WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU

One of the great unknowns when engaged to TJS is what actually happens to your resume, cover letter, and any supporting documentation when they leave the warmth and safety of your computer (I'll make a leap of faith here and assume most such things are electronically submitted and do not require paper, ink, and a postage stamp.) and end up at your target firm's HR department or in the inbox of a contact.

There also is the consideration of what the hiring managers or sponsoring firms do with what you send them. You get the form response saying thank you, we will be analyzing your credentials and matching them to the requirements of the position, and we'll get back to you. But what actually happens?

First, incredibly, a job ad is not always for an actual open position. It may be for a position that is expected to be funded at some future date, it may be an exercise by the company to simply see what talent is out there, it may be an exercise to see which of the company's sources of talent (recruiter, job board, newspaper ad, or whatever) is the most fruitful, or it may in fact be to assemble a list of  candidates to fill an open position. With the competitive nature of hiring in financial services, all of these strategies are fair game but you will never know which is in play until later in the process, if then.

Right now, hiring managers would appear to have the upper hand as, despite the nascent upturn in the economy, there are still plenty of you (us) out there looking for the next challenge. They can wait to find exactly what they seek because chances are, it is out there. Incredibly, hiring managers will let businesses stagnate, or not get started quickly, so they can find the Hope Diamond in the rough.

I sat with a hiring manager some time ago and, after the conversation was over, knew in my heart, if not in fact, that I answered absolutely every question she had and felt strongly that there couldn't have been another candidate who was a better fit and would have brought as much to the table. (My cue was the amount of notes that were taken and the number of times I was told "that's a really great point" or "we really need skills like that" or "I hadn't thought of that approach, it makes a lot of sense.")  The kicker was that this was someone with whom I had a previous solid working relationship. I asked what the time frame for a decision was, figuring the next step was to meet the senior executives of the company as early as the following week. When the answer came back "A month. I am still assembling resumes. We'll have a short list in a few weeks.", I blew a very quiet gasket. Raise your hand if you have experienced this.

To me this conveyed both a lack of willingness to bet on a sure thing (remember what I have said about having confidence in yourself?), possibly a mandate from higher-ups to talk to as many people as possible no matter who comes through the door, or maybe even being unwilling to be put on the spot and make a snap decision. Stranger things have happened.

The whole purpose of this edition of the Blog is to allow you, dear reader, to go back over your experiences with applications and interviews and maybe see or pick up on things that you had not done previously. Please let me know if there is anything that I have missed.

FAST AWAY THE OLD YEAR PASSES

When you get down to it, New Year's Eve/Day is really an artificial demarcation point. Yes, we put up the new calendars, go to parties, make new or renew old resolutions (I am so going to stick to them this year!), but don't we do that sort of thing most days of the year? Who hasn't had one of those calendars with either trivia, cartoons, this day in history, where pages are torn off every day and not just at the end of the year when you are wearing a pointed hat? Do you only go out socially (or sleep through midnight) on December 31st? Do you only resolve to get things done as the old year slips away? Didn't think so. (Tell me something, why do we never write the old month on a check but we always write the old year, at least once, during January?)

My point is that every day presents the opportunity to develop an action plan for the Job Search. It is not an activity that needs to be left to a month-end, quarter-end, or year-end while watching Dick Clark. I have already suggested that a Job Searcher (I am trying to have us all develop a brand identity here) should take an inventory of skills and weaknesses and then note what needs to be done to deal with the weaknesses and get the most out of your strengths.. Something else you might want to try would be to take an inventory of both what's holding you back from moving the job search along and/or what sources you have been using and what sources you should be using more and which ones have not been as fruitful as you had hoped (and why? Is it your approach or is it that the source really wasn't what it was cracked up to be?). Remember the suggestion that you keep copious notes about positions to which you applied, contacts you made, etc.? Here is exactly the point where such an exercise will pay dividends.

If you were in sales, you would have targets for how much business you'd want to get done or how much new business you would want to get started in a certain time frame, right? (This would especially apply if you worked on commission.) If you want to remain in sales or for any type of position, do the same thing for your job search. Borrowing from an introductory meeting I once had for a sales job, the break down for which you should strive should look like this: For networking, set goals for initial contacts (presumably via phone or email), initial and second face-to-face meetings, and closed deals. For job applications, I would suggest more aggressive numbers as the yield (applications which are likely to turn into first and even second meetings, never mind offers) is likely to be much lower.

Set a review schedule with someone you trust which may be a family member, spouse, mentor, former colleague, or possibly someone at an outplacement agency if you are taking part in such a service. I might even do this with more than one person. You will need the sanity check as if you are trending in the wrong direction (for you), each expansion of the effort will take you further away from a quick conclusion of your relationship with TJS.

The discipline which you develop with this effort will be of immeasurable value to you as you try and find time for everything else which is important to you. Faith, family, health, exercise, leisure pursuits, travel, whatever. You will need to have other things going on and flourishing in your life if you are to remain sane, especially if TJS is hanging around longer than expected.

There is no question that the start of the new calendar year can provide a timely jumping-off point for an expanded, vigorous, organized, cathartic Job Search. It will be incumbent upon the Job Searcher, though to maintain that momentum, realizing that there are many resources (some of which I hope have been gleaned from TJS's The Job Search) always at one's disposal.

Happy New Year to all. Please feel free to share anything from this space which you have found useful and do not hesitate to reach out to me if you think I can be of help.

I'm as Mad as He**

Play word association and what IMMEDIATELY comes to mind when you read the title of today's piece? Three guesses and the first two don't count. Anyone who says something other than "Network" has to face the fact that your association with our friend TJS is going to be a long slog. (Go to YouTube and see the Peter Finch "I'm as Mad as He**" rant and pay special attention to the lines at the beginning, once he gets started. They have definite applicability to those involved with TJS.)

I say that because no matter what you are doing, networking should always be at the very forefront of your consciousness, but especially when you are looking for a job. This seems a simple concept but it is shocking that there are enough people still out there who don't realize the value of mining their circles of friends, colleagues, neighbors, classmates, etc. and using those circles to create ever-expanding new circles. Probably the same people who still have double-digit percentage rate mortgages.

There are those of us who may know the value of networking but who do not want to due to lack of self-confidence or a simple question of personal style. This space won't address such situations directly, but may make it easier for the wallflowers to begin reaching out.  This won't address laziness either. I don't currently have (but maybe someday I will) the tools or certification, never mind the understanding, to help those who are aware of what networking can do, have the contacts at their disposal, yet sit back and think it is ok for the world to come to them and are indignant when the phone doesn't ring and the email box is empty.

No, your humble correspondent will attempt to provide a service, in some cases stating the obvious because I am not going to get caught assuming that readers of this blog will have thought of something before, however simple. Besides, the price of admission to TJS' The Job Search is free, so you may have to wade through the primer to get to the textbook.

For those of you who are not on LinkedIn, get on it. When you go there, fill out your profile as completely as possible and also upload your CV. Recruiters do comb through LinkedIn both to find candidates to fill permanent positions but also to locate those who might be willing to serve as subject matter experts for some initially indeterminate period. Once your information is loaded in, think of absolutely anybody you have ever known from wherever and whenever in your past and look them up. Seriously, go back to grade school or your old neighborhoods and do a brain dump and see what you find. There may (and probably will) be multiple people with the same name, so do a little detective work, read the profiles, and see if you can narrow down the possibilities. Someone whose name you had not considered in eons will show up as being in a position of responsibility at a great company for which you would LOVE to work--I can almost guarantee that.

I joined LinkedIn in March 2007 (hadn't even heard of it before then) at the invitation of a senior executive with whom I used to work at the company I had just left. Three years later I have more than 550 contacts which come from employers, social acquaintances, schoolmates from college and graduate school, childhood friends, and am always looking to add more. The site is helpful in suggesting people you may know based on contacts you already have, but that benefit won't kick in until you have done some leg work and sent invitations to people (and have had them accepted).

A word on sending LinkedIn invitations. It tends to be a lower-yielding exercise, but it is recommended that you add a personal note each time you contact someone through LinkedIn. I say 'lower yielding' as it appears to me that, compared to notes I send, many fewer potential contacts reply with anything other than the invitation acceptance. Still, I think it is absolutely worth it, especially if the contact is a bit tenuous or stale, or you may want to ask for something like a referral or meeting later on. (It is also a bit of an 'old school' approach, which is always a good thing.)

In your non-business situations, especially in the current environment, there is absolutely no shame in letting your friends know you are looking for work and asking if there is anyone they might know to whom you could speak. (Psst--it could be your favorite barkeep, restaurateur, shopkeeper, or train conductor. I am not suggesting a carpet bombing with your news, but if you know people well enough, you should be able to figure who might be able to be helpful.) Get the word out there, sell yourself. If you were a marketer launching a new product, goodness, once you'd done your market research, you would pull out all stops and use all available avenues to make sure the launch was a success. TJS is absolutely no different.

People want to be helpful, but don't anticipate that your nearest, dearest, warmest personal friends and running partners will be the most helpful. The best leads, advice, or referrals will more likely than not come from an individual whom you would not consider a bff. (best friend forever, for those not in the absolute know...) Your closest confidantes could genuinely be busy, pre-occupied, or maybe they were never going to come to your aid when the going got rough anyway. I am not trying to stir the pot, but the implication is clear--don't discount the ability of anyone to be your white knight.

I would be very interested to hear about networking stories and approaches that have worked especially well and those that may have produced less than optimal results. More on this topic next week.

If you think about it

If you think about it, a typical job search is like walking into a cocktail party where you don’t know anyone. You don’t know where to look first, whom to talk to or approach, and in many cases, what to say when you get to the point of starting a conversation. In a job search, such things are entirely avoidable. Let’s see how.

Are you saleable in your present form? You will need an up-to-date CV, even to send to people whom you know, as they may send it to others who don’t know you. Don’t assume that the CV you have had in your document folder forever is going to be adequate for the purposes of an aggressive job search. (As a matter of fact, while engaged in The Job Search, it is best to assume nothing—don’t assume an email was read, don’t assume a message was transmitted, you get the idea.)

I am not necessarily advocating having a CV professionally re-touched, though such services clearly have benefits. If you have the financial wherewithal to send your CV out for alterations, go for it. There are plenty of resources available gratis or with minimal expense which can complement your own common sense and writing abilities to create a CV which will both accurately and favorably represent skills and accomplishments. Just do it…

There is ample disagreement as to a resume format. A 2 page format seems to work well in most situations, though I have had recruiters suggest that it is acceptable to go longer. You are trying to look the best you can, so make sure you list EVERYTHING. I disagree. You need to strike a balance between showing a progressive list of achievements and responsibilities and being a windbag. What will count most to a recruiter or hiring manager (and what they probably won’t read past) will be your most recent positions (within the last 5-7 years)—insure that what you have done is properly described, in a logical order, and typographically and grammatically correct.

You would not believe how little attention is seemingly paid to spelling and grammar in documents as important as CVs and cover letters. Don’t assume that spell-check will catch everything that needs to be caught. Read documents three times—for flow, for spelling and grammar, and then to make sure you have caught everything. If you make any changes, go through the document again—surprising how words you think you have deleted or changed are still on the page. Once you hit ‘Submit’, it’s gone and can’t be recaptured, kind of like trying to grab a dropped piece of paper as it falls to the floor.

There is also a school of thought that you should have different CVs depending on what types of jobs you are seeking. This makes sense, but always keep accuracy in mind, especially if you are applying for positions at a company you just left or for which you previously worked. For example, you may want to highlight certain accomplishments based on pursuit of a sales or relationship management opening, vs. a strategy or consulting opportunity.

Cover letters should ABSOLUTELY be customized. I would write a different one for each job to which you may apply. This will take longer but will serve several purposes—what you write will never sound canned, you will be forced to think about what you have done and how it applies to the intricacies of the specific opportunity (and, please, take the time to go through the job’s duties and requirements and address the ones you find most applicable to you), and you will stand out from other applicants who don’t go through this simple exercise.

As with CVs, the key information you wish to convey in a cover letter should be in the first paragraph or two. I call this the “grab-by-the-lapels” approach. (Others might think this is the ‘elevator speech’ approach.) Say who you are, how you found the opportunity or why you are otherwise writing, and then why (I like bullet points) you are the BEST qualified person. Communicate that you are the BEST qualified person, not just a good, talented person who wants the job. The difference in approach is subtle but huge in its potential effect on your pursuit of the opportunity.

The difficult part is to sound confident and organized without coming across as pompous.  Think of it this way—if you were reading your letter as a hiring manager, would the letter make your skin crawl or would it make you pick up the phone to you? Heck, this is extremely critical if you are applying for any job, but especially a sales job. You have to be credible and be seen to properly represent your company and product (In this case, the product is you!) and not as making claims that simply don’t make sense. (I call this the ‘snicker’ test. If what you say would not cause the reader to snicker, you’re good to go.)

More on networking, opportunity hunting, and keeping track of progress next time. Do reach out if you have any thoughts at all on any of this.

Three Little Words

Three little words, 12 innocuous letters, that strike fear and dread in the hearts and minds of even the boldest, best and brightest in the financial markets but if encountered forcefully, can end up being a rewarding experience.

The Job Search

The Job Search is so disquieting because of what it does and what it doesn’t do and what it takes away. TJS does shock us when we realize it has to start, it doesn’t (at least not every time) show up with a warning and it takes away our senses of routine and of security. All of us either have met TJS or knows of at least one person who is dealing with TJS as we speak.

What is often missed while gnashing teeth, doing the why-me’s, and donning the finest Brooks Brothers sackcloth, is what TJS gives those who embrace it and go out of their way to make its acquaintance. Think about it. It offers an opportunity to reinvent, to take an audit of skills and strengths and weaknesses, to take the staleness out of our games, to take the time to analyze what we want to do when we grow up. It also provides a new sense of community.

Hey, right now there are a ton of highly qualified men and women in the same situation and to get through a dalliance with TJS quickly and successfully you all will need to reach out to each other. Out-of-work (and employed) friends and former colleagues will have contacts that can be used, networks into which one can tap, and will become aware of opportunities just perfect for you that not even best efforts would uncover if you went it alone. And vice versa. (Note to selves—be willing to share.)

You know what else? TJS should prompt you to contact lapsed acquaintances. Why not? Raise your hand if you have been on Facebook or LinkedIn and found old classmates, colleagues, and/or neighbors and marveled at who has been found ‘after all these years’. (Never mind about how much weight they have put on. Totally not the point here.) If you were looking for these people for purely social reasons, why not do the same exercise for professional reasons? The advice would not be to call so-and-so up or write him or her an email and ask for a job. Reintroduce yourself (in some cases it may be easy, in others cobwebs and crickets may have to be disposed of), do the proper catching up, ask to get together and then talk about additional contacts and referrals.

And guess what? While working with TJS, if you think you have looked at every job board, thought of every potential contact, or fully developed your network, you haven’t, and that is exactly the time when you re-triple your efforts. Complacency is not an option-employment is.

Like any relationship, you never know how long you and TJS are going to be together. In this case you, of course, really hope it won’t be long but the reality is that it could end up being longer, even way longer, than you think. (Believe me, I know). As with any elite athlete, you have to pace yourself but also have a mental, emotional, and social support system in place to get you through the peaks and valleys that will present themselves with uncanny consistency. That support system could take the form of attendance at religious services, a scheduled lunch date or discussion session with friends or whatever but the absolute key is to get out and do something. Do not fall out of a routine, just create a new one. Treat every day as if you were indeed heading in for work. Get up, have a solid breakfast, schedule some exercise time. Plan the day before what you want to get accomplished the following day and then follow through on that plan, which should include applying for jobs, reaching out to contacts, and staying current on trends in your piece of the industry.

Progress will be important to your mental and emotional health. You may think you are making progress, but are you really? How will you measure progress? Go back to basics-pull out a yellow pad and a Dixon’s #2 pencil (do #1 or #3’s actually exist?) and write down every job to which you apply or call you make or email you send. (OK, a computer spreadsheet can be used.) You will get asked (and will ask yourself) about what you are doing, by both recruiters and family members, and you’ll want to come across as having a plan and DOING things. Style foul on you for asking for help if you are not doing your own work or look like you are not doing your own work.

Another part of progress is follow-up. If you have a meeting or interview, find out what the time frame is to hear about next steps. Hold the individual to that time frame. Then, be persistent stopping short of being annoying. I heard of someone who was in a very competitive situation for a job and who later found out he didn’t get it because the recruiter didn’t think he showed enough interest. Ouch! Call, write, e-mail. Don’t let the radio silence be your doing.

Please relay your thoughts, comments and experiences. Like I said—there are a lot of you out there who feel your pain.