North Carolina Jobing Community Blogs

This content is provided by Doug Mayes, Jobing.com Community Relations Director.

Fellow Employers,

In our tough economy, it seems that employers and HR professionals fall into two divergent camps, both of which can pose significant challenges and opportunities. 

Camp 1.  I'm hiring.  With what news people call a "flood of talent" on the market, some will say you have an embarassment of riches.  Some will say you have the opportunity to get the very best...on the cheap.  However, you may feel quite differently.  Perhaps you're overwhelmed with unsolicited responses.  If you post a job, your email system goes berserk and you're so buried that you can't give people the attention required to make a strategic decision.  Some candidates who are motivated by financial pressures from recent layoffs, are applying to all sorts of jobs indiscriminately further compounding the issue.  You may be dealing with candidates who are bitter or feel entitled to a job.  Just because they were a big deal at their last job doesn't mean they're right for your organization.  I bet you're feeling this pinch, whether you'd admit it in polite conversation or not. 

This landscape poses real management challenges for the HR professional.  I was recruiting in the pharmaceutical biz when the 911 recession hit and I saw this situation play out with some of my clients.  Some companies abused the buyer's market treating people like cattle, artificially driving down wages, and generally forgetting what it's like to be a job seeker.  Although they got fat off the land for a hot minute, I think this treatment caused employees to behave like mercenaries.  Since relatively little effort was made to create a compelling employment brand or establish engagement upon hiring, employees soon split for the next big thing.  They felt "disposable", so they took their passion, skills, and brain power to the competitor down the street.     

Other companies saw this as an opportunity to get the right people on the bus.   They did this by communicating their employment brand.  They built great employment pages on their websites that communicated their culture.  Remember Google?  Nobody did this better than Google!  Southwest Airlines was superb as well.  They invested in high-touch candidate application systems with automated email responses.  They kept their name top-of-mind by being active in the community.  They created strong relationships with colleges to ensure a pipeline of talent when the market inevitably tightened.  All these branding efforts helped them whittle down the giant stack of resumes and make strategic hires.  Thus, we came up with the basic equation of my business.  Strong employment brand=Strong company. 

Camp 2.  I'm not hiring.  Many wonderful companies have been set back on their heels.  Hard working HR people in these organizations perservere in a pressure cooker of layoffs, personal uncertainty, and unemployment claims, all the while trying not to be a "cost center."  God forbid you should appear too expensive.  Touchy-feely things like an employment brand may be the last thing on your mind.  They're the provenance of $500/hr consultants. 

Careful now...although it may be easy to toss aside the brand you worked so hard to create, consider the risks.  In tough times your employment brand is even more important.  Candidates believe what they hear, especially if it's bad.  What message are you sending to your potential candidates?  Are you on top of your PR strategy?  Is your company just recuperating between rounds, or are you down for the count permanently?  Surely, you care about every single one of your employees and the way you treat them on the way out will help you or haunt you when this economy turns.  Building your employment brand is never a bad investment and by doing this you'll be prepared to rocket out of the gate before your competitors when our economy rebounds.  We must think strategically about all this stuff, even though things are wild right now. 

Congratulations on getting that interview!  You’ve been sending out resumes and applying for jobs online.  You crafted that perfect cover letter, found a position you qualify for and have been selected for an interview!  That’s awesome!  Celebrate for a few minutes but then it’s time to prepare for it.

Research – Do your best to research everything you can prior to the interview.  Of course you’ll study up on the company but also look into their competitors and the industry as a whole.  Find out as many specifics about the job as you can.  See if the company website has info about the recruiter you’re interviewing with.  Look for recent news articles too.  You’ll touch on a few things naturally while interviewing.  This will make you look good.

Questions – Write a list of questions to ask.  Typically the interviewer will ask what questions you have toward the end.  If they don’t bring it up go ahead and tell them you have a few questions.  Having good questions shows that you care enough about the position to be well prepared.

What to Bring – Be sure to bring several copies of your resume.  I would make it a point to also bring a few covers letters and printed references.  Of course, store everything in a professional portfolio.  Make sure you have a pen or pencil with you too. 

Getting There – Confirm the address and print a map.  Make sure you understand exactly where you’re going.  Ask about parking beforehand.  The last thing you want is to be late because you’re lost or didn’t know where to park.  In case of emergency bring the company phone number with you.  Call if you’re going to be late for any reason.

You’ve gotten your chance.  Make the best of it.  Good luck!

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension or California (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

As part of my job here at Jobing.com I receive a lot of feedback and comments from job seekers.  The number one comment lately has been a lack of communication from employers.  People who interview for positions aren’t hearing back from the employers.  Often times, the interviewee has been told, “We’ll follow up with you either way.”  These job seekers use words like frustrated, insensitive, demoralizing and inconsiderate.  Most of them would love a simple note saying the position has been filled.

We’ve all been stretched at work recently as companies must find ways to become more efficient.  Sending out a quick email to everyone who interviewed for the position isn’t that tough.  It could come from HR or the hiring manager.  The job seekers don’t care.  They just want to know.  If the fear is starting a confrontation use a no reply email address.  Better yet, tap in to the potential of your ATS and let the technology work for you.

This little bit of goodwill can go a long way for your company reputation, referrals and even the bottom line.  

This is a post by Jobing.com Social Media Manager, Brett Farmiloe.  Thanks Brett

In case anyone was wondering what the fuss is with social media, here it goes.

What is social media?

Social media is an integration of words, pictures, video and/or audio with an element of human interaction. (Essentially, the words, pics, videos are the "media"...the human interactivity of commenting on a Twitter status update, tagging someone in a Facebook photo, watching a video on Youtube and forwarding on to your friends...that's the "social" element of the umbrella term, 'social media'.)

A couple other fun stats to throw around about social media:

3 out of 4 Americans use social technology - Forrester Research, 2008 (Meaning, not just Gen Y. This means that my mom and my dad are my friends on Facebook.)

Visiting social sites is more of a popular online activity now than checking personal email, Nielson 2009

93% of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media (meaning, users are open to being a fan of your company on Facebook. It's not intrusive if your company is on there...as 300,000 businesses have found out on Facebook (currently, 300,000 business have Facebook pages)

Of the 4,000+ tools that can be grouped into the growing 'social media' bucket, there are only about 4 or 5 that matter when it comes to recruitment.

1) Facebook. The reason it matters in recruitment?

There are over 300 million users on Facebook.

There's no other social media site or tool that's better to brand your company. On a fan page, you can share video about what it's like to work at your company, show them what it's like to work at your company with photos, and you can post status updates that go directly to a fan's home page. Plus, there are a couple recruitment applications that integrate your jobs into Facebook and allow fans to share these jobs with their friends (Jobing offers this application, plug intended.)

2) Twitter. The reason it matters in recruitment?

You have to look at Twitter as a chat room and as a listening tool. You listen to the people you're following, and you chat with the people who are talking about your company by monitoring with tools such as Tweetdeck or Twitter Search. All Twitter is good for is for your company to interact with potential candidates so it positively impacts your brand.

3) Linkedin. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Allows recruiters to mine a database of resumes (aka Linkedin profiles) to find potential candidates.

4) Youtube. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Video arguably is one of the best branding tools for a company. Youtube is one of the largest search engines on the internet. Put the two together and you've got a winning social media site.

5) Myspace. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Myspace is the forgotten son of social media. The other week I was in Texas and asked a woman who was the HR manager for a call center if she had looked into using Myspace to recruit. She responded by saying that Myspace was full of pedophiles and teenie boppers...which may be true, but it still doesn't change the fact that more people go to Myspace than Twitter and Linkedin. The numbers and traffic alone make Myspace a tool to keep in the tool belt.

Whew! Those are the tools that are slowly changing the world of recruiting...

Brett Farmiloe is the social media manager for Jobing.com. He'd love it if you became a fan of Jobing on Facebook, and a follower on Twitter. Ecstatic, actually. Also, feel free to contact and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or by good ol' email (brett(at)jobing.com) for any social media questions.

Most of us go into a job search thinking we may be a little rusty, but confident that, basically, we know what to do.  Then you do it, and the galling indifference and humiliating rejection begin.  Employers don’t acknowledge your resume submissions, executive search and staffing firms don’t return your calls, and recruiters act as if you are damaged goods.  It’s hard not to feel as if you’re a failure.

And yet, you’re not.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  You are not a loser or a deadbeat or a flop.  Your belief that you are (or your concern that may be) is based on two misconceptions.  You think your career should unfold in a straight line.  And, you believe that today’s job market is just like those of the past, only tougher.

Those views are widely held, and they are completely wrong.  They may have been correct in the 20 th Century, but today, they’re as accurate as a stock broker’s predictions.  So when you buy into them, you throw yourself into a well of defeat that leaves you believing that you’ve done something wrong.  Or, that you haven’t done something right.  Whichever it is, the conclusion you draw is the same: you’ve let yourself and your family down.

It’s a terrible self-indictment, and you don’t deserve it.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  Only you can get rid of that felling, however, and there’s only one way to do it.  You have to clear up those misperceptions.  You have to view the job market and the workplace as they actually are.  Not as they used to be or you wished they were.  Do that, see today’s world of work for what it really is, and you will turn what used to be called failure into what is now genuine success.

Correcting the Misperception of a Straight Line Career

You have probably never thought about it much, but if you’re like most of us in the workforce, you assume that a career will unfold today just as it did in the last century.  Your progress in the workplace will trace a straight line.  You’ll begin at point A and if you do well, you will move up to point B and from there, you will advance to point C and so on.  Ever onward and ever upward.

The image of this traditional kind of movement, of course, was the career ladder.  It prescribed one way up and you either kept moving along the rungs or you fell off, got pushed off or retired.  The dynamic was Darwinian, but at least you always knew where you stood.

Well, that career ladder is now gone.  It’s been tossed out by employers that can no longer support the human resource management infrastructure to manage your career for you (and everyone else).  The straight line approach has, as a result, been replaced by the zigzag career.  Ever forward, but not necessarily always up.

The image of this new kind of movement is the career jungle gym.  As you may recall from your schoolyard days, the jungle gym had two alluring qualities.  First, you got to pick your own way forward—there was no teacher and today there is no employer telling you where to go.  And second, sometimes you might move straight up, but occasionally you would move from side-to-side and even down and around to get where you were going.  There was no discredit, disgrace or dishonor in the path you picked, because (a) everyone got to pick their own way and (b) if you kept your eye on your goal, you would eventually get there.  The same is true with your career.

Correcting the Misperception of a Normal Job Market

It would be reassuring, I guess, to believe that today’s job market is just like the ones of yore, only tougher.  If that were true, we would at least know the rules of the game.  Unfortunately, however, it’s not.  The rules have changed, and we must adapt if we want to succeed.
Historically, we had a “come as you are” job market.  In other words, the skill set you had in your last job was sufficient to find a new job.  All you had to do, therefore, was update your resume, send it out to a bunch of employers, do a little networking around the edges and bitta-bang, bitta-boom, you would land a job that was as good as or better than the one you had before.

Today, the opposite is true.  If you are in transition, the skills you had to be effective in your last job are not sufficient to find a new one.  If you have any doubt about that, consider this: given a choice between two equally qualified candidates, one who is employed and the other who is in transition, recruiters will select the employed candidate 99.9 percent of the time.  Why?  Because, whether it’s true or not, they believe the employed person is more capable and therefore more likely to make a valuable contribution to their organization.

How can you overcome such a disadvantage?  You have to reinvent yourself even as you are looking for a job.  Update your skill set or add a new skill that will enable you to apply what you can already do in a broader set of circumstances.  Enroll in an academic or training program or take a course from your professional association, and then, add that fact to your resume.  Such a notation demonstrates that (a) you understand the importance of always getting better in today’s workplace and (b) you take personal responsibility for doing so.  Those two attributes will help to set you apart in the job market and restart your career.

Looking for a job in the current environment is definitely frustrating and often discouraging.  It does not, however, make you a failure.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  What’s happening today is simply proof positive that the rules of the game have changed.  If you change with them—if you correct the way you look at the job market—you’ll have what it takes to turn what used to be called failure into the modern definition of success.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

A friend of mine recently lost his job.  We spoke shortly thereafter and he was doing several things that really impressed me.  I’m certain that he will find employment soon as a result.

1.        Stay Positive – When losing a job, your first reaction might be anger, resentment, sadness, etc.  The sooner you clear your mind of these thoughts the better off you’ll be.  Wallowing in self pity will not help your cause.  Instead, look for positives.  Maybe you’ll really love your next job!  Maybe your next employer will pay you better, treat you better or give you better benefits!  Perhaps you’ll find a new passion! 

2.        Ask Around – My friend did a number of smart things right away.  He spoke  with his former co-workers about finding a new job.  Several had suggestions based on things they noticed and had even interviewed for recently.  My friend also visited the company he worked for prior to his last job.  They are currently in talks about getting back together.  Lastly, he shot an email to his address book mentioning his need to look for work again.  I’m certain at least a few people will recommend a contact, resource or actual job opening.

3.        Be Flexible – If you are currently out of work, take stock of how long you can reasonably pay the bills.  Some of us are in better shape than others.  Based on this, determine how flexible you must be.  Maybe you’ll have to accept a little less money this time around.  Perhaps you should consider a slightly different field of work.  Take a transition job if that makes sense.  Heck, I’d deliver pizzas, shuffle boxes in a warehouse or bus restaurant tables to stay busy and pay the bills.  There are many things available that still allow time to focus on finding something you really like.

This blog was originally posted several months ago.  My friend ended up taking a relatively low paying position with a retail store near his house.  He intended to keep the job until finding something in his field.  Since then, several other employees left the store and my friend developed a great rapport with the owners.  He's been trained for all positions, was upgraded to full time, has received two raises and sees a management opportunity coming up soon!!!

My friend Patricia is probably the only person I would call a natural networker. Her worldly possessions have been in storage for most of the last 10 years as she goes where her heart tells her to (always beautiful places: Hawaii; Aspen; Naples, FL;  San Diego; hey! Why not?). Jobs and projects fall into her lap no matter where she goes (and right now she’s in Austria after having spent a couple of weeks in Spain).  She always has friends to stay with or a house to borrow.  I would say she’s female version of Tim Ferris. But she’s her own self.  And she makes her way in the world through relationships she builds along the way.

 

You ever have one of those right-words-at-the-right-time moments that blasts all your illusions away?  Patricia gave me the right words at the right time and showed me the way to think about networking.  It was a few years ago while she was visiting me on Cape Cod. I was feeling rudderless, pitiful, unnecessary, unwanted,  all those un’s that make it such a drag to get up in the morning. Patricia and I were sitting in the livingroom wrapped in blankets and drinking coffee (well, she was drinking herbal tea, of course). I was saying that I just couldn’t bring myself to knocking on Cape Cod businesses begging for a job.  And she gently said this:

 

“It’s not about what you need, it’s about what you can contribute.”

 

Oh.

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhh.

 

I’d been thinking about networking all wrong! It wasn’t about what a pitiful needy, loser, user I was. It was about letting the world know that I was here to help. Patricia certainly isn’t a needy, loser, user. She moves through the world like a queen (in a good way), and people take their cue from her – treating her accordingly.  And she benefits a lot of lives as she goes.  She may not have a permanent address (other than her Naples PO box). But she has real friends who love her, and she earns an honest living (thanks to laptops and cell phones), growing spiritually, emotionally  and professionally along the way.

 

You may not want to live the life that Patricia has (although, for me, every time she breezes through Santa Fe, where I live right now, ever fiber of my being screams ROAD TRIP!).  And you may not have the flexibility of treating the entire planet as your own personal marketplace.

 

But then again, maybe you do.  At the very least the marketplace that you most naturally belong to needs you! But it may not know you’re there. If your resistance to networking is keeping you shy, I don’t blame you. So maybe the thing to do is examine your beliefs around networking. And maybe change your mind just a little.

 

Networking is a waste of time.  It could be, depending on what you expect from your networking activities. If you want a job right this very minute (of course you do, just bear with me here for a minute), you’re probably going to think that networking activities are a waste of time because what are the chances that any given networking encounter will result in a job offer? To be honest – practically zero. 

 

Yes, I get that you need a job – right this very minute. And networking will eventually bring you that job. But it’s a cumulative effect kind of thing.  One person leads to another who leads to another who leads to five others.  As my coauthor for Unlock the Hidden Job Market, Duncan Mathison, says: Networking is about planting seeds. Lots and lots of them. Some will sprout. But the more networking you do, the more of those seedlings will sprout. And some – not to drive a metaphor in the ground or anything – will bear fruit.

 

Still not convinced?  What are the chances that staying at home will result in a job offer? Guaranteed: Zeeee-roe.

 

The only people I meet at networking events are people who are out of work themselves. That would be true.  Those networking events are the worst.  They suck the life right out of you. They waste your time. And feed your growing sense of despair and overwhelm. So. Stop going to them.

 

Networking is not  about going to networking events. It’s meeting people one-on-one, showing sincere interest in what they do, your shared industry or profession, your community, future trends, ideas, etc. 

 

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t network with other people who are out of jobs. But still make those one-on-one events, high-quality conversations where both of you end up with a growing list of ideas, connections, phone numbers, companies, introductions. 

 

People don’t want to meet me. How do you know? Somewhere someone needs you.  And that will only happen if you get the heck out of the house.

 

Just because you don’t have a job, that doesn’t mean you don’t have value and that you have nothing to contribute. People need you. To use Patricia’s philosophy: Get out and find out who they are.  Under other conditions would you let negative self-talk prevent you from lending a hand where your unique strengths and gifts can really make life easier for someone?  Of course not. So why let the inner gremlins have the power now?

 

People only want to hire to people who already have jobs. That’s a myth.  If you’re unemployed right now, you actually have some advantages working for you.  You’re available now.  You’re not coming in with that entitled “what can you do for me” attitude. You won’t be taking their offer back to your current boss to try to snag a sweeter offer.  Everyone knows that really great talent is on the loose right now because of the massive trend of lay-offs.  The fact that you’re between jobs right now is not a black mark on your record.  It’s just one of those things.

 

There’s no point in starting now, since the holidays are around the corner.  Wrong. This is absolutely a terrific time to look for a job. Budgets are being formulated for Q1. So while you might not start until January 1, you’d be making great use of your holidays by networking your brains out.  And just think,  if everyone else thinks that there’s no point in job hunting right now, you are out there with very little competition.

 

For a great article on this subject, check out: T’is The Season To Follow the Money.

 

I look like hell.  That might be true. If you’ve been stuck at home all day, not having seen the business end of a razor in weeks,  it might be time to put on your go-to-meetin’ clothes (assuming they still fit) and see if your car will start.  

 

Not judging here. In recent months I’ve been stuck at home writing books. Yoga pants and t-shirts have been my friends.  My business clothes have been on the floor, serving as bedding for the cats.  And just yesterday I spotted a coyote sauntering past my windows. And, while I was admiring its glossy coat and bushy tail, the thought came to me that it is better groomed that I am.  I picked up the phone and made an appointment. For tomorrow.  Can’t wait.

 

If you look like hell, you know what to do.  You probably won’t look like Heidi Klum, once you’ve spruced up. But you won’t look like Tom Hanks in Castaway either.

 

People will know that I’m only networking because I need a job.  So what?  You’re not the only one looking for a job. The question is: are you the person they’re looking for? It’s up to you how they’ll regard you. They’ll take their cues from you. If you act ashamed or frustrated, they’ll pick up shame and frustration and treat you like you have a contagious disease.  Figure out what it will take to behave with confidence, calm and professionalism. And do that.

 

Focus your conversation not on what you need but on what they need, what they think, who they might introduce you to, who you might introduce them to, etc.  Remember: It’s about contribution, not need.

 

I’ve already done everything I can think of to get my resume into circulation. No you haven’t.  Networking is not about bugging your family, friends, the Rotor Rooter man. A reader actually wrote to me saying that she gave her resume to her mail carrier.  

 

Networking is about expanding your circles of contacts, acquaintances, colleagues. It’s about making lists of people and their phone numbers. Then picking up the phone and calling those folks.  It’s difficult, I know, especially for people who don’t enjoy calling strangers.  But remember, you’re calling colleagues and peers…people you have something or someone in common with.

 

These are people you might be able to help.

 

And that’s what it’s all about.

 

Special note from Martha:  These principles have been borrowed from my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market, which I wrote with Duncan Mathison. To learn more, visit our website!

The utility of social media sites as recruiting resources has been challenged by a recent Workforce magazine article on the compliance issues and potential adverse impact of over-relying on them.  The social aspects of our profession remain important, however, even in what have traditionally been unsocial sourcing methods.  Indeed, the Internet has actually created a social side to online recruitment advertising.

There are five dimensions to the social side of posting a job ad on the Web:

The sites you select;

The title of your posting;

The content of your posting;

The follow up communication with applicants; and

The candidate experience that follows your advertising interaction.

What’s social about these advertising activities?  Let me explain.

The Sites You Select

The key to effective online recruitment advertising is to initiate a social interaction with the right candidate population.  And to do that, you have to advertise on the right sites.  Unfortunately, there is no one site that will connect you with 100% of your target demographic.  Shotgunning your ad out over the Web simply makes your organization look as if it doesn’t know what it’s doing.  A better strategy, I would suggest, is to select 7 specific sites using the formula 2GP + 3N +2D:

2GP or general purpose posting sites where you can probe the full range of prospects online;

3N or niche sites where you can plumb the full depth of the candidate population—use one site that targets the occupational field for which you’re recruiting, one that covers your employer’s industry, and one that specializes in the geographic location of your opening; and

2D or diversity sites so that you ensure (and prove) that you’re making a good faith effort to tap all of the talent in the candidate population.

The Title of Your Posting

The title of your posting is your greeting to candidates.  It’s how you introduce your organization and its brand as an employer.  The surest way to get the interaction off on the wrong foot is to use bureaucratic position titles—Research Scientist VI—or unintelligible abbreviations and in-house jargon.  On the other hand, you can effectively convey a “candidate friendly” message by providing a title which enables the reader to decide quickly and accurately if the opening is for them.  Such a title has three elements that form the acronym LSS:

L or the location of the job—generally people want to work where they live;

S or the skill and skill level required to perform the job—Senior Pharmaceutical Research Scientist; and

S or sizzle—some aspect of your culture, compensation system or community that will set your ad apart and make it especially intriguing or appealing.

The Content of Your Posting

The surest way to be viewed as an anti-social advertiser is to create a posting that is uninformative, incomplete, boring, filled with misspellings and grammatical errors, or all of the above.  You’re trying to establish a relationship with the best candidates, so show them the same courtesy and respect that you would like to be shown if you were in their shoes.  What does such an ad look like?  It has five sections that form the acronym S-ABC-S:

S, the Summary or first four lines of your ad are your invitation to top talent to read on—if you create an interesting and compelling message, they likely will (even if they’re employed), while the opposite message will ensure they won’t (and all you’ll get are the most desperate of applicants);

ABC or the body of the ad—it presents the position’s requirements and responsibilities but does so from the candidate’s perspective, and what they want to know about are its Advantages (for them), its Benefits (tailored to them) and the Capabilities they must have to be successful in the role;

S or the Sign-off is best viewed as a call to action—encourage the reader to take one or more of three steps: apply for the position, refer it to others (because top talent knows other top talent) and/or opt-in to an ongoing dialogue that you maintain with potential applicants.

The past five years have seen advertising, in general, become much more interactive and engaging, especially online.  Those of us who are trying to sell the best prospects on our organization’s value proposition as an employer would do well to follow that trend and focus on the social side of our recruitment advertising.  I’ll finish the last two of the five dimensions of that strategy in my next column.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

As a recruiter in today’s marketplace there’s no doubt you see a lot of great candidates.  Some of them you just have their resume.  Some of them you interviewed.  At some point in the future, when unemployment shifts again, you’ll be wishing for the days when good applicants were easier to come by.  What are you doing to keep in touch with these people? 

I recall years ago a software company in California that received recognition for a system they developed to keep in touch with great applicants.  Some candidates were narrowly edged out during interviews.  Some were people honing their skills and would develop into future talent.  Whatever the case, this company wanted the ability to stay in touch.

The organization designed a special page on their website which contained company information and the status of upcoming positions.  They told people what skills would be desired in the future.  A monthly newsletter went out via email.  By adding a little marketing twist, people became interested in the company and were hopeful a position would open up fitting their skill set.  People told their friends and colleagues about this cool company.  Those people got in on the action.

You know how things turned out.  The employment market tightened up.  Good people, especially skilled people, were becoming very tough to find.  The organization I mentioned was easily able to find the people they needed while other organizations struggled.  They were able to move quickly, make great hires and the business prospered! 

Do you want to change careers?  Get a head-start and reach out to someone in your field of interest.  To do this, check the internet (especially blogs), check for professional associations in that field, or simply contact a person that has the job that you want (call a company you know that has the position and ask to talk to them).  If you find someone passionate about their field they will most likely be able to answer some simple questions for you that can help you determine if the change is right for you and what you need to do to make the change:  Find out:

 

1.       What education and training is needed?

2.       What does a recruiter want to see on a resume when hiring in this field?

3.       What are the opportunities for advancement?

4.       Which of your strengths are suited / or not suited to your field of interest?

5.       Do the salary expectations, work hours, and other work conditions appeal to you – do they meet with your requirements?

 

For further information please use the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov – there you can find a wealth of information that can give you some general answers to the questions above.  Paired with some straightforward advice from a professional already in the field, a person can make informed choices about how to navigate changes in their career.  

Job Searching Tips - Your Job Search and Your Resume

Many job seekers have discovered that today, it really does take a little more (effort, patience, skill, time - you name it) to get a job.  Let's explore each step of a job search in the short job search questionnaire below and find the opportunities you have to try new job searching techniques.  You could end up finding the right job fit for you.

Job Searching.

How are you looking for jobs?

    * a.  When I search for jobs, I use the same job search criteria each time.
    * b.  I don't get email job alerts- the jobs aren't what I would pick anyway.
    * c.  I don't belong to any professional associations because I am not currently working.

If you are using one of the approaches above -what are the opportunities for you to get better results from your job searching?

1.Make a habit of searching for jobs in a variety of ways.  There isn't one way to describe a job (or any limit to the creativity of job titles) so branch out with your job search so you can improve your chances of success.  Try different job categories, companies, and keywords and see what search results you get.  The trick here is to mix  your job searching method up frequently and stay on top of your industry or field-related jargon.  Sometimes to find the right job, you really have to dig.

2. Set up as many job search alert agents as you can.  That way, you get more relevant jobs delivered right to your inbox instead of going to them.  You can also use twitter or RSS feeds to receive jobs and job search information.  Become efficient in your job search and let relevant content come to you.

3. Join a local or national professional association and get to know your peers.  If you can, find a mentor in your field - someone who has achieved the success you want and can help provide the guidance you need to make the right career moves (including meeting the right people and avoiding common pitfalls in the field).  Staying connected to your field and your peers is especially important when you are unemployed.  If you stay on everyone's radar, you are much more likely to get a job referral.  So stay active and stay top-of-mind while job searching.

Resume.

How well are you marketing yourself with your resume in your job search?

    * a.  I think if an employer could just meet me, I know they'd hire me.
    * b.  If I am honest about my resume, I'd have to admit - I have a hard time selling my relevant skills and prior job experience in writing.
    * c.  Sometimes I think, “Maybe it isn't me, maybe it's my resume”.
    * d.  I think my resume is fine - but I am not getting any calls.

If any one of these statements rings true to you - it is an indication your resume may need some help.
 

With the large number of resume templates out there and all kinds of career advice on the web, there is a strong tendency for people to tackle their resume with a do-it-yourself approach. This approach is fine; however, if you are going to  write your resume yourself - be sure to have the same standards with the end result as you would if you hired professional resume writing services. 

For example, if you decided to hang your front door instead of getting a carpenter - you would still want to keep the expectation that the door could open and close properly.  The same is true for your resume.  If you don't get the job search results you want with your resume - keep working on it or get more help.  Help can be a professional resume writing service like we offer at Jobing Career Services, a community service provider, or even reaching out to friends and family for resume feedback.  Whatever resume help you think will benefit you in your job searching efforts, I urge you to go get it.  Don't be satisfied with a marketing tool that isn't working!

My next blog post will uncover opportunities for improvement in Interviewing and Networking...

Karen Austin is a Certified Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) and resume writer for Jobing Career Services.  For more information about Jobing Career Services or to get professional help writing a resume - email resumereview@jobing.com or visit our information page at www.jobing.com/careerservices.

The American Payroll Association is part of an initiative to eliminate the use of paper paychecks nationwide. Currently, employers can go paperless in about 20 states. We’re tackling the rest state by state, and we need help from employers! We’re posting sample letters pre-addressed to the state officials in those states that currently keep employers from enjoying a paperless payroll. If you are an employer, please download a copy of the letter, personalize it, and send it on company letterhead.

The focus of the request is to allow employers to mandate direct deposit. Where employees do not provide their bank account information, employers should be able to provide paycards instead of paychecks.

Please join the effort!

Sample letters can be downloaded from the “ Green State ” link at:

www.americanpayroll.org/government/

In a normal year, this would be the time for preparations.  The silly season of fall recruiting would be about to start, so the smartest among us would be doing everything they could to get ready for it.

But, of course, this year is different.  Hiring activity is still way down, so there seems to be little reason to worry about how prepared we are.  And yet, there is.  The pace may slower than we would like, but the economy is picking up steam.  A recovery is on the way.  And it’s for that recovery that we should be preparing right now.

I call such activity “precruitment” because it includes the steps we must take to ready both ourselves and our organizations for the rigors of a reenergized War for the Best Talent.  It’s the preparatory actions that are essential for recruiting success.

What do they entail?  The following checklist isn’t all-encompassing, but it will get you started.

Workforce Planning

Review the 2010 budgets of your organization’s strategic business units and confer with their leaders to determine:

the likely demand for talent over the next 12 months

and

any new kinds of talent required by changes in strategies, product or service mix or the marketplace.

Assess the internal supply of talent to see who might be appropriate and available to meet the expected demand.

Identify the gaps in talent that will have to be met with external recruiting and during which quarters in 2010 those requirements will likely occur.

Review the size and skills of the recruiting team to determine if additional permanent or contract recruiters will be needed to address all requirements, whether they are expected to be filled with internal mobility or external recruiting.  Begin laying the groundwork now to acquire the staff resources you will need in the future.

Reputation Management

Assess the credibility and persuasive power of your organization’s employment brand and takes steps to remediate it, if necessary.

Reenergize your Employee Referral Program by training your coworkers on (a) the key elements of your employment brand and (b) how best to articulate them to high caliber prospects outside the organization.

Research online documents, blog commentary and postings at Web-sites that publish “employer evaluations” to determine what’s being said about your organization.  If necessary, devise a strategy to counteract negative points of view and implement it right away.

Asset Management

Review the following to ensure posted content is accurate and up-to-date:

the career area on your organizational Web-site;

your organization’s Facebook page, if it has one;

your organization’s LinkedIn group or profile page, if it has one.

Launch a promotional campaign (or reinvigorate the one you already have) to encourage interest and participation in your Employee Referral Program.

Launch a relationship marketing campaign to reconnect and develop greater familiarity with the individuals whose resumes are stored in your applicant tracking system database.

Push your applicant tracking system vendor to upgrade its technology for identifying the source of your candidates.  (You’ll be surprised—and horrified—at how rudimentary and thus inaccurate many of these systems are.)

Research changes that have occurred among the 100,000+ job boards and career portals currently online to update your list of the best sites for acquiring the best talent for your organization.  Negotiate posting rates now while volume is low and deals can be made.

Resource & Process Management

Secret shop your recruitment process to determine where bottlenecks or behaviors might detract from the candidate experience.

Eliminate the single greatest source of frustration among job seekers by ensuring that your auto-responder is working and that you are acknowledging the receipt of every application and thanking every applicant.  In addition, add a notice to the career area on your Web-site and on every job posting that asks candidates to include the address of your auto-responder on their “white list” so that your message gets past their spam filter.

Conduct a review of best practices in interviewing for both hiring managers and recruiters.  Where possible, do these sessions at the same time to foster a collaborative spirit among the two groups.

Develop a “Leader’s Checklist” and distribute it to all hiring managers to reacquaint them with the tasks involved in your recruiting process and who is responsible for accomplishing them.

Meet with your recruitment ad agency (or your own staff) to review:

the tone and content you want to see in your job postings;

which social media tactics you want to see executed and where;

and

other sourcing strategies you are likely to employ (e.g., campus visits, career fairs).

Also, solicit their input on alternative methods you might use to differentiate your employer and its outreach to talent.

There are, obviously, many other steps you can take to get ready for the recovery, but attending to workforce planning and reputation, asset, and resource and process management are among the most important.  They are, as well, the key elements of successful precruitment.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

A recent poll of U.S. workers found that the one thing we most want from our employers is job security.  While that’s completely understandable in today’s crazy world of work, I’m afraid we’re more likely to get a visit from our fairy godmother.

The global economy is now more interconnected and interdependent than at any other time in history.  If government economic policies change in China, U.S. producers are affected.  If consumer tastes change in Europe, American businesses feel the impact.  If a South American company goes bankrupt, the people working in its plant in Tennessee will be hurt.

It is a highly turbulent and unpredictable environment.  And that uncertainty makes it all but impossible for our employers—whether they are American or foreign-based organizations—to predict what kinds of talent they will need tomorrow or the day after, let alone six months from now.  As a result, they might promise us job security, but they can’t deliver it.

If you don’t believe me, consider this.  The average tenure of a CEO in their job is now down to less than four years.  If that insecurity can happen in the corner office, it can (and will) happen everywhere else in the organization.

But, you know what?  I’m delighted that job security has joined the gold watch and buggy whip.  Think about it.  Job security was something only employers could provide, and they did so only when it suited their financial interests.  We had no control over the situation, so we stood around hat-in-hand, hoping for a little something we could count on from organizations that were more interested in counting their profits.

What’s the alternative?

Career security.  It’s the ability to stay employed in jobs of our choosing, regardless of the economic situation in any country or the financial condition of any one employer.  Career security is something we create for ourselves, so we control what happens to us in the workplace.  We become the master of our career, rather than its victim.

Instead of hoping that our employer will hang onto us when its business turns down, we monitor the employer’s status and if it starts to weaken, we take the initiative and move to a new workplace opportunity.  Instead of wishing upon a star when our employer gets bought, moved to a new location or reorganized, we line up options with other organizations to ensure our star keeps rising.

Now, some employers will say that such behavior is disloyal.  It’s not.  There are always two parties in the expression of loyalty, and loyalty only makes sense when there’s reciprocity between them.  In other words, if we are loyal to our employers, they should offer their loyalty to us in return.  The death of job security, however, has destroyed that reciprocity.  Employers can no longer be loyal to us, so we must be loyal to ourselves.  And, career security is the way we do so.

How is career security achieved?  I think it involves three steps.

First, we have to get to know ourselves.  We have to figure out what we love to do and do best.  That’s not our passion; it’s our talent.  Everyone is born with a natural capability or talent, but only those who take care of it—those who never stop developing its range and depth—can achieve career security.  And to make such a commitment, we have to know what our talent is.

Second, we have to take our talent to work.  We have to arrive with all of our talent each day and use it to do our best work every day.  Employers are desperate for such high performing employees.  In fact, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, 70% are now paying bonuses to hire talented contributors, and 65% are paying above market salaries to hang onto them.

Third, we must keep our career strong.  We can only work at our talent and use it to do our best work if you are employed by the right organizations and in the right jobs.  Career self-management by hoping for the best (or waiting for our employers to deliver it) is a sure-fire formula for career cardiac arrest or what most of us call unemployment.  Proactively reaching for opportunities where we can excel, in contrast, is the single best way to increase both the paycheck and the satisfaction we bring home from work.

Job security is definitely an attractive idea, but it’s an idea whose time has passed.  Career security, on the other hand, is a concept fit for the turbulent world of work in the 21 st Century.  It has the power and the promise to position us for enduring success.  And, it is acquired from the only source we can really count on—ourselves.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at WEDDLEs.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.