Job Hunting & Interviewing = Customer Service

Based on what I observe on a daily basis, from folks in transition, I would be hard-pressed to provide a single piece of advice that I think would be more useful to most individuals than this notion: Throughout all phase of the job hunting and interviewing process, you should bend over backwards to treat the companies (and hiring managers) you’re targeting like your best, most valued customer.

Think this approach is obvious or well-understood by most people out there?  Unfortunately, I’d disagree.  Take cover letters, for example.  The average cover letter is riddled with the pronoun “I” and contains paragraphs of data about the CANDIDATE’S background and the CANDIDATE’S needs, but usually says very little about what the job seeker in question might actually be able to do to solve the prospective employer’s current or future problems.  At best, some letters include vague generalities (e.g. “I’m a good problem-solver” or “I can help you be more efficient/successful/profitable”) or pop in a small snippet of research from the company’s website, but you almost never come across (recruiters and HR folks, am I wrong on this?) a customer-focused letter that makes you say “Wow! This candidate really understands what our company does, how we make money, and where some of our key challenges lie — and seems to have some great expertise and ideas to help us address these issues!”

Fast-forward to the interview process.  Again, if you think most job hunters approach their interviewing opportunities from a sales-centric standpoint, seeking to truly understand the problems of the customer and demonstrate how they can solve them, I’d again beg to differ.  Most candidates nervously recite canned answers to questions, talk at painful lengths about all the things they’ve done for PAST employers, and never really “engage” the person across the desk in a discussion of the actual work that needs doing.  Many candidates also scurry away after each interview without asking one smart, value-added question or even expressing their sincere interest in landing the job.  And while sure, we can blame some of this candidate behavior on the limitations/constraints of the traditional interview process, the truly GREAT job hunters — the ones who clearly recognize these meetings to be sales scenarios — fight through these obstacles and still find a way to demonstrate great “customer service” toward the hiring managers and decision-makers they end up meeting with.

At the end of the day, especially in a tight job market, there’s just no getting around the fact that you’re the seller and they’re the buyer in these situations — unless you happen to be one of the less-than-one-percent of folks out there who are so uniquely talented that the tables are turned and the companies in question have to sell YOU on coming to work for them, versus the other way around.

Make sense?  If so, let’s take the concept even further.  If you’re striving to be a great “salesperson” of yourself in this process, I’d also emphasize that great sales professionals don’t tend to make sweeping assumptions, going in, about what their customers might actually be buying or what their pain points might be.  They probe.  They poke around.  They ask insightful, qualifying questions to try and root out the underlying wants, needs, and dynamics that are ultimately going to make-or-break the purchasing decision.   In a job search context, this means that you should be wary of going into interviews with preconceived notions — and should avoid putting too much weight on the fluff, chaff, and otherwise inconsequential items that many companies pack into their job advertisements these days.  Your job should be to investigate what really might be going on behind the scenes.  And while you’re at it, don’t get too hung up on how you might be able to help the COMPANY at large, in most cases.  Focus instead on how you can make a palpable and positive difference in the life of the SPECIFIC HIRING MANAGER with whom you’re actually having a conversation with.  I say this because in my experience, most managers tend to put our own selfish needs, priorities, and agendas ahead of any true altruism around the big-picture corporate mission.  When we hire somebody, we almost always run the decision through our own self-interest filter, either consciously or subconsciously.  How would this person make MY life easier, if hired?  How could they help me reach MY performance goals?  Or work less hard?  Or get ahead?

So in closing, I’d encourage you to think back on some great sales experiences you’ve had where the salesperson treated you to world-class customer service and really won you over.  What did these people do that left such a positive impression?  Was it the undivided attention they gave you?  The great questions they asked?  Their intense interest in figuring out what you really wanted — followed by the confidence they could supply it?  What can we learn from this that might make us all better job hunters and better interviewees?

Recently, my buddy Dave Hardwick over at the Job Hacking blog wrote a great post you should read, here, that touches on this issue in a roundabout way.  While Dave’s post was focused mainly on overcoming the issue of age discrimination, it also illustrates the degree to which many candidates DON’T focus on the specific stated needs of a particular employer — and instead go off on all kinds of crazy tangents (on cover letters, on resumes, in interviews, etc.) that likely have zero relevance to their “customers” in the process.

Do you go to an automobile dealer in the hopes that they’ll sell you a parrot, galoshes, or life insurance?

Networking, Guacamole & Pom Poms

Well, this is it.  Super Bowl Sunday is upon us.  The day each year that arguably represents the peak of the competitive sporting world in the United States, as well as the peak of couch potatoism and no-holds-barred consumerism.  Not only will Americans (according to a quick web search) consume roughly 8 million pounds of guacamole today, but companies will also be shelling out up to $3 million, as usual, to beam their commercial messages out to the largest TV audience of the year.

Personally, I’m not all that big of a football fan, so I usually pay more attention to the snacks and the commercials than the game itself — but this year’s a little different.  This year I’m into it.  The reason?  And the one that ties, at least loosely, into the webbing of a career-related blog?  I’ve found that this year there are just some terrific storylines that even a casual fan like myself can get excited about.  There seem to be an abundance of teams and characters this year that one can get behind, emotionally, and root for with great enthusiasm.

For example, if one looks at the four teams that made it the farthest in the NFL playoffs this year, here’s a quick synopsis of the relevant storylines and each team’s “rootability” factor:

Drew Brees & The New Orleans Saints: How can you not root for a team that’s never made it to the Super Bowl before — and that seems to be rallying the entire devastated city of New Orleans behind it, following Hurricane Katrina?

Payton Manning & The Indianapolis Colts: Payton Manning certainly has gained tremendous acclaim for his skills as a quarterback, but also has earned the reputation of being an all-around nice guy and terrific human being, so if he leads Indianapolis to victory we can all at least take pride that one of the “good guys” walked away with the trophy.

Mark Sanchez & The New York Jets: With only a 9-7 record in the regular season, and a rookie quarterback at the helm who most of us had never heard of before, the New York Jets were the undeniable “cinderella” team of this year’s playoffs — and Americans always love an underdog, don’t they?

Brett Favre & The Minnesota Vikings: In today’s youth-obsessed world, millions of Americans (including myself) tuned in to see if a 40-year-old veteran quarterback could take yet another run at the sport’s greatest prize — and this plot line nearly came to pass, were it not for a heartbreaking last-second interception.

So here’s my question.  As nearly 130 million people tune into the big game today, and root vociferously for their favorite athletes and their favorite team, take a quick moment between all of the plays, hype, and commercials (if you’re a professional in transition) to ponder the question: how many people are rooting for YOU?  Are you giving the people in your network a positive storyline and a reason to get 100% behind your job hunting efforts?  Are you carving out a special place in their hearts, minds, and Rolodexes, compared to other out-of-work professionals they might also know?

Over the years, while I certainly wish the best for all of my clients to a certain degree, I’ve definitely come across individuals who have (in one fashion or another) gotten me ESPECIALLY invested in and excited about their success.  Some of these people were facing a particularly daunting challenge (overcoming a disability, returning to the workforce following a divorce, etc.) while others were simply trying so incredibly hard, and going to such heroic measures to find work, that it was impossible not to cheer them and do whatever you possibly could to help them succeed.

So once you’ve digested your per capita share of guacamole and start preparing to resume your networking efforts in this coming week, keep this idea in mind — and make sure you’re giving the people in your circle of contacts a reason to pull hard for you and root for you with above-average intensity.  Are you fighting the odds and attempting to switch to an entirely new career, especially at an advanced age?  Are you returning to the workforce following an illness or tough family issue?  Is there a disability, language barrier, or form of discrimination (age/gender/racial) that might be limiting your prospects?  Whatever the case may be, don’t be afraid to weave this issue into your pitch, in an appropriate way, so that you can gain an even greater level of support from the people around you.  People love underdogs and they love helping people triumph against the odds.

And if you’re not in one of the above situations, where you have a clear disadvantage to overcome or a compelling David vs. Goliath story to share, then guess what?  Just focus on being the best person you can throughout the entire job hunting process, working extremely hard to reach your goals, and going the extra mile to help everybody around you.  Believe or not, this will set you apart and net you plenty of raving fans, too!  Payton Manning certainly hasn’t had to overcome any heroic disadvantages to get where he is today, to the best of my knowledge.  Neither did Lady Di, Bono, or Jonas Salk.  But millions of us have found it incredibly easy to pull for these people simply because they are class acts.  Character counts!

Book Review: “2H: The Official Second Half of Life Handbook” (Bill Morton)

Did you know any girl born in the U.S. in the year 2000 or later has a 50/50 chance of living to be 100 years old, according to experts?  Or that the average U.S. life expectancy has climbed from 47 to 76 over the past century?  Or that more than 25% of the U.S. population will be 65 years of age or older in just the next few decades?

These are the kinds of statistics that fascinate Bill Morton, a Seattle-area author and consultant who specializes in advising people on how to prosper and accomplish great things during the “second half” of their lives.  Bill, whom I met in  passing years ago, is one of the leading voices out there warning both individuals and organizations that our country is going to change, dramatically, when the bulk of the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age — and that this “age revolution” is going to have an impact every bit as large as the technology or industrial revolutions of the past.  As a result, he’s written a book designed to give people a glimpse into the future to come, as well as to inspire older Americans to start thinking ahead about all of the great ways they can invest their later years as the traditional idea of “retirement” continues to melt away.

Is his book a successful one?  I’d say yes, without hesitation.  It’s set up in a very interesting way, built around a hodge-podge of short essays on various age-related topics, interspersed with numerous checklists on topics ranging from “60+ great ways to fill up your bonus years” to “15 bargain countries in which to spend a winter” and “11 myths about older workers in the workplace.”  As a result, you’re never bored.  Bill treats you to one fascinating insight after another, and if you put the book down for a while and come back later, you can pick up right where you left off without missing a beat.  There’s even a collection of great quotes that relate to “aging and dying well” and a massive appendix of books and movies that can help a person get energized and inspired about the second half of  life.

Is “2H: The Official Second Half of Life Handbook” a career book, per se?  Perhaps not.  But there’s more than enough meat in the book related to working in one’s older years that I felt it was eminently worthy of featuring in this blog.  Bill even goes on to make some shrewd predictions about how the consumer marketplace is going to change in the decades to come, based on population demographics, and these insights (e.g. the growing demand for senior-friendly furniture, higher-end beds and sleep systems, home delivery services, etc.) might offer some useful clues for those of you thinking about changing careers and who want to tap into some high-growth industry segments in the next 5-10 years to come.

One way or another, we’re all (hopefully!) going to need to do some deep thinking about the issues Bill raises, one day, so it’s great to know that we have this handy reference available — as well as a trusted sherpa — to help guide the way!

Burning Question for Job Seekers #8

“Is there truly such a thing as a great resume — or are there only great candidates?”

Some may disagree, but I think this simple question has a lot of important layers bundled up in it, as well as some profound implications for today’s job hunters — many of whom continue to hold (in my opinion) an unhealthy and unrealistic view of the role that resumes play in the job search process.

So again, I’m just going to throw the question out there.  Have you ever seen “greatness” in a resume?  Have you ever hired somebody BECAUSE their resume was so wonderfully creative, attractive, or well put-together?  Or was your positive impression of a candidate mostly due, instead, to things like the relevance of the person’s employment titles to the job at hand, the reputation of their previous employers, and the impressiveness of their achievements to date?

I raise this issue because I’m constantly coming across job hunters who complain that “their resume isn’t working” or “their resume must not be very good” because it’s not generating very many (or any) interviews.  As a result of this concern, many frustrated professionals end up spending tons of time, and money, endlessly tweaking their resume in the hopes of improving their job search results.  Making matters worse, they often fall prey to the countless resume-writing services on the web that fan these flames and apply fear-based selling techniques to convince people they’ll never work again unless they pony up $399…0r $599…or $799 for a complete resume overhaul.

As a matter of fact, I received an e-mail recently that illustrates this very point.  After writing the resume for one of my outplacement clients several months ago, this person submitted her document to the website Jobfox.com and received a lengthy “complimentary critique” back from them that basically said her resume stunk and that she’d be a fool not to hire them to fix it.  Below are a few choice snippets from the 2,000-word formulaic critique they sent her.  I’d be happy to share the full review with anybody who might be interested in seeing it, but frankly, I suspect all you’d need to do is send Jobfox your own resume and you’d have a carbon-copy sent to you almost immediately.

Jobfox Review: “My first impression of you is that you have an impressive array of skills and experiences. You’re a qualified Executive Assistant Professional with a lot to offer an employer.  Now, here’s the bad news: your resume does not pass the 30 second test and the content is not up to the standards one would expect from a candidate like you.”

[Matt's Comment: Oh really?  If the content is "not up" to current standards and the resume doesn't pass the 3o-second test, then how exactly did the reader arrive at the impression that my client is such a "qualified" professional with "a lot to offer" an employer?]

Jobfox Review: “We’ve all been told that looks don’t matter as much as substance, but in the case of your resume this just isn’t true. I found your design to be simplistic. The appearance is not polished, and it doesn’t say “high potential Executive Assistant Professional.”

[Matt's Comment: There's that phrase "Executive Assistant Professional" again, which, when you think about it, doesn't even really make sense or sound like proper English.  Hmmm.  Is anybody else starting to get the feeling that this might be an automated template where they just mail-merge a phrase from the top of each person's resume into the letter, every once in a while, to try and make the critique sound more personalized?  Shame on my client for not working in a more mainstream field like Sales or Finance where the cookie-cutter template could just add "professional" after the phrase without it sounding silly!]

Jobfox Review: “The ideal resume design is airy, clean, and uncluttered…with the effective and strategic use of white space.”

[Matt's Comment: Wait a minute.  Didn't you just say, a moment ago, that my client's resume was too "simplistic" to be effective?  And now you're saying the best resumes are "clean and uncluttered" with lots of white space?  I'm struggling to understand the distinction here.  Should a good resume be long, complicated, and fancy-looking -- or should it be simplistic?  I mean, my client is already using a one-page resume with plenty of white space and short phrases of bulleted text.  How does one get much more clean/uncluttered than that???]

Jobfox Review:”In conclusion, your resume is selling you short, and I recommend that you make the investment in having it professionally rewritten.  If your resume is not as strong as the top 10% then your chances of getting the interview are slim. In spite of your skills and experience, your resume will not compete well against a professionally written resume.  I hate to see a strong person like you being underserved by something that can be fixed.”

[Matt's Comment: Lord, give me strength.  Did this "expert" reviewer really just wrap up the critique by informing my client that she's a "strong person" and that she'd "hate to see her" not be more successful in her search?  Sorry, not buying it.  I think it takes a little more than an unsolicited resume review conducted via cyberspace to form such a deep emotional bond.  And by the way, how does this reviewer know that my client hasn't already had her resume professionally-written?  That's a pretty bold (and in this case, wrong) assumption.  It really doesn't matter, though.  It's evident that nothing (not the truth, not rational thinking, not professional ethics) was going to stand in the way of this reviewer getting to the final pitch, where she hit my client up for $399 to re-do a perfectly good document.]

All ranting aside, though, the piece of the final critique section above that relates directly back to my original “burning question” is the part where the reviewer says “If your resume is not as strong as the top 10% then your chances of getting the interview are slim.”  This is the part I want my readers to think really hard about.  What does the phrase “top 10%” resume actually mean?  Does it mean that the resume layout is among the 10% most beautiful in existence?  Or that the copywriting of the piece is more compelling than that of 89% other resumes floating around out there?  Or does it suggest, instead, that the candidate herself is actually among the 10% most qualified people in the market for the specific types of jobs she’s seeking?

From my standpoint, it’s the latter factor that job hunters should be most focused on, not the former two.  Sure, you need a nice-looking resume that doesn’t have any obvious mistakes and that doesn’t undersell you by leaving out lots of the wonderful accomplishments you’ve realized over the years.  But beyond that, how much more room for improvement is there, really?  Perhaps the reason you’re not getting more interviews is not because of your resume format itself, but because you’re not sending out enough resumes to the right places, or following up assertively, or networking hard enough to find unpublished opportunities.  Or maybe it’s just the sheer competition level out there — or that you’ve allowed your skill sets to get a bit dusty compared to what employers are currently looking for in your field, in which case you’d be better served by taking that $399 and investing it in a professional development class of some kind.

Long story short, it ain’t usually the resume that’s the problem, folks!  You want to have a good one, for sure, but a great one?  I’m not sure a roomful of resume experts, recruiters, and hiring managers could even agree on what that definition means, exactly…

Networking Advice from Bob #2

Did you happen to read my last post?  If so, you might remember the hypothetical scenario I laid out involving Bob #1, a more reserved character who typically engaged in “soft” networking, and Bob #2, a more assertive chap who routinely displayed “hard” networking qualities by being proactive and unabashedly hitting people up for favors, help, and assistance.

For those who still might be identifying more with the networking style of the first Bob, versus the second, let me outline a few additional guidelines that might help you get in the right mindset:

1) Assume that everybody you meet has SOME way they can help you; assume this because it’s true!

2) Take the time to clarify your career goals, up front, and then determine the specific kinds of information, advice, and feedback that will be most useful in helping you make progress toward these goals

3) Don’t ever feel bad or ashamed about asking people for favors; it’s allowed, as long as you’re unfailingly sincere and willing to reciprocate when the time comes

4) Embrace your unemployment status; don’t hide the fact that you’re actively looking for work, since you don’t want to confuse people, come across as coy, or imply in any way that you’re embarassed about this (now) very common situation professionals run into today

5) Don’t ask people directly for referrals, especially if you don’t know them all that well; let them enthusiastically volunteer referrals, instead, once you’ve clearly outlined your goals and the types of contacts/companies you’d love to meet

6) Don’t worry about crossing the line and being too pushy; if you’re already concerned about this, at any level, I suspect you’re a pretty thoughtful person who would almost  never come across as inappropriately aggressive in these situations

7) Follow-up like a pro; offer genuine thanks to anybody who lifts a finger to assist you and then close the loop with them, after the fact, to let them know their assistance made a difference

Is this style of “hard” networking still a bit out of your comfort zone, despite the above tips and suggestions?  If so, don’t worry, that’s pretty normal.  But then again, a lot of “normal” people have been out of work for a long time in the current market, so if you want to shave some time off your employment search, this may a great time to take a chance and get out of your comfort zone a little.  Referrals are the lifeblood of the job search process, at the end of the day, and you’ll generate many more of them if you put yourself out there — and aren’t afraid to engage people proactively as allies in your quest.

Put another way, I know plenty of people who have sent out 100+ resumes without getting a job.  I can’t think of anybody I know, however, who has garnered 100+ referrals during the course of their job search without landing a position!

Soft vs. Hard Networking: Big Difference!

Amongst the sea of blogs, books, and information out there about personal contact networking, I’m going to show a little bit of thought leadership and officially coin the terms “soft networking” and “hard networking” to describe the two radically different forms of networking people seem to be engaged in these days.  In fact, I’m excited to have finally come up with a working label to differentiate these two approaches, since I’ve been preaching to my clients for months that “not all networking is created equal” and that understanding the difference between the hard/soft styles can literally be the thing that makes (or breaks) the success of any given job search.

So what’s the difference, exactly?  Why do I think that it’s so important to differentiate between these two approaches?

Let’s start with the concept of soft networking.  Soft networking, quite frankly, seems to be the form being practiced most often these days by professionals in transition.  It’s roughly equivalent to the idea of “socializing” or “hanging around with people” and equates to getting out of the house and participating in group events and activities, hoping such involvement will lead to useful leads, referrals, or opportunities.  It’s not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination.  It exposes you to lots of new people, as well as new ideas, and can play a vital part of keeping your confidence up and helping you avoid some of the loneliness, isolation, and angst that frequently accompanies the job search process.  The drawback?  It’s largely a passive approach.  It revolves around the assumption that if you hang around enough people, and deliver your “elevator pitch” enough times, referrals will magically materialize, via social osmosis.

The process of hard networking, on the other hand, is much more proactive and agenda-driven.  Most often practiced on a 1:1 basis, versus a group setting, it involves a job hunter a) figuring out exactly what they want help with from the folks around them and then b) directly asking for it.  Hang around a few successful salespeople, politicians, or fundraising professionals for any length of time and you’re guaranteed to witness some “hard networking” in action!  Such folks are usually not afraid to ask for the order — or hit people up for favors — because they’ve learned that if they don’t ask directly for help, and leave things up to chance, they’re likely to leave empty-handed.  And while yes, one can push this technique too far and come across as demanding or aggressive, the truly great networkers I’ve met instinctively know where to draw the line — and are able to project just the right level of assertiveness and persuasiveness to get their needs met, without coming across as overbearing.

What do these techniques look like in actual practice?  Well, let’s take an imaginary person named Bob and plop him down in the middle of a run-of-the-mill networking event, such as a Chamber of Commerce function or the monthly meeting of a professional association.  If Bob enjoys a drink, has some nice chats with people about the “topic du jour” for the event, and simply mentions to a few folks in passing that he’s out of work and looking for a job, he’s pretty much a poster child of soft networking.  He’ll have fun, meet a few nice folks, and may feel like he’s done his “networking” for the day, but the chances of him walking away with a red-hot referral or solid new lead are pretty infinitesimal, at least in my experience.

Let’s pretend for a second, on the other hand, that Bob comes from a sales background.  Or is just more of a natural go-getter at heart.  He’d go to that same meeting, and enjoy the camaraderie and mingling process to a similar extent, but with each person he would meet, the wheels in his brain would be turning.  He’d be thinking to himself “How can this person help me?  How can they propel me closer to my goals?  What can I learn from them that will take me one step closer to being employed again?”  Armed with this mindset, he would then look for an appropriate time to ask for a reasonable favor, such as “Wow, I’ve never met anybody with so much experience in biotech; do most biotech companies even have an IT department, in your experience?” or “Oh, you say you’re in human resources?  Gee, there’s probably nobody in the room more qualified to answer a question that’s been bugging me for weeks, which is whether or not to include hobbies and outside interests on a resume.  What are your thoughts?”

Should the person respond favorably to these opening salvos, and seem genuinely interested in helping you out, you might then crank things up a notch and invite the person to coffee later in the week.  Or you might whip out a sheet of target companies you’re pursuing and say something like “Hey, while I’ve got you here, would you happen to have just a minute to glance at a list of specific companies I compiled the other day?  Based on my research, these organizations are all ones where I think my experience could be a great fit, but I’m trying to get a sense of which ones are more reputable or financially stable than others.  Any chance you’ve heard something good or bad about any of these firms that might help me narrow the list down a bit?”

Nine times out of ten, the person will gladly agree to give your list a quick scan.  Then, like clockwork, they’ll start chirping.  They’ll mention that they’ve heard that two of the places you’ve identified are sweatshops, but that another one is an absolutely great place to work.  Or they might tell you they swear by the products of one of the companies or drive by the organization every day, coming home from work.  Then, before they can help themselves, the priceless object of our desire — the personal referral — will come tumbling out of their mouths.  They’ll say something like “you know, now that I think of it, my neighbor (or cousin…or pet-sitter…or the sister of my podiatrist) works over there…”  At which point you humbly ask “Wow, really?  Is there any possible chance you’d be willing to introduce me to them, just so I can get a little more perspective on the organization?”

Before you know it, Bob #2 is walking out of the meeting with several great new referrals to contact the next day, and is triangulating ever-closer to his goals like a killer shark, while Bob #1 has simply enjoyed a nice dinner on the “rubber chicken” circuit but, alas, is not all that much closer to a new job.

Is your networking more like that of Bob #2 or Bob #1?

P.T. Barnum & TheLadders.com

Legend has it that it was P.T. Barnum, the larger-than-life circus promoter, who once uttered the famous phrase “there’s a sucker born every minute.”  Along these lines, if you’re a senior-level job hunter in transition, and especially one who has forked over subscription fees to TheLadders.com or any other fee-based employment site, you owe it to yourself to read the article here that was recently published by Nick Corcodilos of Ask the Headhunter fame.  The long and short of it?  If you’re paying any career service for access to “hidden” or “exclusive” job leads of any kind, I hate to break it to you, but there’s a pretty good chance that you’re on Barnum’s list!

It’s an insidious racket, to be sure.  With millions of Americans out of work, and millions of people willing to throw money at the nasty problem of unemployment to try and make it go away, predatory and/or fraudulent career services of all kinds have been crawling out of the woodwork.  Some of them charge thousands of dollars, promising access to important contacts and decision-makers.  Others tell you they’ve got an exclusive database of job leads and opportunities that you can tap into for a nominal fee.  And others, like TheLadders.com, have an even slicker sales pitch.  They not only claim to sell you access to a pipeline of hidden leads, but also claim to “filter” these leads in a way that will save you lots of time and ensure you’re only bothered by $100K+ opportunities.  Throw some high-profile television ads and snazzy web design around this concept, and boy, it suddenly sounds like an irresistible bargain for the low, low price 0f $30-40 per month!  The problem?  These claims are bogus.  As Nick points out, you’re paying largely for smoke, mirrors, and the exact same job leads and opportunities you could easily compile for yourself using free sites like Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com.

Of course, that’s what great advertising does.  It short-circuits your critical thinking and gets you to buy stuff based on less-finicky emotional factors like hope, fear, and greed.  Combine this approach with the anxious state of most job hunters, and the lack of knowledge most people have about the job-hunting process, in general, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for exploitation — and many employment-related services are laughing all the way to the bank, as a result.

Think about it for a second.  If you were a company with a senior-level job opening, and wanted to recruit the best and brightest talent for the position, would you limit your advertising to a single site (that’s what exclusive means, after all) that’s not even close to being one of the most trafficked job sites on the Internet?  Would you put all your eggs in one basket?  If so, why?  What could possibly be the motive to limit your sourcing efforts in this fashion?  And in return, if you worked for a site like TheLadders and realized that there just aren’t that many $100K job leads floating around out there to begin with, how would you build up your database large enough to keep people hooked — and keep them dutifully paying their subscription fees?  You’d do it, I suspect, largely in the way Nick points out.  You’d either make some jobs up (which I suspect, but can’t prove) or you’d simply corral a bunch of lower-paying jobs into your site, which are far more common, and then just make excuses if and when people complain that these jobs don’t reach the six-figure compensation mark.  Not only can you trust that the average unsuspecting job hunter will usually accept this explanation at face value, but you also know that $30-40 a month is not enough for most people to bother “lawyering up” around.

So again, give a careful read to Nick’s article, above, and make sure you are fully armed with a “baloney detection kit” (to borrow a phrase from one of my personal heroes, Carl Sagan) to make sure you don’t get taken in by phony or misleading career scams.  Having monitored the Internet career scene since the early nineties, when Al Gore invented it, I honestly can’t think of a single website or web-based employment service I’ve come across that held up to real scrutiny.  They’re darn tempting, I know, and decent folks just can’t imagine somebody could stoop to fleecing unemployed folks barely hanging on between paychecks, but sadly, there’s an offshoot of our species that somehow seems to be able to live with this.

As always, I’m standing by to help with the “debunking” process.  If you’re ever tempted by a website or a service that promises to sell you contacts or exclusive job leads, for a fee, let me know — and I’ll help you evaluate the site, at no charge, to see if you’ve amazingly stumbled across the first such site that lives up to its hype or its promises.  In fact, should we find one, I promise you I’ll be signing every single one of my clients up to it almost immediately!

Interviewing Lessons from the NFL

Although I’m admittedly not much a football fan, I’ve been captivated like a lot of people by the unusual drama taking place within the NFL playoffs this year.  In fact, as I type this, I’m sitting here watching the Indianapolis Colts put the finishing touches on the New York Jets — which is too bad, since the Jets are unquestionably the “Cinderella” team of the season.  Luckily, though, there’s another exciting game coming up shortly, where millions of people will tune in to see whether the grizzled 40-year-old veteran, Brett Favre, can lead his team to the Super Bowl over the New Orleans Saints.  Alas, if only the Seahawks were still in the running….

In the meantime, since I’m in a sports-related frame of mind at the moment, I thought I’d pass along a New York Times article that a client of mine was kind enough to e-mail to me earlier today.  This article outlines the interviewing process Rex Ryan went through a year ago to land his role as head coach of the New York Jets.  You’ll find the article here and I’d strongly encourage you to read it, since it not only is pretty amusing, but also provides a refreshing illustration of a case where “substance” was able to trump “style” in the interviewing process.  As you’ll read, Coach Ryan didn’t necessarily make the best first impression by showing up late for the interview, or by dumping soda all over himself, but when he started to talk about his leadership philosophy and his incredibly clear and positive vision for the team’s future, the powers-that-be knew they had their man!

Chumming the Idea Waters: Three Links

To me, few things are more fun in life than listening to (or reading articles from) people who have unconventional ideas and unorthodox opinions about things — just as long as they’re being “intellectually honest” and are willing to defend and debate their point-of-view.  Consensus thinking is usually pretty boring, after all.  Even in the career management and job hunting sphere.

So while I don’t always agree with every one of my peers out there in the career coaching field, I definitely gravitate to those people pushing something beyond “parachute colors” and who continuously offer up new and challenging perspectives about things.  Along these lines, I stumbled across three provocative articles recently that I thought some of you might enjoy — or that would at least challenge your current thinking on a few career-related fronts.  See what you think.

How to Apply for a Job: The Working Resume
Nick Corcodilos, Author of the Ask the Headhunter Blog

Matt’s Comment: Is Nick right?  Is the best form of resume out there the one you throw in the garbage can?  A growing minority of career counselors (Nick being the most prominent) are advocating that people cast off the crutch of the resume and learn how to sell themselves and their qualifications in a more direct, proactive way.  As for me, I’m not there yet.  While the average job seeker definitely could be a lot more creative in their approach toward landing conversations with companies, the resume is undeniably still the “common currency” of the job hunting process — and refusing to use one, in my eyes, would be akin to walking into a 7-11 and trying to pay the clerk in chickens or lima beans, instead of cash.  The majority of companies still insist you produce this document if you want to work for them, and bucking their process isn’t likely to win you any converts.  So while yes, there are certain situations when you shouldn’t lead with your resume, and you should constantly explore innovative ways you can use to prove your capabilities to employers, I don’t think this issue comes down to an either/or question at the end of the day.  Use a resume when it’s required and bypass this step, when it’s not.  There’s a “best of both worlds” solution to be had here, at least in my opinion.

How to Manage a College Education
by Penelope Trunk, Author of the Brazen Careerist Blog

Matt’s Comment: If you followed the above link, you likely noted that the first two sentences pretty much set the tone for the whole piece: “The idea of paying for a liberal arts education is over.  It is elitist and a rip off and the Internet has democratized access to information and communication skills to the point that paying $30K a year to get them is insane.”  This is standard Penelope.  She’s an unapologetic bomb thrower (in a good way) who has been writing for years that the business world as we know it is changing in a number of revolutionary ways and that most people (especially Gen X’rs and Baby Boomers) are still utterly oblivious to these trends — or turning a blind eye to them, at the very least.  As for her suggestion that liberal arts degrees are no longer a good investment, wow, that’s a tough one.  While I agree that people can educate themselves in an amazing array of new ways, thanks to the Internet, this contention (to me) naively ignores one key question: would they?  Would the average person truly have the motivation, especially as a young adult, to spend hours and hours a day practicing their writing skills, learning good study habits, giving presentations, and developing a number of other core competencies without the structure of a college/university to encourage this?   Aren’t there also valuable social lessons and rites of passage that are far more likely to be experienced in an on-campus setting versus by a person sitting at home studying Wikipedia all night?  Granted, the world of higher education isn’t for everybody, and a motivated person can learn in a dizzying array of different ways in this day of age, but to call a liberal arts degree “insane” seems a bit melodramatic.

Get Real: Your Brand Isn’t Your Issue
by Lance Haun, Author of the Rehaul Blog

Matt’s Comment:  While the least provocative article of the three, I’d suppose, I still couldn’t resist sharing it because it echoed a lot of the same thoughts I had while putting a presentation together the other day on the topic of personal branding.  The term “branding” has been hijacked to the point that it’s almost become meaningless, in my opinion.  Most job hunters don’t need to focus much on “branding themselves” unless a) they’re seeking to become highly recognized thought experts in their field or b) they’ve first gotten all of the easier things right, such as the copywriting, networking, and marketing (aka lead generation) aspects of their search.  What’s more, while branding largely deals with the world of perceptions, this doesn’t mean that “reality” doesn’t count for something.  As Lance discusses in the case of Monster.com, the site would likely have far more success if they focused their time, effort, and money on actually making the site work better instead of on simply creating a new “look” for the site and hoping that will bring visitors back in droves.  Some old saying about lipsticks and pigs comes to mind.  So when it comes to job hunters, while image does indeed count for something, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got substance, too.  If you’re not taking steps to make sure you continue to be pretty spectacular, at whatever you do for a living, no amount of branding is likely to fix things.

Just a few “thought appetizers” for you all as we head into the weekend.  If you have anything to share on these subjects, or agree or disagree with any of my own observations, definitely don’t hesitate to chime in with a comment!

Take That, Unemployment Rate!

It’s been a good 24 hours.  During this time frame I was notified by three people, all of whom have been out hunting for work for at least six months, that they are about to kiss the unemployment world goodbye and start new assignments within the next two weeks.  Each of these people has had major ups and downs during their search.  They’ve all questioned their methods, their marketability, and possibly even their mental health at times (I can only imagine) as they’ve fought through the challenge of finding professional-level work in the current marketplace.  In short, and to echo a point I’ve made several times before, they’re wonderfully normal human beings.

In addition to simply sharing this good news, however, I wanted to pass along an e-mail message I received from one of these three individuals.  While I promised to keep the author’s name anonymous, and am simultaneously embarrassed/flattered by the kind words she passes along, I thought this person’s candid account of what she’s been through this past year would resonate with — and provide hope to — many of you out there who are still in the hunt.  As a career coach, I can only write about the job search experience theoretically, based on the observations and insights I glean from working with clients.  This person, on the other hand, has been grinding it out in the trenches.  Quite recently.  And here’s what she has to say about it:

“Matt:  After 1 year, 5 days and 195 resumes, I received a good job offer.  It was a grueling year; I enjoy working and derive a lot of personal satisfaction from truly earning a paycheck.  In the past year I had to totally re-learn how to job hunt.  It changed from the last time I was in the market in 2002.  I learned to network, network, network, attend (primarily free) seminars and read blogs.

As I prepare to head off to my first day of work on Monday, I wanted to thank you specifically for your blog.  I found it uplifting when I was feeling down; it was the proverbial ‘kick in the rear’ more than once.   I am blessed with the world’s most supportive husband who would tell me it wasn’t personal, but it really helped to get that objective viewpoint from someone in your position to remind me that it wasn’t personal that I wasn’t getting interviews or an offer off of the (rare) occasional interview I did get.   The job market is tough, 2009 was a very difficult year for many, many people and I  had to persevere, stay positive and be supportive to those around me that needed support.   It paid off; I landed a good job with a good company and I am happy.  Now if only I could help some of the wonderful unemployed friends I have made in the past year find jobs, I would be thrilled!“

What I loved about this note, aside from the obvious, was that it accurately captured several very important factors related to the modern job hunting experience.  In fact, if you wrung it out in a glass, I think you’d have a pretty stiff drink of career wisdom.  To me, the author’s testimony illustrates that:

1)  Finding a good job right now, on average, takes a lot longer than most people think
2)  The job hunting process is not the same as it used to be; you must be willing to learn new ways of promoting yourself
3)  Tons of help is out there, if you look for it, including a universe of free blog content and access to numerous networking support groups
4)  The encouragement (or lack thereof) that one gets on the home front, especially from a spouse, can be an instrumental part of one’s success or failure in this process
5)  Perseverance and a positive attitude are critical ingredients to success; don’t neglect them or leave them to chance

Additionally, one also can’t help but be impressed by the incredible thoughtfulness this note displays, both directed towards a complete stranger (me — have I mentioned that I’ve never actually met this individual?) and toward the many fellow job seekers that she encountered during the past year.  This “pay it forward” attitude might, in fact, end up being the single greatest silver lining of the  recession when we look back in the rear view mirror.  The battleship of self-absorption is turning and people just seem, well, to be acting a little more conscientious and compassionate these days.  Not everybody, mind you, but enough that it might have a lasting impact on things, even when we’re back to “normal” and the economy starts to hum again.  Who knows?  Maybe the adversity is bringing people together?  Maybe that’s the only thing that ever does?

Ultimately, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether any lasting positives come out of this tough period on a societal level.  For now, though, let’s forget about the macro picture — and simply celebrate the success of three more individuals who have weathered the storm and found their way to a new “port” of employment!