy who isn't a stranger.

Don't let Jim Kerrigan be the stranger. Make him a friend of a friend.  Introduce him to his next boss. 

And if you don't know Jim Kerrigan but you, too, are one of those guys everybody thinks they know but nobody is introducing to somebody who can hire you, well, stop sending your resume to strangers and start educating your friends about what you did before your career blew up. Somebody you already know can introduce you to your next boss.

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