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The Job Search Balancing Act
Finding a job is tough work. Finding the right job is even harder.
Tom has been looking for months now. He can document sending hundreds of resumes to openings he found online or through job postings. Nothing. Nada. No response at all. He is very frustrated.
Tom can’t help but think there is something wrong with him. Otherwise he would get some sort of positive response, right?
Actually the real explanation has more to do with the method Tom is using to find his next assignment.
Job ads just don’t work anymore. At least this method does not work very often for the candidate.
Let’s look at the numbers.
What if a company places an ad and receives 100 responses. If the company has an applicant tracking system (ATS), probably one third of the applications will get through the screening process and have all the requirements. Let’s assume for the sake of argument that your resume gets through the ATS.
It is quite probably that someone in the company will review enough of the remaining resumes to find 10 or 15 applications that look promising. There is no guarantee that your application was in the first group to get reviewed. If not, then you are out of the running. If you are in that group, then the hiring manager will look at the applications and trim the list down again. Perhaps only five or six will get a telephone screen.
The odds are not good that your application gets through all those screens to even get seen by someone in authority at the company. In the meantime you are sitting by the phone waiting for that call. When the call never comes (and it probably will not come) you wonder why not. You start filling in all sorts of reasons why not – mostly negative thoughts about ways you and your experience come up lacking. Again you are wasting your time because the reason has nothing at all to do with you. You are a victim of poor job search techniques.
In my opinion and in the opinion of a lot of job search experts, you should not devote too much time to submitting applications. Spend your time networking. Meet people at your target companies. Get referrals. Referrals go to the top of the list above all the anonymous applications that came in over the transom.
Bottom line: Ads are not frauds. Someone will likely get a job offer. But submitting applications is not a successful job search technique. Your odds improve significantly when you network. Make new friends. Build relationships. Use those relationships to get referrals to decision makers.
Advice for Employers who want to Help Long Term Unemployed
In our last blog we gave advice for people who have been out of work for six months or more. These folks are often called “long term unemployed”. We care about these people at The Interview Doctor.
Lately, though, other people do not. Unemployment benefits have been cut in many states as if cutting benefits to people who need them the most will somehow change the situation. Some groups go out of their way to make nasty comments about the character of people who have been out of work for a while. As if they are out of work by choice or they are sitting at home eating bonbons on the magnificent amount of unemployment insurance they receive.
Hog wash. Balderdash. Ridiculous. Couldn’t be further from the truth. Do not buy into this lie perpetrated by certain political interest groups.
No one who is out of work is pleased with their situation or with themselves. Usually they didn’t choose to be out of work and can’t figure out how to get out of this situation. They usually feel desperate. They start to get a negative attitude. They often lose confidence and say “I will take anything” or “It must be my … (age, sex, race, etc)”.
I hear company representatives wring their hands about the situation. Stop wringing your hands and get involved.
Here are some ways you can help:
- Do not exclude unemployed people from consideration. We know this happens all the time. Stop now. Most unemployed people did nothing to contribute to their status. Give them a break and include unemployed people in the mix.
- Review your applicant tracking system (ATS) screens so you are realistic about what you need and want. The job description contains every requirement including the kitchen sink. The successful candidate does not have to have experience in absolutely every aspect of the job description. You know that. So identify the top 3 or 4 requirements and focus the ATS on those requirements. I bet more people make it through the ATS screen.
- Occasionally search for candidates without ATS screens to evaluate candidates the old fashioned way – personally – to see firsthand the impact of those ATS screens. I bet the ATS is screening out perfectly good candidates, maybe even great candidates who might not meet unrealistic and unnecessary screens.
- Participate in job clubs as a mentor. Train candidates in interviewing skills so unemployed folks can offer themselves in a manner appealing to employers. Offer job vacancies to job clubs. By participating you can help unemployed people have the positive attitude and attributes that you know employers want to see.
- Network to find talent instead of just reacting to fill jobs at the moment of a vacancy. The vast majority of hiring managers and HR people do not network. They just react. But by networking you can collect talented people (including unemployed people) who can be available when you have a need.
Reach out and help a friend get back on the working track where they want to be. As Napoleon Hill, a noted writer about success, said, “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” Get out there and help others then see how the abundance comes back to you tenfold.
Advice for Long Term Unemployed
This week I am participating in a panel discussion about long term unemployment at HRPDA Indianapolis.
As a panelist, I am not bringing a prepared presentation but I can’t get the topic out of my mind. I want to scream my ideas from the top of the building to get people to listen.
I work with long term unemployed people regularly. Finding a job requires a certain skill set and confidence not everyone possesses. Those who have the most trouble often make these mistakes:
- Rely on job search techniques that do not work well. Many of the long term unemployed folks I have met can tell me with great accuracy the exact number of applications they submitted even though that technique seldom works.
- No longer confident. Often they have a negative attitude about the entire experience.
- Their desperation oozes from every pore like garlic. Employers smell this desperation and run the other way.
If you (or someone you know) have been out of work for at least six months, you might fit this category. Maybe you do not even know you are exhibiting these characteristics. But trust me, if you have been out of work for six months or more without much results, you probably have some of these issues.
Here are some tips to get out of this situation:
Stay fortified and confident. Get regular exercise. Keep consistent work hours; put in at least six hours per day at your job search.
Get a second opinion on your wardrobe, haircut, and eyeglasses. Then make adjustment to look up to date and modern. Like a person who will fit in with the team. The fixes do not have to be expensive. You can adjust your wardrobe at consignment shops or with borrowed clothes if money is an issue. You can buy inexpensive eyeglasses online at a fraction of retail eyeglass stores. This could be a great boost to your job search.
Spend at least 80% of your job search time networking to find people to talk to at target companies where you want to work. When you finish one list start another. Keep finding more people to talk to at more companies. Ask everyone you talk to who else you should talk to. Have coffee at least 3 to 5 times per week with someone new. Set networking and contact goals for every week.
Know what you have to offer. Have a succinct statement of who you are and what you offer so the people you talk to understand what you want and who you are.
Ask questions that build relationships. Networking is not about asking for a job. Networking is asking questions that allow you to build relationships. Your goal is to have a conversation. Give back. Ask questions. Be curious about the other person. Share information. It all comes back to your benefit eventually.
Join a few job seeker clubs to get feedback on the way you interview, your resume, and your job search techniques. These groups can help you figure out what you are doing wrong.
Visit your county job service. These offices are staffed with knowledgeable people who want to help. They have equipment you can borrow, reference material that can help and training that can kick start your search. Yet these offices are often empty and the staff viewed as the enemy. Don’t pass up this free resource.
Volunteer. Get out of the house and spend time in professional or special interest group you love. These groups are always looking for volunteers and committee members. This allows you to meet more people in a relaxed environment. Let people see how you work in a volunteer situation so they can imagine what it would be like to work with you in a professional situation.
Find contract work. Many agencies out there offer companies contractors for special projects. You don’t have to find those companies or even the special projects. Just find the agencies. Ask around. Google this question. Contract work gives you income, increases your network, and validates your skills.
Do you have other tips for people have been unemployed for a while? If you are unemployed, what has been your experience with employers and with the job search process? Please share your thoughts!
In our next blog we will consider how employers can help long term unemployed.
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Katherine and Dan