The economy is bad. Scratch that — it’s in the toilet. As of press date, unemployment was at 6%, with thousands of talented, credentialed people struggling to find work. Evelyn Rivera is one of them. In November 2001, Rivera was laid off from Merrill Lynch & Co., where she worked as a marketing associate for six years. With roughly 10 years of public relations experience, a bachelor’s in communication arts, and nine credits shy of a master’s in the same field, Rivera has spent the last nine months booking meetings in a dead-end temp position at Morgan Stanley.
Many career experts agree that if you’re educated, experienced, and good at what you do but have been laid off or out of work for more than a year, your approach to job hunting may be all wrong. First, forget what you knew. Landing a job today in this competitive job market requires — in addition to talent and skills — creativity, initiative, and extensive knowledge of your industry. It’s important to have access to the right people.
“People think that résumés get you jobs,” says Ron Mason, a human resources consultant formerly of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. “Résumés get you access, but you’ve got to increase the possibility of access through different techniques.”
Consider the following techniques and hiring trends for getting in the door and landing a job:
BE PROACTIVE
Angella Bearden-Byrd, an executive staff member of Computer Science Corp. (CSC) in Fairfax, Virginia, hadn’t considered leaving her job as an assistant VP of the information technology company CENTECH until a friend who had worked for CSC for 25 years told her about the benefits of joining a larger global IT company. On her friend’s prompting, Bearden-Byrd introduced herself to CSC’s top brass. “I sent out an e-mail to all the top executives of the company, saying that I was interested in joining and wanted to know if anyone had an opening in any of the business units.” As far as Bearden-Byrd knew, CSC had no openings, but she remained persistent.
“I just put out a feeler. You’ve got to try your luck. You’ll be surprised at what is not actually posted with HR, or in the newspaper, or through any other channels,” Bearden-Byrd says. “And because people are busy, they may not have had the time to post the job.”
Her assertiveness paid off. Less than three months after September 11 — a time when many employees were feeling the most vulnerable about the economy — she was hired at CSC. The lesson: You can’t let fear paralyze your efforts. It’s more important to be creative and forward thinking, literally seeking out prospects. Mason suggests targeting companies that are relocating. “In many situations, they are moving with only part of their staff,” he says. “Reaching out before they make any solid decisions is an opportunity to gain access to a hiring manager within that company to make a direct pitch.”
NETWORKING IS MORE THAN SHOWING UP FOR COCKTAILS
Since 75% percent of all jobs are attained through networking, 75% of your effort should be spent networking, says Andrea Bradford, a vice president at Right Management Consultants, a leading career placement firm in New York City. Most jobs are never posted. Thus, effective networking is finding professionals with whom you can develop a relationship and gain specific information about current opportunities in your industry.
Networking with a friend was Bearden-Byrd’s entree to CSC. The recommendation from her friend went a long way. “They [hiring managers at CSC] contacted my friend and other colleagues about my background. They got back a lot of good information, and I ended up with four offers,” she says.
Recommendations from associates often prove to be the most effective way to get your foot in the door. “Executives love to receive internal recommendations from employees who are already there because there is some history there,” says Meldron Young, a human resources consultant at the American Management Association in New York City.
Bradford agrees. “With networking, a person may say, ‘I’ll call my friend Joe and tell him about you.’ People tend to hire people they know or who have been recommended by people they know.”
Getting to know the right people, however, takes work. “People say they network all the time,” says Bradford, “but what does that mean?” Networking is more than an evening of cocktails at a social mixer. According to Mason, the information shared at such events is often dated. “Networking is about selling,” says Bradford and not about looking for the “hookup” or complaining about why you’re not working. It’s learning to talk about yourself in the most impressive ways, while communicating your abilities, your experiences, and what they could bring to a prospective organization. There are several ways to effectively increase your networking opportunities:
Ask for an informational interview. Most trade publications have a section resembling BLACK ENTERPRISE’s “On the Move” page, which is featured in the Powerplay department and lists the promotions and achievements of industry professionals. Mason suggests calling an executive for a discovery interview, where you can ask about his or her career path and new developments in the industry. “It takes the pressure off,” adds Bradford. “You want their advice. You’re not saying, ‘I expect you to have a job.’ Make sure you put that disclaimer in when you call. But they can answer questions about who is hiring.” Mason concurs, adding that discovery interviews often turn into job opportunities. “If they’re like me, they may say, ‘You know, you should call Bob.’ Bob may be the person you can ask for a job.”
Become active in industry organizations. “I don’t belong to any,” says Rivera. “I am planning on joining the National Black Public Relations Society. I know that’s important if I want to get contacts.”
Even more crucial than attending meetings is joining a committee. You’re not working, so invest your time. “It gives people in the organization, who are all tied to your profession, an opportunity to see how you work,” says Mason. “What you’ll find is that others will begin to network on your behalf.”
GET YOUR RéSUMé IN ORDER
Companies and recruiters receive thousands of résumés per job listing and have little time to address résumés that don’t speak specifically to the job posted, particularly since those doing the weeding in the human resources department often have marginal insight about the intricacies of the position. Résumés have to be clear and thorough. And because of the volume, many companies are now relying on computer programs to cull the best possible candidates. These computer programs search for jargon related to the position and key words relating to the job description. “People have to know this stuff,” says Frances Roehm, who with Margaret Riley Dikel co-authored the Guide to Internet Job Searching 2002 — 03 (VGM Career Books, $14.95), “because you’ll never get a letter saying sorry it wasn’t what we were looking for.” So, how will your résumé get noticed?
Have a scannable résumé. Since January 2002, Rivera estimates that she’s sent out more than 30 résumés, from which she has received eight interviews — all for administrative work, none in PR. What Rivera didn’t realize is that because of the large volume of applications companies receive, many résumés
are sent through scanners. But even those résumés read by hiring managers are scrutinized in a similar manner. If your résumé doesn’t have sufficient white space or is in an offbeat font, the computer will reject it. “Make sure you have plenty of white space and use simple fontslike Times Roman and Courier,” explains Roehm. “No bolding, no fancy fonts. The computer is also checking for the skills and key words that fit with the job description. Everything has to be spelled out, including the industry jargon and the software you’re familiar with. The computer has got to be able to find it and read it. If not, you are not going to be able to connect with a human being on the other end.”
Rivera’s résumé, which is littered with italics, bullets, and uses few key words specific to her work in public relations, is not scannable. “I had no idea companies were doing that,” says Rivera. “That might explain why I keep getting called in for administrative work. That’s my background and it’s heavily reflected on my résumé. How many people know about this?”
Provide the facts in detail. You have to provide all of the relevant details for your profile, including dates and titles for the jobs and positions you’ve held. “You’d be surprised at how people try to smooth it over and make their jobs seem like something bigger and lose a lot of the detail that’s really beneficial to them,” says Sharon Hall, a managing director for the executive search firm Spencer Stuart in Atlanta. “I get résumés that will say, ‘I was senior vice president from 1989 — 1999,'” says Hall. “They’re thinking, I got the highest title I’ve ever had and I’ll spread it across my whole tenure with this company. [But] what you’re showing me is that you haven’t gotten promoted in 10 years.”
Show performance. Illustrate how, through measurable accomplishments, you’ve helped your companies grow. Rivera found this to be a struggle. “I’ve worked on so many projects, where we’ve actually spent a lot of money. I would really have to think about where I’ve been able to save money for a division.” Recalling your accomplishments is often difficult for many employees, says Young. And if you haven’t kept records of your achievements, they can be easily overlooked. “Most of us just work,” he explains. “We don’t stop to recognize our efforts, but it’s important that we keep track. It’s not enough to say that I sold cookies. How much revenue did you generate?” asks Young. You want to put quantitative information in a hiring manager’s face about how you affected the bottom line, says Bradford. “Mention that you were awarded sales manager of the year, or saved the corporation $3 million by instituting a more efficient system.”
TALK THAT TALK
You look good on paper, you’ve gotten called in for first-round interviews, but you can’t seem to cement an offer. “At the senior executive level, it’s about relationship, style, and chemistry — so the meeting is key,” says Mason. “It’s about what you say and how you say it. A top executive is looking to see if this marriage is going to work.”
You may have all the necessary degrees, but if you’ve been selected for an interview, employers assume that you’ve learned what you had to in school. They are now interested in skills you’ve acquired outside the curriculum, says Mark Rice, Murata dean at the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Boston. “They are looking for communications, teaming, and leadership skills; thinking on your feet; dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity; selling; and negotiating.” So how do you make an impressive showing?
Do real research. You’ve got to know more about a company than how long it has been in business and that it has offices all over the world. Was it recently acquired? Did it recently close a division? You also have to know your industry. “We hit every subtopic within the particular areas of my career path, A to Z,” says Bearden-Byrd about her interview for her new position. “I was more than fluid in any one of those areas and can more than carry my weight talking about any given aspect of my industry and how they tie together. Technology changes every six months. If you don’t keep up, you’ll be out quickly. You have to understand not just the infrastructure and applications, but methodology, where technology is going, and the trends.”
Sell, Sell, Sell. This is your opportunity to communicate your knowledge of what the position requires and how you can contribute to the company. “You can’t go in and say what your vision for the company is anymore,” says Pierre Mornell, author of Games Companies Play: The Job Hunter’s Guide to Playing Smart & Winning Big in the High-Stakes Hiring Game (Ten Speed Press, $17.95). “A hiring manager is going to stifle a big yawn.” Erica Benson, CEO of A-Solution uses the acronym SELL to describe a successful interview technique: showing your accomplishments, enthusiasm to demonstrate your interest, listening to understand what precisely you’ve been asked, and leveraging your skills to show how the company could benefit from your expertise.
Ask hard questions. “It’s always amazing to me that candidates are so poorly prepared to deal with asking questions at the conclusion of their interview,” says Mornell, who suggests considering the interview as a business conversation. This is as much an
THE RESUME, THE PITCH, THE CLOSE
investment for you as it is for the prospective company. Questions help present you as more engaging. Employers are looking for specific feedback. “They’re listening to the questions the applicant asks as an indicator of how deeply they’ve thought about our company, our job, and our industry. [Based on that] they judge how intuitive applicants are, how creative and insightful they are.”
At the same time interviews are becoming increasingly more structured, particularly with applicants at senior levels. “This is just not a hire,” explains Bradford. “It’s an investment. That’s more the mentality now than ever before. Employers want to see as many candidates as they can so they can make comparisons, simply because there are more people to see. So instead of it taking two rounds of interviews, you may be called back five or six times.” If you understand the structure of the interviewing process and you have done your homework, you will be best prepared to handle these sessions.
Interviews today are more situational and behavioral-based, with employers asking questions based on real or hypothetical events. “If they see that you managed individuals on your résumé, they may ask how you handled a difficult employee or missing a deadline,” says Benson.
But the newest technique is called Targeted Selection, a technique put together by a company called Development Dimensions International (DDI). “It is so process-driven that the questionnaire is based on the job analysis,” says Young. “A set of questions is formed from looking at the résumé and in most cases you are interviewed by a panel. That’s why you’re talking to so many people.” Each interviewer will ask a set of questions in anticipation of the candidate completing a STAR: They present a situation, ask about the candidate’s particular task, ask what action they took, and what was the result of that action?
“If a person doesn’t answer all four effectively, they don’t get a complete star,” explains Young. “But if you know the technique, the moment they use it on you, you know where you’re going.”
KEEP AN OPEN MIND
As critical as it is to be focused and strategic, this tight job market also requires applicants to be flexible and open to less traditional work options. Mason suggests finding project work. “There are a number of different interim staffing organizations that exist depending on the industry. They supply companies that are looking for people with a set of skills for a particular project.” Such assignments may be found locally or require temporarily relocating. But according to Mason, project assignments can s
ometimes lead to full-time employment.
The first step to finding these opportunities is changing your attitude, says Laurence Stybel, president of the outplacement firm Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire in Boston. “People think that going from a W2 assignment to a project assignment is a step down. As long as they see it as less desirable or as a lower occupation, they’re going to feel bad about themselves. They need to understand that’s just the way it is. Structure your job search for the flexibility that tough economic times demand.”
RESOURCES FOR YOUR SEARCH
Allen and Associates (www.allenandassociates.com) is a career marketing and outplacement firm that places candidates through a three-step process: creating a personalized action plan, building a career portfolio that speaks specifically to your industry, and targeting employers directly through a network of nonadvertised job channels. The company also offers a free résumé critique and career evaluation.
Research industries and companies, as well as regions on www.hoo vers.com, www.wetfeet.com, and www.vault.com.
Guide to Internet Job Searching 2002 — 03 (VGM Career Books, $14.95), by Margaret Riley Dikel and Frances E. Roehm, focuses on the importance of targeted job searches via the Web. The book demonstrates how to properly prepare your résumé for job applications posted on the Internet and provides a list of state and industry job-lead banks
Games Companies Play: The Job Hunter’s Guide to Playing Smart & Winning Big in the High-Stakes Hiring Game (Ten Speed Press, $17.95), by Pierre Mornell, offers step-by-step strategies for job hunting, including information on checking a company for biases. Among Mornell’s suggestions are looking for companies that have summer internship programs. “They are usually more serious about recruiting a more diverse workforce,” he says.
Encyclopedia of Associations, found at your local library, is a comprehensive database of detailed information on more than 135,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide. It provides addresses and descriptions of a variety of groups, including professional societies, trade associations, and labor unions. It’s updated five times a year.
CREATING A SCANNABLE RESUME
Want your résumé read? If it’s not in a scannable format, it won’t get noticed. Many companies and most government agencies rely on computers to weed out résumés. Applications read by human resources professionals are scrutinized in the same manner. Here’s how to get your résumé in order.
- Use simple and familiar fonts, such as Times Roman and Courier, in point sizes between 10 and 12. Avoid using fonts that touch.
- Eliminate bullets, italics, underlining, and graphics. Some systems identify bold print. You may use capital letters.
- Use industry jargon to describe your work. Your experience and successes should be described by nouns, not verbs. Do not fold or staple your résumé.
Check out the following Websites for more information and examples: The University of Kentucky’s Career Center (www.uky.edu/Career Center/scanhowto.html); MonsterTRAK (www.jobtrak.com); and Proven Résumés (www.provenresumes.com).