Readers both New and Old,
It's a dog eat dog world out there, especially right now given the current economic situation. As those close to me know, I've been out of full-time work since September 2008. It's been tough no question about it, but everyday I try to keep a positive attitude and do whatever I can to better my current predicament.
One thing my dad instilled upon from an early age was the importance of reading to gain more knowledge. Okay, like most college students I crammed for tests and skimmed through text books, but even with my undergraduate years behind me, I find myself reading a variety of material. Lately, it's been mostly "career advancement" and "how to find a job" type stuff.
The majority of this content is about how traditional job-hunting tactics don't produce results these days. Job seekers must think outside the box and be creative. In the April 13, 2009 issue of Fortune magazine, I read how young professional Jamie Varon, 23, had her heart set on working for Twitter. To get get noticed, she created the website twittershouldhireme.com.
I really liked this and thought I could use my blog in a similar way. For the time being, each of my blog posts will feature a reason why Company X should hire John B. Fischer. These reasons will vary from character traits to experiences from my life that set me apart from the crowd.
As someone who studied journalism and mass communications, I believe in the power of the media. Media is a powerful tool and hopefully I can harness that power and use it to my advantage.
Nulli Secundus!
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2 comments:
I also read the April 13, 2009 Fortune magazine featuring job hunting. Many times the job doesn’t go to the person who is qualified, it goes to the one who pursues it more.
However, it is wrong to believe that non-traditional techniques guarantee you a job offer. First, if 2 candidates try the same approach and there’s only budget for 1 opening, rejection is inevitable.
Second, not all employers reply favorably to candidates who put in a lot of effort to their job hunts. I have seen this both as a hiring manager and as a candidate. Such dedication can backfire, especially if the culture doesn’t welcome it.
I have seen some really promising people engage in lots of research towards a company and industry. They write the most targeted resumes and cover letters. They add the Web 2.0 Career portfolio and blog suites. They do get invited in, and as is so common today they are subjected to interview after interview. Not only their boss evaluates them, so do peers, subordinates and upper management, and some places insist on unanimous vote to hire.
Do you think every evaluator responds favorably? Not at all. That’s something that’s never talked about, just what do employers say behind closed doors? Here are some of the things I heard, whether I was part of the hiring committee or trying for the position:
1. He is way too desperate. If he’s that good, why does he have to try so hard?
2. I never did any of that stuff to get hired.
3. She has some really cute approaches, but our customers will never go for that.
4. He will make the rest of us look bad.
My conclusions? It’s all up to the employer liking you. If they do, they’ll point to everything you did was fabulous and extend an offer. If they don’t, they will take any of those things you prepared and cast you as arrogant and a pest. They can take your online elements and present them either way to justify/disapprove your hirability status.
I cant wait to see what the next blogs entail! I could probably think of some. John B Fischer:
1. will punch someone in the face if need be
2. can pick you up and throw you to the ground if you need a butt whooping.
3. has a truck... which def can come in handy!
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