A Client Speaks - 1JOB SEARCH MYTHS
Dilemma 1 -Job Search Myths
In the movie, A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson played a Marine Corps Colonel who was being examined by the prosecutor. His response to a tough question was: "You can't handle the truth".
At our company, we speak with hundreds of executives every month. The one thing that seems to be uniform among many of them is their belief in some of the "urban" myths surrounding their job search process. Sometimes, the truth hurts. Here are a few of the basic truths about job search.
Myth - Working On Two Leads and I "Know" They Will Offer Something - Two leads? Are you kidding? What crystal ball do you have that 8 million other job seekers don't have? Advertising moguls would pay you millions if you could secure a 2% return on their advertising investment. On top of all the advertising money spent, they have to sell the client on buying their product. What are your chances of closing 100%? That is, you will receive two outstanding offers both offering more money with a better financial package.
Are you yourself that you are good enough to sell both companies so that you will have two offers on the table from which you may choose? Who do you think you are really kidding? The fact is, you should have at least five offers during your search from which to choose, all of which are better than the position you occupy or just left or which just left you. When this happens then YOU are in control not the job search process. Otherwise, if those two or so leads don't pan out, you are back to square one, you get to start over, you don't pass go and you don't collect on the new move upwards in your career.
Myth - I Know How To Interview - At the executive level, we have all interviewed dozens or even hundreds of employees. This does NOT mean you know how to interview for your next position. Here is just one question for you to ponder: "How do I uncover the "infancy" stage jobs while in an interview?" Infancy levels are those jobs that are currently merely business needs that have been identified but not yet acted upon by the hiring authority. These positions have no fully developed job description and are opportunities awaiting assurance of a chemistry/cultural fit with a candidate who can contribute. We can't begin to tell you the number of executives who somewhat like a famous old catcher for the Yankees told us after working with us:"I just didn't know what I didn't know."
Myth - I've Never Had To Look, They've Always Found Me - Well, you can forget that in today's economy. For one position we are aware of - a CFO level for a major Fortune 1000 company - there were 225 resumes received from highly qualified applicants, 50 initial telephone screenings, 10 final phone screenings and 2 actual, final face-to-face finalists flown to their corporate headquarters. The old days of getting a lot of calls from recruiters and thinking you can sit on your laurels and hope they find you are among the biggest myths going today. Don't be a hero in your own mind only.
Myth - Never Had A Problem Getting A Job - I'll Do Just FineThis Time - If you use the traditional methods you have used in the past, then you are in for a rude awakening in today's market. Also, if you have secured the services of a company and then expect that you can sit back and wait for them to secure you interviews and get you a job, then you are either delusional or in a state of severe denial. There are numerous sources for employment information and multiple channels in which a job search should be conducted. Each of these must be worked simultaneously to execute a successful job search. A properly planned and executed job search campaign takes time, and the biggest bottleneck is YOU! Moreover, companies are going to move at their pace, not yours. Read more: Multi-Channel Marketing
Myth - More Is Better or The "Let's See What Sticks Approach" - There are a lot of companies that offer resume "blasting" services or try to reduce your fear of the hidden job market by preying on your fears and then comforting you with the myth that by "contacting" 500 or 1000 companies in a shotgun approach, you will increase your chances of success. However, no one can seem to get them to define the word "contact."
In your capacity as a senior executive, you already understand the importance of "targeted" marketing. So why would you "blast" your resume all over the place without consideration for targeted results? When you ran your operation you would have fired your marketing team if they had proposed that. Why would you accept that behavior now?
Moreover, for your marketing plan, the "shotgun," or volume approach, is not your friend because it wastes precious time and money. Rather than direct mailing (2% is a great response rate) to thousands of unknown companies or recruiters where their contact information may or may not be up-to-date, you should use the "rifle" approach. This approach specifically targets known companies and known contacts within those companies that are in sync with your specific career path objectives and goals. More is not better - Accurate Targeting Is.
Myth - A J.O.B is a Career Move - Anyone can find a J.O.B. To plan, execute and find the "right" career-enhancing move to propel yourself towards the pinnacle of your career takes professional help. Thinking that you don't need help, in today's employment market, is like attempting to prepare your company's taxes or repair your own BMW 745Li at home. Times and methods have changed. This isn't your father's job search environment.
When we talk to prospects, we try very hard not to focus on a "job." We put the emphasis, especially at senior levels, on the "right" position. The "real" focus should be on effectively managing your Career. Smart executives "manage" their careers; schlumps "take a job." The Truth is; that there really is a big difference between finding "a job" and securing the "right position." When you stare in the mirror in the morning, unless you see a red cape with the letter "S" on it, you are just like every other job seeker. Seeking help really is ok. Finding the "right" help for your specific situation in your life and career will require diligence on your part. Stop fooling yourself; wake up and start focusing on your career.
Myth - Sitting On The Point of The Pyramid Doesn't Hurt - As everyone knows from high school geometry, the "real estate" available towards the top of a pyramid diminishes proportionally with the height. In real terms, the higher your salary the less jobs there are available. There are also a lot of younger MBAs who want those positions you are applying for and who sometimes are willing to work for half the salary you have grown to love. Remember, they don't hire two of you for the same job. Why should they hire you?
Myth - I Feel Great, Ignore My Age - Don't fool yourself: there is age discrimination, and it is very real and will eliminate you from certain positions. Trends are saying that many executives are now finding their careers seriously blocked after they leave a company and try to gain employment with another company who knows little or nothing about them. Packaging and branding yourself to prevent this is critical. What is required to do this?
Myth - I Just Spoke To A Company Who Says They'll Get Me A Job in 12 Weeks Not a day goes by that a candidate tells us they just spoke with a sales person from some career marketing company claiming that company has "Spent Millions On Their Databases and Systems and that they "Guarantee Me A Job In Twelve Weeks or Less."
Any representative of any company who "guarantees" that you will either secure an interview in six weeks OR a job within 12 weeks is just plain lying. They are just telling you what you they think you want to hear in order to get you to buy something from them.
Many companies claim to have spent "millions" on their proprietary databases and "secret" systems to make sure you get that job in 12 weeks. As the cowboys say - pure cow pieography!
As a senior executive, surely you must realize that a job search campaign rarely delivers overnight results. No matter how many millions a company may claim to have spent on developing a superior system of databases or marketing gimmicks ultimately it is you, the job seeker, who is responsible for securing your new position."
Moreover, "Firms promising quick results in your job search success have absolutely no control over the hiring companies and how fast they move." If you were a senior executive then you know for a fact that corporate "hiring" wheels grind slowly, at best. The reality is that no one can control a company's hiring timing. ExecuNet, a national executive job search consortium, published an article about job searches stating that corporate hiring decisions now take longer because they are changing position specifications right in the middle of the search! So much for a sales person in some career firm telling you they've spent millions and who promises you that you will be employed in 3 months! You didn't get where you are in your career by not being able to tell a horse from a mule. Old truths are still the best: If it sounds and looks too good to be true, then it probably is. At Stewart, Cooper & Coon, our deliverables are clearly defined and spelled out in our written contract.
