JOB & Advice Corner |
|
3 Common Time-Wasters To Avoid When Looking For A Job… By Andrew Russell, MA Career Strategist and Organizational Staffing Consultant If you are seeking a job paying $120,000 level, each wasted week is worth over $2,300. Yet, many executives unnecessary waste many weeks or months trying to get that ‘one’ good offer. Here are the three most common time-wasters and practical recommendations to make your job search more successful: Time-waster #1: ‘Find me in a crowd’ It is estimated that over 120,000 of new resumes are posted on job boards every week. Some job boards claim to have tens of millions of existing resumes already online. Adding your resume to this massive collection may seem a logical thing to do, but if this is your primary job search method, expect a success rate of less than 5%. This option can only be recommended to executives who are casually exploring the job market and just want to ‘test the waters’. Time-waster #2: ‘Send it and they will come’ Many executives appreciate the power of the ‘hidden job market’, since many positions are not publicly advertised. But sending your resume unsolicited to multiple companies may not bring expected results. We asked numerous employers (from major multinationals to small enterprises) what they think of cold resume. In only about 1% of cases, employers admitted to hiring an executive who submitted a cold application. If you want this method to work, be prepared to approach thousands of companies. Also, keep in mind the confidentiality of your search since many of these employers are probably in similar industries. Time-waster #3: ‘Recruit me’ Recruiters work for employers. Executives who expect recruiters to magically present them with offers often ignore this fact. They think that sending applications to recruiters is all it takes. The reality is, a recruiter is looking for the ‘right fit’ and will only contact a candidate if he/she feels strongly enough that an offer can be made. Don’t just send your resume to recruiters; call them, introduce yourself and try to find out more about their current portfolio of positions. If you are asked to submit your resume, follow up. The secret of dealing with recruiters is not to pester them, but to understand what type of applicant they are looking for. WEEKLY CAREER TIP: There is a lot of confusion about writing a proper resume. |