That Other Black Hole – Job Seeker Amnesia

You have been praying for that phone to ring. You have graduated from a post-and-pray job search methodology after you realized that sitting at your computer pushing buttons to apply online is only one aspect of your search. And the phone has not been ringing. You have expanded your social networking contacts, arranged for real life meetings with influential people and have a powerful sense that you are finally on the right track. What could possibly go wrong? Then the phone rings as you are about to have that first cup of coffee and you are not quite awake yet… maybe you forgot the part about a job search being a full time job and overslept… again. The voice on the other end of the line sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher: “Wah wah waaaah, wa wa wa waaah!” Burning your mouth on a quick sip of molten lava you thought was coffee further confuses your brain, but at least you are awake now.

This could be Rachael from Card Services on a robocall for the 145^th time this week about your final opportunity for reducing your credit card rate, but it could also be THE callback about your dream job. Quickly composing yourself, you get the name of the person calling and the company they represent. Noticeable silence takes over the conversation as your mind goes completely blank. The thought crosses your mind, “If I pretend to be someone else maybe she won’t think I’m a total idiot” but then you realize that you can’t risk not opening a door if opportunity is knocking.

How do I know this happens? It’s because I’ve been that voice on the other end of the line. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened while calling a job seeker and the conversation went strangely silent. I should be used to this by now, but there is a subtle irony in these situations. If those of us in the recruiting profession fail to acknowledge a candidate immediately, we are considered stupid, lazy or both. If we are late in contacting someone because of changing priorities, we are thoughtless. If we don’t respond to your application we have apparently trusted too much in automation and shoved you into a black hole. When the shoe is on the other foot and the recruiter is sucked into the job seekers’ bottomless void of amnesia, is it really so different?

To avoid embarrassing situations and immediately send the message that you are lucid, organized and eager to talk, it is absolutely imperative that you keep detailed records of all of your contacts, applications, leads, conversations and anything else that could keep you on track. The logical place for a do-it-yourself approach is on a spreadsheet with all the information entered every day to make sure it will be available. A quick search for the name on the other end of the phone should give you an idea of who is calling and why. Not good with computers? I’m tempted to say that you should learn or get left behind, but a notebook, index card system or other manual ledger account can do the same thing, only not as fast.

There are contact management systems used by sales professionals that could be right for this job, but most are not tailored for use by a job seeker and can be expensive. JibberJobber is an excellent online contact manager designed specifically for the job seeker and leaves little to be added other than entering your data every day of your search. There are other job help sites that collect your data and apply directly to jobs for you, but be cautious about relinquishing control of your search to pushing buttons and automatically handling data… remember, that is what you hate most about us recruiters.

Really, the reason for keeping records is not just to prevent embarrassment. In order to know what is working and what needs improvement you need to keep metrics on your progress and make thoughtful corrections to your practices. Finally, the biggest reason to keep track is that you are not doing this alone in a vacuum… remembering to say “thank you” is the best feedback you can give.

 
Image credit: mjp / 123RF Stock Photo