New job seeker paradigms

Finding and landing a job has evolved over the years and while many aspects of the process appear to be the same, some of the changes reflect a new approach to job seeking and job placement. Some of the rules appear to have changed and many will agree that there is a new paradigm in operation for recruitment and selection.

The following axioms are offered as a means of explaining some of these changes, and hopefully, in helping employers and job seekers become more effective in this frustrating business of getting the right people into the right jobs.

1.    Do not alienate your friends with poor networking techniques

Firstly you need to understand that successful job seeking depends more on who you know rather than what you know. Those who have the right qualifications should recognise that when faced with candidates of similar merit, the job selection decision comes down to who does best in presenting themselves as the best candidate. The critical element of the job search process then is about approaching the right people in the right way.

This is not about how good you are at building and working your people networks. It is more about involving others in your job search campaign using a non threatening approach where they can offer advice rather than feel imposed upon to help you find a job.

If you are targeting a specific position, organisation or industry, first look at your network to identify those who may have contacts in your target area. These people should be happy to meet with you and may be able to help you make a connection with your employment target.

The Golden Rule here is to NEVER ASK FOR A JOB. Instead, just ask for information and advice. Friends and associates will not mind sharing their wisdom and contacts and will generally feel good about mentoring you in your search. If they do refer you to someone, ask if you can use their name.

Armed with a list of qualified contacts, you can now proceed to arrange for some meetings. You should requested a brief meeting and it should not exceed a 15 to 30 minute discussion. Thank them personally at the end of the meeting and later send a thank you note, at least a pleasant email that acknowledges their time and assistance. Because these contacts are busy people, they may find it difficult to squeeze you into their hectic schedule, and so they might respond more readily to the offer of a breakfast or lunch meeting.

If you are not already using the business networking site LinkedIn, sign up now so that you can build up a contact database, and use these to start your networking campaign. I like to have only people that I know and who know me, as my LinkedIn contacts but you might want to include a wider field than this and extend your reach beyond your trusted associates and acquaintances.

2.    Do not waste time filling out job applications

When you understand that the primary purpose of applications and résumés is to eliminate you from consideration, you may start to think differently about all the time invested in composing that winning application. Consider how the job selection process works. Your application may be seen by a number of people and certainly in the early stages it will be screened to identify reasons to cull you from the list of applicants. Armed with this understanding, if you must submit an application, you will be better prepared to exclude those things that might disqualify you from selection. Therefore include only the facts that the reader wants to see.

Stck to the facts and use a minimum of hype (after all you are marketing yourself as the most suitable candidate). Put the most important items first and make sure they are well matched to the advertised requirements of the job. Use measurable data to convince the reader of your capabilities and experience, with references to revenue earned, cost savings, quality improvement initiatives, customer satisfaction metrics, and the budgets, people and resources you have managed.

Some principles to consider in preparing an application:

1.    Focus on the company’s requirements rather than your background

2.    List the most important things first

3.    Omit the irrelevant stuff

4.    Sell yourself early (in the upper third of the first page)

5.    Do not bury the application in a chronology of work details

6.    Use numbers, dollars, percentages, KPIs

7.    Keep the document concise (dot points are acceptable)

8.    Keep your address off the first page (contact details can go at the back)

9.    Aim for a two page résumé (anything longer is begging for the bin)

10.  Use an easy to read font (12 point Times New Roman or sans serif font)

Much more could be written about writing applications but this is sufficient for now, given that the application is really about ensuring you are a survivor in the initial screening process, rather than helping you land the job. Remember that hiring is a process that delivers the “last person standing” rather than the “best person for the job”.

3.    Do not waste time with cover letters

Contrary to much of the contemporary advice in this area, a cover letter is not the key selling document in which to pitch your claim for the job. They are seldom read and are mostly redundant because all the useful information is in your application or résumé. Apart from the HR people who might file this with your other documents, nobody else will read the cover letter and its most likely destination is the bin. If you must provide one, do not waste a lot of time with it. Just make sure it identifies the position being applied for and make sure it is flawless. You certainly do not want bad grammar or spelling in the cover letter to be the reason for rejecting your application.

4.    Do not use a résumé if a standalone letter will do

A lot of time can be spent fine-tuning a résumé to the requirements of a particular position, even though it is generally only a secondary tool for marketing your claim. A well written résumé is unlikely to warrant a rewrite, especially given that its primary purpose is to identify reasons for eliminating you from consideration. Your time is better spent crafting a well-written standalone business letter. Properly written and addressed, this letter is far more likely to penetrate through the defences of the HR department and land in the hands of the target person in the organisation. Even if it is intercepted, when sent in this manner it is far easier to locate if you are making a follow-up enquiry.

Your letter can best be used to initiate an information meeting between you and a person within the organisation, and will be more effective if you are using the name of the mutual contact who referred you to them. You will be aiming to meet someone connected to the decision maker for the job appointment or the decision maker themself.

In addition to responding to known vacancies, this letter can be taken in an opportunistic manner by recognising that an employment opportunity is likely to arise as a response to activities or changes in the organisation. In this instance you may also want to include your résumé or have the most relevant information included in your letter.

5.    Do not waste time sending out unsolicited résumés

The name of the game for the job seeker is rejection. No matter how good your qualifications and experience, unless these come with good connections, you are likely to experience a lot of rejection. Whereas sales people recognise that they will land a sale between say 5% to 20% of the time (depending on what they are selling), the percentage of success with job seeking can be around 0.005%. Yes, that is one in 100,000!

This could well be the success rate for unsolicited résumés, and that is why I am suggesting alternative approaches that are more likely to lead to a job. With this understanding of the new job seeking paradigm, you should be striving for a success rate closer to 0.5%, or one in every 200 attempts.

Before you throw your hands up in despair and abandon all hope of landing a job, be mindful that the percentages are working against you and even though you might be doing all of the right things, it may still take a while to achieve success.

6.    So tell me again, what should I be doing

There are many things that need to be done (and I have not even mentioned interviewing and negotiation yet), and all of them need to be done well if you are going to gain that job. Some of us are fortunate enough to have good connections whereby our job search is little more than expressing an interest and having someone offer us a position. For the rest of us though, you may want to consider the following strategies:

·         Develop a plan of action for your job search campaign, including how you are going to tackle difficult problems and how you are going to spend your time and energy.

·         Concentrate on using the Internet and writing well crafted letters.

·         Employ effective networking techniques to get attention, never asking for a job but instead requesting advice and information. Use LinkedIn and other sources to identify people to approach.

·         Review good interviewing and negotiating techniques and employ them conscientiously.

·         Keep at it. It is a numbers game and eventually they will work out in your favour.

Acknowledgement

Most of the ideas for this article came from the book ‘The real truth about getting a job’ written in 2012 by Dayton Conway. He is an American who who has worked in the executive search and recruiting business. His ideas have been modified to reflect the Australian situation.