Job Hunting in the 21st Century
In 2009, there is no time to complain about how tight and unfair the job market is, or how hard it is to get a resume in the door. There is no more room for complaining about unqualified people using their personal or family connections to get into job opportunities. These are all surmountable issues.
In the past few weeks, I’ve read a number of articles and postings on various social networks that decry the fact that the job hunting process is largely a political one. I would argue that this has largely been true in most industries throughout the bulk of the 20th century, particularly for higher level jobs. It has always been beneficial to know someone who was in the right place to get your resume in the door. And if you really knew the right people, you might even be able to get the job outright!
The only difference in the 21st century, is that this approach is more widely available to people across the socioeconomic spectrum. It is no longer solely the domain of those born into well-to-do families. The playing field has been leveled, and we need to recognize that – and take advantage of it!
In today’s job market, sending around a traditional resume is largely an exercise in futility. There are so many people on the job market, and so many resumes in circulation, and so few people to review them in a timely manner, that hiring managers and HR professionals are inundated with choices – many of which are not even worth their time. And, depending on what type of job you’re looking for, you may want to get right to the hiring manager who is better equipped to recognize your potential value to the organization, than to get filtered by HR, which has neither the time nor the skill to do more than a keyword match of your resume.
The following article on The Working Resume outlines a different kind of resume that will generate results because it focuses on what you will do for your prospective employer, rather than what you did do for your previous employers. It is a definitely worth a read or two.
Still, even this type of resume can get filtered out by an HR team that is looking for specific keywords. One of the side effects of generating this new kind of resume, however, is that you will likely build, cultivate and utilize your network connections to learn about the role and the specific needs of the prospective organization. This will help you get to the right people.
The professional and social networks (like LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com) make it possible for anyone today to develop a network that can help them secure an all important interview. Using one’s connections is no longer limited to a small group of people. (And job hunting is not the only use for a network!) And using one’s network in this fashion is neither evil nor underhanded. It’s an absolute necessity.
With so many resumes on the market, and so many job boards to search, and with so little time for the Human Resources teams to determine who really has the right skills for the job, the resume hunt becomes an exercise in weeding people out, rather than getting the right people for the job. Thus, referrals from existing employees will always rate higher on the acceptance chain than a good looking resume from your job board of choice.
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: you must build your connections well in advance of the need to use them, or your contacts will not be in a position to help you (or, will have no desire to help you). Let’s make use of the tools that we have, and offer employers the best of both worlds: a quick job search with a highly-qualified candidate who will move the business forward.
If you have the right skills, then you need to engage in the right marketing so that you can reap the right reward. Start right now – there is no time to lose!
About Logik!
Andrew S. Baker aka ASB aka Logik!
Andrew S. Baker is a business-savvy, hands-on IT leader with expertise in mentoring people, mitigating risk, and integrating technology to drive innovation and maximize business results. He creates competitive advantage for organizations through effective IT leadership: implementation of processes and controls, and architecture of robust business solutions.
Mr. Baker has successfully led a number of high-performance technology teams in designing, deploying and maintaining secure, cost-effective computing environments for well-known companies, including Warner Music Group, The Princeton Review, Bear Stearns, About.com, and Lewco Securities.
For over a decade, Andrew has exhibited thought leadership on technology and business topics via mailing lists, technical forums, blogs, and professional networking groups, along with contributions to podcasts, webinars, and over 20 technical/business magazine articles. He also serves on several boards and committees for non-profit organizations, and within the Seventh-day Adventist church.
His personal interests include Astronomy, Basketball, Bible Study, Chess, Comics, Computers,
Family Life Ministries, Reading, Strategy/Role Playing games, and Professional Networking...
A summary of Andrew's current résumé is available here, and he can be reached on a variety of social and professional networks, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.