I recently read an interesting article by Forbes called “Eight Surprising
Rules That Will Get You The Job” and although I would agree with many of the
points highlighted by Bill Ellermeyer, the 76 year old who founded Adecco in
1990, I would also like to disagree with some of his points.
1.
“Stop looking for a job”
Bill tells us that nowadays job seekers equate looking for a job as
sending out 500 resumes to friends and families when “nobody is going to take
the time to help you”. Fair point? In my opinion, no. I would always, without a
doubt, recommend leveraging your own networks before utilizing other search
methods. It is the always going to be the quickest and easiest way in to any
company if you have been referred by someone.
2.
“Stop working on your resume”
According to Bill, as increasing numbers of employers
will be looking at you LinkedIn profile as opposed to a printed resume. He
advises that if you do provide a resume, it should be “clean, clear and simple
and no more than two pages”. I partially agree with his point, if you are not
on LinkedIn, then you are not allowing yourself to be accessible by a number of
employers globally. It does make sense however, I would add – keep updating your
resume, this should be constantly evolving as your experience does.
3.
“Hold your elevator speech”
On this point, Bill contends that “people remember stories” and “nobody
wants to hear about facts and figures”. Perhaps this is true at the Executive level
but I beg to differ! If you are unable to sell your skills and experiences and
have them roll off your tongue, then you will fall short to the competition.
Who knows your experience better than you? Facts and figures are the language
of business owners. The best way to communicate with the money-makers is to
speak the same language. How can you add value?
4.
“Don’t talk about yourself”
He makes a great point that rather than talking about just your
achievements and yourself, “find out how you can serve other people”. What he
means by this, is that you can make effective suggestions that ultimately turn
out to be networking tools in a much more subtle way. Recommend a book or an
article, people appreciate that approach.
5.
“Don’t go to networking events”
Bill tells us that the best way to network is by holding a smaller
breakfast group of 8-10 people, therefore the attendees are hand-selected by
you. I agree to the extent that you get to network with exactly the people you
want to and there is nothing worse than being at a networking event and being
lumbered with someone you did not necessarily plan or want to have small talk
with. Yet in a smaller group, you can gain value from each and every person as
they are likely to all be relevant contacts. On the other hand, these setting scan
be quiet awkward, due to the intimacy of the event, you would have to know
everyone pretty well in such a setting.
6.
“Take breaks”
Agreed. Bill explains how job searching certainly can be very emotionally
draining, especially after 5 or 6 interviews. So allow yourself sometime to
re-evaluate, relax and unwind. Otherwise, you will become disheartened and this
will be plainly obvious in any following interviews.
7.
“Don’t say you’re unemployed”
“Remember you’re not out of work” Bill tells us “You’re
just between jobs”. Great positive outlook to have, cutting hairs slightly in
my opinion. I would recommend not stating that you are out of work or unemployed
or can’t find a job, rather express that you are searching for the right fit,
seeking the next challenge, looking forward to the next chapter.
8.
“Avoid headhunters”
My favourite. Bill states that in the US, roughly only 120% of available
jobs are handled by headhunters. Also “they’re working for the companies and
not for you” This might be true for the US, but here in the Cayman Islands as a
staffing co-coordinator, we don’t headhunt. We pride ourselves on the fact and
this therefore, means that we have the freedom and ability to work both on
behalf of the candidate and on behalf of the client. So don’t avoid recruiters!
We often have access to many of the roles, you might not have been aware are
available, due to them being confidential at the time. Utilise all of your
resources! We are here to elevate your search and not hinder it.
Written by Chelsea Flynn, Staffing Coordinator. Visit our website for our
latest jobs: www.steppingstonescayman.com
No comments:
Post a Comment