Searching for Work—Beyond Resumes and Networking

Bringing a job search to a successful conclusion requires much more than having a well thought out resume and developing an effective network of contacts. It requires the ability to locate work opportunities that interest you, and then having the talent to convince the employer that you are the right fit.

Determining what work really interests you and convincing the hiring manager that you are not only qualified to perform the work, but that you have the talent to contribute to the success of the organization is the key to a successful search. My experience as a recruiter has taught me that too few candidates are prepared to address these issues. It seems to me that determining the work that really interests you, preparing yourself to competently perform that work, and selling your capabilities are components of a successful search that too few job seekers are willing to undertake. Being interesting requires the understanding that you are human. The willingness to share information about yourself, your strengths, and weaknesses is a challenge few people are willing to tackle.

The ability to express a passion for your work in a convincing way makes for an interesting conversation and an interesting interview. Candidates who are qualified and interesting get offers of employment! I recall numerous instances where candidates with a less than ideal resumes convinced me that they were the best qualified candidate, because they had a compelling story to tell.

This point was driven home to me in reading a recent New York Times article about an interview with Tony Hsieh, C.E.O. of Zappos.com. Here is the answer he gave to a question about the questions he would ask in hiring a senior executive—“I’m not sure there’s that much you can get out of the in-office interview. They need the relevant skill set and experience and so on. But far more important is, are they going to be good for the culture?”

Probably the most interesting question asked was about the one or two questions he would ask to get a sense of a person. Hsieh responded, “If you had to name something, what would you say is the biggest misperception that people have of you? Then the follow-up I usually ask is, What’s the difference between misperception and perception? After all, perception is perception.”

Hsieh went on to say about what he was trying to discover with these questions, “I think it’s a combination of how self-aware and how honest people are. I think if someone is self-aware, they can always continue to grow. If they’re not self-aware, I think it’s harder for them to evolve or adapt beyond who they already are.”

The ability to share with others who you really are takes courage, confidence, and maturity. The people who will get the first crack at opportunities as they emerge will possess these abilities.

Getting Back in Shape for the Job Chase

I read this article in the January 3, 2010 edition of The New York Times, and have added it to my blog.

By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: January 2, 2010
THE beginning of this new year — after a very difficult 2009 for job seekers — offers a good opportunity to review and fine-tune every element of an employment search, from résumés to thank-you notes.
While you may be doing almost everything right, neglecting or mishandling just one or two pieces of the process could keep you from getting a job, especially in this ultracompetitive market.
Here, then, is a checklist that covers some of the major links in the job search chain:
THE RÉSUMÉ When was the last time you took a word-by-word, letter-by-letter look at your résumé? Make sure it’s completely up to date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking. (After all, your situation might have changed since you started looking.) Now is also the time to create alternate versions, to reflect different types of positions.
Have someone else look at your résumé. If you cannot afford a career coach, give your résumé to friends or family members to scrutinize, said Alison Doyle, a job search specialist for About.com, which is owned by The New York Times Company.
Little things count. You could have overlooked a typo or another error. This happens more than you might think, and “it can knock you right out of the running,” Ms. Doyle noted.
And have copies of your résumé printed, so you’re ready to hand them out at interviews, she said.
REFERENCES If you have not talked to your references lately, call or e-mail them. Make sure they are still in the same jobs, and tell them you’re still looking. This helps expand your network, because references may know of job openings. It’s also a good time to consider whether to add or remove some people as references.
COVER LETTERS Maybe you’ve set up a few basic templates in advance, but that’s not enough. Each cover letter you write should be geared specifically to the job for which you are applying.
WARDROBE Check your closet to ensure that you have appropriate professional attire, including shoes, ready for interviews.
ONLINE PRESENCE Check and update your LinkedIn profile and make sure that it’s consistent with the information in your résumé and any other online presence you have, Ms. Doyle said. Hiring managers look at LinkedIn, and any discrepancies could be red flags, she said.
Review your contacts on LinkedIn and reach out to new ones. Check whether anyone new can write a recommendation for you on the site.
And, while you’re at it, Google yourself and check Facebook or other social networks to make sure that nothing embarrassing shows up.
NETWORKING Do not isolate yourself for days on end. Network , through e-mail messages, phone calls, coffee, lunch, appointments and meetings.
Julie Morgenstern, a productivity consultant in New York, recommends setting up some kind of in-person meeting every day during the week. This helps bring structure to your day, keeps you in touch with the outside world and prevents you from becoming complacent or depressed, she says.
APPLYING A glance at huge online job sites isn’t usually the best way to find jobs. You are more likely to succeed through people you know or meet through networking, or through professional or alumni associations.
When you look for jobs online, Ms. Doyle recommends these sites because they collect job listings from sources like company Web sites: Linkup.com, Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com.
THE FOLLOW-UP These days, it is common to apply for a job and never hear back from the company. Without being a pest, take the initiative by following up with a phone call a week or so after you apply. If no name is listed on the job posting, use research skills to find one. Or, if you know someone at the company, check whether that person will put in a word for you.
INTERVIEWS If you are getting plenty of interviews but no return calls or job offers, take a ruthless look at your interviewing skills. This is one area where investing in a career coach may pay off, Ms. Doyle said. But if you can’t afford one, try to find a job group or service that conducts free mock interviews.
In addition, the same day that you have an interview, make sure to send a thank-you note by e-mail or regular mail.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS Finally, recognize that looking for a job — especially in a market like this — can take a psychological toll. Don’t take it personally if your job hunt is taking a long time. Many excellent job candidates, victims of the economic downturn, are in the same boat now.
Even in the best of times, a job hunt is often about rejection — and that can be hard to endure. Staying in touch with family, friends, professional networks and fellow job seekers can help you maintain a positive attitude and a sense of perspective.
In this job market, job seekers need all the help they can get, practical or otherwise. “Don’t be afraid to get help if somebody’s willing to give it to you,” Ms. Doyle said.

Some Thoughts about Volunteering

Volunteering is an activity that affords you an opportunity to donate your time and talent to your community or an organization of interest to you. It can be a rewarding experience when you make an intelligent choice about where to focus your interest. Here are some suggestions to help you have a meaningful volunteer experience —

• Search for volunteer opportunities in organizations or on projects with commitments to success.
• Avoid volunteering on projects that do not place obligations on participants.
• Avoid volunteering for work where you would normally expect to be paid unless it is pro bono or part of an income producing strategy.
• Free advice may not be taken seriously.
• Overestimating the benefits of volunteering can lead to frustration and disappointment.
• Volunteer effort is influenced by perceived and tangible outcomes.
• Stop volunteering when you lose your enthusiasm.

Why Leave a Project You Feel Passionate About?

This is a question that I have been wrestling with for several months. I have written about what I have learned from facilitating the Searching for Work group in the previous post. What I did not address in that post is why I am walking away from a project I feel passionate about.

It has been a difficult decision to make, but the reason behind the decision is very simple. I chose to form a networking group as an outreach mission of my church to support unemployed people who were actively searching for work. I was confident that I had the interest and experience to lead such a group. However, I made it very clear to the leaders of my church that I needed their support to create an awareness of the program and encourage the unemployed in our congregation and the community to participate. Without sufficient numbers to form a critical mass it would be difficult to sustain meaningful dialogue in this type of group. They promised that support.

For the group to succeed, this support was critical. A sufficient number of people with a common goal were required; so that effective group networking and dialogue could occur, affording participants an opportunity to advance their searches. Unfortunately, only lip service has been given. That lack of support has been a disappointment and has caused much frustration for me.

The result has been that the group remains small, albeit successful. Word about the group’s existence is spread by word of mouth. More people from the community attend than from my congregation. Networking and the flow of information occurs in the group mainly among those who have the common purpose of searching for work. In addition to the small group of people actively searching for work and making progress, there is an equal and sometimes larger group with different agendas. This subgroup puts minimal or no effort into their searches, and therefore makes minimal contributions.

The lack of concern for the plight of the unemployed in my church is both alarming and disheartening. Unemployment is painful! It is painful to both individuals affected and their families. Loss of income, savings, personal property, and the resulting emotional and psychological stress are just the tip of the iceberg. The longer term impact of job loss is also traumatic. Where will the unemployed find work in a slowly recovering economy? Competition for available jobs will increase dramatically, and some people may never return to the type of work they formerly performed. Most will not return to their former compensation levels.

The unemployment problem is enormous, yet for the past year my church has been silent, and has done little to reach out to the congregation and the community to publicize the mission of the Searching for Work group.

My disappointment over this lack of concern has reached a point where I must walk away from the project knowing some good has been accomplished, yet so much more could have been done. It is that simple!

Observations/Lessons Learned from a Group Facilitation Project

I will be finishing my involvement with the Searching for Work group at the end of November. I started the group one year ago as an outreach mission of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield, NJ. My vision was to provide unemployed people who were actively searching for work with tools and techniques they could use to improve their abilities to find work. I believe the program has succeeded in helping those who have put an effort into their searches. A number of people have found employment, several have launched consulting practices, and one has purchased a franchise business. Others are struggling for a variety of reasons — lack of effort among them.

I have learned much from this experience that has expanded my knowledge of the process of searching for work. In summary —

1. Searching for work continues to be hard work requiring an extraordinary amount of dedication and effort that is difficult to sustain over time.
2. It is difficult for some people to believe that they can create their future.
3. Searching for work effectively requires vision, planning, resources, exploring opportunities, and aggressively pursuing real work.
4. Without making a serious commitment to creating your future, there is a direct relationship between the incentive to search for work and financial need.
5. Groups formed for a specific purpose must impose rules for joining and participation to achieve group objectives.
6. There is always an excuse for avoiding searching for work.
7. Sharing experiences helps others achieve their goals.

5 Ways to Start Fresh

I recently came across this short article dated January 2002 that I had clipped from the magazine Fast Company.

How do you better the odds that you’ll succeed at a new start? Serial entrepreneur Karnran Elahian has made a life out of starting over. Here are excerpts of his hard-won lessons for starting fresh — and starting smart.

Write a mission statement. You’ll never do work that matters unless you define what matters. Elahian gave himself a sense of purpose by writing a mission statement for his life. He succinctly outlined his big picture goals. Then he mapped out how he would get there.

Don’t look back. Once you embark on a new venture, put all of your focus on the future.. Second guessing only slows you down.

Be your own biggest critic. Relentlessly (ruthlessly) evaluate your performance, paying special attention to your weaknesses. Only then can you shift your course of action so it plays to your strengths.

Celebrate your setbacks. Or, at the very least, learn from them. If you don’t analyze what went wrong and what you’d do differently, then you’ll repeat the same mistake.

Lose like a winner. Failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure. In business as well as in life, the only unforgivable sin is never trying in the first place.

Searching for Work Group Progress Report

The Searching for Work group is at an interesting stage of development. It has evolved into three distinct subgroups that can be described as follows—

The first group consists of individuals who have made decisions to change careers, and have launched new ventures to generate income producing work. They have a sense of direction and are pursuing their objectives. Examples include employment in new fields, starting consulting practices, and purchasing or starting businesses.

The second group is made up of individuals who are searching for employment in the same or closely related field and are making progress exploring opportunities through networking and search firms. They are having little success pursuing online job postings.

The third and most difficult group is individuals who face insurmountable obstacles, resist change, or put little effort into their search. They are having difficulty setting a course of action to deal with their issues and advance their searches.

The first two subgroups are contributing in a major way to the success of the group meetings. They report on their progress, which generates interest and discussion. They have the confidence to raise questions and to speak out on issues. The third subgroup unfortunately, has little progress to report, so it is difficult for the group to help them in a meaningful way. They are hopefully absorbing information, but their contribution to helping the group grow is limited.

Small groups are often complex entities, and the Searching for Work group is a good example. It is made up of people in various stages of their search, and putting varying amounts of effort into their pursuit of employment. There are people with considerable financial concerns who appear desperate and others who seem to be getting by with severance packages and or spouses working. Few believe that they are empowered to create their own future, and are resistant to techniques and processes that would enable them to discover new learning about themselves. For most, allowing themselves the opportunity to dream and create is a luxury they believe they cannot afford. It is outside their comfort zone, so they resort to search strategies that require little creativity and effort — and in this difficult economic time generally lead to unproductive results.

Some people show up for one or two meetings then do not return. Others have been regular attendees for many months. As people get to know one another, they become more willing to participate actively in discussions. We begin each meeting with a devotion period. It has become an increasingly meaningful part of the program and frequently sets the stage for discussions that follow. In recent months, discussions have become more thought provoking and interesting. I leave the meetings encouraged that we are making progress.