Throwing your resume over the wall

I was recently a part of a recruiting effort that resulted in many people contacting me about a position.  I received over 50 responses within three days for an unpaid opportunity. 

The differences among the responses were stark.  Here are some of the responses I received:

“Yes, I am interested.”  [no further text.  or attached resume.  seriously.]

“I’m probably not what you are looking for, but I’ve attached my resume anyway.”  [can’t wait to read it.] 

“I am very interested in this opportunity”  [and here is how I do not meet any of your most basic qualifications: …]

Do these people have any sense of their competition?  I received fantastically written e-mails, clearly and concisely laying out how they meet the stated qualifications, followed by a pitch on the additional value they bring to the table.

In a hot job market, a candidate may be able to get away without strategically marketing themselves, but today there is simply too much competition.  You can’t just throw your resume over the wall.  You must pitch yourself if you want consideration.

The New York Times posted a great article by Phyllis Korkki about how many candidates don’t hear back from companies, because there are so many “unqualified people clogging the system.”  The article recommends the following steps:

* Network through LinkedIn to get to the hiring manager

* Focusing on your personal network

* Expand your professional contacts

I gave similar advice just last week: first build your network infrastructure via LinkedIn, then strategically work your way through your list. 

And for goodness sake, include a compelling pitch.  If you communicate to a hiring manager that your resume isn’t worth reading, what do you think will happen?

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By the way, the only candidate so far who has been selected was not perfectly qualified.  She had, however, crafted a compelling pitch and was offered an alternative opportunity that was a great fit for her.

LinkedIn: don’t just join. Use it.

I know, you are probably on Facebook. (What do you mean, you aren’t on Facebook: the world’s biggest reunion party?)  And I know, Facebook seems more fun than LinkedIn.

But LinkedIn is an incredible app you should not only use, but maximize for professional networking success.

I first learned about LinkedIn back in 2003 at a networking seminar run by Dan Williams of The Networking Community.  I joined, but few other people I knew had joined.  So I was only able to link to a few people.  With a LinkedIn network of fewer than 20 people, I didn’t see the utility of the app, and stopped using it.

My mistake, and I’m now playing catch-up.  Over the past two months, I have grown my LinkedIn network from 44 contacts to over 100, simply by searching for former classmates (LinkedIn makes this very easy) and asking my Facebook friends to link to me.  Some of my contacts have over 500 LinkedIn contacts – they have done a better job than I have of using the program.  Again, I’m playing catch-up.

Why bother with this app?  First, it’s an easy way to keep track of people.  So many of our contacts switch jobs, move, change e-mail addresses… By linking to them, you automatically have access to their current information.  I wish this had existed when I was in the management training program at First Virginia Bank.  People were just starting to get personal e-mail accounts back then, and there was no automated way to keep track of people.  (We all had Rolodexes on our desks – remember those?)  There were 70 new trainees per year, and we all networked through Team FVB, the young managers association.  It could have been fertile ground for a career-long network.  But everyone went their separate ways, and for the most part, we lost track of each other.  This wouldn’t have happened had there been LinkedIn (provided, of course, that we used it).

LinkedIn functions as an online networking database.  You can mine it for information, surf it to find more of your contacts, and network for new opportunities. 

How much of the profile should I fill in? 

All of it.  Get out your updated resume (you have one, right?  one you maintain regularly in case an amazing opportunity comes up?).  Use it to fill in the Summary, Specialties, Experience and Education.  Don’t just list the names of the companies, go ahead and put in your bulleted accomplishments.  Other people are receiving job inquiries, business opportunities and more from people networking through LinkedIn.  Don’t let them have all the fun!

Should I include a photo? 

If you want to increase your contacts, you should.  When I am searching for former classmates or colleagues, it helps when I can see someone’s photo and confirm that I am contacting the right person.  Your photo should clearly show your face, and be as professional as possible.  This is not the place for an artful shot of your foot hanging out of a car window.

What is a L.I.O.N.?

The acronym stands for LinkedIn Open Networker.  This means the person is open to linking to anyone/everyone, even if there is no prior connection.  This really goes against the purpose of LinkedIn, which is to provide online links between people who actually know each other. 

Who should I invite to be a part of my network?

Anyone you actually know: colleagues, former colleagues, former classmates, anyone you know from activities, your friends and family.  Anyone you would consider to be a part of your network can and should be a part of your LinkedIn network.  LinkedIn makes it easy to add contacts by allowing you to upload your e-mail addresses or Outlook contact list and to search via classmate lists.

Tell me again why I should spend time on this.

1. The best time to network is before you actually need to network.  Get your contacts in place now and begin the process of reconnecting.  People are more receptive when you aren’t asking for a favor.  Then when the time comes and you need an answer, a contact, or a job, you will already have your infrastructure in place.

2. The job search landscape has changed in the past few years.  While recruiters are still networking face-to-face, they are also surfing and searching LinkedIn for prospects.  By making your profile complete and public, you essentially show them your resume.  If you are a fit, they can work to make a quick placement – which is a win for both of you. 

3. Check out About.com’s guide to job searching for LinkedIn success stories.

What else should I know?

Ask and give recommendations.  LinkedIn recommendations  provide a way to capture positive feedback for future job references.  This can be hard to reconstruct years later, so it is helpful to document it at the time. 

Here is my LinkedIn profile.  If you know me, please link to me once you’ve set up your profile. 

What has your experience been with LinkedIn?

Play the telephone game to test your networking prowess

Do you remember the telephone game from when you were a kid?  Everyone sat in a circle, and one kid made up something to say.  He whispered it in the ear of the kid next to him.  The message went all around the circle that way, and then the last kid would say what she heard.   It was almost always very different from the original message.

So how is it different when you network for your job search?  You mention to a former colleague that you are looking for a job.  Maybe you provide a few specifics.  What does this colleague remember weeks later, when they hear of an potential opening in your field?  Can they accurately relay to the decision maker why you would be a good fit?  Do they even remember enough about you to bring you up in conversation?

Take this networking test:

Talk to someone in your network – someone who is a good sport – and give your elevator pitch.  Have a nice chat.  Then ONE WEEK LATER, give that person a call.  Ask them to tell you what you are looking for.  What type of job, etc. 

What do they remember?  Is it accurate?  If not, you need to work out something shorter/more specific/more memorable.

Yesterday, I blogged about how many job seekers are networking in a passive way. 

The best way to use networking as a job search strategy is to provide your network with a clear, concise, memorable sound bite about yourself, and then ask for a couple of specific action steps.

So play the telephone game and test your pitch.  How did you do?

Oops! Are you a passive job searcher?

A brilliant blog post by Grace Kutney at Sweet Careers shows how typical approaches to a job search can be passive, rather than active. 

One example from her post:

 

E-mailing or mailing generic resumes to hundreds of employers
Why this is a passive approach: You’re waiting for an employer to read between the lines of your generic resume to figure out how you’re the perfect fit for their position.

 

In addition to her list, I add this one:

Notifying your network that you are looking for a job.  “So if you hear of anything, let me know.”

Anything?  anything at all?

Why this is a passive approach: You are expecting members of your network to ferret out your skill set and ideal job description, voluntarily relay your information to the right person, and come back to you with a job opening.

Better: Be specific with your network – what kind of a job are you looking for?  What functional area/industry?  Possible job titles?  What experience do you bring to the table?

Best: Ah, that’s for another post.

Stay with me this week – I’m back from vacation and on a roll!

Back from vacation and ready to work

I just returned from a wonderful week at a resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It was so good to get away, and I enjoyed seeing job search skills in action in alternative settings:

Industry: My littlest got busy – and stayed busy – moving the sand into the lake, and moving the water onto the beach.  The task was large, but she kept plugging!

Overcoming fears: My biggest pushed herself all week and  progressed from a fear of the water in her face to comfort in the deep water.

Unapologetic self-promotion: Vendors at the famer’s market clearly explained the value behind their grass-fed/organically grown/hand-made products.

Industry, overcoming fears, self-promotion: all critical in a successful job search.

There was, unfortunately, evidence of the recession all around.  My husband and I made last-minute reservations at the finest restaurant at the resort.  Not only did we get the time we requested (8 pm), but we only saw three other parties that night.  And lobster tail was no longer on the menu.

The spa could only accomodate requests made at least 24 hours in advance.  Not because they were busy – they didn’t have enough business to maintain a daily staff.

All in all, it was a great vacation for us – and much better than our last one (which occured two weeks after my husband was laid off, thanks to aformentioned recession – will blog about that later this week).  Here’s hoping that 2010’s resort trip will be even better – for everyone.

Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living – or at least, get the job

I created a bit of a stir on The Wall Street Journal Online, when I suggested that job seekers work their search like a job.  I had recommended that Monday-Thursday, a job seeker start the day at 9 a.m. and work on the job search until 5 p.m.  Then let it go for the night.  Take Friday off.  Take the whole weekend off.  Then get back in there on Monday morning.  (Btw, with an hour break for lunch, this totals 28 hours/week, not 40 as some mentioned).

Here are some of the comments:

Why do all of these people blather on about pretending looking for a job is like a 9 to 5 office job.  I’d be more willing to believe these stories and recommendations if any of them had the whiff of reality about them: like “it’s like a 9 to 5 job except you can start with a shot of booze, blow some reefer and blow and watch porn in another window (turn off the sound if any prospective employer calls).”

You absolutely can NOT sit at your desk for 8 hours a day and look for a job. It is not possible and is a sure ticket to insanity and depression … Any tips on how not to find the day gone with me still in my pjs, teeth unbrushed fruitlessly looking at stuff on the internet would be much appreciated!

I don’t agree with any notion that unemployment is a good time to enjoy life, smell the roses. Job hunt 9-5. Take time off on weekends. Job-hunting mode is sales mode (commission-only sales, to be exact): either land something or you and your family don’t eat. It’s a 24/7 endeavor that’s certainly not fun. But every hour in a day is a chance to send emails to prospects to fill your pipeline and go grab a suitable job. If you have the means to take it a little easier during the job hunt, then you’re lucky. I have a feeling, however, that for a lot of us there’s a greater sense of urgency.

I love how some people thought my recommendation was too harsh, and some thought it was too lazy.  And I do not recommend pot, porn, or gluing yourself to the computer as effective job searching techniques.

Here is my point: Your job search is a marathon, not a sprint.  You need to conserve your energy and refuel.  Hence my suggestion to take nights, weekends, and even Fridays off.  During that time, you should see friends and family, exercise, take a fun class, go on a field trip – whatever will recharge you.

But.  You cannot let each day slip away, while you occasionally post your resume to a job board.  Then at 9 p.m., you start feeling guilty that you should be working harder on your job search.  Then the next morning, you feel depressed and tired, and don’t want to get started until after Ellen comes on T.V.

Work your job search from 9 to 5.  Then feel good that you’ve worked hard and deserve a break – and take one.

What are your thoughts?  Let the debate continue…

If you are an MBA, have been laid off, and would like to blog for the Wall Street Journal…

Alina Dizik of the Wall Street Journal has asked me to send her some potential bloggers for the Laid Off and Looking blog. You would write two 500-600 word posts per month, chronicling your job search.

A number of their current bloggers have found work, so they need new folks. If you are interested, please e-mail me and I will provide you with the details.

Please contact me by Wednesday, July 1, as Alina is looking to fill the slots asap.

sara@sarakcollins.com

Inside the hiring room: Market Research Executive, part 2

So how did the interviews go with the Market Research Executive?  You may recall that he was hiring managers and senior managers for market research projects.

He preferred to have a single day of interviewing, rather than multiple rounds, so if the interview with him went well, he would introduce the candidate to additional managers, and the process might take several hours.  If it didn’t go well, it was over in 30 minutes.

He never did find the “perfect” candidate.  There were people who met all the basic qualifications, but no one ever had all of the “nice-to-haves”.  He told me he never had an obvious choice – his hiring decisions always came down to trade-offs.

In addition to skills and experience, he looked for someone who seemed interested, cared about the industry, and showed some passion.  Someone who made good eye contact and was polished, yet genuine.  A candidate who was smart and demonstrated the ability to learn could compensate for a missing bit of industry experience.

Like many hiring managers, he looked for a connection – the cultural fit was important to him, and a good personality was a bonus.  What I found interesting was this: a candidate who was looking for a job because of a not-great current work situation might sway him towards a “hire” decision.  He told me he had been in negative work environments before, and he would feel empathy for someone in this situation.

Obviously, not every hiring manager fits the mold.  I would never recommend that a candidate share that he is unhappy with his current situation.  And even our Executive stressed that he looked for an overall positive attitude.  But he also valued honesty.

Suspected dishonesty was an automatic “no”.  He was surprised during an interview with a very qualified candidate (on paper) when she couldn’t answer his questions.  She “seemed clueless”.  He didn’t know if she was unprepared or if she had “padded” her resume, but he expected detailed answers, and she didn’t even seem to understand basic market research terminology.

Because he has never come across the ideally qualified candidate, the soft skills/intangibles made a real difference in his hiring decisions: the ability to learn, confidence, good personality, good attitude. 

The take-away is PREPARE and go in with a good attitude.  This may be what gives you the edge.

Answering the “Failure Question” – follow up from CFA’s Career Day

When I spoke at the CFA Career Day this month, the participants asked many tough questions.  One was how to answer the interview question

Tell me about a time when you failed.

No one likes to talk about failures.  To admit failure is to be weak, right? 

Nope.  This question is a great opportunity for you to toot your horn.

First, choose a mistake you have made in your past.  Preferably not an enormous mistake and preferably one in your more distant past.

Second, describe your mistake and what you learned from it.

Third, give an example of how more recently, you handled a similar situation differently and share the results.

The point of this question is to determine the candidates ability to learn and grow professionally.  Show that you’ve learned and developed during your 5, 10, 20+ years of experience.  Be prepared for this question and you will have an edge on your competition.

Inside the Hiring Room: Market Research Executive, part 1

I had a great interview with a Market Research Executive this week.  He is an expert in both qualitative and quantitative research design, implementation, analysis, and consulting, and he has been interviewed by a number of major media outlets, including NBC Nightly News and Wall Street Journal (and moi!).  He has hired quite a few people over the course of his career, and he takes his role as hiring manager seriously.  The Unnamed Executive shared his insights into the hiring process with me, and I took so many notes, I’m splitting the interview report into two blog posts!

We focused on his experiences hiring a Senior Manager, which would be someone with 5+ years in both quantitative and qualitative research, at a leading association.

Advertising:  He stopped advertising the job opening through web sites like Monster and CareerBuilder, because he received a high volume of unqualified applicants that way.  He did find that industry-specific trade magazines and web sites yielded great results: for someone even to be aware of the sources, they would likely have some relevant experience.

The first round cut was made by the HR department.  Unfortunately, the HR contact did not always have a “perfect grasp” of what the position involved and who would be a good fit.  The standard was for HR to send the top resumes (20-30) to our Market Research Executive, he would make a further cut, and then send the resumes back to HR for a screening interview by phone.  On occasion, he would feel that HR did not do a good job with the first round, and he would ask for all the resumes, and he would go through them himself.  A few times, he did find a qualified applicant that HR had mistakenly rejected.  He did work with one very talented HR person whom he trusted with the process fully, but he found that the skill level varied quite a bit.

After the screening interview round, he would interview 3-5 people in person.

Networking:  This was a very effective way to move through the application process.  If someone was a first or second degree contact of someone he knew, he would personally review the resume before asking HR to give a screening interview.  He might even spend more time carefully reading the resume, and considering whether the applicant might be appropriate (remember, on average, an HR screener only spends 30 SECONDS reading your resume!).  Our Market Research Executive even told me that even if the person didn’t have the strongest credentials, he might move on to the next round, based on the endorsement of the network. 

This is not about a Good Old Boys Network.  The Executive told me that the endorsement carried weight with him because he took it to mean that the applicant may be very bright and have a personality that would be a good fit for the company.  If someone has a good working style and the ability to learn, it could compensate for a small hole in their experience.

Remember how HR had mistakenly passed over a few qualified applicants – and those were just the ones he caught?  Networking would have vaulted those applicants through to the hiring manager, where, since qualified, they would have moved on to the next round.

So how did those in-person interviews go?  How did he decide who got the job?  Did he hire the “obvious choice” (hint: NO)?  You’ll need to stay tuned (subscribe!) for part 2.