It is wonderful to commit to taking the job search seriously by following up on opportunities. There are all kinds of people who are looking for jobs on any particular day. Some are typical nine to five workers. Others are entrepreneurs who are looking for new money-making opportunities for their businesses. Still others are people who work at home and don’t have the typical office setup. One thing that is common to all these people is that they are looking for work and come across a variety of opportunities. While entrepreneurs are not typically thought of as job seekers, but they are, and should follow good follow good job search practices. One factor that may help one job seeker be more successful than another is the amount and type of follow-up done.
When searching for jobs, it is not the normal case that an entrepreneur is able to go from job search to cash in hand without follow-up of some kind. For example, an entrepreneur may telephone a prospect, make a sales pitch to someone in a support position and be told to call back later for an appointment or conversation with the principal. In this type of situation, it is rare for the principal to call the entrepreneur next to consummate the deal. The entrepreneur must do follow-up to get the deal done. Without the entrepreneur following up as directed by the support person, the job may never materialize and the entrepreneur will not be successful in the job search and will not make money.
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Similarly, entrepreneurs may hear about opportunities to make money or jobs that are coming available when talking to other entrepreneurs, while in line at the market or while talking with other parents at a children’s sporting event. These conversations about jobs, about potential opportunities are important and should not be taken lightly. Entrepreneurs should be ever mindful of opportunities to make money. It reminds me of the lyrics of an old song, “I’ve got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.”
Entrepreneurs should also be mindful of a concept called “opportunity cost.” The idea with opportunity cost is that the chance to do something has a cost associated with it. For example, if you choose to stay up late watching television, it costs you the opportunity to go to bed and get sleep. So, if an entrepreneur chooses not to go after a potential source of revenue, the opportunity that is lost has an associated cost. The cost could be that the person who referred the business will not refer more business. Another possibility is that the support person that advised the entrepreneur to call back will not take future calls seriously.
Almost everyone has heard the expression, “Opportunity only knocks once.” While the number of times that opportunity knocks is debatable what is not debatable is the fact that repeated bites at the apple of opportunity are not guaranteed. As an entrepreneur it is important for you to develop a follow-up plan. Create a procedure so that you follow-up on a regular basis. Develop a habit for returning calls, answering emails, handling snail mail and going back for repeat visits as needed. If you are serious about the job search do the follow-up work at the start of the relationship. With the understanding that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the way you handle the job search follow-up may determine the impression the client has about you throughout the relationship.
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In conclusion, it is wonderful to commit to taking the job search seriously by following up on opportunities. So, the question for you this wonderful day is, are you following up on all job search opportunities or are you letting them waste away?
I love this. I’ve seen so many people, including myself, benefit from doing a follow-up with potential employees. Not many people do them nowadays, so by providing a follow-up you put yourself back on the radar for opportunity. Great post, Janeane!