By: Kandi Mensing
YOU’RE UNEMPLOYED.
NOW WHAT?
It is time to hunt for a job; that’s what! Sure, you could live off of government money, i.e. unemployment compensations, but that is one of the worst things that a job seeker can do. In adverse economic climates hiring managers are understanding of job seekers who are unemployed due to a lay off or other form of reduction in workforce. However, that does not mean they are understanding of people who make a living on unemployment compensations. Despite a down economy, hiring managers are having a difficult time filling their vacancies. That means that the right candidates simply are not applying for the right jobs. Do you find yourself applying for every job that seems to relatively fit the bill? FOCUS. Hone your efforts in the areas of the job sector that are relevant to your educational and professional experience. Don’t apply for any and every job just because you think it increases your chances of finding work. It doesn’t. Companies do not want to hire a prior Executive Assistant to work as a Receptionist. Not only is their pay rate likely far above the budgeted rate for the receptionist position, but they will also be under-utilized and therefore more likely to jump ship when a better opportunity arises. Hiring managers would rather wait for the right person for the job than to place some warm body.
DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. I once lived in downtown Saint Louis, Missouri while job seeking. What I did was walk from building to building downtown attempting to get ‘face time’ with any and every hiring manager or human resource department that I could. I left copies of my resume with every stop. In the end, I landed a recruiting job because of my strategy. After I was hired, I was told that I really impressed them by just walking into their building and applying. It showed them that I wasn’t going to sit at home waiting for an emailed resume to get me at least a phone call. I was out actively looking for an opportunity. I wasn’t afraid of rejection or an honest day’s work. I was motivated and outgoing. In general, you just need to do whatever it takes. Follow up as necessary and track what jobs you’re applying for. All too often I call candidates to phone screen them and they have no clue that they even applied with me. It would really impress a hiring manager if you were able to show your high level of responsibility, accountability, and organization, by asking them to hold while you reference your application tracker. I always suggest a three-ring binder with divided sections that fit your needs. You can organize it by interest level, date applied, application level (applied, received call, sent follow-up email, phone screened, interviewed, etc.), or any method you would prefer.
NETWORK. When you are unemployed, one of the most important things you can be doing is networking. The purpose is to keep your eyes and ears peeled for opportunities, but also to let everyone around you know that you are actively looking for work. Referral applicants always have a leg up on random applicants. There are many platforms used for networking this day in age. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool. I call LinkedIn the professional Facebook. Even if you are currently employed, you should be using LinkedIn. You can add all of your professional and personal contacts. This can be a powerful tool in reaching a substantial audience with your message. You can always network in person too. Anywhere you go you should be asking if they are hiring or at least inquiring as to how that facility or organization could use your talent or background. While unemployed, always, and I mean always have copies of your resume on you (even if they’re in your vehicle). Attend cheap or free local and/or professional events. Have personal business cards made perhaps with bullet points of your skills. Denote on the networking cards that you are currently looking for an opportunity. Volunteering is another highly effective method of networking, however it can also help to further build your resume and personal brand. Plus, it’s for a good cause and can also aid your well-being by providing you with a sense of purpose and contribution during your uneventful days of being unemployed.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. Apply in the manner the job requisition asks of applicants. If the ad says “Apply by visiting our website at…” then do just that. If the ad says “no phone calls please”, don’t bother the hiring manager by calling them to check on the status of your application. It will appear as if you don’t pay attention to detail and that you don’t follow instructions. With that, you don’t want to exclude yourself from any opportunities. If the ad says to apply by mailing your resume and you respond to the ad by email, your resume may not be considered for the job. If they ask you to reference a requisition number in your application; DO IT. Requisition numbers tie your application to a specific job vacancy within the organization. Without the requisition number referenced, you may get tossed into a ‘general resume’ folder and may not be considered for the opportunity that you were interested in. If they ask you to provide salary history and expectation; DO IT. I think you get my point. It’s pretty simple.
WALK IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES. Think about what the process is for recruiting talent. A hiring manager may scan in your resume to their resume database which can detect key words in the particular documents scanned. In addition, they may search resume databases such as CareerBuilder. It is important to have key words on your resume so that you may be found in such searches. If you were a hiring manager, what key words would you use to search for applicants with your background? I always suggest that applicants have a “Skills” section in their resume. Below is an example of items you might include in a ‘Skills’ section of your resume so as to maximize your opportunity to appear in search results within said resume databases. I suggest formatting it into two to three columns within your resume rather than in one column as illustrated below.
Professional Skills:
BE GRATEFUL. Thank the hiring managers for reviewing your resume. Thank them for their time on the phone or in the interview. You are grateful for their time and consideration, right? Humble yourself to thank them. They have very unappreciated jobs and it can go a long way in impressing the hiring manager.
BE PASSIONATE. Show passion for the job you’re applying for, the company you’re applying with, and for life, in general. Nobody wants to interview someone who is depressed and down on their luck. I once had a grown woman crying in the interview about being unemployed. I don’t know if she thought it would tug at my heart-strings or what, but quite frankly she made a fool of herself. You shouldn’t be that emotional over being out of work. I understand that it can be a tough time, but at least pull yourself together during the interviewing process.
BE CONSISTENT. Correct resume errors and inconsistencies. Make sure all relative resume parts are in corresponding font, text size, color, bold, italics, etc. Ensure all bullets and columns are aligned and the order in which you present your job data is consistent (job title, location, dates, etc.). Stay tuned for our upcoming blog on resume branding.
BE CLEAN. Do not ever give a resume that has been folded, is stained, or has a raunchy smell. If sending your resume by mail, spend the extra money in postage to send your resume in a full-size envelope. Don’t mail a resume with a coffee splash, shoe print, etc. Also, resumes hold smell. It is going to reflect negatively on you if a hiring opens your resume to the smell of cat urine (trust me, it happens!) or stale cigarette smoke. Even when just out applying for jobs, dress to impress. You never know what opportunities might present themselves and you need to be prepared. In addition, even the receptionists of companies make note of your appearance and will pass on to hiring managers. In general, just be a clean person!
Sure the job market is tough, but if you work on finding work, there are jobs to be had and there are ways to set yourself apart from other applicants. Ending on that note, happy hunting!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so that you don’t miss future posts!
YOU’RE UNEMPLOYED.
NOW WHAT?
It is time to hunt for a job; that’s what! Sure, you could live off of government money, i.e. unemployment compensations, but that is one of the worst things that a job seeker can do. In adverse economic climates hiring managers are understanding of job seekers who are unemployed due to a lay off or other form of reduction in workforce. However, that does not mean they are understanding of people who make a living on unemployment compensations. Despite a down economy, hiring managers are having a difficult time filling their vacancies. That means that the right candidates simply are not applying for the right jobs. Do you find yourself applying for every job that seems to relatively fit the bill? FOCUS. Hone your efforts in the areas of the job sector that are relevant to your educational and professional experience. Don’t apply for any and every job just because you think it increases your chances of finding work. It doesn’t. Companies do not want to hire a prior Executive Assistant to work as a Receptionist. Not only is their pay rate likely far above the budgeted rate for the receptionist position, but they will also be under-utilized and therefore more likely to jump ship when a better opportunity arises. Hiring managers would rather wait for the right person for the job than to place some warm body.
DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. I once lived in downtown Saint Louis, Missouri while job seeking. What I did was walk from building to building downtown attempting to get ‘face time’ with any and every hiring manager or human resource department that I could. I left copies of my resume with every stop. In the end, I landed a recruiting job because of my strategy. After I was hired, I was told that I really impressed them by just walking into their building and applying. It showed them that I wasn’t going to sit at home waiting for an emailed resume to get me at least a phone call. I was out actively looking for an opportunity. I wasn’t afraid of rejection or an honest day’s work. I was motivated and outgoing. In general, you just need to do whatever it takes. Follow up as necessary and track what jobs you’re applying for. All too often I call candidates to phone screen them and they have no clue that they even applied with me. It would really impress a hiring manager if you were able to show your high level of responsibility, accountability, and organization, by asking them to hold while you reference your application tracker. I always suggest a three-ring binder with divided sections that fit your needs. You can organize it by interest level, date applied, application level (applied, received call, sent follow-up email, phone screened, interviewed, etc.), or any method you would prefer.
NETWORK. When you are unemployed, one of the most important things you can be doing is networking. The purpose is to keep your eyes and ears peeled for opportunities, but also to let everyone around you know that you are actively looking for work. Referral applicants always have a leg up on random applicants. There are many platforms used for networking this day in age. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool. I call LinkedIn the professional Facebook. Even if you are currently employed, you should be using LinkedIn. You can add all of your professional and personal contacts. This can be a powerful tool in reaching a substantial audience with your message. You can always network in person too. Anywhere you go you should be asking if they are hiring or at least inquiring as to how that facility or organization could use your talent or background. While unemployed, always, and I mean always have copies of your resume on you (even if they’re in your vehicle). Attend cheap or free local and/or professional events. Have personal business cards made perhaps with bullet points of your skills. Denote on the networking cards that you are currently looking for an opportunity. Volunteering is another highly effective method of networking, however it can also help to further build your resume and personal brand. Plus, it’s for a good cause and can also aid your well-being by providing you with a sense of purpose and contribution during your uneventful days of being unemployed.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. Apply in the manner the job requisition asks of applicants. If the ad says “Apply by visiting our website at…” then do just that. If the ad says “no phone calls please”, don’t bother the hiring manager by calling them to check on the status of your application. It will appear as if you don’t pay attention to detail and that you don’t follow instructions. With that, you don’t want to exclude yourself from any opportunities. If the ad says to apply by mailing your resume and you respond to the ad by email, your resume may not be considered for the job. If they ask you to reference a requisition number in your application; DO IT. Requisition numbers tie your application to a specific job vacancy within the organization. Without the requisition number referenced, you may get tossed into a ‘general resume’ folder and may not be considered for the opportunity that you were interested in. If they ask you to provide salary history and expectation; DO IT. I think you get my point. It’s pretty simple.
WALK IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES. Think about what the process is for recruiting talent. A hiring manager may scan in your resume to their resume database which can detect key words in the particular documents scanned. In addition, they may search resume databases such as CareerBuilder. It is important to have key words on your resume so that you may be found in such searches. If you were a hiring manager, what key words would you use to search for applicants with your background? I always suggest that applicants have a “Skills” section in their resume. Below is an example of items you might include in a ‘Skills’ section of your resume so as to maximize your opportunity to appear in search results within said resume databases. I suggest formatting it into two to three columns within your resume rather than in one column as illustrated below.
Professional Skills:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- QuickBooks
- PeopleSoft
- Citrix
- Typing: 80+ wpm
- Data Entry: 11,000 ksph
- Payroll & Scheduling
- Sales & Marketing
- Safety & Compliance
- Management
- Inventory Control
BE GRATEFUL. Thank the hiring managers for reviewing your resume. Thank them for their time on the phone or in the interview. You are grateful for their time and consideration, right? Humble yourself to thank them. They have very unappreciated jobs and it can go a long way in impressing the hiring manager.
BE PASSIONATE. Show passion for the job you’re applying for, the company you’re applying with, and for life, in general. Nobody wants to interview someone who is depressed and down on their luck. I once had a grown woman crying in the interview about being unemployed. I don’t know if she thought it would tug at my heart-strings or what, but quite frankly she made a fool of herself. You shouldn’t be that emotional over being out of work. I understand that it can be a tough time, but at least pull yourself together during the interviewing process.
BE CONSISTENT. Correct resume errors and inconsistencies. Make sure all relative resume parts are in corresponding font, text size, color, bold, italics, etc. Ensure all bullets and columns are aligned and the order in which you present your job data is consistent (job title, location, dates, etc.). Stay tuned for our upcoming blog on resume branding.
BE CLEAN. Do not ever give a resume that has been folded, is stained, or has a raunchy smell. If sending your resume by mail, spend the extra money in postage to send your resume in a full-size envelope. Don’t mail a resume with a coffee splash, shoe print, etc. Also, resumes hold smell. It is going to reflect negatively on you if a hiring opens your resume to the smell of cat urine (trust me, it happens!) or stale cigarette smoke. Even when just out applying for jobs, dress to impress. You never know what opportunities might present themselves and you need to be prepared. In addition, even the receptionists of companies make note of your appearance and will pass on to hiring managers. In general, just be a clean person!
Sure the job market is tough, but if you work on finding work, there are jobs to be had and there are ways to set yourself apart from other applicants. Ending on that note, happy hunting!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so that you don’t miss future posts!
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