We All Know the Definition of Insanity

It's doing the same things the same way and expecting different results.

Everyday, people send out resumes to online job listings and they are full of hope, only to be greatly disappointed when they check back the next morning and see no responses--"Damn!" Then, they do it again, "Damn!" and again, "Damn!" until they give up and rationalize, "There are no jobs out there."

In my discussions with the students in my job search/interviewing class we talked about the notion from my last post--going about the job search in a different way.

I get a lot of people who resist this different approach and I get many questions. For instance, "Mr Mattson, how do I find 30 to 50 companies I'd like to work for?" "What is a journal?" "How do I really find the hiring manager? Isn't there a 'gatekeeper' to keep me away from hiring managers?" "What do I say?" etc. These are all good questions and I will answer them all in future posts as we discuss them in class; however, there is a foundation I want to lay down first.

In most of the blogs I read, and the people (including students) I talk to, they complain about no results from the job listing boards, websites, and State employment offices. The complaint is similar to the following, "I spend hours sending out cover letters and resumes or filling out forms on websites and never hear back." My answer to this complaint is to quit doing it and do something else, clearly it isn't working.

My analogy is that of a fisherman. I am an avid sport salmon fisherman. Fishing for salmon is like fishing for a job, it is easy to do; however, catching is the hard part. When a school of salmon are running through a body of water heading to or up a stream, everyone can catch a salmon. When the economy is good and everyone is hiring, everyone who wants a job can catch one.

However, when the salmon are not returning to their stream, you have to hunt for the resident salmon that don't head out into the ocean during the winter. They are there; but, you have to find them before you can catch them. Again, let me reiterate, finding them isn't good enough--you need the skills to catch one.

During this part of the year (winter), not many folks are out fishing because they don't believe there are any salmon out there; however, I used to see a few people catch salmon when everyone thought they were gone. I watched these guys, asked questions, listened, and learned the skills to catch salmon outside the seasonal runs. Here is how you do it.

You have to find their (the salmon's) hang outs. It is usually close to shores where there is a steep drop in depth. Once you find those areas (I did it by following the people catching salmon), then you have to try different things--I like to call it "audience analysis." Analyze the salmon and find out what they want. (This is good advice for effective communication in everyday life too.)

I usually start off with the bait of my choice--a herring--why not? Its worked before and I like it. There is a clear problem here with my reasoning; it is the bait of my choice. Do you see the problem here? I'm not going to catch a salmon with what I'd like, it has to be what the salmon like.

If herring works at 40 feet deep, then I had a good quick day. (If sending out a resume to an online job listing works, then you had a good day too.)

If it doesn't work, I have to try something else. I can drag herring around all day and conclude, "there are no salmon out there." However, I'd be wrong, the fish are there, I was using the wrong bait, I didn't try to find out what the salmon wanted. Listening to fisherman claiming there are no fish (jobs) out there based on the information of doing the same thing the same way all day is clearly insanity.

Here's the pay off.

If the herring doesn't work, I try a squid, if that doesn't work, I try a spoon, if that doesn't work, I try a spinner, if that doesn't work, I try a buzz bomb, etc. Ah, if only it was that simple, I have to try these different baits at different depths too and I have to change my presentations: for instance, the length of my leader line, whether or not to use a flasher, what color flasher, etc. Maybe the fish like the squid; but the ones at 40 feet aren't hungry, so I have to try 60 feet or 100 feet or 190 feet, etc. There are many combinations I must try and the timing is important too--usually the fish eat at tide changes. You can see how complicated this can get, same with the job search--finding the salmon (calling companies where you'd like to work), bait (communicating your skills that the hiring manager needs), depth (who you talk to in the organization), presentation (how you communicate and present yourself), and timing (you have to make many contacts).

It is hard, time consuming, and it takes work; however, with persistence and patience, I usually get a salmon. But, not every time out, I have to go out again and again sometimes. Remember, fishing isn't that hard, catching is the hard part. Sending out resumes by the hundreds with cover letters isn't that hard; finding a job opening without competing with thousands of others with your skills is hard; but the rewards are great.

I prefer fishing when the salmon aren't "running," I don't have competition for the salmon and I am out relaxing in open water as I am not side by side with thousands of other boats filled with fishermen stretched across the entrance to a river competing for the same fish.

Try a different way to search for a job and you won't have any competition either. Who wants to get up in the morning and be disappointed when you open your email day after day? And you won't be sitting in a room full of other applicants if you do get that prized call back email.

If you take this attitude (try something different) towards the job search, you will find a job quicker than you thought possible--possibly several job offers.

There is a two fish limit on salmon; but, no limit on job offers.

Do This and You'll Have Several Job Offers in 2010

The figure jumped off the Television screen at me the other night--16.2% unemployed in the USA. That figure includes an estimate of the folks not on unemployment compensation but still not working and people unable to work for whatever reason.

However, by re-framing that statistic, we can say the USA has an 83.8% employment rate! That might not comfort many of you; however, it is hope and should make us optimistic that we can find work. I talked about attrition in a previous post and 83% employment rate creates lots of attrition; thus, hundreds of thousands of job openings. Most of these attrition job openings never find their way to an Internet job listing site so you have to be in the right place at the right time. It is simply a matter of timing, of numbers, and luck. Luck is defined as when opportunity intersects with preparation. You have to put in the time and do the preparation so you are ready when opportunity presents itself. Preparation is not sitting at a computer going over job listings; it is a lot of work; but, it's not preparation.

What I'm about to tell you will get you multiple job offers; however, most of you won't do it because it is hard work; much harder than sitting at a computer and sending out countless resumes and cover letters that are never seen by human eyes.

Searching for online job listings is mostly a waste of time because millions of others are doing the same things; therefore, each job listing is getting hundreds or thousands of resumes along with yours. The odds are terrible. You all know the definition of insanity: doing the same things the same way and expecting different results. It's time to try something different.

For those of your serious about finding work, This is a great model. I first found this model in a book called The Consultant's Calling by Geoffrey Bellman (1990). His model is teaching new consultants how to find business. I used it and it was so successful in building my business to the point I take on very little new business now because I just don't have the time. I have modified it for the job seekers. Those job seekers who have used it received multiple job offers, you can too.

Here is what you do:

Identify around 30 to 50 (you pick a number) organizations you'd like to work for, or you have the skills they prize. Do not contact Human Resources (HR).

Call and find out the name and number of the hiring manager in the department you are qualified to work. The receptionist will give you her/his voice mail in most cases.

Leave a short message with your name and that you have a free service to offer and you want permission to send her/him the information.

Sometimes, you will get a call back, sometimes you won't; however, be persistent and make the offer once a week until you can talk with the hiring manager.

Once you get the hiring manager on the phone, you tell her/him you are out of work and have some free time while looking for work.

During this free time, you are keeping your skills sharp and on the cutting edge by attending conferences, workshops, seminars, reading journal articles, and news on the latest innovations in your field.

With this information you are writing summaries and would be more than happy to send the summaries and articles, or just summaries to him/her. This shows your enthusiasm, your listening and writing skills, and your character.

Odds are there are no openings at the time; however, when an opening does pop up due to attrition it won't be posted on an Internet job site; I am sure that the hiring manager is going to call that ambitious person keeping him/her up on the cutting edge of that industry or job field--you. You'll go in for an interview with no competition for the job. You have already stood out to that hiring manager and you didn't have to play any silly tricks trying to get someone's attention in HR (they don't even do the hiring). The hiring manager will instruct HR to hire you.

Sadly, many of you will not go to this length so tell me what is stopping you?

5 Different Ways to Search for Jobs--Quit Shaking the Same Apple Tree as Everyone Else

Everyone dreads the job search.  Often, we stay in a job we hate because at least we know what we have rather than to experience the uncertainty of looking for a new job, new boss, new way of doing things, and new people. 

Suddenly, we get that pink-slip! Once we find ourselves out of work, the panic often sets in.  The uncertainty is overwhelming and when we reason in times of uncertainty and stress, we function with our weakest personality type.  We seem to become someone else.

The first thing most people tend to do (I went straight home and plopped into bed for two days) is get on the Internet and look for jobs at the various job sites. We see this glimmer of hope—there are jobs listed in our field. Then we proceed to painstakingly fill out online resumes, job applications, and other forms.  It takes hours and then we sit back and wait for an answer.  Depending on the job, mostly an answer never comes.  “Why?” We ask ourselves.  “What’s wrong with me?  Why aren’t employers interested in me?  I must be a loser.”

The second thing most people tend to do is to read classified ads in the Sunday newspaper and respond to each interesting ad.  The problem here is that everyone else has already seen this job posting and has also responded. Now you are competing with hundreds of people, not just a few.

This is the extent of most people’s job search and this is where they spend most of their time looking for work.

It pains me to see people limiting themselves to the two worst ways to look for a job.  I saw report on the NBC Nightly News on March 11, 2009 where a man took a “survival job” as a janitor to help make ends meet at home. He started each day spending over 3 hours searching the Internet and sending out electronic resumes.  He was saddened and depressed that no one responded to his posts.

Does this sound familiar?  Richard Bolles, states in his book, What Color is Your Parachute?, that out of every 100 people looking for a job on the Internet, only 4 will be successful.  Another study done in 2005, says there are over 40,000,000 resumes floating around out there on the Internet.  Richard Bolles also claims that only 12 out of 100 people will find a job through the classified ad section of the Sunday newspaper.

No wonder that hard working guy on the NBC Nightly News is having a hard time finding a suitable job.

The good news is that there are employers out there looking for you, and they are having a big problem—finding you.  Not all companies are suffering through rough times in this economy, many are growing. Other companies are losing good employees through normal attrition (people die, get sick, get in accidents, transfer, quit, take leave to care for a family member etc), or to competitors looking lure away the best people they can find in a challenging economy.  These all create new openings. Being out of work, our job is to identify these employers and make it easier for those employers to find you.  You create your own timing (some would say luck) by being at the right place at the right time.

Even though these methods (Internet and Sunday classified ads) should be part of your job search, you must use several more alternatives.

Five more ways to find your job

One: The first thing to do is to write down the names of everyone you know:

Let all these people know you are out of work and ask if they know of any job openings where they work. If they do, ask if you can use their name when you contact the employer.

Two: Research Organization where you’d like to work (this is the time to use the computer).

Find their Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Core Values, Core Competencies, and Strategic Direction (if you can on this one).  Learn as much about a company as you can.

Three: Get out the Yellow Pages

Find the businesses that are interesting to you, get the phone numbers and start dialing.  Ask for the manager of the department where you want to work.  You simply ask if they are hiring people for the type of work you do.  This smiling and dialing technique is effective because it relies on the law of numbers and it works better than most people realize.

Four: Knocking on doors.

Wearing out a little bit of shoe leather has always been effective.  However, don’t go knocking on the doors of organizations that have a job posting listed—knocking on these doors might backfire on you.  Often we see the convenience of a computer and forget about this option.  It should be a part of every job search. 

Five:  Join or start a group of other job seekers and make calls as a group.

The benefits are similar to smiling and dialing using the yellow pages; however, Richard Bolles suggests the percentages of finding a suitable job increase by 15% if you are calling with a group of other job seekers.  One reason is because you are motivated to make the calls when you have that camaraderie of others doing the same thing with you.

Get out and meet with people, it’ll keep you busy and you will be back to work soon.  Use that same American work ethic you used on the job to find a better one.  You can do it, all it takes is work.

Cut your time searching for job listings on the Internet by 90%

Two main lessons: One, cut your time searching for job listings on the Internet by 90%, and two, most of the jobs listed are undesirable.

Richard Bolles' research shows that only 4 to 10 percent of the people who find jobs, find them through the job listings on the Internet.  It is closer to 10% for those looking for jobs working for an Internet related organization.  Thus we can spend our time being more productive searching in other ways.

In your past working experiences, how did your organization, division, or department fill job openings?  If you had the same experiences as me, it is the department, division, or organization manager asking the current employees if they know anyone interested in working there. Usually someone knows someone and the position is filled. However, if the position isn't desirable, no one wants to tell his/her friends or family about the opening in which case the manager turns to the human resources (HR) department for the job search. 

The manager and the HR representative get together and write an advertisement to be posted online or in the newspaper.  The problems then begin for the organization as HR must screen several resumes for a job that no one in the organization wants, nor is willing to refer a friend or family member.

Do you see the problem here?  We now have hundreds of people desperately applying for a job that no one really wants.  Do you want to be one of those people? 

Don't stop your activities on the Internet job search as there are still 4 to 10 people who still find good jobs using this search method, just curtail your time and use it in more productive ways.

There are several better ways and we will talk about them in future posts.

Rationale for this particular Blog

For the past 10 years, I have taught a job search, resume writing, and interviewing course at Green River Community College in Auburn, WA. This quarter, Winter 2010, I am teaching it as a hybrid course--part online and part in the classroom on Saturday mornings. Since I am writing most of the course content on the virtual classroom software, I think it will be good to share.

This information might be valuable to others; plus, in this arena, I am hopeful to learn more information from the responses, experiences, and observations of the readers.

The format will be to share with you what happens in this course both online and in the classroom. I will share the assignments and the student's findings. For example, their first assignment is to find a blog on the job search, read several posts, then analyze it. I will post their findings: links, critiques, and analysis for you.

We should be able to accumulate good information and opinions for you to analyze and see if it is helpful to you in your job search, or if you are a trainer or teacher, it is helpful information to use in your presentations.

This should be a fun experience and I hope you benefit from this blog as the students benefit from the college course.