For candidates, it's tough out there. There are almost too many ways to find a job.
Headhunters
God bless them all. They have a tough job. They have to first negotiate their finder's fee then find the perfect candidate. Word on the street is that since 2000, employers want 10/10 qualifications for any given position. Even if a candidate has nine and some stellar value-add, they won't even look at the resume.
The other conundrum is if you previously have applied for any job directly through the employer, in most cases, the headhunter can't provide the resume. Terrific. My current job, "Career Seeking Manager," is applying for jobs everywhere there's a decent lead but I may have shot myself in the foot if my headhunter thinks I'm a perfect fit for a job at, e.g., Applied Materials, but can't submit my resume because I already applied for a different job. Wonderful.
Search Engines
In 2000 they were all the rage and today, they seem to be a shadow of their former selves. They want to charge for higher visibility in searches -- however that works -- and they also charge employers subscriptions worth $10k per year to search their database. One headhunter told me not to bother with Monster because fewer peers use, much less recommend, Monster for their candidate search needs.
Why do Monster, Career Builder and others expect me to pay to play particularly when there are all kinds of places like headhunters who will do it for free (at least it's free to me)? First of all, I'm out of work, which means I have zero discretionary funds. Besides. I'd rather spend the money on business cards for networking events than job board databases. I can get the lead for free and apply to the company directly. No money involved.
But here lies my biggest pet peeve: Duplicity. I don't mean to pick on Monster but they were the most frustrating. I had to enter my information twice for two different profile formats. Unless or until I did that, my profile was incomplete. It made absolutely zero sense but I sucked it up and just did it. I think I spent three hours on that board alone compared to about 30 minutes on Career Builder. What is that about?
Corporate profiles
I must confess that of all the companies accepting resumes electronically, I liked Intel's best. I spent, at most, 20 minutes answering questions, providing relevant information, etc. The toughest was HP.
What through me for a loop when I applied for a commercial marketing position at HP was the ever popular interview question, "Tell us what distinguishes you from other candidates." Keep in mind it was among the first jobs I applied for. I saved my application as a draft right then and came back with an answer the next day. I didn't adequately prepare for interview questions just yet and certainly didn't expect one while submitting my resume for consideration. Intel didn't ask that question though I'm ready to answer it today thanks to a nudge from HP.
What I love most about this job search is I don't have to buy reams of bond paper, envelopes and stamps. It's all electronic so I get to help save a forest or two. The downside of that is it's easier to hit the delete key than merely throw away a paper resume.
Networking
You've heard that some of the best jobs are the ones that aren't advertised but networked? Honestly, I know very few people who have their jobs because they networked with a former colleague, friend of a colleague or college professor.
That said, I ordered my business cards and am ready to network my butt off at any mixer or job fair. BTW, I designed my own business cards and they look fabulous. Man I'm good.
Logic vs. intuition
The job search climate is more robotic than it should be. Intuition seems to have taken a back seat to logic. Logic has it's place in the process but intuition and raw talent are what drives Silicon Valley. Of course, no one wants to work with a qualified curmudgeon. Human factors such as intuition must be restored to human resources. Technology is certainly relevant when it comes to recruiting. However, no database can determine how well a candidate fits into the mix of personalities.
For example, if during the course of interviews my gut is screams "GET OUT," then it's a firm handshake and "Good day to you." However, if a friendly, collaborative, respectful atmosphere is clearly evident after meeting with hiring managers, team members, etc., I'm there.
Some of the best candidates and most successful employees do not have all the qualifications but have energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to lifelong learning. There are plenty of us who are eager to learn something new.
There's a creative in all of us. Once we learn something new, innovation explodes and best practice thrives. This is the epicenter of innovation. Not everyone knows a new technology but most can pick it up quickly and run with it.
Whatever happened to the entrepreneurial spirit? When my father was among the Silicon Valley pioneers, there was a real camaraderie, boldness and flexibility when it came to new hires. If you didn't have all of the qualifications, maybe only seven out of ten, but had boat loads of enthusiasm and a willingness to learn something new, you were seriously considered and, in many cases, got hired.
Can we please get back to our core values, i.e., marketplace of innovation. Employers, please invent a better way to find the right candidates so we can get back to work.
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