For nearly six years, I have been a contributing blogger here at Career Hub. I have shared oodles of “free advice” to help job seekers. Today, though, I wanted to share a job search success story in the words of one of my clients. “Ben” was kind enough to accommodate my request for his thoughts on “How Did You Land Your Dream Job When There Are No Jobs?” Ben has an inspiring story to tell and I found his words worth sharing. I hope they will make a little dent in your life as a job seeker.
Snapshot of Ben: Male, Gen X, Supervisor / Team Lead level; resigned his job after 20+ years of employment with a market leader.
How did you find the courage to “quit” your job after so many years of employment in a supervisory / team leadership role?
After my mother’s death, family became especially important to me. I wanted to see my son play baseball and football. I wanted to have weekends off and be with my family on holidays. In retail, you work when everyone else is off. I did not feel appreciated at work. Every year, you worked harder and you received less.
How long did it take you to find another job in a job market where there are no jobs?
I started looking for a new job at the end of September 2011. By mid-October 2011, I found a new job and gave notice. By mid-November 2011, I knew I had made a big mistake with the new job I started. I came to the reality that for the last two years, I hated my job. On December 23, 2011, I decided I would put myself first before everyone else. This was the first time in my life that I was going to quit a job without having another. On 01/26/12 I found my dream job, Monday – Friday 7am. to 4pm.
What job search strategies worked best for you?
Your résumé is an investment. Invest in yourself and your future. Spend the money on your résumé to display the real you. The way the résumé is written in 2012 is totally different than in 2000. Have four great professional references. You need to network with your friends and family. The last two jobs I found, I sent my résumé to someone who knew someone. In my new job, I let my present employer know that I just dropped my wife off at the airport. My new employer noticed that my wife worked for the same company and asked what she did.
What is the single-best-piece of advice you would offer today’s job seeker to do?
I have a super résumé. I have a personnel endorsement on page one and two of my résumé. I had my second interview on a Monday and on a Tuesday, I received two emails that my personal references were contacted by my new boss. My personnel reference knew I was looking for a job but I never contacted them to let them know that my second interview was a homerun.
What was the defining moment of your job search?
The position I applied for had a reference number. For this position, I noticed there were four different references numbers. I applied for each position, even though the only difference was the reference number. In my last interview, I had asked why all the different reference numbers for this position.
What did you do on the days if and when you felt like giving up on the search, got discouraged and/or lacked motivation to look for work?
Call a great friend, pray, cook, take a walk, clean and re-clean house or car.
What do you think today’s job seeker could do to enhance their chances of standing out from the crowd?
Take the time to research the company you want to work at. If you get a phone interview or an in-person interview, make sure you have six great questions to ask the interviewers. Wear your best business suit. Get a business card so that you can send a thank you email. Make sure you have copies of your résumé on quality paper. Wow your interviewers. Interviews are hard to get. First impressions are huge.
What other words of wisdom might you offer to job seekers today?
Don’t give up. On a daily basis, keep track of who you sent a résumé to and rate yourself from 1-10 on your job search performance.
Anything else you learned about finding a job in a competitive market that would be of value to job seekers?
It is not fun not having a job. Make sure you do not take it out on your family. I sent out over 40 résumés. I had three phone interviews and three in-person interviews. I received 15+ decline letters and the rest of the résumés I did not hear back from. Keep your chin up. Some résumé and application forms took four hours to complete. After you fill out the application, some companies have you take timed tests and ask how you would handle a certain situation, math and computer skills. Many companies you send résumés to go to a third party to sort. I would call the local HR office and they did not hear of the position that was open. HR is a 24 hour operation. Many times I would receive decline letters in the middle of the night.•
posted by: billiesucher
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