Whether employed or not, each of us has only 24 hours a day. Time is a
limited resource. How we choose to spend it can be critical when job
searching.
This week I’ll share thoughts on some of the less-productive job-hunting activities out there. Bear in mind that any activity
is better than nothing, but in today’s world of technology, some things
just don’t seem to be as effective as in years past.
The rise of the Internet has affected how companies promote their
openings and how job hunters go about the application process. As a job
hunter, don’t ignore the newspaper, particularly its online version.
Companies have largely shifted their advertising dollars from solely the
Sunday print newspaper to a blend of print and electronic outlets. Old
habits of sifting through the paper and clipping the ads are hard to
break, but expand your newspaper search to its jobs appearing online.
Here’s another one I know most people older than 40 have probably
tried. Have you ever mailed an unsolicited generic cover letter and
résumé to a large group of companies? The game plan was to either follow
up with a phone call or simply wait for that phone to ring.
The likelihood of hearing from them is about zero. What’s also
troublesome is you often don’t send it to the right person. The human
resources department is the wrong place. And, assuming you send it to
the proper “title” in the organization, are you certain you’re sending
it to the person currently in that role?
Ultimately, networking is the ideal way to go. If you have target
companies, go online to their websites, search for openings, learn of
their employees on LinkedIn, etc.
Another likely time waster can be headhunters or staffing agencies.
The mistaken assumption — and I hear this from too many job seekers — is
that these recruiters are free, and they’ll work to find a job for me.
That’s partially true. Yes, recruiters don’t cost you money. But they
also don’t work for you. They may be nice people, but they aren’t
spending their recruiting day thinking of how they can help find a place
for you.
Here’s the dirty little secret with recruiters. You may be a good
worker, but unless a recruiter has a job order for someone with your
background, the recruiter isn’t going to make a penny “working for you.”
They are paid by, and work for, the hiring companies. You represent
inventory. And if you are not a “round peg, round hole” candidate, you
stand virtually no chance of a recruiter placing you.
“Round
peg, round hole.” I’ve used that term for years. In my time as a
headhunter, it didn’t take long for me to learn I can’t typically
collect a placement fee by trying to fit a “square peg” into a “round
hole.” What makes a “round hole?” Well, try things like being from the
right industry, currently employed, the job titles match, your location
and income are right, and also your age is right. Oh, and don’t forget,
the actual sort of job you perform is one for which recruiters typically
can earn a fee to begin with.
Assuming you’re a round peg, you need to connect to as many
recruiters in that industry as you can. Just be mindful that they’re not
compensated to actively market you. Some recruiters may choose to
market you, but you must sell them on why they should.
In general, when finding an online job posting where you feel
confident you’re a great fit, do all you can to establish some personal
contacts within the organization. Trusting they’ll pick you from the
masses is a leap of faith and, most often, simply leads to more
frustration. Is applying online a waste of time? No. But to onlyapply online without networking is a waste of time.
Consider some of these potential time and resource wasters as you go
through your search. A job search is a bit like your diet. Seek a
healthy balance. Strive to minimize those comfortable yet
counterproductive areas that’ll set you back. Good luck!
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