Job Seekers: Think Like a Recruiter – Part 6

Without going back to rehash the philosophy of why it is important for a job seeker to think like a recruiter (read the archived posts if you are new to this idea*) there are two key concepts here: you are a “seeker” meaning that the objective is to find something and you must “think” to move you toward that goal. The next three parts in this series will focus on the heart of the process, seeking. There is a three pronged process to be a successful seeker. You must know what you are looking for, you must be proactive and not passive in your search, and you must be “findable” to recruiters looking for people like you.

First prong of the search – Know what you are looking for (or, if you don’t know where you are going how will you know when you get there?)

What are you looking for? If it is a just a job, you will probably get it eventually whether it fits you or not. The greeter at Wal-Mart performs a useful service to their customers who walk through the door, but that is not the job most people are seeking. There really are no small or unimportant jobs, however in this economy for-profit companies are not spending precious resources on insignificant work. All work must lead to some business related goal. The type of job best suited for each individual will vary according to their skills, goals, needs and environment. To decide on the exact match for your plan, consider each aspect of your personal inventory and develop target(s) based on your own personal situation. In order to cook up a workable plan, there needs to be an equal portion of ambition and reality. Some considerations in the formation of a target:

1. Skill match – If you have done an honest assessment of yourself, you are armed with an inventory of proven skills and measurable accomplishments to fight the battle. This may seem like common sense, but it is not always understood that this is the battlefield where you will have the best chance of winning. If you are lured into reaching for a goal in another area, the only way to win is to become more proficient in the field you are targeting. If possible, build on the skills you already have rather than a totally new area. There will be several wake-up calls along the way if your competition outshines you. Self confidence is essential, so you must stick to your plan and believe that it will succeed. You know you are smart and capable. You would hire you. Now think like a recruiter – are you the best candidate to be presented to their clients and hiring managers who own the jobs? If not, become the person you want to be and don’t just say that you are that person.
2. Stretch jobs – A fact of life is that you must hit the ground running when you join a new company. This does not mean that you have to give up your goal to reach the next level in your next job. It does mean that you must have a track record of experience in your current position to justify moving up to a more senior or management position. Always assume that your past performance will be a good indicator of future performance in your new company and prepare your tactics to prove it. You also have to be prepared to tackle the question, “If you are so ready to be promoted, why hasn’t your current company promoted you?” Answer that question before it has been asked without being negative about your current or previous situation. Think like a recruiter – you must give flawless justification that can be passed on to clients or managers. The candidate with the lower learning curve will get the job.
3. Trade-offs – An important part of your job search plan is to know when to back off. If you have a threshold of non-negotiable benefits, money, position or title, be sure that this part of your personal need is really accurate. Almost anything can be negotiated, but if you are uncomfortable searching for a job with no benefits or a position that is 100% commission then don’t go there. It is not in your plan. You may not know all aspects of a job before actually getting an offer, but even then you do have to know the nice-to-have features and the must-haves in your plan. The perfect job is always some sort of clone which could be spliced from many jobs to form an exact match. Now think like a recruiter – they say the same thing about applicants, so you probably are not perfect either and may be the candidate with the fewest shortcomings.
4. Employed but looking – There is a popular misconception that job seekers are all unemployed. Not true. Pyramids are narrower at the top, so when your growth is stagnant and you begin looking around for something else, be honest about why you are making the decision to look elsewhere. This is a very personal decision, but don’t be lured into greener pastures because of internal politics or conflicts on the current job. An additional part of your personal inventory is to be honest about how much of the internal strife is because of your own actions. Unless you are self employed, you will probably work for and with people in the new job. Ask yourself if you will be taking your people issues with you or leaving them behind. You have probably had people advise you that having any job is better than no job, but your personal goals have to be consistent with your ability to be competitive in a tight marketplace. The fact that you are employed is a safety net, not an advantage. You have to be just as qualified as the other applicants for any position. Think like a recruiter – some consider it a benefit to poach from their competitors. Be as good as they think you are or you will regret the choice to move.
5. Unemployed and frustrated – Setting career goals is the same as managing a budget. Unexpected circumstances may cause you to revise the budget estimate to conform to available resources. The fact that you may have to downgrade your expectations depending on your resources should not influence your initial planning. If you start your search by formulating a realistic target, there is no reason that you should not be able to achieve it. The difference in your type of plan is that you have to build a stair-step approach for reduced expectations based on anticipated external factors. If you wait until your resources are depleted to recognize this fact, the one remaining last step at the end can be a big one. An important self preservation factor in your search absolutely must include building in a support network of family, friends, former coworkers and others whom you can trust to give you sound advice and support. Think like a recruiter – do you remember the criteria for selecting a candidate for a job? It is skills, experience and ability and not economic status. Reality may hurt. Over-emphasizing your personal problems might get you sympathy, but it won’t get you a job.
6. Entry level – The great paradox: How do you get experience if nobody will hire you? This plan may overlap several other discussions about search goal setting, but it is never harder than when you meet the world with a blank slate. Like stretch jobs, you have to translate your skills used in similar situations to prove that you can operate on par with other employees at the same level when hired. Everything counts as experience. If you planned ahead of time you can show evidence of part-time jobs, internships, co-op positions, temp work and a myriad of other accomplishments that prove your work ethic. Unless you have been unconscious or partying for the last several years, you have experiences in something: babysitting, mowing lawns, mentoring students. Think like a recruiter – don’t be intimidated by your lack of employment experience. On a level playing field the experience factor is an issue of relativity between applicants. If you are in a group of people being chased by a lion, you don’t have to outrun the lion…only the other people.
7. Career changing jobs – Most people will change jobs several times in a lifetime and some will totally recast their career. This is always difficult to do without preparing in advance for such change with education, training or volunteering. Goals for the career changer are especially subject to the trade-off scenario in that you may sacrifice money, title or relative position in an organization to achieve a life goal that includes issues like pride in yourself, future job potential or that elusive thing: happiness. Think like a recruiter – the most qualified person should get the job, so make that decision easy by being the best. It is not about personality or brand image, but how best to satisfy a client or manager.
8. Career vs. Job – At some point in time, the job or jobs you are doing are more important than planning for a long range career. Later in the career life cycle when you have built a body of skills, accomplishments and displayed the potential to manage and solve tough problems, you may come to the realization that your ambition is never going to be rewarded by a seat in the corner office. Your plan at this point is to continue to do the best that you can do and be ready to make a contribution in a consultative or support role. It is difficult to plan to be indispensible. Economics and politics may dictate that you take a lesser role before you are at retirement age, so listen for the clues ahead of time and don’t be surprised. Taking charge of your own plan is always preferable to allowing someone else to make it for you. Think like a recruiter – if an individual gives the impression that the job is simply to buy time until something better comes along, it is only fueling the thoughts which are probably already there. Dispel this notion with a positive outlook, an energetic demeanor and an intense desire to contribute.

The next prong in the search planning  is to be proactive rather than reactive. Stay tuned.

*Job Seekers: Think Like a Recruiter

• Part 1 – Beginning the Process
• Part 2 – Who Are the Recruiters?
• Part 3 – Inventory of Skills and Accomplishments
• Part 4 – The Resume
• Part 5 – Cover Letters