Reality Check – Are we on the same job search team?

Your job search team. Sometimes it seems like we are all striving for something different and pulling in different directions. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all pull together?

Conflicting job search information

When you are in a job search, there is so much conflicting information from so many sources that you hardly know where to look. And for job seekers, they feel as though they don’t have anyone on their team many times. They think their efforts to find a job isn’t working and they are frustrated and angry at recruiters, human resources, and hiring managers.

On the other hand, human resources managers, recruiters, and hiring managers are bombarded by resumes, applications, and emails from job seekers without any clarity in who the best candidates really are. Yesterday was a very full day for me. Late last night I caught a post from Laurie Bartolo who is launching a new blog called Plan B HR called “Oh please, no more resumes.” I like Laurie and I know she is credible and caring but I had to tell her I disagreed.

Part of what Laurie says is this:

Today’s resume does little more than tell us what candidates want us to know about them rather than what we really want (and need) to know about them. Thanks to career management books, blogs, and experts, it seems every resume I read tells the story of a rock star employee who is “perfect” for every job they see posted.

I don’t write that kind of resume.

“perfect” for every job they see posted. No! I teach my clients to fine-tune their accomplishments and make sure they thoroughly understand the company they are targeting and the job description. I don’t want my job search clients blasting hundreds of resumes out at every opportunity they see.

What does the Bible say about Human Resources (HR)?

Yesterday started with a meeting with my Christian Business Leaders group to talk about “What does the Bible say about Human Resources (HR)” Did you know it says alot? For example, Proverbs 22:29 says:

Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.

The question to ponder was: What results have you seen when you have quickly hired someone at hand rather than patiently searching for the best possible match? and the Principle was: Don’t settle for good employees, search for the best employees.

I think this is what Laurie was getting at in her post. Candidates who come in primed to be the best candidate with a resume that makes them sound like superstars for EVERY job they apply for but do no homework on the company or job and only parrot a resume without being able to answer specific interview questions about how they will help the company aren’t the best employees.

My group of business owners and managers talked about the times they made the easy choice and took someone who looked like they could do the job but really didn’t have the attitude or skill set or worse was really on a mission to launch a similar company and was trying to steal ideas and customers.

Teaching job seekers the right way

After my morning breakfast group, I went to Northcentral Technical College to teach a business simulation class about job search, resumes, cover letters, and the best resources for cutting edge information. The class was simulcast to all six NTC campuses and I had 20 some students in the actual classroom. Using this blog site, I explained resume strategies, job search tips, and answered a bevy of questions both from the classroom and the remote students. Those students want to do it right but they are being bombarded with information that may not make sense to me, other career professionals, or Laurie’s HR people.

My two hour class taught totally interactively and extemporaneously with no outline went back very quickly. I even enlisted the help of one of my clients, Helen (Holly) Petrucci in Florida, using the Google+ stream to answer job search questions from the perspective of a NASA engineer.

The students asked pointed questions about how tough Holly sees the market and what she has done to overcome the issues. She too told them to fine-tune their resume and read job descriptions to make sure that you can do the job. Holly will be on the 60 Minutes show with Scott Pelley on CBS to share her story as one of the people whose career ended with the shut down of the space program. (I’ve just been informed that 60 minutes rescheduled the stories for Sunday and now Holly’s story is in a TBA status instead of January 29.)

You see I really do believe we can be on the same job search team.

We need clarity in our message and we need to constantly talk to the people who have to read those resumes to listen to their concerns. People need jobs, companies need workers, and we need to make sure that everyone is doing their best to make that happen.

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on from your existing position? Julie Walraven can help you find a new career! To find out how, Click here!