Job Hunt Blog

Competitive Advantage - Paying Attention to the Employer

Recruiters are buried under avalanches of resumes sent by unqualified people. It makes them think all job seekers are lazy and incompetent. You can catch the recruiter's/employer's attention by proving otherwise - by showing that you were interested enough to visit the company Website and notice what was there.

Visiting the company Website before applying allows you to collect information about the employer that makes it easy to customize the resume and cover letter for that employer - drop in a few product or service names, mention the company mission in the resume objective, etc.

Those employer-specific terms will jump out of your cover letter and/or resume for the recruiter/employer. You will immediately stand out in the crowd of job seekers. This is a true competitive advantage!

And, BTW, many recruiters have told me that job seekers show how interested they are in a job by following up with a phone call. Otherwise, the recruiter assumes that the job seeker isn't (1) very interested and/or (2) very self-motivated - a.k.a. "lazy.". So, follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!

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Does Using Monster (CareerBuilder, etc.) Work?

Question:

Does using Monster, CareerBuilder, etc., actually work any more?

Answer:

Kind of...sort of... You can't ignore them, but unless you know how to make use of them, you may be wasting your time.

One of the things I've loved to do for years is ask people how they got their job.  Try it.  It's VERY interesting (and a great way to get to know someone)!

Most of the time, the answer is a variation on "My [fill in the blank - friend, sister, college roommate, former boss, guy I used to work with] already worked there and took my resume to the hiring manager..."

Success!

Until this past week... At a MediaBistro gathering, I met not one, but THREE women who found their jobs online.  Two women writers each landed their "dream job" as an editor for a specialized publication by finding and applying for the job through Monster.  And, the third person landed a Web developer job by responding to a posting on the Boston Craig's List.

Since, in 5 years of asking, this is the first time I've gotten those answers, my assumption is that it has something to do with the fact that the jobs were media-related jobs, because:

• These three women were very Internet savvy.  They understood the process and how to leverage the technology.

• People who work "in media" are more aware of the techniques for standing out from the crowd.  It's called "marketing" when applied to a product or service for sale.

• Two of the three are writers, and, perhaps, as writers, they are much more accustomed to writing FOR an audience, like a potential employer, and in presenting their qualifications and demonstrating their writing skills.

So, how do you emulate their success?

First, focus on the jobs you really, REALLY want.  Use the same amount of time you are using now, but reduce the number of applications you make so that you can make fewer applications - more effectively.

Secondly, differentiate yourself from the people who apparently apply for any job they see, without paying any attention to what they are doing.  Slap-dash, half-a**ed applications make recruiters and employers really question the job seekers' levels of interest and/or intelligence - neither of which will help you land the job.

Bottom Line

Hundreds of people apply for every job posted.  That's a deluge, and it is overwhelming and mind-numbing to be on the receiving end of that deluge.  Remember that when you apply for any job online - lots of competition, but really not "tough" competition most of the time.  If you are careful, you can stand out, just using your common sense.

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Political Party-ing = Job Networking

In the U.S., "the race" is on from Labor Day to Election Day as the political parties swing into high gear for the up-coming election. If you are unemployed and having a hard time getting yourself motivated to hunt for a job or if you are employed but interested in expanding your personal network, it may be time to work on the political campaign for the candidate or issue of your choice.

Most of us aren't really comfortable joining a group of strangers specifically "to network."  However, the election gives you a reason to meet those strangers so it should be easier than just going to a meeting and trying to be social.  You may even see a familiar face.

This time, you'll be joining a group with "a mission," and that misison will be the focus of conversation.  At the same time, there will be opportunities for one-on-one discussions as well.  So, it's the best of both worlds!  Networking and helping a cause/person you believe in!

The benefits, whether your side wins or loses:

• You'll be helping society (hopefully).

• You'll be meeting new people, most of whom will share several of your political beliefs.

• You may learn some new skills and gain some experience you need for your resume.

• You MIGHT get paid for your efforts if you have a skill the campaign needs and if they can afford to pay you.

• You'll have more contacts inside of government (not a bad place to work, actually) and in other local businesses (who knows where other volunteers may work) when the election is over.

• You may be able to pick up a well-known (at least locally) reference when the election is over.  Get the reference in writing if possible.

Call up a candidate or organization you support, or visit the appropriate Website, and get involved.  Hopefully, you'll have meetings to attend, fliers to hand out, people to contact for your candidate or issue, and fun.  Go for it!

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"FREE Resume Posting!"

Wow!  They'll let you post your resume on their Website for FREE!  What a deal?

Don't be impressed!  In the vast majority of cases, YOU are doing THEM a BIG favor by posting your resume on their Website.

It helps to understand the job site "business model" - a.k.a. how they make their money.  Almost all of them charge employers a fee for posting jobs, logically, and most of them also charge employers a fee to see resumes.  The next time you visit a job site, take a look at how they make the money to pay their bills.

This is the pricing today (and link to the current pricing page) for the 2 biggest sites -

• Monster.com charges the following rates, according to their Website right now:
  - Within a 100 Mile Radius -
  2 weeks - 400 "views" - $575
  1 month - 3,000 "views" - $1,000
  3 month - 15,000 "views" - $2,700
  6 month - 30,000 "views" - $4,200
  - National -
  2 weeks - 500 "views" - $900
  1 month - 3,000 "views" - $1,700
  3 month - 15,000 "views" - $4,200
  6 month - 30,000 "views" - $6,900
  "Views" are described as the number of resumes allowed to access within the chosen timeframe.

• CareerBuilder.com brags about 19 million resumes available, and they charge the following rates for access to resumes -
  2 weeks of "National Access" - $900
  1 month of "National Access" - $1,650
  2 months of "National Access" - $3,300
  3 months of "National Access" - $3,960

Smaller sites usually charge less, but you can see that your resume definitely has value to a job site.  And, they are entitled to make money - otherwise they wouldn't stay in business.  Just don't believe that any site is doing you a big favor by allowing you to post your resume "for free!"

And, DEFINITELY, be careful where you post your resume!  The sites referenced above are legitimate job sites, but even they cannot guarantee you that only legitimate employers will see your resume.  And there are thousands of smaller job sites - some of which appear to be completely bogus.

So, to protect yourself and your identity. Read Job-Hunt.org's Protecting Your Privacy, Choosing a Job Site, and Cyber-Safe Resume articles to understand how to spot a bogus job site or risky situation and how to protect yourself.

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Using Craigslist (a.k.a. Craig's List) to Find a Job

Craigslist.org is an enormous - and growing - online classifieds ad network.  At this point, it is hundreds of sites by city and/or state in the U.S., for several cities in Canada, and by country or city outside the U.S. and Canada.  There are apartments for rent, things for sale, and - happily - jobs and "gigs."

Note: Most of the listings are free, so there is some abuse by inept people and low life types.  Just ignore the irrelevant, too-good-to-be-true, and clueless listings.

Finding the "Right" Craigslist

To find the Craig's List for your state or town, or where you want to live, go to Craig's List - http://www.craigslist.org and pick the appropriate location. The locations are listed in the columns on the right side of every Craig's List home page.  Just click on the appropriate location link from those listed.  The new home page will look like the one you just left except there should be a different name in the heading at the top of the page.  If you pick a state with several local Craig's Lists, you will get a page that offers you a choice of towns and cities in that state.

Understanding Craigslist

The listings are organized by category, in reverse chronological order which means that the newest ones are at the top, with yesterday's next, and so on to the oldest at the end.  So you can pick a category and/or a sub-category to see the listings.  Again, listings may be mis-categorized, so focus on a sub-category can be a mistake if something you want is listed in a sub-category you don't expect (more below).

Finding the Jobs (and Gigs) in the "jobs" column

Near the top center of the home page, you'll find this column heading - jobs - the number in parenthesis following the word indicates how many listings there are. 

I'd recommend just browsing through the job postings by clicking on the word "jobs" and scrolling down to see what was posted today (so far), yesterday, the day before yesterday, etc. as far back as you want to go. I like to browse through everything in Jobs so that I don't miss something that is in an unexpected category.

Below the Jobs on the home page are the "gigs" - the number in parenthesis, again, is a count of the number of listings available.  "Gigs" are mostly short-term jobs, also organized into sub-categories and reverse chronological order.  Browsing through the gigs is usually very interesting in most locations.  Sometimes you can end up with a permanent job starting out with a "gig;" sometimes you'll just make enough money to cover your bills until you get a "real job;" and sometimes you're just adding experience to your resume (and maybe a skill or two, too).

Searching in Craigslist

You can also search through the postings using the usual key words when you are on the "jobs" and "gigs" category main pages. If you type your query into the search bar on the Craig's List home page, it will search through everything, not just the jobs, and so it probably won't be very useful.

Subscribing to Craigslist Updates

They also provide an e-mail service when new postings appear. Click on "subscriptions" near the bottom of the left most column of the home page, and sign up.

Caution!

Craig's List offers you the option of posting your resume in the "resumes" section below the "gigs" in the "jobs" column.  Don't do it, unless you protect your identity!  See Job-Hunt.org's CyberSafe Resume section before you make your resume public!

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Thank You Notes

Question:

Tips for writing a thank you note after an interview: Contents? Length? Format?

Answer:

The appropriate format for a thank you note depends on the age, technological expertise of the recipient, and the corporate culture. If it's a technology company, they might wonder about your technical skills if you sent a hand-written note.  On the other hand, members of a law firm might think you too informal if you use e-mail. Take your cues from their recruiting methods and the ways they have communicated with you, or just ask the HR person. The hand-written note is typically considered the most proper (and old-fashioned).

Important DO's:

• Send the note within 24 hours of the interview, even if you were interviewed on a Friday.
• Keep the note (not “letter”!) to no more than 4 paragraphs, or one typewritten page.
• Send a thank you to EACH PERSON who interviewed you, regardless of their rank, including the HR person who MAY be your best friend through this process. 
• If you send a thank you to more than one person, make each note different - they will probably be compared at some point.

The thank you contents should include:

• Opening - "I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me on (date)." Use your own words - but the same idea.
• "I enjoyed the opportunity to meet you (and who ever else) and to learn more about (company name)...
• If there's something you wish you had said about your experience, a point you wish you had made, a connection you made with the interviewer, or something that you think might need emphasizing, put that in a short paragraph with an informative/marketing spin.
• Close by reiterating your interest in working for the employer, and say that you'll be back in touch with the person and/or the recruiter - or whatever protocol has been established - by (specify a date a couple of weeks after they should recieve your thank you unless they told you when they'd be making a decision during the interview).

Simply by sending a thank you note, you will be differentiating yourself from the vast majority of applicants.  Great marketing!

Thank you for *NOT* hiring me?

Yes!  If you get turned down for the job, send them ANOTHER thank you.

Thank them - again - for their time and the opportunity to learn more about the company. Send it to the hiring manager, the HR person, and whomever else seems appropriate. Close with something like, “Please keep me in mind for future openings.” Why? In case the “successful candidate” doesn’t work out – you’ll be waiting in the wings! And, even if they do work out, you may be top of mind for the next opening, which can happen often in a growing company.

See Job-Hunt's “Turning Rejection into Opportunity” article for more tips on the thank-you-for-not-hiring-me note - link in the Source below. Good luck!

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Standing Out from the Competition

Don't Stop with Online Resume Submission!

With so much competition for jobs, it's risky to just do the online submission, and then sit back to wait for a response from the employer.  Find a way to get in touch (person-to-person) with the recruiter or - better still - the hiring manager.

Working in Harvard University's Personnel Office taught me the value of this approach.  The people who landed the jobs were the people who relentlessly, but politely and considerately, followed up with both personnel and the hiring manager.

A successful job seeker shared her strategy, step-by-step, and it's a wonderful lesson in how to land that job you really want.  From Job-Hunt's newsletter - Tips from a Successful Job Hunter

If you get a firm (or a nasty) "Buzz off!" message - pay attention.  Most of the time, however, you'll be able to follow up without making anyone angry as long as you aren't too pushy.  Yes, you may be considered a P-I-T-A (pain-in-the-***), but so what?  It's a risk worth taking.  Read the articles above, and you'll see how it works.

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