1 0 S T U P I D T H I N G S J O B S E E K E R S D O
T H A T G U A R A N T E E T H E Y ´ L L B E
L O O K I N G F O R W O R K A G A I N S O O N
Career planning and job hunting have become all too familiar for the majority
of Americans. In fact, the average American worker changes employers every 3.5
years, and at any point in time more than 27% of Americans are actively looking
for work. With statistics like that, it's remarkable that there are no courses
or standard processes for finding the right job or the right employer. Most job
seekers are left to pick up whatever skills and rules of thumb they can find
when looking for the perfect next job.
Perhaps ironically, there are 10 common behaviors job seekers exhibit that
professional recruiters believe actually work against a job seeker's ultimate
goal - to find the job they want and keep it for decades, not months. When
people fall into the one or more of the ten traps, they are guaranteeing that
they'll be back in the job market sooner rather than later, and they're
ultimately subverting their own objectives.
The "10 Stupid Things" job seekers do are:
* Start the job search process by updating and circulating their resumes
* Rush to the classified ads and Internet job sites
* Immediately call everyone they know and begin "networking"
* Contact search firms to sell themselves as a "perfect candidate"
* Show up for interviews at the first sign of interest
* Stress their strengths and experience in hopes that they'll convince an
interviewer they're great
* Rationalize past failures and problems
* Exaggerate the value of their experience (and their compensation)
* Fantasize about how terrific the next job will be
* Rush to accept the first bona fide job offer they get
Let´s examine them one at a time ...
1. They start the job search process by updating and circulating their resumes.
What's wrong with updating and circulating a resume is that it presumes you´re
going to have a one-size-fits-all resume. A better approach is to carefully
craft each and every resume to be most effective with its specific target
audience. After all, the objective of the resume is NOT to tell your life
story; it's to give the reader (your target audience, a potential employer)
just enough of the right information to invite you to come in for an interview.
Of course, this means you'll need to do some research on your target market
before you can prepare the focused resume and cover letter. You will also have
to determine what your own objectives, strengths, interests and limitations are
as they relate to each potential employer. All of this takes time - for in-depth
industry and company research, personal objective introspection, and careful,
detailed preparation. This is at odds with the need to immediately "update and
circulate your resume" - obviously a holdover from yesteryear when people only
changed jobs once or twice in a 40-year career, and when snail mail was still
the primary form of exchanging information.
Today with word processors, the Internet and information at everyone's
fingertips, it's easier and more important to target your resume - like a
marksman's rifle, not a shotgun - and make the system work for you instead of
against you. Instead of sending 500 resumes to every company in an industry,
it's more efficient, and ultimately more effective, to send out just a few
targeted resumes to the well-researched companies most likely to want and need
your unique mix of skills and experience.
2. They rush to the classified ads and Internet job sites
The problem with classified ads and Internet job-search sites is that they only
list the jobs that are available - the advertised job market. The chances that
the perfect job for you is open at the moment, and advertised in the same places
you´re looking, are slim. You´re better off buying a lottery ticket.
There´s nothing wrong with reviewing professional magazines and trade journals,
even the classified ads in The Wall Street Journal or your favorite online
job-search sites, but don't mistake that activity for real progress in setting
your job search strategy, defining your objectives and positioning or putting
together a sound plan for yourself. Once you´ve done all the up-front planning,
there will be plenty of time for reading through job postings.
3. They immediately call everyone they know and begin "networking"
Networking has a bad reputation. When you´re the one initiating the contact with
an ulterior motive ("Do you know of any jobs that might be of interest to me?"),
it seems like such a neat idea. When you're on the receiving end, however, it
usually sounds an alarm that says, "STOP! I'm about to be used." And the
initiator ends up being labeled a "user."
Like classified ads and Internet job sites, the chances one of your networking
contacts will actually know of the perfect job for you are pretty slim. (Back to
the local lottery ticket vendor.) Concentrate first on your strategy and
positioning. Then see if there are a couple individuals in your "network" who
can provide the information, guidance, and introductions you need.
You'll save yourself a lot of effort and potential embarrassment ? and you'll
probably be much more effective at accomplishing your real objective.
4. They contact search firms to sell themselves as a "perfect candidate"
I like professional recruiters. I really do. And, for the most part, I think
they are very good at what they do. The problem is that most people forget what
it is recruiters do and how they get paid. So they try to convince the
recruiters that they are perfect candidates for whatever searches are currently
commissioned - even if they don't know what those searches are or whether
they're even qualified to fill them.
Recruiters know this, of course, and usually have a very acceptable way to
accept your resume and "keep it on file." The chances that you´re the right
candidate for a search that's on their front burner is something in the order
of winning the lottery twice in a row - not great. So, once again, it´s okay to
submit your resume to a headhunter, but understand that it's not likely to do
much for you in the short term. Better to direct that energy to getting your
strategy, positioning and homework done first. There will be time for executive
recruiters later, as they are a potential resource for future career
opportunities and you may want to be on their radar screens in order to be a
player.
5. They show up for interviews at the first sign of interest
What could be wrong with eagerly accepting an invitation to interview for a job
when you´re out of work and praying for something to materialize yesterday? For
one thing, you'll only get one chance at the initial interview, and you want to
be fully prepared. You want time to do your homework, understand what´s about to
happen to you, find out whether this is a company you´d even consider as a
future employer, and be prepared to bring some value to the interview yourself.
If this were a presentation to your boss, or your boss's boss, you´d be
preparing for days (weeks?) to be sure you got everything just right. The
screening and selection interviews are every bit as important, and you should
prepare for them as if your career depended on them . . . and it does!
Be prepared to bring information to the interview that your prospective employer
will find valuable. Not just information about yourself and how smart you are,
but information about their business that shows you've already taken more than
a passing interest in them. Here's where the careful, comprehensive research
you've done on the industry and company comes into play again. Remember, they
are probably screening dozens of candidates for the job, and you want to stand
out in their minds as the preferred candidate - if you are at all interested.
The interview is as much about their needs and issues as it is about you. Do
your homework, double-check it, and have a presentation game plan before you
walk in the door.
6. They stress their strengths and experience in hopes that they'll convince an
interviewer they're great.
There are at least two objectives in the initial interview:
* To present your credentials, and
* To begin to assess the fit between your interests and values and those
of your prospective employer.
If you're doing all the talking - to impress someone with your accomplishments
and brilliance - it's going to be hard to learn about the company, its culture,
what kind of place it would be to work, etc. You need these insights not only
for your own decision-making process, but also to enable you to respond
appropriately to the interviewer, to demonstrate your grasp of the situation,
and to communicate your ability to help solve the company´s problems and add
value.
Talking too much also tells the prospective employer how desperate you are to
find a job - any job - and that will ultimately work against you.
It´s better to go into the interview with some well-researched questions and a
plan for asking them that doesn't make you look like the survey Nazi at the
local shopping mall or on the telephone at dinnertime. Weave the questions into
your own presentation, and keep in mind that you´re trying to communicate your
own positioning throughout the interview. Be yourself and be at your best. The
interview is a two-way street, and you don't need to supplicate yourself or
demonstrate to anyone that you'll do whatever it takes to get that job - even
if it's the wrong one for you.
7. They rationalize past failures and problems
Most people cringe when the interviewer asks them what their greatest weaknesses
are. It is because they KNOW they have a weakness, and they're trying to hide it
so it doesn't disqualify them from the job.
In truth, everyone has things they like and do well, and things they don´t like
as much and don't do so well. Why this is so sensitive an area is really a
mystery. The best way to approach the subject is not to display your defense
mechanism or rationalize past problems, but to have some objective measurement
of your strengths and weaknesses that you can use to present an honest and
balanced picture of yourself - consistent with and supportive of your
positioning.
If you haven't completed and reviewed the Myers-Briggs instrument, or the
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument lately, they're very good places to start.
There are others, like the Birkman assessment tool, but they are not as popular
so you'll have to explain them a little more thoroughly. Any of them, however,
offer a great way to talk about your uniqueness and to explain it in a way that
doesn't make your "weakness" look like a knock-out punch.
8. They exaggerate the value of their experience (and their compensation)
Experience IS valuable, but not if that's all you can talk about. Why not apply
your experience, and the valuable lessons you've learned, to a task and talk
about the difference you made on that task instead? It´s like a product
demonstration that's always more compelling than simply asserting a performance
claim. If you have done your homework, you can even demonstrate the value of
your experience in a way that's highly relevant and valuable to your prospective
employer.
Be prepared with a short and relevant anecdote from your prior experience that
demonstrates, in 2 minutes or less, how your analytical thinking, industry
knowledge, or unique background made a made a positive difference for a prior
employer - with a clear implication that you can do the same for them. This
isn't bragging; it´s offering tangible proof that you´re the right candidate.
As for your compensation history, ALWAYS tell the truth. You can qualify it
later if necessary, but don't risk getting caught in a lie before you even have
a chance to be considered.
And, while we're talking about telling the truth, there's another cardinal rule:
don´t ever badmouth a previous employer or associate. It tells more about you
and your character than it does about the person in question. Find a way to
either sidestep the issue or focus on non-controversial aspects. You don't want
to come off as a spiteful or bitter person, and that's exactly what will happen if you are not mindful of this important caveat.
9. They fantasize about how terrific the next job will be
It must be human nature to wish for a white knight to save the day. Everyone
seems to do it. The problem is that it can color your objective thinking and
personal presentation if you do it too quickly or too obviously. The next job
MIGHT be better than the last one, or not have the same problems or drawbacks,
but it MIGHT NOT too. There's something in each of us that draws us to similar
situations repeatedly. Remember how you thought your last job would be perfect
when you started? What happened?
You're better served to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised than the
other way around. You'll ask better questions and be better able to think
through the issues if you don't let your rose-colored glasses taint your view.
In many ways, the employment contract - written or oral - is not unlike a
prenuptial agreement. We think we don't need it when it's time to consider it,
but as often as not we regret the omission later.
You'll also be a better negotiator if you aren't pre-sold on how wonderful the next job will be. Let your prospective employer convince you. He or she will
then have more of a stake in your success and happiness there.
10. They rush to accept the first bona fide job offer they get
The most telling factor in how likely a job is to be the right one is how
quickly the candidate grabs the offer and accepts. When the candidate can't
wait to say "Yes!" you know the job won't last, either because they were too
desperate and too anxious to do a thorough strategic search or they're overly
optimistic about the "white knight" factor in the new job. A smart employer
knows this too, and will often wince (secretly) when the candidate says "yes"
too quickly.
You make a much better impression, and look much more professional, if you thank
the person making the offer, tell them how pleased you are to have this option,
and how well you think you'd fit in the job and company. Then commit to getting
back to them very soon with your decision.
Ideally, you'll have more than one option, and you can weigh the pros and cons
of each to come up with the best course of action. Even if you only have one,
you need to be very comfortable in your own mind that it's going to work, or
you´ll be going through the job search process again before very long.
Michael Goodman, Senior Management Consultant,
Specializing in Marketing Strategy
Author of "The Potato Chip Difference" -
How to apply leading edge marketing strategies to landing the job you want
For more information, visit www.PotatoChipDifference.com