Former JIST VP of marketing Randy Haubner got an unanticipated boost to his job search this weekend by appearing on the front page of the Indianapolis Star talking about the fact that he is looking for a job (read the whole story here), complete with photos of him at an interview. Not many job seekers get this kind of visibility!
You might be wondering how he pulled this off. We've all internalized the "networking is king" mantra that all of our books put forth. So he contacted workplace reporter Dana Hunsinger, with whom we have a good relationship, and asked her to keep an eye out for opportunities for him. It just so happened she was planning a Labor Day article on job hunting and asked whether he'd participate. He agreed, and there he was on the front page, right under Hurricane Gustav.
It's a potentially risky move, though. I haven't heard how the employer reacted to him bringing along a photographer, but surely it made him memorable. But the article itself was kind of a downer--how bad the job market is, la la la. It will be interesting to see what comes of it.
Meanwhile, if you read the whole story you'll see that Randy is looking for work outside the publishing industry as well as inside. He had to hedge his bets--there just aren't a lot of options for people who want to stay in publishing and stay in Indianapolis. I think he's smart to keep all options open.
Update: Randy reports that he's already gotten two legitimate job interviews and has connected with three other people as a direct result of the article. Way to go!
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