Article: Ask the Headhunter: Is this what job hunting has come to?

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Is this what job hunting has come to?



Question (...er, request?)
My name is Fxxxx Cxxxx and I am beginning a national job search. I found your information and I want to introduce myself to you. My background is that I have spent 15 years in business with 5 being in human resources and 10 being in technical sales and general management. I have a Masters degree from Michigan State, international experience in both Asia and Europe, detailed technical sales experience in the ultra-competitive xxxx market, "Fortune 5" experience, change leadership knowledge and new business startup entrepreneurship. ..

I am willing to relocate at my own expense. I am currently employed. I am seeking to get out of the xxxx business. I believe that there is a massive over-capacity in the market and it will not go away any time soon. I have a broad set of skills all anchored around my ability to influence customers to buy more and employees to contribute more. If you have any questions or would like more information please feel free to contact me at xxx xxx-xxxx. Thanks. Fxxxx Cxxxx


This week
in The Blog

Where do companies find the people they hire? (Hint: Dumpster diving is alive and well in Human Resources.)

How to hire (or find a job): The 3% Solution.

Come join the discussion!

-- Nick


Nick's Reply
I believe what you are doing with your solicitation e-mail is a waste of time and insulting to employers. Think about it. You're saying to someone you don't know and who doesn't know you, "Here are my credentials. Now, you go figure out what to do with me."

Managers don't do that.

You don't even say what you want to do. Again, you're asking people you don't know to figure it out for you. What's truly stunning is that you have worked in human resources. You should know better.

You tout your sales expertise. There are better salesmen standing on corners handing out fliers. Imagine the sales manager who contacts you because she needs to close more deals. Perhaps you could produce an e-mail like that for her. She could buy a list and send it out, looking for sales. Yes, that's unbridled sarcasm and it's directed at you. Better that you hear it from me than from some manager who throws you out of an interview on your backside because you're wasting her time.

My fear is that this is what job hunting has come to. I know the economy is in the toilet. Companies are scattering their employees to the wind. Jobs are getting hard to find. Mass-mailing resumes to companies you don't know is bad enough. But if sending around random "job hunting" e-mails is a new trend, then I'm putting more filters on my Outlook.

Please, folks. Don't demean yourselves. Dumbing down your job-hunting efforts will just make you look dumb. The only way you will inspire a manager to call you is if you identify a problem or challenge she is facing, and then suggest how you're going to tackle it and make her business more successful.

Show how you can help. That's a lot of work. But if you're not willing to do it, why should anyone want to hire you? "Hey, I'd like you to give me a job, but don't expect me to even know what your business is. Just bring me in for an interview."

Managers today are very busy, sometimes frantic, trying to save their companies, their jobs, their employees and their own jobs. Why should any manager waste two seconds reading an e-mail that reveals no interest in, or understanding of, the manager's business?

Every person in the world has a work history. Who cares what yours is? You want a job? What job? First, do the hard work of identifying what an employer needs -- or why should the employer give you any work to do? Otherwise you're not worth talking to, and it's not worth reading your e-mail.

Try this exercise: How would you convince a manager -- who has no job openings -- to create a new job just for you?. (Read Create your next job but try to figure it out first.)

People and jobs are my business. When I read that one company has laid off 6,500 workers and another is about to lay off 15,000, I feel for all of them. But I imagine getting an e-mail like this from every single one of those people. What good is it? I'll jump over all those e-mails to talk with one person who does the job of showing me how he can help my business. That's who gets the one precious job. Because the work starts before the interview. And the interview is Day #1 on the job, talking shop.

Not ready to talk shop with me? This means you clearly don't have time for me. So don't waste my time.

When a person sends out a note like this, he's judged by his behavior. What behavior are you showing to the next employer you contact?

The whole world has been brainwashed to believe that all you must do is float your "information" around and someone will find a job for you to do. It isn't going to happen. Here's a shock: There aren't 400 jobs for you so don't mail out 400 solicitations.

Please, for your own good, pursue the jobs that you can add value to. Only you can figure out what they are. But your e-mail suggests one thing: You are aimless and mindless.

I'm sure you're not. If you want a job, Live like an exception. Show an employer that its business matters to you. Because that's how your competition gets hired.

Best,
Nick Corcodilos
Ask The Headhunter®