- Because of digital communications, those in the services sector are competing with others all over the world for jobs and/or business as independent contractors. For example, if you want an architect to design a building, you can talk to those in your area in person, or you can get on Skype or Go-To-Meeting (or one of several other online technologies available) and explain what you want to an architect anywhere in the world. That architect can design your building and send you the plans via the Internet as quickly as the person in the office down the street can do it. Geographic proximity is no longer an obstacle to dealing with anyone, anywhere.
- Ask most Americans about what was the most important document published in 1776, and they will likely tell you that it was the Declaration of Independence. True, that was a world changing publication, but there was another one, a book called The Wealth of Nations (by Adam Smith), that may have had an even bigger impact on the world since that time. Smith argued that when each nation does what it does best and buys what it does not do best from other nations that do those thing very well, everyone propers. We are beginning to see that philosophy play out in practice as the world is going through a re-balancing where many countries are finding that they are not competitive in some activities that they have traditionally done for themselves. Specifically, the United States is seeing that many jobs that involved repetitive, high labor intensive actions can be done just as well or better, and for much less money, by people in other countries. Most of the jobs that have left this country because someone somewhere else can do them at a much lower cost are not going to come back here. Those whose jobs have disappeared because of these conditions will have to re-train and re-tool in the tasks that we can still do here better than someone can do them somewhere else.
- Before the economic downturn that began in October of 2008, we were in a very strong seller's market. That means that there were a lot of good jobs and not enough good people to fill them. That has changed. The market now is a very strong buyer's market, and the way that job seekers need to market themselves has changed dramatically. Hiring organizations today are very selective simply because they can be with so many qualified candidates, and the type of resume that may have landed you an interview in a strong seller's market will not get it done in a strong buyer's market. Finding qualified, skilled, and experienced people is not the issue today for hiring managers and recruiters. Finding someone who will be a good fit into the organizational culture is a huge issue. That is why hiring managers and recruiters want to know something about your personality and character before they can decide if you are the type of person they want to work with for the long term.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Who Is Your Competition?
Jobseekers today face a much different set of challenges than they did even a few short years ago. Because of advances in technology, mostly in digital communications, the marketplace is not at all like it was at the turn of the century. There are several factors at play, but here are some that are having a direct impact on the competitive balance in the job market.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Details Matter
If you get a job interview and do well, you can pretty much count on the organization doing a background check on you before you are offered a job, or if they do offer a position, that they will make it contingent on you passing the background check. Organizations today are more selective than ever before because we are in a very strong buyer's market. That means that while the job market is improving, there are still more good people looking for great jobs than there are great jobs that need top people. Companies can afford to be choosy, and they are.
In my recruiting business I have seen several types of intentional deception on the part of job seekers and a few instances in which no deception was intended but the candidate was disqualified on the because the hiring company did not view a particular candidate's experience as she described it.
The most common attempts at deception are when candidates try to cover up gaps in employment by falsely claiming that they worked at a particular job right up to the time when they took another one. Many candidates try to hide gaps of months or even years by claiming that they were working when they actually were not employed. In almost all cases, this attempt to cover up the employment gaps is found out in the background check. When that happens, the job offer is rescinded. For most companies, if they find out that you made false representations on your resume or employment application, it is grounds for termination even if you have already started working and are doing an excellent job.
Another common attempt to deceive is to claim educational credentials that the candidate has not actually earned. I have been amazed at some of the excuses and justifications that candidates have used when they are caught (as they always are) in this deception. Some have claimed that they had more than enough hours to graduate but that some of the hours were in different fields when they changed majors and they just had not gotten around to taking that missing English course yet. Others have claimed that they learned the necessary material on their own through home study or online courses and that they feel the knowledge they gained is equivalent to that of someone who has actually earned the degree. Either way, the result is the same. The candidate is eliminated from consideration or terminated when the deception is uncovered...and the deception is always uncovered.
The most brazen attempt at deception I have encountered was from a young (27) candidate who told me up front that he had made a big mistake several years earlier and received a DUI. He followed that by saying he had definitely learned the error of his ways and that it would never happen again. I took him at his word and gave that explanation to my client. They offered him the job, contingent on passing the background check. When the results came back, we learned that he did indeed have a DUI...along with three others over a five year period. In many states that kind of record is a one-way ticket to a cell as a state jail felony. Needless to say, the offer of employment was rescinded.
One candidate had accepted the job offer and was due to start in three days when she got a call from the company stating that they were withdrawing the offer of employment because of a discrepancy on her employment application. She had claimed that she worked for a particular company when in fact she was a contractor rather than an employee. In this case, the young woman had applied for the job at the previous company, interviewed at the company, and was offered the job by the company. When they offered her the job, they told her that in her particular position (along with many others within the organization), they were at their limit on company employees so they were going to "payroll" her through a temp agency. It made no difference to her since she still had the company benefits and her compensation was deposited directly into her bank account. She never thought about it again. When she and several others were laid off a year and a half later, she listed this company as her previous employer on her resume. That is where she showed up every day and did her job...very well, according to her reviews. Nevertheless, she was shocked when the new company told her that they were withdrawing the offer of employment based on her "attempt to deceive." Deception was certainly not her intent, but it was her error and it cost her dearly. One might think that the skills and experience she gained and displayed in that job would be the important points, but companies today do not overlook anything.
My point? Make sure your information is accurate and truthful. It will come back to haunt you if it is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
In my recruiting business I have seen several types of intentional deception on the part of job seekers and a few instances in which no deception was intended but the candidate was disqualified on the because the hiring company did not view a particular candidate's experience as she described it.
The most common attempts at deception are when candidates try to cover up gaps in employment by falsely claiming that they worked at a particular job right up to the time when they took another one. Many candidates try to hide gaps of months or even years by claiming that they were working when they actually were not employed. In almost all cases, this attempt to cover up the employment gaps is found out in the background check. When that happens, the job offer is rescinded. For most companies, if they find out that you made false representations on your resume or employment application, it is grounds for termination even if you have already started working and are doing an excellent job.
Another common attempt to deceive is to claim educational credentials that the candidate has not actually earned. I have been amazed at some of the excuses and justifications that candidates have used when they are caught (as they always are) in this deception. Some have claimed that they had more than enough hours to graduate but that some of the hours were in different fields when they changed majors and they just had not gotten around to taking that missing English course yet. Others have claimed that they learned the necessary material on their own through home study or online courses and that they feel the knowledge they gained is equivalent to that of someone who has actually earned the degree. Either way, the result is the same. The candidate is eliminated from consideration or terminated when the deception is uncovered...and the deception is always uncovered.
The most brazen attempt at deception I have encountered was from a young (27) candidate who told me up front that he had made a big mistake several years earlier and received a DUI. He followed that by saying he had definitely learned the error of his ways and that it would never happen again. I took him at his word and gave that explanation to my client. They offered him the job, contingent on passing the background check. When the results came back, we learned that he did indeed have a DUI...along with three others over a five year period. In many states that kind of record is a one-way ticket to a cell as a state jail felony. Needless to say, the offer of employment was rescinded.
One candidate had accepted the job offer and was due to start in three days when she got a call from the company stating that they were withdrawing the offer of employment because of a discrepancy on her employment application. She had claimed that she worked for a particular company when in fact she was a contractor rather than an employee. In this case, the young woman had applied for the job at the previous company, interviewed at the company, and was offered the job by the company. When they offered her the job, they told her that in her particular position (along with many others within the organization), they were at their limit on company employees so they were going to "payroll" her through a temp agency. It made no difference to her since she still had the company benefits and her compensation was deposited directly into her bank account. She never thought about it again. When she and several others were laid off a year and a half later, she listed this company as her previous employer on her resume. That is where she showed up every day and did her job...very well, according to her reviews. Nevertheless, she was shocked when the new company told her that they were withdrawing the offer of employment based on her "attempt to deceive." Deception was certainly not her intent, but it was her error and it cost her dearly. One might think that the skills and experience she gained and displayed in that job would be the important points, but companies today do not overlook anything.
My point? Make sure your information is accurate and truthful. It will come back to haunt you if it is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Why Your Resume Is Not Getting Results
Perhaps you are employed but not happy in your current job, or maybe you have recently been laid off, “downsized”, terminated, or for any other reason have become unemployed. So, you decided to create your resume or freshen up your old one, send it to a few places, and wait on them to invite you in for an interview. You are aware that the job market is tight, but certainly someone of your skills and experience would be a valuable asset to the right organization, and you are sure that you could convince a prospective employer of that fact if you could just get the interview.
Has your phone started ringing yet?
If I have heard those sentiments once, I know that I have heard them a thousand times from well qualified, experienced, educated candidates. What these candidates do not realize is that the same resume that would have served you well in the pre-economic downturn (prior to October 2008) days will not do much for you in today’s job market.
What is behind this new, much more selective candidate evaluation process?
In the current economic climate, having skills, experience, and the right education is not enough. As an independent recruiter for corporations seeking people in various disciplines, I know that finding people who can do the job is the easy part. What is not so easy is finding people who can do the job and who will be a good culture fit with the people and systems already in place within the organization. It is not enough anymore to be good at what you do. There are a lot of people who have the skills and experience to do the job well. Hiring managers today certainly do want people who can excel at the job, but just as important to them is whether you are the type of person that others who are already there can work with and who can adapt to the organization’s way of doing things.
Why are hiring managers becoming so selective in the hiring process today? They are doing this because they can. It is that simple. There are a lot more great candidates seeking jobs than great jobs to be had right now, and that is not going to change anytime soon.
What managers typically see is a stack of resumes that all look pretty much look the same, with this standard format:
• Name and contact information
• Education
• Chronological work experience
• References
All of them look alike and none of them say anything about the person behind the facts listed on the page. In the marketing profession, we call this type of resume “feature heavy and benefit light.” The problem is that people (hiring managers, in this case) buy on benefits, not on features. They want to know what kind of person you are and what skills and talents you have that are transferable to them. If they have a choice between a “just the facts” resume and one that has all the facts plus a good, revealing description of the person behind the facts, they will choose the more revealing resume every time. Keep in mind that the hiring process is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor. They want to get it done as quickly as possible, but they want the right person. The more you can tell them about you in addition to the facts about your skills and where you went to school, the more likely you are to get the call to come in for an interview. If they feel that they know something about you, they see you as a less risky interview prospect than someone who gives them no information about their attributes and personality.
When I was in school many years ago, we used to get report cards every six weeks that displayed how we were doing in the academic subjects such as reading, writing, science, history, and arithmetic on the left side of the page. On the right side of the page we were evaluated on “social skills.” One of those social skills was “works and plays well with others.” That skill is just as important in today’s workplace as it was in school.
If you can show prospective employers on your resume that you not only have the skills and experience they need, but also will fit well within their culture, you are much more likely to get that interview that can lead to the job you want.
Has your phone started ringing yet?
If I have heard those sentiments once, I know that I have heard them a thousand times from well qualified, experienced, educated candidates. What these candidates do not realize is that the same resume that would have served you well in the pre-economic downturn (prior to October 2008) days will not do much for you in today’s job market.
What is behind this new, much more selective candidate evaluation process?
In the current economic climate, having skills, experience, and the right education is not enough. As an independent recruiter for corporations seeking people in various disciplines, I know that finding people who can do the job is the easy part. What is not so easy is finding people who can do the job and who will be a good culture fit with the people and systems already in place within the organization. It is not enough anymore to be good at what you do. There are a lot of people who have the skills and experience to do the job well. Hiring managers today certainly do want people who can excel at the job, but just as important to them is whether you are the type of person that others who are already there can work with and who can adapt to the organization’s way of doing things.
Why are hiring managers becoming so selective in the hiring process today? They are doing this because they can. It is that simple. There are a lot more great candidates seeking jobs than great jobs to be had right now, and that is not going to change anytime soon.
What managers typically see is a stack of resumes that all look pretty much look the same, with this standard format:
• Name and contact information
• Education
• Chronological work experience
• References
All of them look alike and none of them say anything about the person behind the facts listed on the page. In the marketing profession, we call this type of resume “feature heavy and benefit light.” The problem is that people (hiring managers, in this case) buy on benefits, not on features. They want to know what kind of person you are and what skills and talents you have that are transferable to them. If they have a choice between a “just the facts” resume and one that has all the facts plus a good, revealing description of the person behind the facts, they will choose the more revealing resume every time. Keep in mind that the hiring process is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor. They want to get it done as quickly as possible, but they want the right person. The more you can tell them about you in addition to the facts about your skills and where you went to school, the more likely you are to get the call to come in for an interview. If they feel that they know something about you, they see you as a less risky interview prospect than someone who gives them no information about their attributes and personality.
When I was in school many years ago, we used to get report cards every six weeks that displayed how we were doing in the academic subjects such as reading, writing, science, history, and arithmetic on the left side of the page. On the right side of the page we were evaluated on “social skills.” One of those social skills was “works and plays well with others.” That skill is just as important in today’s workplace as it was in school.
If you can show prospective employers on your resume that you not only have the skills and experience they need, but also will fit well within their culture, you are much more likely to get that interview that can lead to the job you want.
What Hiring Managers Really Want from Jobseekers
It is no surprise to anyone who is seeking a job these days that we are in a very strong buyer’s market. That simply means that there are a lot more good, qualified people looking for jobs than the number of jobs that are a good match for their skills and experience. It has been that way since the economic downturn started in October of 2008.
Most of those who found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly out of work as the downturn in the economy began to gather steam started looking for their next job with the same tools and strategies that helped them get the job they just lost, and there is a good chance that they are still looking. The reason is that the tools and strategies for getting a job when times were good simply do not work in this new and very different economy.
Before the downturn, when we were in a strong seller’s market, jobseekers could get interviews with a resume that had the bare facts about them…contact information, job history, education, and a few references. That recipe will not get it done anymore. It is easy today to find bright, educated people. Even for jobs that require new skills and training, employers can find people who have the intelligence and basic skills to learn how to do the job.
What is not so easy to find are those candidates who will be a good culture fit within the organization, and if a candidate’s resume does not indicate that he or she will be a good fit with those who already work there, that candidate’s resume is generally given very little, if any, consideration. Organizations can be very selective in today’s market because there are so many candidates who have skills, education, and experience. Because of that large pool of people who could do the job, hiring managers want to get the candidates who have all those qualities along with the ability to blend well with those who are already there.
Before the days of electron ic grade reports, schools gave out paper report cards. On the left side of the page were the evaluations of academic performance in subjects like math, science, history, and spelling. On the right side of the page were the teacher’s opinions of each student’s social skills that included listening, following rules, and one that was described as “works and plays well with others.”
In the workplace today, those “soft” skills of listening, following rules, and working and playing well with others are every bit as important as they were in the early school years. Those skills are so important that most of the better MBA programs offered by universities today include group projects that replicate how employees have to work together to accomplish most of the important tasks within organizations. These schools realize that most groups will include members of very different skill sets and attributes. Some individuals will have a “take charge” mentality, some may be better at organization, and others may excel at creativity or dogged determination. And some will be freeloaders who hope to ride the success of the group to their own benefit.
The wise jobseeker today will put include information in his or her resume that lets the employer know what skills and attributes they can bring to the organization that will be beneficial to that organization. They will also make it very clear that they have those qualities that will help them work and play well with those who are already there.
While skills, talents, and experience are important and valuable, they are not uncommon or hard to find. What is hard to find are those qualities that will make someone the type of person that others want to be around and work with each day. Your chances of getting that interview and the job you want will be greatly improved if you can show the employer why you are someone that they would enjoy working with on a daily basis.
Most of those who found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly out of work as the downturn in the economy began to gather steam started looking for their next job with the same tools and strategies that helped them get the job they just lost, and there is a good chance that they are still looking. The reason is that the tools and strategies for getting a job when times were good simply do not work in this new and very different economy.
Before the downturn, when we were in a strong seller’s market, jobseekers could get interviews with a resume that had the bare facts about them…contact information, job history, education, and a few references. That recipe will not get it done anymore. It is easy today to find bright, educated people. Even for jobs that require new skills and training, employers can find people who have the intelligence and basic skills to learn how to do the job.
What is not so easy to find are those candidates who will be a good culture fit within the organization, and if a candidate’s resume does not indicate that he or she will be a good fit with those who already work there, that candidate’s resume is generally given very little, if any, consideration. Organizations can be very selective in today’s market because there are so many candidates who have skills, education, and experience. Because of that large pool of people who could do the job, hiring managers want to get the candidates who have all those qualities along with the ability to blend well with those who are already there.
Before the days of electron ic grade reports, schools gave out paper report cards. On the left side of the page were the evaluations of academic performance in subjects like math, science, history, and spelling. On the right side of the page were the teacher’s opinions of each student’s social skills that included listening, following rules, and one that was described as “works and plays well with others.”
In the workplace today, those “soft” skills of listening, following rules, and working and playing well with others are every bit as important as they were in the early school years. Those skills are so important that most of the better MBA programs offered by universities today include group projects that replicate how employees have to work together to accomplish most of the important tasks within organizations. These schools realize that most groups will include members of very different skill sets and attributes. Some individuals will have a “take charge” mentality, some may be better at organization, and others may excel at creativity or dogged determination. And some will be freeloaders who hope to ride the success of the group to their own benefit.
The wise jobseeker today will put include information in his or her resume that lets the employer know what skills and attributes they can bring to the organization that will be beneficial to that organization. They will also make it very clear that they have those qualities that will help them work and play well with those who are already there.
While skills, talents, and experience are important and valuable, they are not uncommon or hard to find. What is hard to find are those qualities that will make someone the type of person that others want to be around and work with each day. Your chances of getting that interview and the job you want will be greatly improved if you can show the employer why you are someone that they would enjoy working with on a daily basis.
Five Keys to Acing the Job Interview
In my early years as a recruiter I had more than a few candidates who were very well-qualified for the jobs I sent them to interview for with various companies, yet did not make the first cut in the interview process. In talking to those candidates and the managers who interviewed them, I found five consistent areas where these candidates violated one or more of them and doomed their chances of moving forward in the interview process. Since that time I have learned to coach and reinforce to the candidates I submit for interviews the importance making sure that they perform well in these key areas.
1. Show up on time and know the name of the person you are there to visit. This seems like a no-brainer, but when people are traveling to an unfamiliar area and they do not know the traffic or the best route, they often underestimate how long it will take to get to their destination. When they get there, they are often so exasperated from the trip and focused on what they have learned about the job and the company that they forget the name of the person they are there to see. I tell them to allow twice as much time as they think it will take, and to write down the name of the person they are there to see. That way they are more relaxed and ready to produce their best effort in the interview.
2. Dress like you want the job. The workplace is decidedly more casual than it was a decade ago, but there are still organizations that adhere to a more formal dress code. You may see that everyone there is dressed casually, and you can dress casually as well…after you are hired. However, while you are still in the interview process, dress to impress. You can never go wrong by being dressed professionally.
3. Listen well and let the interview finish talking before you start talking. This is the number one complaint I have heard from hiring manager over the years I have in the recruiting business. It is natural to be excited and eager to share your thoughts with the interviewer, but if you start talking before the interviewer finishes his or her thoughts or questions, two thing are likely to happen. First, you might not fully understand what they are trying to say and there is a good chance you could reply to something that was not what they were saying. Second, you will irritate the interviewer and establish yourself as someone who does not listen well, and probably doom your chances of getting the job.
4. Have a list of questions written down in a notebook that you carry into the interview. The questions should focus on these topics.
A. The job: Why is it open? What are the unique challenges to the position?
B. The company: What is its competitive advantage? What is the company culture?
C. The industry: What is the interviewer’s opinion of the company’s place in the industry? What unique challenges does the industry face?
5. Close the sale! Whether you are interviewing for a sales job or not, you are selling yourself. Companies and hiring managers want to hire people who want the job and who want to join the organization. If you wait for them to ask you to take the job, you are at a decided disadvantage. You must let them know that you want it and that you think you are the best candidate for it. I typically tell my candidates to use a close such as this one. “I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you about this opportunity. Based on what I have learned about the job and the company before our time together today and what I have learned in our conversation, I think I am an excellent match for what you are seeking in the person to fill this position. I am very interested in this job and would very much like to move forward in the process. What can I do to make that happen?” Then stop talking and let them reply. By stating that you think you are a good fit for the job and that you want it, you have answered two of their three most pressing concerns. Those concerns are whether you can do the job, whether you want the job, and whether they want to work with you in the organization. If you did a good job in the interview prior to the end, you probably answered that third concern as well.
If you keep these five key elements of a successful job interview in mind, your chances of receiving an offer go up considerably.
1. Show up on time and know the name of the person you are there to visit. This seems like a no-brainer, but when people are traveling to an unfamiliar area and they do not know the traffic or the best route, they often underestimate how long it will take to get to their destination. When they get there, they are often so exasperated from the trip and focused on what they have learned about the job and the company that they forget the name of the person they are there to see. I tell them to allow twice as much time as they think it will take, and to write down the name of the person they are there to see. That way they are more relaxed and ready to produce their best effort in the interview.
2. Dress like you want the job. The workplace is decidedly more casual than it was a decade ago, but there are still organizations that adhere to a more formal dress code. You may see that everyone there is dressed casually, and you can dress casually as well…after you are hired. However, while you are still in the interview process, dress to impress. You can never go wrong by being dressed professionally.
3. Listen well and let the interview finish talking before you start talking. This is the number one complaint I have heard from hiring manager over the years I have in the recruiting business. It is natural to be excited and eager to share your thoughts with the interviewer, but if you start talking before the interviewer finishes his or her thoughts or questions, two thing are likely to happen. First, you might not fully understand what they are trying to say and there is a good chance you could reply to something that was not what they were saying. Second, you will irritate the interviewer and establish yourself as someone who does not listen well, and probably doom your chances of getting the job.
4. Have a list of questions written down in a notebook that you carry into the interview. The questions should focus on these topics.
A. The job: Why is it open? What are the unique challenges to the position?
B. The company: What is its competitive advantage? What is the company culture?
C. The industry: What is the interviewer’s opinion of the company’s place in the industry? What unique challenges does the industry face?
5. Close the sale! Whether you are interviewing for a sales job or not, you are selling yourself. Companies and hiring managers want to hire people who want the job and who want to join the organization. If you wait for them to ask you to take the job, you are at a decided disadvantage. You must let them know that you want it and that you think you are the best candidate for it. I typically tell my candidates to use a close such as this one. “I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you about this opportunity. Based on what I have learned about the job and the company before our time together today and what I have learned in our conversation, I think I am an excellent match for what you are seeking in the person to fill this position. I am very interested in this job and would very much like to move forward in the process. What can I do to make that happen?” Then stop talking and let them reply. By stating that you think you are a good fit for the job and that you want it, you have answered two of their three most pressing concerns. Those concerns are whether you can do the job, whether you want the job, and whether they want to work with you in the organization. If you did a good job in the interview prior to the end, you probably answered that third concern as well.
If you keep these five key elements of a successful job interview in mind, your chances of receiving an offer go up considerably.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Getting noticed in the job search
We are in a strong buyer's market right now with regard to job searches. What that means to those who are looking for a new job is that the type of resume that may have helped you get an interview prior to the economic downturn of 2008 is no longer effective. The reason? It's simple...before the downturn there were more great jobs than great candidates,so most employers were willing to take a chance on a candidate and at least set up an interview if the resume even hinted at competence and requisite skills.
Those days are now officially over.
In today's job hunting market, you have to tell them a lot more about you than a chronological history of your employment and where you went to school. Employers want to know what kinds of personal attributes you have and how you will fit into their organizational culture. Finding qualified candidates today is the easy part. What is not so easy is finding qualified candidates who will fit in with the people and systems already in place within the organization. That is why on the first page of your resume, it is imperitive that you give the reader a good idea of the qualities that define who you are.
Those qualties should have to very important characteristics:
1. They should be an accurate description of you.
2. They should be the types of qualities that are important for success in the job you are seeking.
If you can do that, you will increase your chances of being invited to an interview by several fold. Contact me if you need help in making these changes to your resume.
Those days are now officially over.
In today's job hunting market, you have to tell them a lot more about you than a chronological history of your employment and where you went to school. Employers want to know what kinds of personal attributes you have and how you will fit into their organizational culture. Finding qualified candidates today is the easy part. What is not so easy is finding qualified candidates who will fit in with the people and systems already in place within the organization. That is why on the first page of your resume, it is imperitive that you give the reader a good idea of the qualities that define who you are.
Those qualties should have to very important characteristics:
1. They should be an accurate description of you.
2. They should be the types of qualities that are important for success in the job you are seeking.
If you can do that, you will increase your chances of being invited to an interview by several fold. Contact me if you need help in making these changes to your resume.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Rules Have Changed
It used to be that companies who wanted to find good candidates for open positions would put out an ad either in the newspaper or, later as technology developed, on one of the job boards such as Monster or CareerBuilder. All of that is yesterday's news now.
Things are very different today in the job market. How companies and recruiters go about finding talent now is radically different than just a few years ago.
If you want to be seen and noticed today, the best way is to be passive about it. Yes, you read it correctly. The old way of marketing yourself was to put out your "billboard"...we called it a resume. In your resume you would very carefully arrange your information such as your contact numbers, email addresses, education, and work experience. It was sort of like putting out a billboard on the highway that says, "Hey, look at me!" and hoping for the best. Candidates would either post their resumes on the job boards or send them (snail mail or email) to prospective employers.
Today, we are in a very strong buyer's market, meaning that there are a lot more good people looking for jobs than there are good jobs for all of them. Finding qualified candidates is easy...but hiring organizations are looking for a lot more than just qualifications...and they are not looking for them on the job boards. If you want to be seen and noticed today, you should be focusing on making yourself noticable through the social and business networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
Why? Because, as I said, companies are looking for more than just qualifications. They want people who are not only qualified, but also who are a good culture fit for their organizations. They want to see what kind of person you are more than they want to see where you went to school, what skills you have, and where you have worked. It's not that those things are not important anymore...they are...but they are not enough to get you an interview! When companies see your profile on LinkedIn and Facebook, they want to see what you do for fun, how you write, and anything else that will tell them whether you would be a good addition to their team. In other words, they want to know whether they will like you before they will consider whether you can do the job.
So how do you make yourself attractive? It's called "Profile Management," which is describing yourself on these sites in such a way that (1) they find you as they search through your key words, phrases, and descriptions, and (2) you come across as the kind of person they would like to associate with in their organizations. It means cleaning up what is on your sites, making yourself visible, appearing professional (but not "stuffy")and putting in key words into your profile that will make you appear when they do searches on these sites. Hiring organizations today want to find you, rather than you finding them. They want people who are not looking (at least openly) for a job, who come across as someone who might listen to a great opportunity, but who isn't actively seeking one. As crazy as it sounds, the harder you try to openly and agressively market yourself in today's job market, the less success you are likely to have. To your benefit, when they find you rather than you finding them, it increases your leverage if talks get serious.
The resume is not dead, but it cannot be the only tool you use if you want to maximize your exposure to the job market. Many organizations still want to see a resume, but only after they have found you on one of the networking sites.
We can help you design your profile so that you will be noticed, as well as create a winning resume for you. It's the new way of marketing yourself in today's job market.
Contact us at (512) 732-2766 or via email (ken@austincareerservices.com) or via our website (www.austincareerservices.com).
Things are very different today in the job market. How companies and recruiters go about finding talent now is radically different than just a few years ago.
If you want to be seen and noticed today, the best way is to be passive about it. Yes, you read it correctly. The old way of marketing yourself was to put out your "billboard"...we called it a resume. In your resume you would very carefully arrange your information such as your contact numbers, email addresses, education, and work experience. It was sort of like putting out a billboard on the highway that says, "Hey, look at me!" and hoping for the best. Candidates would either post their resumes on the job boards or send them (snail mail or email) to prospective employers.
Today, we are in a very strong buyer's market, meaning that there are a lot more good people looking for jobs than there are good jobs for all of them. Finding qualified candidates is easy...but hiring organizations are looking for a lot more than just qualifications...and they are not looking for them on the job boards. If you want to be seen and noticed today, you should be focusing on making yourself noticable through the social and business networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
Why? Because, as I said, companies are looking for more than just qualifications. They want people who are not only qualified, but also who are a good culture fit for their organizations. They want to see what kind of person you are more than they want to see where you went to school, what skills you have, and where you have worked. It's not that those things are not important anymore...they are...but they are not enough to get you an interview! When companies see your profile on LinkedIn and Facebook, they want to see what you do for fun, how you write, and anything else that will tell them whether you would be a good addition to their team. In other words, they want to know whether they will like you before they will consider whether you can do the job.
So how do you make yourself attractive? It's called "Profile Management," which is describing yourself on these sites in such a way that (1) they find you as they search through your key words, phrases, and descriptions, and (2) you come across as the kind of person they would like to associate with in their organizations. It means cleaning up what is on your sites, making yourself visible, appearing professional (but not "stuffy")and putting in key words into your profile that will make you appear when they do searches on these sites. Hiring organizations today want to find you, rather than you finding them. They want people who are not looking (at least openly) for a job, who come across as someone who might listen to a great opportunity, but who isn't actively seeking one. As crazy as it sounds, the harder you try to openly and agressively market yourself in today's job market, the less success you are likely to have. To your benefit, when they find you rather than you finding them, it increases your leverage if talks get serious.
The resume is not dead, but it cannot be the only tool you use if you want to maximize your exposure to the job market. Many organizations still want to see a resume, but only after they have found you on one of the networking sites.
We can help you design your profile so that you will be noticed, as well as create a winning resume for you. It's the new way of marketing yourself in today's job market.
Contact us at (512) 732-2766 or via email (ken@austincareerservices.com) or via our website (www.austincareerservices.com).
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