Wes Bucey
Prophet of Profit
In the ten plus years I've been writing threads on how to hunt for a job, the complaint I get most often from applicants is "Why don't they even answer with a 'sorry' to my emails?"
The simple answer is:
"If your cover letter and resume didn't pass the 'sniff test,' that employer has instructed his clerks (directly or indirectly) to simply trash it because he gets no direct benefit from letting applicants know they didn't measure up." Obviously, the conscience of the employer is more easily soothed when he is trashing applications sent to a blind box.
If the employer uses software to sift through cover letters and resumes for key words and buzz words and yours lacked them - they are discarded before a human ever lays eyes on them. Machines don't have consciences.
Here's some recent data:
Recruiters also advise people to send resumes in .pdf format, which can be secured in read-only mode. Many people send Word or Excel documents, which can be inadvertently distorted and even tampered with if, say, somebody processing the resume wants a friend to get the job and is venal enough to sabotage other people?s resumes.
A new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that, on average, it takes less than five minutes for a decision to be made on whether a candidate's resume is strong enough to push a candidate to the next level in the hiring process. Among other notable points in the survey: When asked what could give a candidate an edge against the competition, 66% of employers said they prefer chronological resumes (with education and experience in reverse order), 43% want to see resumes in bulleted format and 43% prefer resumes to be tailored to a specific industry.
Years ago, I wrote that EVERY person reading a resume and cover letter (lowly clerk or CEO) starts off with the same mind set, especially when confronted with a stack of similar "white bread" applications:
"Ho hum! Another resume. Whoop-de-doo."
It seems clear to me that to avoid the fate of many who send out hundreds of applications and receive zero replies, the applicant has to work smarter, not harder, to get noticed.
Job hunting IS a job. It requires skills, focus, and perseverance. The threads I list below can help with the skills, maybe give you some tips on how to focus, but only YOU can provide the perseverance to keep at it until you are successful.
It costs nothing to read through these threads and you may find something which strikes a responsive chord in you.
As a contract worker, you should pay special attention to this thread:
Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
I started and wrote in these threads over a number of years. The advice I give is still valid - advice by others is sometimes problematic.
Thinking about a New Job for New Year?
Still Thinking about a New Job for New Year?
Resume and cover letter - How good are yours?
The Job Hunt - Care and feeding of references
Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting
Consulting ? Is it in YOUR Career Future?
Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
Some other threads which might help give you perspective
A Headhunter says he has job hunt secrets
Four "Power Tips" for your resume (and interview!)
Some ugly truths about job hunting
More ugly truths (how to cope)
Never give up!
Put some zip in your resume or cover letter
Keeping your cool means keeping your job
Perception can outweigh reality
One of the job search tools we have discussed recently is a Skills Assessment Matrix (SAM) - essentially a spread sheet where a candidate lists his skills and experience and assigns values to each item, thus focusing on his strong points to offer to an employer and determining weak points which may need more study or a good explanation of how the candidate can upgrade through education or opportunity.
Matching the items in a SAM with requirements and attributes of prospective employment targets helps a candidate narrow his search.
One of the advantages of a Skills Assessment Matrix (SAM) is that it helps a person make value judgments about which aspects are more important than others.
I've discussed SAMs only tangentially in the past, but it may be a good idea to explore this tool in depth, especially as to how a well-executed SAM can help focus one's efforts in any contemplated activity:
In the end, it is not MY judgment which should direct your life: it should be yours, once you have weighed all the variables.
Once you have a grid for yourself, you need to create another grid of the features, perquisites, pay, working conditions, etc. of the ideal organization you'd like to work for. Here (in the grid), it's OK to shoot for the sky because it's your "want" list, not your "settle for" list.
Next, you need to create a list of prospect organizations and research them to see which have close fits to your want list. Fill in a grid with the prospects in rows of column one, with the various points of your want list in columns 2 through "n" and fill in the cells with the point factor your research discloses.
Select the best prospects (according to your matches against your want list) and then compare your skill list against what those organizations need or want. I envision a grid with the organizations in rows in column 1 with each of your best through medium level skills in columns 2 through n. Your research should be able to give you a value level to put in each cell according to how valuable or necessary that skill may be to the organization.
Combining the data from the skills should give you a short list of targets to approach, using the pointers in Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting.
It's immaterial whether each target is seeking employees (but your research would have disclosed that fact) because your approach should be to avoid getting caught in the same net with hundreds of other candidates. You want to stand out as a unique individual who can and will deliver value to the organization. Accordingly, each approach you make will be unique and tailored specifically for that organization.
Make no mistake. This is not an easy, casual task anyone can complete in a couple of hours. Consider, though, that a good process will result in a good job which will give you satisfaction and reward you according to your merit. With that in mind, it seems worth it to spend days and even weeks compiling the grid(s) before making the first approach to a target.
A sample grid would have 5 columns
Column 1 would be a list of characteristics or attributes ANY person looking for a management job might possess
Columns 2 through 5 would be values from 1 to 4 with 1 being a low value and 4 being a high value
The analysis consists of going down the list and checking the appropriate box for the value you have for each characteristic.
The following is a list of attributes/characteristics for a marketing manager in a mid- to large-organization - add other items regarding relocation, travel, commission versus salary, commute distance/time, benefits, etc. which are important to you (how important based on which box you check!)
The simple answer is:
"If your cover letter and resume didn't pass the 'sniff test,' that employer has instructed his clerks (directly or indirectly) to simply trash it because he gets no direct benefit from letting applicants know they didn't measure up." Obviously, the conscience of the employer is more easily soothed when he is trashing applications sent to a blind box.
If the employer uses software to sift through cover letters and resumes for key words and buzz words and yours lacked them - they are discarded before a human ever lays eyes on them. Machines don't have consciences.
Here's some recent data:
Recruiters also advise people to send resumes in .pdf format, which can be secured in read-only mode. Many people send Word or Excel documents, which can be inadvertently distorted and even tampered with if, say, somebody processing the resume wants a friend to get the job and is venal enough to sabotage other people?s resumes.
A new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that, on average, it takes less than five minutes for a decision to be made on whether a candidate's resume is strong enough to push a candidate to the next level in the hiring process. Among other notable points in the survey: When asked what could give a candidate an edge against the competition, 66% of employers said they prefer chronological resumes (with education and experience in reverse order), 43% want to see resumes in bulleted format and 43% prefer resumes to be tailored to a specific industry.
Years ago, I wrote that EVERY person reading a resume and cover letter (lowly clerk or CEO) starts off with the same mind set, especially when confronted with a stack of similar "white bread" applications:
"Ho hum! Another resume. Whoop-de-doo."
It seems clear to me that to avoid the fate of many who send out hundreds of applications and receive zero replies, the applicant has to work smarter, not harder, to get noticed.
Job hunting IS a job. It requires skills, focus, and perseverance. The threads I list below can help with the skills, maybe give you some tips on how to focus, but only YOU can provide the perseverance to keep at it until you are successful.
It costs nothing to read through these threads and you may find something which strikes a responsive chord in you.
As a contract worker, you should pay special attention to this thread:
Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
I started and wrote in these threads over a number of years. The advice I give is still valid - advice by others is sometimes problematic.
Thinking about a New Job for New Year?
Still Thinking about a New Job for New Year?
Resume and cover letter - How good are yours?
The Job Hunt - Care and feeding of references
Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting
Consulting ? Is it in YOUR Career Future?
Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
Some other threads which might help give you perspective
A Headhunter says he has job hunt secrets
Four "Power Tips" for your resume (and interview!)
Some ugly truths about job hunting
More ugly truths (how to cope)
Never give up!
Put some zip in your resume or cover letter
Keeping your cool means keeping your job
Perception can outweigh reality
One of the job search tools we have discussed recently is a Skills Assessment Matrix (SAM) - essentially a spread sheet where a candidate lists his skills and experience and assigns values to each item, thus focusing on his strong points to offer to an employer and determining weak points which may need more study or a good explanation of how the candidate can upgrade through education or opportunity.
Matching the items in a SAM with requirements and attributes of prospective employment targets helps a candidate narrow his search.
One of the advantages of a Skills Assessment Matrix (SAM) is that it helps a person make value judgments about which aspects are more important than others.
I've discussed SAMs only tangentially in the past, but it may be a good idea to explore this tool in depth, especially as to how a well-executed SAM can help focus one's efforts in any contemplated activity:
- jobs,
- relocation
- education
- interpersonal relationships (friendship, dating, marriage, divorce, etc.)
- any other activity
In the end, it is not MY judgment which should direct your life: it should be yours, once you have weighed all the variables.
Once you have a grid for yourself, you need to create another grid of the features, perquisites, pay, working conditions, etc. of the ideal organization you'd like to work for. Here (in the grid), it's OK to shoot for the sky because it's your "want" list, not your "settle for" list.
Next, you need to create a list of prospect organizations and research them to see which have close fits to your want list. Fill in a grid with the prospects in rows of column one, with the various points of your want list in columns 2 through "n" and fill in the cells with the point factor your research discloses.
Select the best prospects (according to your matches against your want list) and then compare your skill list against what those organizations need or want. I envision a grid with the organizations in rows in column 1 with each of your best through medium level skills in columns 2 through n. Your research should be able to give you a value level to put in each cell according to how valuable or necessary that skill may be to the organization.
Combining the data from the skills should give you a short list of targets to approach, using the pointers in Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting.
It's immaterial whether each target is seeking employees (but your research would have disclosed that fact) because your approach should be to avoid getting caught in the same net with hundreds of other candidates. You want to stand out as a unique individual who can and will deliver value to the organization. Accordingly, each approach you make will be unique and tailored specifically for that organization.
Make no mistake. This is not an easy, casual task anyone can complete in a couple of hours. Consider, though, that a good process will result in a good job which will give you satisfaction and reward you according to your merit. With that in mind, it seems worth it to spend days and even weeks compiling the grid(s) before making the first approach to a target.
A sample grid would have 5 columns
Column 1 would be a list of characteristics or attributes ANY person looking for a management job might possess
Columns 2 through 5 would be values from 1 to 4 with 1 being a low value and 4 being a high value
The analysis consists of going down the list and checking the appropriate box for the value you have for each characteristic.
The following is a list of attributes/characteristics for a marketing manager in a mid- to large-organization - add other items regarding relocation, travel, commission versus salary, commute distance/time, benefits, etc. which are important to you (how important based on which box you check!)
- makes observations
- identifies data
- analyzes data
- makes/interprets data tables
- makes/interprets graphs
- identifies/controls a variable
- makes a prediction/hypothesis
- designs an investigation
- creates/uses models
- makes evidence based decisions
- revises predictions or explanations based on evidence
- reads for information
- communicates orally
- communicates in writing
- describes observations
- writes explanations
- makes presentations
- uses diagrams or sketches
- formulates operational definitions
- listens to others
- works collaboratively
- keeps a science journal
- categorizes/sorts information
- sequences information
- summarizes information
- differentiates observations/inferences
- differentiates evidence/opinion
- draws/analyzes concept maps
- creates/uses other graphic organizers
- uses tools correctly
- uses appropriate tools to measure
- calculates mean, median, mode
- determine a scale
- uses graphs appropriately
- follows procedures
I've noticed that UK companies tend to put it in the advert these days. It'd say something along the lines of 'if you don't hear from us within 20 days of your application please assume you've been unsuccessful'
