By Andrew Gonsalves
www.andrewgonsalves.com www.tfproject.org
Finding a good job is tough these days! I'm sure it varies from industry to industry, but I've been having a hell of a time! The economy sucks, companies aren't hiring, and there are tons of people out there all looking to cram into the same seat. I've been submitting my resume every morning to every job posting I can find that matches my skills. This all, for the last 2 months. Before that, I was only casually seeking a new job, only submitting my resume to friends and the odd posting that I found when I felt like looking. Still, in all this time, I have only managed to land 1 interview. I await the results of that interview, to be delivered in the middle of next week.
I felt that I should talk about my experiences during my job search and what I have learned from feedback and introspection. To consistently fail for several months is discouraging, but I want to high-tail it out of my current position so badly that I keep on trying. It has become part of my routine and I'm still learning new things every day. Of course, any advice I may give comes with the caveat that I still don't have a job. On the other hand, its not like the professional career guidance counselors go around applying for jobs just to prove that their methods work. What I can claim is that my adjustments to my strategy have netted instant and noticeable changes in the amount and type of responses that I receive.
I'm also able to look at this from the perspective of an employer because during this time, I was also seeking to hire someone in my current position. I saw a lot of resumes and conducted a few interviews. I'll tell you what worked for me and what didn't.
Let's start with what I've learned about my resume.
Resume Tips:
1. One-page resumes are for high school and college grads, not experienced professionals.
My biggest problem with my resume came to my attention when I was browsing incoming applications at my current job. When resumes occupied up to 2 or 3 pages, I found that I was more informed about an applicant. I usually threw away the resumes that were a meager single page because they did not give me any idea as to what experience the person had. After noticing this about other resumes, I realized that my own resume was grossly inferior.
That night, I went home and spent hours rewriting my resume from top to bottom. At the end of that ordeal, I had 2 pages and a satisfied feeling of confidence about my future. In re-writing, I also applied a few more tips that I have picked up from my browsing...
2. Describe your job duties in terms of your accomplishments.
In my old resume, under each position, I had only listed what my responsibilities were and what technologies I used. This was fine when searching for an entry level job, but I've got "Manager" in my title now. I needed something better. When I re-wrote my resume, I decided to outline my job description with the effects I had on my company's performance. It is one thing to do a job, it is quite another thing to make your company better with the work that you do. I recalled how I reformed the development process to increase efficiency. I mentioned the proposals I submitted to reorganize and save money. I described how many times I was called on to perform a specific task, to express how experienced I was with certain technologies. I also had to brag about the effectiveness of my search engine optimization strategies by supplying clean cut numbers to support them.
The next morning, when I submitted my brand new resume to a new crop of potential employers, I had immediate interest that spurred a couple phone interviews.
3. Fill in the blanks, if you can.
Two years ago, I was out of a job. That doesn't mean, though, that I wasn't working. I was actually doing freelance work when called upon, but I never put that in my resume. People would always ask what that big gap in my resume was and I'd always tell them, but it dawned on me that it was a point of concern for them. However, it wasn't until just recently when a recruiter specifically requested that I fill in the gaping hole of time with SOMETHING. I did, per his request, and wouldn't you know it, I received even more attention.
Now, all this attention is great, but I'm in a stuffed market with few openings and a lot of competition. There are still no job offers, but I can tell that I'm getting close.
4. It is OK to describe yourself.
It was a few years ago when I received the advice, "Keep it clean and simple." This means that only the cold hard facts need apply to a resume. When browsing submissions, though, I felt underwhelmed by lists of job descriptions and technical skills. The position I was hiring for also needed people skills. In my own resume, I strived to express WHO I am, because I'm not just another cog in the machine. If I'm aiming high, I need to give my employers the message that I am a mature, responsible guy who is ambitious and clever as all get out. If I wanted to be just another programmer, my personality might not matter and I might save that for my cover letter instead. However, I'm a product manager, so personal interaction and self-motivation is huge.
Job Hunting Tips:
1. Diversity is good, but you can't deny the facts.
I'll make it simple: My response rate from jobs on craigslist is about 7%. My response rate from jobs on other job boards (dice, monster, etc): 0%. The only thing that job sites are good at are getting recruiters to see your resume. I've submitted about 50 resumes through Dice in the last month, for instance. Not one employer has contacted me. However, I have gotten about 10 recruiters who call me, wanting to place a position I matched up for. craigslist, on the other had, is absolutely stellar for making your case to an employer. Most of the postings there beg you to give them a sample of your sass. My one actual interview came from a craigslist posting.
2. Recruiters are good friends to have.
Don't let the job board impotency scare you away. Recruiters are vital for informing you about how you can improve your resume. Many of my subsequent resume revisions have come from the insistence of recruiters because they wouldn't submit my resume without certain information. Their credibility depends on the quality of the people who they suggest to their clients, so its in their best interest to set you up with good advice. Recruiters will only contact you if your resume is fresh in the system, so keep updating it to keep getting calls.
3. Be realistic about your expected salary.
If I were to do a little research (Ok, you got me, I did it already) I would find that the average salary for my position in my city is actually TWICE what I am currently making right now. That's incredible, right? If only I could hop over to one of those average companies. Well, in my naive experience, I mention this so-called average to potential employers and they forget to call me back for an actual interview. Employers want to know what you make currently, so they can offer you the same or only slightly more. They're not interested in giving someone a glorious payday, they want to pay you what the market thinks you're worth.
4. Use your contacts.
Many of the people who I have worked with in the past have moved on to bigger and better things. While they were mere employees at the company where I knew them from, they have since made contacts of their own with their new adventures. By getting in contact with them, they gave me access to the people who currently help them out. Some friends knew recruiters who they eagerly submitted my resume to. Some friends had job openings in their respective companies and sent my resume to their HR department. I got a lot of mileage out of the people who I've been graceful with in the past.
Now, if you're wondering, my ONE interview went GREAT. At least,
I think it did. I still don't know for sure and I won't know until next week. However, I'm confident that I did the best that I could and here are some tactics that I used.
Interviewing Tips:
1. Ask lots of questions.
Pretend you're on a date. Ask your date about their selves. People love to talk about themselves and the opportunity to do so will help them enjoy their time with you. It also lets them know that you're interested. The kinds of questions that you ask are probably more indicative of your talent than the answers you give. Ask them about the company, about the environment. Ask them where they see you fitting in, about where they want to go as a company, and what challenges they face. If you don't ask questions, you're just a deer caught in headlights and you can't think on your feet. Interviews are nervous things and you need to prove that you can maintain composure under pressure.
2. Smile a lot.
But don't look crazy. Smile to let them know you understand. Smile to show them you're excited. Smile to be friendly and open. Smile to let them know you're alive. It is important to communicate that you're a pleasant person, even if (dog forbid) you aren't. A joke might be advisable, but that obviously depends on if it is funny or not. A lot of people who I've interviewed forget to smile, and that makes me wonder about what they think of me, or my office. Smiling lets them know that you approve.
3. Be completely decent.
I've conducted interviews where the subject sketched aimlessly on a pad of paper while I talked. I've been interrupted by an overzealous applicant who wanted to prove they knew the answer before I asked the question. I've interviewed people who showed up in a t-shirt and jeans. I've sent a guy home that lied about why he didn't call to announce he was late. I ended up hiring the guy who showed up early, in a suit (despite the company's casual dress code) and waited patiently for his turn to speak. None of the stuff that comes out of your mouth matters if you don't have this little detail under control first.
I hope to find a new job soon, and I wish everyone else luck in finding a job as well. Except if you're an internet product manager looking for a job in Manhattan, NY.