I love ocean fishing, deep-sea especially.
I remember fishing on the pier at Santa Cruz with my father and grandparents. We'd catch tons of little King fish, starfish if you left the line in the water long enough and, of course, crabbing.
Later, my father bought a 17' Boston Whaler. The cool factor was definitely a 10+. Once out of the harbor it was full steam ahead breaking waves, leaving a wake, wind in my face and through my hair, smelling that sweet sea air, staring at the beautiful coastline. Awesome!
The bait was usually the same: bloodworms, squid, anchovies, etc. Typically, you needed a lure for catching a prized salmon. After the fog burned off, the sun was very warm and you had your very own personal paradise in the middle of the quiet Monterey Bay. Priceless.
The old school job hunt
Hunting for a job used to be much like fishing. Put together the same old resume (bait), with the predictable job descriptors and standard references (rod and reel), etc. So imagine my surprise when I decided to re-enter the workforce after being gone for six years.
The cold shower
The environment completely changed. Not only was the bait totally different, recruiters expect accomplishments, highlights, awards, publications, execute, execute, execute, results, results, results!!!!!! It's enough to make one recharge their pacemaker, fasten seat belts and return seats to their upright position.
My career is marked not by a learning curve but a vertical line. Why walk around the hot coals when I can walk through them? Story of my life: Perseverance, overcome obstacles, just get it done with style, flair and a cherry on top.
21st Century hunting and gathering
Suddenly, it's not enough to have a resume. Oh heck no. If you're a communications professional like me, you instantly realize that, unlike an engineer, I'm being graded on my resume style, presentation, wordsmithing, everything. I don't know a single engineer who is worried about their resume except to include relevant experience and some accomplishments. For communicators, there better be zero typos.
Today, communications pros like me have to make their resume sing like Luciano Pavarotti in his prime. I'm a tenor also so I'm shooting for a Beverly Sills-like performance. Remember the famous line in Jaws, "We need a bigger boat"? Well, I needed a bigger, more savvy online and offline presence.
Tossed into the sea of job seekers, I was expected to part the Red Sea and walk on water. I learned instantly that it's not enough to have a cell phone and e-mail address.
Just when I thought I was done with my detailed resume, an old boss who I love to pieces, sent me a resume sample and said, "less words, more like this one." Aw crap. I gotta write yet another version of my resume.
It was the best thing I ever did. It's an executive-level resume that cuts through all the crap and gets to the point. Now I send both. One for the recruiter, the other for the hiring manager.
But wait, there's more!
I had to polish my LinkedIn profile, create a high-end digital portfolio, get an attention-grabbing e-mail ID and today, I was reminded I have to get business cards PRONTO! I attended a networking coffee this morning and completely forgot I need that vital marketing tool. I also need to develop five- and 30-second elevator pitches as well as more detailed 1-/3-/5-minute pitches. I also need to find the toughest interview questions possible and craft then memorize outstanding answers.
Ah, yes, clear out the cobwebs and get to it.
Did I mention that no one is paying attention to Monster or Career Builder boards any more? Naive as I was, I started there and soon learned not to waste much time on those boards. LinkedIn is the new Monster for job-seeking pros like me. But that's not enough.
I need people to recommend me. You mean I have to find former coworkers and ask them to write a recommendation? Okay, cool! I love a challenge but what this really means is I have to draft the recommendations and send them to people to post on my LinkedIn page. Of course, I'll return the favor and write them a recommendation, but I have to be sure they also are on LinkedIn NOT Plaxo.
LinkedIn ain't enough either
If you think just having a LinkedIn account is enough, think again. Join as many professional groups on LinkedIn as possible. Those groups have TONS of job leads nationwide.
But don't stop there. Facebook and Twitter accounts. Yeah, I said it. I have hundreds of friends on Facebook and post daily. However, the security on that account is tighter than Fort Knox. You can't find the account if you searched for it. Imagine my dismay when my old boss said I needed those accounts also.
Rather than complain, I got my feces coagulated. I created new Facebook and Twitter accounts just for job searching, i.e., Emiliana PRstrategist Martin and @ResultsDiva respectively. Ya see, I wasn't going to shoot myself in the foot and not have those available for recruiters and investigators to find.
I protect my personal information by creating a professional presence on what are now mission-critical job search tools. I post professional topics and comment professionally.
So, in summary, job hunting is hell but the rewards are awesome. Bring it, baby!
From the trenches,
e
PS You might want to consider starting your own blog if you're in communications.
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