Job Searching is a Business to Business Sale, NOT a Consumer Sale; Part One

One of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make is to assume that looking for a job is no different than how they shop for items that they want. That sounds reasonable. It is what most of us know. It is all that most of us ever see! However, for job seekers, it is tragically wrong.

Now, I can just tell you it is wrong or I can explain why it is wrong and set the stage for what you should consider doing.

Let’s start by comparing consumer spending to business spending.

Consumer spending is mass marketing. The idea is that if you spread the message to enough people, buyers will show up and buy your product or service. Think about TV or magazine advertisements. They play to broad audiences – whoever is watching the program or reading the magazine. Such a market could be hundred of millions of potential viewers. Further, the product may get lost among hundreds of alternative products for hundreds of millions of people to consider.

That is why billions of dollars are spent on advertising and branding to become the most predominate product in the public’s eyes, hopefully resulting in large numbers of people buying their product.

There is some market segmentation, but it is usually to broad categories like 15-20 year olds. That only contains tens of millions of possible product buyers.

The pricing of these products is usually relatively low. The products are usually commodities, like shampoo, where large numbers of competitive alternatives keep pricing competitively low. Ongoing profit depends upon large numbers of people buying their product over and over again. That is, the buying public “consume” the product and have to buy more at some time in the future. That is why the buying public are often called “consumers.”

The key term here is “commodities.” Unless you demonstrate unique value, you are viewed as one of many to choose from, i.e. a commodity. It is hard to stand out from the crowd if you are viewed as just another one in the crowd.

On the other hand, Business spending is usually divided into two categories. The first is what is commonly purchased on a routine basis. These are called consumable items or commodities. The second spending type is specified product (i.e., for raw materials or parts used in manufacturing, consulting services, computer solutions, and a host of uniquely needed and higher valued products and services). This is true regardless of the “business” you are in, including public and private sectors.

The business buying process, whether through HR or procurement, usually begins with a job description or a specification for a specific need that is already approved by management. The range of buying includes low value and low priced (low cost labor) to high value and high priced (higher skilled and valued labor).

Here is your question: Are you a low value consumer product (commodity) that people will buy (hire), use up, and buy more elsewhere? Or, are you a unique person who can bring value to a company?

The Shocking Challenge for Graduates Getting A Job

The employment news on Friday, June 4, 2010 was that unemployment fell to 9.7% nationally. That sounds like an improvement. However, when you peal back the number, less than 10% of the improvement came from the private sector – far less than expected. The improvements came from government hiring but are clouded by how many are related to temporary Census workers.  The bottom line is that the employment picture for everyone has not really improved. The stock market understands this math and the DJIA fell 323 points.

So, what does that mean for graduates? First, most students don’t really know what is going on. They often believe that getting a job is something to think about when they graduate; and not before. The real shock will be when they enter the transition market that over 30 million Americans are experiencing.

Let’s look at some of the information provided by USA Today on May 19, 2010. You can read the article by clicking here.

First, 2.4 million new students have recently graduated. That does not include graduate level students. Many of them will struggle to get an interview, much less get hired.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as showing five job seekers for every opening. Who knows where they get their numbers. My HR sources tell me that hundreds and thousands are applying for posted positions. I will let you decide which you believe is true for your dream job.

What is astounding is that the percentage of employers planning to hire recent graduates is continuing to go down! The article cites 79% in 2007, 58% in 2008, and 44% this year with last year around the same number.

There is no question that the markets are incredibly competitive with little improvement seen for the next several years.

However, many of these graduates have been accustomed to getting along and not worrying about the future. Many, not finding a job, will simply go back home while others will assume that their parents will continue to pay for their needs. To be blunt, that phenomena will probably be increasing. But believing that they should not have to compete for jobs or assuming someone, like their parents, will help them get a job is living in a bubble that, for many, will eventually end poorly.

The conclusion is that, “are simply not enough jobs to go around.”

I agree with the numbers but not with the implied conclusion. If everyone just sat around, being a victim, the sentiment would be reasonable. However, not everyone will just be sitting around. The ones who get hired will be those who are hungry enough to decide to learn how to compete regardless of the economy. Their attitude will be, “no excuses!” They will choose to learn how to cope and succeed in today’s market. When the market improves, they will be ahead of their peers and far ahead in knowing how to get their ultimate dream jobs.

So how will they learn these skills? Job Doctors is here to teach them. Few may wish to learn, but I want to be there to help them learn the secrets that insiders have always used and that anyone who wishes to be competitive in today’s marketplace must use to be working while others go home to their parents house waiting for more jobs to “go around.”

How about you? Are you taking steps to learn to be competitive? Can you help others know about these insider secrets so that they can also start moving toward their dream job?

Top Ten Job Seeker Mistakes – #9

Mistake #9 is “Thinking that your resume is a secret weapon.”

I am constantly amazed at how often the first response in job seeker meetings is to review resumes.  Let’s review when most people typically use a resume.

• When sending in a response to a job board posting.
• When applying for a specific job through HR
• When going through interviews with a company
• When working with an external recruiter
• When seeking temporary work through an agency

All of these are legitimate uses of a resume. So what is the mistake?

First, how many jobs do people get through these sources? Experts say less than 20%. So, going these routes is wrong 80% of the time.

Second, how are you applying for jobs? If through the internet, key words are used that are likely different words than you are using resulting in NO ONE actually looking at your resume.

Third, if your resume does get in front of someone’s eyeballs, how deeply will they examine the resume? The answer is an average of TEN SECONDS!

The point is that, in my opinion, the resume is a valuable TOOL, not a magic weapon. Further, that a tool is to be used only when you need that tool.

So, for 80% of the time, when is the right moment to use the resume tool? It is when:

• The decision maker, whom you have networked into, is interested in hiring you and needs a resume to review or to send to HR to start the process.
• A network referral requests a resume – which should be discouraged. Your goal is to get a meeting and use a marketing document.
• You are being lined up for employment interviews and people will be checking out your background and credentials.

For 20% of the time, if applying to internet listed openings, the resume is the tool of choice but certainly not a magic weapon.

Questionable Resume Tips, Part 3

Continued comments from yesterday.

The author of the email then tries to sell me on why I should become a client of his.

Here is the bottom line. There are many people out there who cannot find a job, so they are trying to make money telling others what to do. Some of these people are recruiters whose clients are reducing the number of searches, resulting in them extending their brand to coach job seekers. Some are HR professionals who have insights about the internal recruiting process, how to write resumes, and how to interview. Some are actual career coaches who are “certified” in older traditional methods or who don’t really have experience to understand real insider thinking. Some, started out by wanting to help others. Some, are very good.

The question is not their motive or their previous titles or their previous experience or their certifications but whether what they say is right!  You have to be the judge. If you are wrong, you will get hurt and waste money and time. If you are right, you can be tremendously helped and maximize you time and money.

That is why I write a blog and newsletter. You can see my thought process. I am blunt in my opinions. I am willing to share because what I know is only lightly touched in blogs and newsletters – plus I keep learning from others every day. That is why we offer multiple levels, including books and audios that are inexpensive but helpful. That is why I post testimonials from C-level executives and global groups (like Vistage, the FENG, and Golden Key) who support what I am saying. However, at the end of the day, it is you who gets to decide if our message is on target and worth sharing with others.

That is also why, for those wanting to help others, we also offer our course on Jobpreneurship™ which will help train the trainers. We will explain this area more in the future.

My point is that, whether you use Job Doctors International, LLC or someone else is your decision. There are many out there with fantastic ideas and others with questionable tips. Just, please be careful who you are listening to for your career and family guidance. Too much is at stake.

Questionable Resume Tips, Part 2

Continuing on with yesterday’s blog, “him” refers to an email sent to me with tips and “me” refers to, well, me.

1. Career / job objective
   1. Him: Omit it
   2. Me: Include in Value Proposition, which should be the first line after your contact information.
2. Cut and Paste Job Descriptions
   1. Him: Make you seem lazy and possibly incompetent
   2. Me: It is insane to cut and paste. Your focus should be crafting their key words into your story and value.
3. Including Accomplishments
   1. Him: Think twice before including
   2. Me: Always include them as part of your story explaining how you have actually “done something” versus others. If seeking a smaller company, with few resources or scope, I would focus on % or other facts that they can translate into their size without disqualifying you as depending upon staff that smaller companies do not have.
4. If you include Accomplishments
   1. Him: Omit HOW you achieved them
   2. Me: I agree! Save the “how” for the interview. Even then, don’t ever tell them everything to the point they can do it themselves and think they don’t need you.
5. Harmful Data
   1. Him: Don’t include, such as size of prior companies, prior budgets, etc.
   2. Me: See comments on #6. You need to target your resume to your targeted company decided in your vision with the story that you are telling to that market.
6. Less is More
   1. Him: In a resume, less is more. In a career marketing letter, more is best.
   2. Me: First, a career marketing letter is the opposite approach to networking. I do not recommend them. Second, a C-level candidate could easily write 10 pages. Less is more – if it is the right “less” that tells your story for that marketplace.
7. Number of resume pages
   1. Him: Is irrelevant. It does not matter how long it is.
   2. Me: 2 pages, max. The key is to be truthful but to select what they are looking for. That leaves plenty to talk about, or leave out. The key is to never lie, but how many of us can talk forever about things others don’t care about or is a waste of time?

More tomorrow!

Questionable Resume Tips

Don’t you just hate getting unsolicited emails? I do too. That is why we don’t email blast unless you requested to be on our list.

Here is an unsolicited email to me about “c level careers + resume info”.  Now, I am not sure who sent it. I only opened it up to see if there was a best practice that could be useful to you. There are a few that I already knew but there were MANY ideas that I believe are harmful.

By the way, “C-Level” refers to CEO, COO, CFO, CMO… So you would think this advice would be the best of the best – especially since the author states that he is an “Executive Job Hunter’s Consultant and Strategist – since 1987”

So, here is what he said and my comments:

1. Readers perspective
   1. Him: Assume readers are skeptical and rarely give you the benefit of the doubt.
   2. Me: Assume first line readers will scan in 10 seconds. They are looking for key words and at the summary. 2^nd level readers assume 1^st level readers already screened you and will be checking to see if you lied on your resume like many have been caught doing and that you look like you are qualified. 3^rd level readers rarely depend upon a resume usually preferring to talk and listen to see if you really “get it”, are trustworthy, and are a cultural fit.
2. Screeners
   1. Him: Almost always toss all resumes except from people seeking to make a lateral move.
   2. Me: In today’s competitive environment, companies can be looking for someone who has “done it” to come it to “do it again. However, the best companies are looking for track records upwards and usually DO NOT throw away upward trends that are not a stretch. What screeners are looking for depends on what they are told to look for.
3. Summaries
   1. Him: Don’t use them. They annoy screeners because they all sound alike and are too generalized and cliché riddled.
   2. Me:  The “blah, blah, blah” syndrome is a point the recruiter I wrote about last week stated. Both are right if you are generalized and cliché riddled. The competitive candidate knows how to craft a summary that gives the screener what they are looking for – in 10 seconds. To omit a good summary is a terrible mistake.

More tomorrow!

Understanding The Job Seeking Process, Part 7

There are a number of steps in networking. However, I merely want to close out my thoughts on the executive summary, from a recruiter perspective, and a value proposition from my perspective.

Here is the setting: a general networking event or a chance meeting at a soccer field or as an association meeting.

Here is the question: “What do you do?”

Recruiter model:

I am a top financial officer with 20 years experience in Fortune 500 and medium sized business service companies with experience in multi-location, multi-division, and multi-country locations providing heavy tax and M&A expertise within the Atlanta area and having a strong focus on teaming across functions to optimize financial operations.

Value Proposition Model, with three topic results structure

I am a financial fire-fighter.  (pregnant pause)

My experience is in large and medium sized companies identifying issues and solving them, such as SEC reporting, M&A activities, and support of the Sales force.

Here are the test questions.

1. Which model would you most likely remember in 2 months?
2. Which model best explains what he can do – his value?
3. Which model would want you to ask more about – make you interested?
4. Which model would be easiest to tell others about?
5. Which model would give you interest in referring him to a friend?

I rest my case.

Understanding The Job Seeking Process, Part 5

Now let’s take a look at one simple difference between focusing on the gatekeepers and through sales and marketing techniques like networking.

I have heard that 80% of candidates focus on trying to go through gatekeepers – and feel like they are hitting their head against the wall.

I have also heard that 20% of all jobs are placed through going through the gatekeepers.

If you re-read what I just said and do the math, something should jump out at you. Am I crazy to compete for 20% of the jobs where 80% of the competition is?

I heard last Friday about the book called “Blue Waters”. I have not read it but my friend told me the concept is to stay away from the red waters (where the sharks are feeding) and go where the waters (and competition) are nice and blue.

To put it another way, I have heard that by networking you increase your chances of getting a job by 4,200%. If that does not get your attention, you might as well stop reading.  People play the lottery for worse than a one in one million chance of winning. Here the odds are 4,200% better than focusing on gatekeepers.

So now we are talking about the seventh Jobpreneurship™ process.  There are still 35 to go. But networking is a major strategy shift than trying to initially go through the gatekeepers.

The challenge is that very, very few people know how to truly network. So, you often get limited guidance. Sometimes, you get poor guidance from “coaches” who don’t know the best practices themselves.

That brings us around to my comments on Monday. The Managing Director of the national executive recruiting firm told 40+ executives that they should develop an executive summary that describes what they do – using terms that would help and executive recruiter see if they would fit into a current position.  The examples were longer than this paragraph and full of complex concepts. This statement would then be what you use in networking.

If you are networking with a gatekeeper with open jobs, you may want to follow his advice. However, since that is less than 20% of all possible jobs and since few recruiters have jobs that may fit your profile, I personally believe the advice is DEAD WRONG when it comes to networking.  Again, right when talking to a gatekeeper but WRONG when you are trying to network with non-gatekeepers.

Understanding The Job Seeking Process, Part 4

Why do so many “career coaches” focus on these six areas? Because most of them are former HR or recruiters. This is what they know from their perspective, their company requirements, and their experience. There is nothing wrong with this. Their coaching can be invaluable!

Other coaches may be focused on psychological issues, personal counseling, financial counseling, spiritual counseling, image development, branding, networking skills, etc. In most cases, their perspective is limited by their focus.

Think of going to a doctor who is a specialist. One focuses on the hand. Another the foot. Another the heart. Another common family issues. Another cancer…  ALL are important. It depends upon what your need is. Most of us cannot afford to go to every doctor. We have to prioritize and go when we have a need.

So, I applaud those who can help you with resumes, interviewing, executive summaries, etc. Just remember that their advice and experience might be not be as broad as you may need – especially during the challenging and competitive times that we are seeing today. Being right (maybe) on six of 42 processes is good but you might want to learn all 42 processes.

Understanding The Job Seeking Process, Part 3

The first typical advice is to be sure to use key words tied to your resume that fit the job you are looking to fill. Hopefully, your resume will appear in their top interest retained stack.

The second executive recruiter advice is to use an executive summary of your background. Why? With 10 seconds to review, either you are a potential fit or not. If you are not a fit, they usually begin tuning you out and trying to get off the phone.

Keep in mind, they are not looking for value, performance, or potential at this point. They are looking for a 10 second review to see if you are a potential fit to their 5-10 key factors. Round two begins to look at these other factors.

The Key Take-Away:  This approach is designed to eliminate candidates.

If you don’t play by their rules, you don’t get to play their game. You don’t even get up to bat.

If you do play by their rules, but your executive summary and key words don’t fit what they are looking for, you lose.

Remember, they are paid by the client. They are willing to review massive numbers of candidates but use automation and the 10 second rule for the first pass.

You are a commodity.  If your number comes up and if your summary and key words fit, then you get a chance for a phone interview – where the approach is again designed to eliminate candidates to find quickly those who might be the best fit.

If you were in HR or were a recruiter, would you do anything different? I wouldn’t. This is how the game is played. It is driven by the need for filling as many jobs as possible as fast as possible with the best possible candidate. If the highest qualified candidate does not even get looked at, that is the fault of the candidate who did not properly position himself. It is also an acceptable loss driven by the press for time and efficiency.

What could this mean for your job search?

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