Recently I responded to a post on LinkedIn that caused me to
write this thought-starter. We all know how important it is to have a great
resume but how many of us think about what tactics we should be using in our
search?
It is very important to get it right in order to avoid a
long search. If you don’t your search may languish. You might feel it would be
more productive to watch grass grow.
My bottom line is this: It's true, "everything works, nothing
works", but let me suggest that the following are the best search tactics,
prioritized by success rate (my opinion):
#1 - Being referred to a hiring manager by a current
employee and/or warm- or cold-calling the hiring manager BEFORE applying are
the most successful approaches. Emailing before making live contact will work
as well but be aware we all have “delete” buttons. And remember, leaving voice
mail is not a good idea because many, if not most, people will delete any voice mail from someone they do not know. Repetitive voice mail is considered
obnoxious by most people.
#2 - Networking is critically important for generating the
leads to “#1” and for the future. It is very important to maintain contact with
your network for many reasons not the least of which is future uncertainty.
#3 – Utilizing external (3rd party) recruiters can be
helpful IF one gets connected with a good, truly professional recruiter.
#4 – Broadcasting your resume is valid for some individuals, but can have negative results when one is also using external
recruiters.
#5 – Pounding the job boards and company websites and immediately
applying blindly is the fastest way to the “bottomless pit”. It is probably the
worst approach followed closely only by responding to newspaper ads in today’s
world. Use the job boards for doing research and follow up with the first two
approaches above instead of immediately applying.
Get more help on the details of search tactics by emailing me at kl@hoochresumes.com or by visiting http://www.hoochresumes.com. And leave a comment if you like this post.