October 15, 2010
As an entry level engineer looking for a job,internship, unpaid internship is making cold calls a good idea?
I graduated a year ago with a BS degree in Chemical Commerce. I still haven't found anything after a year of looking. Other than a few interviews but I got my last interview 10 months ago. I've tried careerbuilder, monster, and even job search agencies, but still nothing. I've made a list of about 50 local companies that hire ChEs and their phone facts. I'm just very nervous to start cold calling them. Do you reckon its a excellent thought or is this just a waste of my time?
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Filed under Entry Level Engineering Jobs by on Oct 15th, 2010. 
Comments on As an entry level engineer looking for a job,internship, unpaid internship is making cold calls a good idea?
Can’t hurt right? Worst case is that you get the SAME consequences that you have been currently getting by NOT cold calling. If I was looking to hire, I ABSOLUTELY want to interview the guy who cold called because it shows balls if nothing else.
Use the career helps the folks who get laid off use. The fact you’re access level makes no difference. Do you have a LinkedIn Profile? Get one, start building your network. Spend time browsing other folks profiles, see how they present themselves. Promote physically. You’re in a down economy it’s going to be hard.
Speaking of a down economy, this is a excellent time to stay in school, get an M.B.A, masters, whatever. A law degree even.
To answer your question though, sure, go ahead, make some cold calls. Learn how to do it. I recommend you try to contact the person you call first via email, etc.–somehow–then follow it up with a call. Make the call brief. Don’t say “I’m looking for a job”, question for career advice. General questions. Question them for particular specialties that are hot. Companies that are hiring.
Here’s some rules for making cold calls:
1) The objective is to get them to do all the talking.
2) There’ll reach a point where a person is exhausted of talking. Learn to recognize that, and learn to terminate the phone call.
3) Try to set up the phone call by email. Question what time they get to work in the morning, try to bump them before their day gets hectic.
4) If a person spends a long time on the phone with you, follow it up with an email. A simple “thank you” will suffice. Excellent manners haven’t gone out of style.
5) If a person is willing to spend a couple minutes on the phone with y ou, chances are, they’ll accept a LinkedIn invite.
Excellent luck!
Walk into your victory. Politely do call. It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the attn. The more you x call the same company, they’ll get the thought that you are the one who is interested. Be polite + persistent. Keep it very simple. Write down one question you’d like answered and stay focused on the answer, since you will have a huge notebook with a billion companies and facts. Headhunters want you to do all the leg work. Call and politely question if there is any paperwork they still need. It probally is something as simple as a needed reference check. You need to help them with this, they give up on anything that takes some effort on their end.
You have to search based on the networking you did while in college. If you did not do any, you missed out on one of the most vital parts of college.
Or you go to grad school which will get you out of circulation until the recession is over.
Or look in states where there are a lot of chemical plants like Texas, New Jersey or West Virginia. You may be only looking near where you live.