Some Tips For Job Hunters From An Expert

By Jan Howard

More than 1.5 million people in the United States have been unemployed for at least 16 weeks.

To help people seeking a change in career or new positions, Janice Weinberg, founder of Career Solutions of Westport and author of How to Win the Job You Really Want, presented a seminar, “Job-Hunting Strategies for a Jobless Recovery,” May 13 at the C.H. Booth Library.

Ms Weinberg presented several strategies for the unemployed to use in seeking employment.

Job hunters should avoid methods that are least likely to generate results in the current weak economy, she said, such as networking, contacting recruiters, responding to ads on the Internet and in newspapers, and conducting mail campaigns.

She said these are the least productive paths to employment in what economists call a “jobless recovery.”

For people trying to make a career change, she said it would be a difficult challenge without additional education. “There is an ample number of qualified candidates that employers can want,” Ms Weinberg said. “I’d never say it’s not feasible. Three-plus years ago, it would have been a different story. Three and a half years ago employers were desperate for employees.”

She noted, however, if a person has connections, that “changes the whole landscape” and a job offer could be forthcoming.

She outlined why she believes traditional methods of looking for a job have not been effective for most job seekers.

“Most people have used the Internet to look for a job,” she said. An online advertisement may, however, receive 10,000 responses; a recent ad for Microsoft received 30,000 responses. “Computers were doing the screening,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to answer an advertisement online unless the job description is a perfect fit.”

However, she added, “You feel you have to do something and will be tempted to respond. Why bother to make the effort?

“If it is an excellent fit, send a cover letter in response,” Ms Weinberg advised. She suggested the cover letter be tailored to the advertisement. “Apply the effort that is needed.”

In regard to recruiters, Ms Weinberg said there is not as much incentive for companies to use recruiters, except for the senior management level. “The fees for recruiters can be 15 to 30 percent,” she noted. “You can’t blame companies for minimizing their costs.”

Ms Weinberg said she is not an enthusiast of networking. “Not a week goes by I don’t see an article on networking. Frankly, you can use more productive tactics.

“You don’t need a middle person to introduce you to an employer,” she said. “Use proactive research, and initiate contact with employers.”

In regard to a networking introduction, Ms Weinberg said, “The recipient of the request may feel I’ve had to fire people in the past. I may have to fire this person, and how do I handle this if it doesn’t work out.

“If you use networking, keep it in mind that this issue might arise,” she said.

Ms Weinberg said too much time is spent networking that could be used to research qualify, and initiate contact with a prospective employer.

Contacts can be made in person, by mail and e-mail, and by phone, she said.

If seeking a sales position, job hunters should learn who the regional sales manager is, call during the day to see if he/she is in, and then, with a resume, walk in, “making a cold call,” she said, because a sales manager is concerned if a person is able to make cold calls. “You run a risk that the person is not in, but it’s worth taking a chance.”

In regard to mail versus the phone, Ms Weinberg said, “You want to retain the right to negotiate. A piece of paper is not a negotiating tool.”

E-mail is also not a negotiating tool, she said. A phone call is interactive, with immediate reaction. “It is easier to dump resumes in the mail or e-mails, than phone calls, but if you feel you have something to offer, use the phone,” Ms Weinberg said. “It is consistently an effective tool. You get immediate feedback.

“The downside of a phone call, without an advertisement, is you don’t know if a job exists,” she said.

Timing is important, she said. “Business people like to hire people who are go-getters.”

Ms Weinberg suggested that job hunters apply to industries that are resistant to a weak economy, such as education, textbook publishing, food manufacturers and distributors, health care organizations, and utilities.

She also discussed techniques to use in preparing and submitting resumes. Phrases such as problem solving skills, excellent communication skills, and team player are overused clichés, she said. “They are counterproductive to a goal to stand out in a crowd. You don’t want your resume to look like those of everyone else.

“You want to distance yourself from other people,” she said.

Use a functional format in preparing a resume, she said, not reverse chronological. “Using the right format is very important. Have your resume show how you enhanced your position.

“Do not use the cliché self-starter if you are applying for a management job,” Ms Weinberg said. “Avoid listing a skill that would be implied by your resume.”

When interviewing, it is important to stand out, she said. “Don’t give homogenized answers to interview questions. They give you credit for getting a book out. Don’t memorize answers to questions.”

Job hunters should instead “frontload the interview with positive information about themselves,” she said. “Maximize the opportunity by telling them about a quality, then describing it. Use every question to point out your ability for a job. Try to behave like you’re already in the job.”

For a second interview, the job hunter should have an action plan of what he/she can do in the job to address a problem. “If you have a favorable response at first, bring out the entire plan,” Ms Weinberg said. However, she added, “Don’t make the interviewer feel uncomfortable.” If he/she has not articulated a problem, don’t say you can solve the problem.

“Be enthusiastic about the job,” Ms Weinberg said, but noted, “there are advantages to not seeming too eager. If they say they will call, don’t call them. By saying they will call, you have to assume they will call.” If they give a date for the call, she added, “wait until after the date given to call them.”