Many seeking a new career start hopeful and often get a lot of early support from their friends, colleagues, and that all-important “network.” For many, that initial excitement can wear off as your network goes quiet, recruiters don’t return phone calls, and most employers don’t respond to your resume, or if you do get an interview, they provide very little in feedback.
It can be very discouraging, and lonely, on top of all the other challenges of doing a career search today.
The first step in tackling any challenge is to understand what’s going on and then put a plan in place to get different results.
1) Your Network: Tapping into your network, big or small, can be huge as they are usually your biggest supporters and can help give you encouragement and support. As the search continues, things can go quite very fast. Plus, it can be embarrassing as few don’t understand today’s job search challenges, and soon you find yourself all alone.
Here is the thing about your network…most people don’t know how to help someone looking for a job. They want to. They will sing your praises and give you lots of encouragement. But when it comes to how they can help you, most are not sure.
The opportunity is to first be clear on what you are looking for and to find ways to help them help you by exploring how your network is connected to the companies and hiring managers you need to speak to.
2) Recruiters: Your first meeting with many recruiters is often high energy and excited to be talking to you about all the opportunities they have. You may get a couple of roles to have your resume pass on to. Then nothing or – “we’ll let you know when we have something”.
The thing about recruiters that you need to know is that the employer pays the bill, and unless they see a fit that can earn them and their company a fee, they will be off looking for others that can. The best recruiters realize it’s in their best interest to build relationships with candidates; you are an indirect customer too. Still, the recruiting world is fast-paced, and recruiters only want to pass on the best “fit” candidates they see. You can’t take it personally – it’s business.
Your best results are to be very clear on what role you want. The exact reasons why you are a clear choice (help them sell you – top 3 reasons) and connect with as many recruiters as possible because even the very best only have a small fraction of the available jobs.
3) Employers: One of the biggest complaints I hear is that job seekers don’t get much feedback from employers. There are a few reasons for this:
- Job Boards: For many roles that an employer posts a role, they can get dozens, 100s, or even 1,000 candidates applying. Administratively it’s not practical or too costly to give a personal response to everyone.
- Litigation: In this age of litigation, many employers, I do, instruct their HR team and Hiring Manager to say as little as possible to candidates they don’t want to hire. Just too risky.
- Not Building a Relationship: Recruiters HR professionals and many Hiring managers speak to a lot of candidates. If you are going about the process like most, then at most, you are getting a transactional relationship…another number. The results – a standard response.
You wonder, how do you combat these three things? By connecting with employers differently. Building a relationship. Delivering your message, so it is clear your skills are relevant to the position and why. But asking great questions and listening. By doing, so the employer becomes an advocate and wants to help you…Not put you in a box.
What are some of the survival skills you have learned not to feel stranded on an island in your career search? Reach out to me and schedule your Discovery Call — > https://calendly.com/notionpath/discovery-call-1