Sometimes You Just Can't Make Things Fit
Secrets To The Hiring Process Today
IMPORTANT:
“FIND A JOB” INFORMATION FOR THE JOB SEEKER
Finding the Perfect Resume is difficult these days for recruiters and companies.
There are lots of applicants as we hear on the news everyday, but the job descriptions are also getting longer and more difficult to match.
As many of my fellow recruiters know, I have often referred to the recruiting function as
Playing A Game of “Go Fish“.
THE PERFECT MATCH
If the candidate doesn’t fit the request……
NO MATCH-NO WIN.
Recently, as I am learning to be more Social Media savvy and on the big social media boards, I hear more and more complaints from applicants that they are sending resumes and not hearing any responses. I think many people do not understand the role of the Human Resource Department in a company or the Third Party Recruiter and I am ready to address this today, to help those individuals understand what is going on in the employment world. With so many individuals looking for employment today, it is important that people understand what goes on behind the scenes in the employment process.
For many years, as a recruiter, I would post a job out in the newspaper or elsewhere and, of course, for several years now on the job boards. It was important to me to try to give as much information regarding the job as I could attain from the hiring authorities through a detailed job description, thus eliminating individuals that would not be a match. As a person trying to fill a position, my credibility and (income) was based on whether the person that I recommended actually filled all the requirements.
No matter, how detailed the description, however, the response usually contained many resumes that did not even come close to fitting the job description. Much of this in those days, was because the Unemployment Commission had a quota of how many resumes a person had to send out in order to receive his or her unemployment benefits.
Trying to Make the Puzzle Piece Fit Doesn't always work
Today, because there is only one job for every 5 people, the amount of resumes we receive per job has expanded immensely and, as any resume reviewer can agree, many of these resumes are absolutely not going to fit the description on the Job Order at all. Understandably, because of the shortage of jobs, individuals are trying to make themselves fit into a description.
This is a good spot for me to show you this video explaining how Third Party Recruiters are paid and why they MUST have the requirements on the job description given to them by the hiring company. *The Human Resource Representative also must follow the requirements listed in the “Job Description”, because his or her performance is based on supplying appropriate applicants.
Please watch, Pat Goodwin, PatGoodwin.com, does an excellent job of explaining The Third Party Recruiter’s responsibilities and functions and you will have a better understanding of what to expect when using a Recruiting Firm:
Recruiters are absolutely a valuable source of information for a job seeker. It is their job to know and understand the job market in their area. They deal with what is happening everyday and their livelihood depends upon their associations within particular industries or communities. Therefore, having a good relationship with a recruiter is a valuable resource for a job seeker. As I can honestly say, there are many individuals that I have worked with over the years that when I see a position that fits their background, I will immediately contact them to see if they are looking at this time. This is all part of the benefits you can derive from having a recruiter-job seeker relationship. It is to the recruiter’s advantage for you to get a job through him or her, so develop a connection with a recruiter in your field or location and maintain it for your future needs.
Find A Recruiter
Many cover letters I see today, state the following:
- “I have worked in this industry ____ years ago and would like to return to that field.“
- “I have never worked in this industry, however, I am a very fast learner and am sure I would do well in this job.“
- “My father (or other relative) worked in this industry, so I am sure I will learn quickly.“
- “I have worked in the ___________ field but not doing this particular job, however, **I believe I have an understanding of the position and ***I feel that I would make a good candidate for this job.”
All of the above statements are really nice statements and probably very sincere, however, with so many resumes to choose from and with the fact that the future employer is hearing everyday on the news that there are many, many qualified candidates, the HR Department and the Third Party Recruiter do not have the luxury of sending you on to the Hiring Decision Maker. When I watch the news and hear individuals say that they have sent out over 100 resumes in one week, I am sure that these people are probably making the mistake of trying to fit a job description they have found in the newspaper or on the internet. (You can read more about cover letters in our blog: Cover Letters Today.)
Another extremely important thing each applicant should understand is that because of the unstable economic environment, although the employer feels the need to hire someone for a particular position, he or she is reluctant to make a commitment and unless the future candidate fits the position just like a puzzle piece, it is very hard for him to make a decision to hire anyone that does not “Stand Out” as a Perfect Fit For His Needs. *I have job openings currently posted from our job board that have been out there for more than three (3) months and the positions are still current job openings.
Make The Job Description Fit You
Now that you have the knowledge of What is Happening In the Job Market
Let Me Give You Some Suggestions For How To Go About Finding A Job Today if you are trying to
“Make A Fit For Yourself”
in any industry:
- Social Media - Join Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other sites that relate to your interest. Get to know people in that field and begin interacting. Let people know of your interest. Join forums related to your interest and start talking to people in those forums. This way you can learn “first-hand” of openings and changes in the field. Of course we all understand that the internet can sometimes be very distracting and you can get lost in non-productive efforts, set a time for about 15-20 minutes to remind you when you are becoming distracted away from your purpose.
- Volunteer - Even just a few hours will put you around people that are involved in these industries or activities. You will be able to meet people and let them know of your interest. (There are some wonderful stories that I have heard about people finding their perfect job through volunteering a couple of hours and because of their associations, developing a job for themselves.)
- Part-Time Job - Again, especially if you are unemployed. This will give you some income, but more importantly, give you the personal satisfaction of knowing that even if this is not the job you want in this field, you are moving forward in your own journey toward getting involved. *(It is also beneficial to show that you have been working in the field of interest on your resume.)
- Classes - On-line or Community College – Free or not, whatever you can find that leads you in the right direction and gives you knowledge of the industry you desire.
- Find Mentors - People that enjoy talking about and showing people more information regarding any subject can be found in your community or on the internet.
- One Quick Note: Find People That Will Support You & Your Ideas. Negative comments especially from people you care about are extremely distracting and we all understand the difficulties in what we are facing around us, but find at least one person that supports you in a very realistic manner and will give you honest criticism that helps you develop your potential !
Understand, that I realize the difficult situation we are all facing today and am hoping to give you some understanding of the employment world and the job market to help you find a job or a career that will develop a future for you no matter what happens with our economic environment.
Anything that you feel that will help you move forward, I will be happy to include in any of my job posts and I look forward to working with anyone that is ready to take charge of their own future for 2010 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Debbie Foster – hjoresumes@gmail.com
careerredirections@gmail.com
http://www.houstonjobopportunities.com
***As an interviewer, resume and cover letter reader: Please, Please, don’t use “I feel” or “I believe” in any of your conversations with future employers. The future employer knows how you feel and that you believe you are a good fit.
The best way to say these statements might be: “Because of my background in __________ or “Having had experience with ___________ or “At my last company, I was responsible for ____________“, or “You can see on my resume that_______“. These statements show the future employer relevancy to the position, which also shows confidence and solid connections between you and the job opening.
Perfect Gift Idea For The Job Seeker, Recent Graduate, or Anyone Today
Employment 911 is a total service to help you with your employment needs. They are ready to help you write a Perfect Resume, Send Out Your Resume for you, and give you an opportunity to search for a perfect match for your job talents.
SEARCH FOR AN OPEN JOB THAT FITS TODAY:
futureprospects (on twitter)
