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1ST STEPS IN THE HUNT
- An online column for the online candidate
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Email Lists
September 17, 1999
Conducted politely, email discussion lists are excellent places to gather job leads or tell the world that you are available for work. Done with arrogance, you may earn the lasting enmity of people that should have become your colleagues rather than your enemies.
Always read any FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) that are at the discussion list site. This will give you a feel for what actions are allowed, even encouraged, by members. It will also give you a chance to find out what kinds of postings are inappropriate. Spend a little time 'lurking' on the site, watching the discussions to better understand the unwritten code of behavior that guides members' actions. You will be asking these people to help you, so begin your interaction with some humility.
No one wants to help an asshole, unless they absolutely have to. Your messages will be ignored, deleted, or flamed. Conversely, most people are happy to help someone who asks politely, and at least appears to be in sincere need of assistance. Offer something in return for help, even if it's only a 'thank you'. A little appreciation goes a long way.
Be brief. Introduce yourself, spell our specifically what kind of skills you have and what type of Jobs you are looking for. Insert a link to a site (e.g. your web page) where any interested Recruiter, Employer, or Guardian Angel can find out all the details about why you are perfect for the Job you want. Make sure there is a way for someone to contact you, whether it is email, phone, fax, mail address. Jobhunters forget who their audience is sometimes - these lists are often skimmed by Hiring Managers, so watch what you say and how you say it. These records are generally accessible for a very long time.
The archives from the email list may show how previous Jobhunters have approached this site. Which methods drew scorn and which were tolerated and received help? Theoretically the discussion area will relate to a field of real interest for you. Participate in the discussions, even if you are a novice. If you are not well versed in the field, don't act like you know everything - show your eagerness to learn from more experienced voices.
Email Resume Tips
September 16, 1999
You know that print resumes should be laser printed on heavy stock paper.
Web-based companies expect resumes emailed in ASCII format.
ASCII versions of your resume should be easily accessible for quick emailing. Most email programs wrap any lines that exceed 72 characters, so make sure each line on your resume is less than 72 characters.
Resumes should not be sent as an attachment. Employers and Recruiters who get tons of emailed resumes are not going to open their computer systems to a possible virus just to find out you worked for three months your uncle Frank.
Email resumes need to be tested to make sure they look OK on a 2.0 version browser and can be viewed with the images turned off. Friends and professional colleagues are great guinea pigs for reviewing your emailed resume. Encourage them to critique it and reply asap. It's much better for them to see early mistakes than for a prospective Employer to find the errors.
Have a printable version of your resume online. Recruiters may want a hard copy for interviews - getting an "unable to print" message will impress them negatively enough to move on to the next Job Candidate. It's just like applying for a Job Online. A frustrating process will drive people away, whereas user-friendly sites will win friends.
Better yet, build a web page with work history examples, testimonials, and information about what piques your interest and natural talents. Companies are trying to assess whether you'll fit in at their firm - your personal web page gives them a good feel as to who you are. A modest investment of about $20/month gets you Internet service and maybe 5-10 megs of space for a personal website where you can build a product that showcases your skills and convinces future employers that you're at least familiar with some aspects of Internet Technology.
Your personal web page can be simply an Electronic Business Card, or a comprehensive network of linked pages that express your inner self, interests, and abilities.
Easy Answers
September 15, 1999
Along with the wealth of information the web offers one stumble across a plethora of well intentioned 'career help' that is fairly useless. The general rule of thumb with the web is Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware.
For example, I'm sure you've had a chance to look over the career sections of some of the large Job Boards. Often you'll find good tips on how to post your resume online, what form it should be in for usability, ways to improve your negotiating skills, Interviewing techniques, etc. Insofar as they present quality advice, these career sections of Employment websites will earn my respect, gratitude, resume, and return visit as a satisfied customer.
But when they put crap on their site they deserve scorn and a reputation as a site not worth trusting.
Career Mosaic has always been one of my favorite sites as a Jobhunter. They were an early pioneer on the web, and have usually led the field with innovative help for those of us looking online for Employment. They should be somewhat embarrassed by their association with Fortune magazine whose additions to the career advice section may very well be subtractions instead.
Take this test on emotional intelligence that Fortune Magazine has online at the Career Mosaic site. It professes to measure EQ, Emotional Quotient, "the social equivalent of IQ, is complex, in no small part because it depends on some pretty slippery variables--including your innate compatibility, or lack thereof, with the people who happen to be your co-workers."
It is easy to score 100% because the test is so poorly designed every question has an obvious answer that is called for. It's like designing an IQ test where you ask "Are you smart or stupid?" Those answering 'smart' will score highly, while those responding 'stupid' - well, you get the picture. The next decade will see the increasing use of online tests of Jobhunters' skills, behaviors, intelligence, and emotional fitness for the tasks at hand. Career Sites should be leading the pack in helping Jobhunters get accustomed to:
In the next two to three years you will get a Job and/or change Jobs. During this process Recruiters, HR Managers, Temporary Staffing Agencies, and Employers will subject you to a battery of tests. If you are used to tests like the one Fortune provides, you are likely to fail the harder ones coming your way. And that will probably cost you the Job.
Salary Research
September 14, 1999
I am often critical of the Internet as a 'be all and end all' for Jobhunters. Half the money made on the Net is a byproduct of adult web sites, proving once again that 'sex sells'. And how many times have you been lead down a blind alley while searching for some (or any!) useful information? Too many, that's for sure.
Despite these inadequacies, the Net is becoming THE source of information for millions of factoid-starved people. This resource of first resort can be a real boon to Jobhunters if they stay focused long enough to dig out the things they need. Whether you are deciding on what kind of career to enter, or negotiating for a better salary (or raise), knowing what professionals with similar experience are earning is crucial to a sound decision-making process.
While its data is dated by one to two years, the most comprehensive source for salary surveys is the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics . This is the mother lode of salary surveys and the original source for most other surveys you'll read. You can analyze salaries by state, region, or for the whole US.
Occupational employment and wage estimates at the national level are divided into seven tables, one for each occupational division (managerial, professional, sales, clerical, service, agricultural, and production). There are thousands of entries for a wide variety of professions, from Administrative Assistants to Forest Rangers, from Sheet Metal Duct Installers to Roustabouts.
You'll notice that there will be regional differences in wages. Marketing and Public Relations Managers earn an extra $5/hr if they work in California rather than in North Carolina. They have to just to be able to afford the extra cost in rents or in purchasing a home. Remember that these figures are at least a year behind the times - adjust the rates upward based on how difficult it is to break into the target labor market. And these numbers are averages, you should be looking at an acceptable salary range, not just one magical hit or miss number.
Comfort Level
September 13, 1999
Humans tend to avoid pain and seek their greatest degree of comfort. They are sort of like water seeking its own level. Think about your past Jobs. At first you may have been nervous about your competency, and whether you could 'fit in' with established Employees. Everything was new and awkward, from the filing system, to how tasks were accomplished, to work relationships.
Eventually, of course, you fit in just fine and within six months you are cranking out work product with the best of your coworkers, taking your Job for granted (just like every other Employee). Beginnings and Endings are tough times. People usually coast during the Middle times because they have settled into their 'rut of highest comfort'.
And this is the real danger zone.
Employers are beginning to look at Employees in a different light than they used to. As the era of lifetime Employment gives way to temporary workers, the question of Loyalty has been turned on its head. Long time Employees are now viewed as Company Albatrosses - the dead weight that is bringing growth to its knees. Stay too long (3-5 yrs) with a company without radically improving your work skills, and you will be subject to the presumption that you are an Albatross.
Many firms are moving toward an apprenticeship model of Employment. Similar to OJT (on the Job Training), it allows workers to grow into positions they might not otherwise be qualified to perform. Companies are using Mentors (experienced workers) to help acclimate new Employees to the company culture. As change accelerates through the Economy and the Workplace, those Employees who get comfortable adjusting to new ways of accomplishing tasks will fare the best.
The bottom line? Employers are less concerned about what you've done in the past, and more interested in your willingness to adapt to new ideas, methods, and skills. You will be tested less on what you know than on your willingness to learn new things. For most of us this means getting comfortable doing things wrong while moving up the learning curve.
In effect, don't be afraid to get it wrong while learning how to do it right.
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September 12, 1999
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