Insider secrets for a successful job search
As a HR professional with a multinational retail organization, I’ve done my fair share of sourcing, interviewing & recruiting. My perception of what it takes to get a foot in the door has changed drastically as I worked alongside hiring managers and recruiters and I’ve become privy to some ‘inside secrets’ that an average job seeker may not be aware of. This knowledge has helped me coach several clients to rethink and revamp their job search strategies.
When I was a job seeker, I used to think that having an optimized resume (and LinkedIn Profile) would make all the difference. While there’s no harm in doing this, experience has taught me that this alone wouldn’t suffice.
**I’ve been on both sides of the table - so that you don’t have to be. Now, I want to share all that I learnt with you! **
As a job seeker, I spent countless hours meticulously customizing my resume & cover letter. I included keywords from job descriptions, highlighted my achievements and listed multiple, relevant skillsets.
What do you think my conversion rate was?
I got a job eventually - but, it was because I knew the recruiter who had posted the ad! Despite not having relevant experience or the work / academic ‘pedigree’, I was offered a role at a multinational retail organization.
Since then, I’ve had a chance to be on the other side of the table, and learnt several things that made me rethink the way I approached my job hunting. I started sharing this with friends and family members, who saw a dramatic increase in the number of resume / first round shortlists.
After doing my fair share of sourcing, interviewing & recruiting, I’ve come up with some great strategies to help you increase your chances of getting a foot in through the door.
To be honest, it was a complete stroke of luck that I got that job. If I had to actually tap into my network, I might have remained jobless for much longer. In other words, my net worth was zero. Since then, I was switched gears and made concerted efforts towards building a network.
That’s where most people fall short. It’s easy to say “build your network”. However, I’m going to take this another step further and show you how to build a network that will sky rocket your net worth.
Imagine your network to consist of three concentric circles.
The inner most circle refers to people that you know personally. This is your ‘safe zone’ - the people to whom you can connect easily with and the people who are most likely to help you. Share your ‘pitch’ - the reason why you are searching for a particular job / role - with them and get their advice on how to go about it. Not everyone in this circle may be able to help out, but the ones who can, are definitely worth reaching out to.
The middle circle are your second level connections - people who know the people in your inner most circle. By the time you reach out to them, you should have polished your pitch and also made an effort to ask specific questions related to your job search. One question you should definitely pose to these connections is “Who else do you think I should connect with?” or “Who else do you think can help me?” Leverage them and their connections to build your third or outermost circle.
The outermost circle refers to those people you wouldn’t normally have access to without the bridge of the middle circle. These should ideally be key decision makers (hiring managers, leaders, etc.) at organizations that you’re eyeing. Focus your questions on them - their journey, their experience, and their expectations from the role you wish to apply for. This will help you prepare better when you start interacting with other stakeholders.
With all three circles, remember to follow up and thank them for their valuable advice.
I’ve had family, friends, and clients wonder if it’s all too much. Wouldn’t it be easier to customize their resume and apply? I thought so too. But my experience being on the other side of the table has opened my eyes to a few truths:
1. Not all jobs are posted online.
Maybe some 10-20% of available jobs are posted on those job sites you’re logging. If you look at my organization’s career page, we have only 48 openings while we onboard at least 15 individuals every week.It’s all up to the recruiter. I personally know that some never publish openings on the careers page or advertise them on a social media site. By checking with your network, you’ve access to the 80-90% of jobs that are not listed anywhere!
2. ATS makes it notoriously hard.
Applicant tracking systems are primed to search and filter profiles which have specific things mentioned. I know that some recruiters don’t source beyond the pool of competitors as they believe that the employees from those organizations would have the skillset that the leader / hiring manager is after. So unless you’re searching for a job within the same industry and same ‘grade’ of organizations, your profile may be lost in the ATS matrix and never see the light of the day. Likewise, not having certain skillsets listed on your resume could result in a lower ranking and your application being bypassed.
3. Sourcing is a pain. Referrals make it easier.
I’ve had several experiences where applicants who are not suitable for a role have still submitted their resume. Or worse, they’ve listed certain skillsets but couldn’t even answer the basics during a screening call. As a recruiter, I didn’t have the luxury of time to source profiles. Managers wanted several profiles a day to shortlist and invite for interviews. The employee referrals I got for certain openings made my job a lot easier and it’s the same story everywhere else.
4. The effort in networking is more but the results are better too.
When you apply for a particular role, the ATS files your resume but unless it’s a smart, integrated system, it’s unlikely that your resume pops up for similar openings, unless a recruiter goes looking for it. When you network, you may not get desired results right away but it’s still a better chance than getting archived in the voids of an ATS.
Don’t rely on the Internet alone to find a job that you desire. Instead, build real connections with real people and leverage them to get a foot in through the door.
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