Searching for a job is usually hard work. It can be frustrating and stressful. Sometimes, a very good person with impressive credentials finds job search very difficult and it is not always due to the job market. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about how people find jobs.
The biggest job search mistake is lack of focus. A reasonably intelligent, reasonably educated and reasonably hard working person CAN do a lot of things, but that is not the issue. The issue is what SHOULD you be doing and that takes some thought and self-assessment. The biggest favor you can do yourself is to give careful thought to both what you are good at and enjoy. Talk to managers who do a lot of interviewing and most will tell that it is rather easy to tell the difference between the applicant who is just ‘job shopping’ and the candidate who is focused. Guess who usually gets the job? Just think of someone you know who really loves what the work that they do. Can you tell it? Are they successful?
There are some self-assessments elsewhere on this site that we encourage you to utilize to help you figure out what you are meant to do. Talk with family, friends, colleagues, mentors and teachers. Many times they have valuable insights about your talents.
Once you have decided on the type of job to pursue, the best 3 ways to find a job are Networking, Direct Contact and Staffing firms. The 3 worst ways to job search are the Internet, Newspaper/Trade Journal Ads and Randomly Sending Resumes.
Networking accounts for 60%+ (some estimates are as high as 80%) of all jobs filled. The better the job, the more likely it is filled through networking. Hiring is a risk for companies and often an expensive one. Networking helps to reduce that risk. Imagine you are a hiring manager and you have 50 resumes on your desk and a long time colleague whom you respect and trust puts in a good word for one of those people. Do you think you would give more consideration to that resume and should? I was a VP in 3 industries and not one of those jobs came by way of a newspaper ad. One of the very first things you should do in a job search, then, is to develop a Contact List and then work that list. We encourage you to read the article on Networking on this site for more details.
Making direct contact with companies is often overlooked as a strategy by job seekers. Make a Target Company list of those firms that seem to be of interest to you and that seem to meet your requirements. Do not worry whether they are currently advertising for jobs or not. When I was Vice President of Human Resources at Lehigh Valley, we had 6,800 employees. On any given day, somebody could be resigning, retiring, or being terminated. In some of the larger companies we have worked with, they may be laying off in one department or unit and hiring through another due to particular needs. Therefore, if a company is of interest, apply and remember that the best way to approach them is networking.
Staffing firms usually account for 5-15% of all positions filled. This, of course, will vary greatly by industry, occupation and the state of the economy. When jobs are plentiful, employers rely more on staffing firms and when jobs are scarce, they rely less on such firms to avoid the fees. Staffing firms go by a number of names, such as employment agencies, search firms, temp agencies, recruiters, headhunters and others and this can be confusing. Further, lines have blurred here. Temp agencies’ often do direct placement for regular full time jobs and most do not even use the word ‘temp’ any more. Also, ‘temp agencies’ used to work mostly with office staff and light industrial workers, but now they often assist with professional and even managerial positions. Likewise, traditional employment agencies or search firms used to focus on regular, full time jobs for managers, professionals and technical staff. Today, these firms are increasingly asked to provide interim managers and professionals. You should probably register with several staffing firms. Ask them if they specialize in any areas and ask them for input on your credentials and resume. Do remember, however, that a recruiter is not your career counselor. Most staffing firms operate on a contingency basis, so time is money. Respect their time.
The internet, newspaper and trade journal ads and sending resumes at random simply do not work for most people. Most estimates show that only 10% of jobs are actually filled through job boards currently, and very few are filled through the mega sites – i.e. Monster, Career Builder and Hot Jobs. Many good jobs are not advertised in newspapers (only about 6% of MBA’s find jobs via newspaper ads) and trade journals and, even if they are, they are still often filled through networking. Mailing resumes at random and ‘e blasts’ are almost always a waste of time.
If you remember and practice 2 adages, you will be more successful at your job search. First, remember that you market with a rifle, not a shotgun. Second, your first thought when hearing about a job or a lead should be, “Who do I know or who do I know that might know?” Remember that people make the world go around.
Dick Cipoletti
RCC Associates
