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Now most people would simply leave it at that and wait for the phone to ring ... but not Gary!

The next day he showed up at 7 AM again with his tools, thermos, and lunch pail in hand. He worked for 4 hours, then the site boss showed up but did not notice Gary up on a roof until the noon lunch break. The site boss said, “Gary, I told you yesterday I did not need help right now, but I would call you if and when I do; you really need to pack your things and go home.”

Now Gary kicked it up a step and said to the foreman, “I know, it’s just that I started this roof yesterday, and I just want to see the roof finished. It’ll be fully installed by the end of today’s shift. I just don’t like to leave any project undone.”

The boss walked away mumbling to Gary that he was not getting paid; he had not been offered a job and if he wanted to work for free he was foolish, but this would be the last time, “Go ahead, but don’t be here tomorrow.”

At 7 AM the next morning, Gary arrived at the job site, jumped right in, and started the whole process over. This particular day, the boss did not show up at all and Gary proceeded to work the whole shift, for no pay.

Day 4. Same routine for Gary, but this time the boss showed up at 11 AM as usual. He immediately spotted Gary working away and called him down off the roof. He said in a somewhat loud manner, “I thought I told you I would call if I needed you, now go home.”

Gary was ready for it and went for all the marbles. He responded to the foreman, “I’ve been here four days now. I have proven to you and your crew I am a Class A carpenter. I am unemployed right now with nothing else to do, so since you don’t get here until 11 AM each day, I am going to be here at 7 AM and stay here until you throw me off the work site.”

At this point, the foreman threw in the towel, wrote down an address, and told Gary, “Go to this address, this is our home office. Fill out the paperwork and be here tomorrow at 7 AM ready to work.” Gary is still with the construction company. Today, he is a foreman.

Let me qualify the preceding story by noting that it occurred before liability insurance, workmen’s comp, and federal illegal alien hiring laws. These would have forced the foreman to dismiss Gary immediately. I wouldn’t try this one in today’s litigious economy.

Compliments of Mark J. Haluska, executive director, Real Time NetWork, www.rtnetwork.net.

Chapter 3

Your Guerrilla Job-Hunting Strategy

Think Like a General—Work Like a Sergeant

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

—SUN TZU, The Art of War

Unlike the one-size-fits-all strategies in most job-hunting books, the balanced approach in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 blends the best of networking, target marketing, warm-calling, and public relations into a cohesive framework for success. Strategy underpins every suggestion in this book.

Networking is not always the answer: neither are direct marketing and job boards. Instead, consider combining several tactics with the correct weapons to create a force multiplier effect. It can lead to victory—your dream job. This section shows you how to think like a general, plan your strategy, marshal your resources, and then how to work like a sergeant and execute that strategy.

■ WHY YOU NEED A PERSONAL MARKETING STRATEGY

As Sun Tzu said 2,500 years ago, “many calculations lead to victory and few calculations to defeat.” Before you begin job hunting, you need to craft a personal marketing strategy that will guide your efforts. This game plan includes the details about whom you will approach, how you will approach them,