The paradox of "keeping your options open" in your job search

As with most paradoxes… "keeping your options open" when looking for a job, doesn't work. The reality is that being too 'open', keeps you from gaining leads at all and you have fewer options to choose from.

Zig Ziglar, the well known motivational speaker, often says:

"You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific!"

Zig is right!

When you are networking, giving your Elevator speech, doing informational interviews, talking to recruiters, writing your resume, or doing most any aspect of your job search, it's critical for you to articulate a specific type of job you are pursuing.

Saying you are "open" is a 'lead limiting' strategy! Sounds counter intuitive, doesn't it?

At first blush, it would be reasonable to think that being "open" would give you more opportunities to consider, not less. The reality, however, is that when you don't give people something specific to focus on, they typically are far less likely to give meaningful help. There are multiple reasons for this:

• The request is too broad, and they don't know what would be most applicable for you.
  
  
• It creates an impression that you're less serious about your career, since you are fishing for anything.
  
  
• It diminishes their perception of you as a credible candidate for any specific career.
  
  
• They are less willing to introduce you to their best contacts if they perceive you will present yourself as a 'wandering generality'.
  
  
• When they feel confused and awkward when they don't know how to help, they will be less willing to put their friends and business contacts in the same position. So they won't offer any referrals to you.

These concerns and objections are rarely verbalized. They generally will simply nod, be polite, and let you know that they will reconnect if they think of anything. However, those reconnections never come.

In contrast, when you are able to articulate a specific career objective, titles of jobs you are seeking, target companies you are pursuing, and types of contacts your are asking for, it helps them help you! They can then more easily focus, searching through their mental file cabinets to come up with ideas, leads, and referrals.

They will more likely perceive you as more credible, more driven, and probably more professional. They will feel more comfortable about referring you to others they know because you are able to communicate specific things about your search rather than leave things vague and 'mushy'. They will have greater confidence that you will add to their own credibility with the person they refer to you, rather than diminish it.

"Keeping your options open" when trying to network effectively in your job search generally hinders your actual results. Become a 'meaningful specific', and there's a much greater likelihood you will find more actual options to pursue!

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Trumpet Outside Interests, or Not?

As with so many questions about resumes and interviews… there are many conflicting opinions regarding what is appropriate and effective, or not.

One question that arises on occasion is whether 'extra-curricular' activities should be displayed on a resume or proactively discussed in an interview.

The definitive answer to that question, as with many others is… It depends!

The answer can vary depending on many variables in your experience, your success, and what those outside activities are.

Here are some questions to ask, observations, and guidelines that may help you decide…

Are your outside interests relevant to your work? (professional associations, trade groups, user groups)
The more your 'extra curricular' activities are related to the positions you are pursuing, the greater value they have when presenting yourself to employers. Particularly if you have any formal responsibilities in those organizations, it can be seen as an asset. If, however, your outside activities are unrelated to your career (e.g. basic membership in a local Hot Rod association) it can be viewed as more of a distraction rather than a benefit. Less clear cases are when you may have a leadership role in non-professional activities. Club President, for example, of the local Hot Rod Association can exhibit leadership traits. However, it can also be interpreted as a substantial time commitment that can be a distraction from your job. It's never possible to fully determine someone's subjective view, so use judgment whether it may be worthwhile to cite the involvement, or not.

How well does your past professional performance support you?
When your academic performance in school (if you are an entry-level candidate), or your previous job experience is strong, then additional outside activities can be viewed as a positive indicator of a well rounded individual. If, however, your academic or professional performance is average at best, then the additional activities are more likely to be viewed as a distraction and as having a higher priority to you than your career.

Do your outside interests generally trigger a bias? (political activism, religious affiliation, sexual orientation)
Like it or not, there are things that many people react to strongly. Politics and religion in particular often draw distinct opinions one way or the other from many people. Regardless whether the hiring manager or recruiter view your activity positively or not, they may have concerns about disruptions on a team brought on by someone that felt strongly enough about their affiliation to list it on a resume or proactively bring it up in an interview. If you are intentionally seeking a work environment that agrees with your perspective, it may be a worthwhile topic. Otherwise, it will likely exclude you from consideration in many organizations. Make your choices carefully.

Do your outside interests cut into your availability?
While most employers certainly don't expect a 24/7 time commitment from employees, many are concerned about outside interests that significantly intrude on required work time.

I helped place someone into a new job years ago who was a professional bass fisherman in addition to an Information Technology (IT) Director. He was top ranked nationally and he wasn't interested in giving up his substantial winnings each year, not to mention the free boats and equipment from corporate sponsors. His commitment to fishing required 13 weeks per year away from his IT job. It was something he decided not to put on his resume, or mention until a company was interested in making an offer. It was a bombshell to the company in the 11th hour of the hiring process. However, they did decide to hire him anyway, and give him the 13 weeks off each year. Had he brought it up in his first interview, however, it's not likely that the process would have gone further. Those types of commitments are risky to avoid mentioning, and risky to mention as well. Each situation is different, and wisdom is required.

Deciding what to include on your resume, or mention in an interview can be difficult. It's always subject to the personal opinion of the reader or interviewer, and their personal perspectives or biases are usually virtually impossible to know. Think carefully about the possible perceptions and ramifications of each item and select the ones you include carefully!

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Job Search: Then and Now

I'm often asked what changes I've seen in effective job search strategies from several years ago versus now.

There certainly are differences, many of them. However, some basics remain the same. Regardless how you get to an interview, employers are still looking for people with positive attitudes, passion, solid skills, and the ability to communicate effectively.

What has changed, is how to get noticed and how to get to an interview in the first place. What are some of those changes? Here are some observations…

Resumes. One of the biggest changes, in my opinion, is what's expected from an effective resume. Some changes are simple, or even trivial. While other changes are more profound. Some examples are…

• No more "Objectives". Rather, it's better to have a headline of what you do, and a brief "Summary" section of what you bring. The focus must be on filling their requirements and solving their problems rather than stating what you want in a new position.
  
• No more lengthy dissertations of your experience. Rather, it's better to limit your resume to 1 or 2 pages, and provide short, substantive, statements of your related background, accomplishments, and quantified results. Each resume gets less attention than ever due to the volume and speed of evaluation. If relevant information isn't easily spotted, the resume will be easily rejected. Brevity is a virtue!
  
• Keywords are critical. These days most any Applicant Tracking System (ATS), or means for a recruiter to search for someone is based on key words they use for the search. If your resume doesn't include the words that the recruiter uses to find someone like you, you won't be found. Including all applicable keywords is essential to get noticed.
  
• Typos and errors are inexcusable. Years ago, when job applicants had to actually type a resume, then take them to a printer or copy shop to have them run off, there was more, although not much more understanding of mistakes on a resume. In today's world, with spellcheck, and the ability to easily edit a resume before each time it's sent out, there is little to no tolerance for mistakes. If a resume is to represent the very best work someone can offer, errors indicate a lot about the quality of someone's work.
  
• Metrics are king! Specific, quantified results of your previous experience gives credibility to everything you say about yourself. Stating you are "a results oriented sales producer" doesn't carry nearly as much credibility as stating "a sales producer with 20% year over year improvement in sales". In an age when so many applicants have a tendency to embellish their abilities… hard, verifiable facts provide a refreshing contrast.
  
• Fonts. Traditionally, Times New Roman had been the recommended font for resumes. Today, a more modern and cleaner look tends to be more desirable. Arial, Verdana, or Calibri are generally viewed more favorably and will typically make your resume more readable.

Cover letters. Generally no longer necessary! People pour enormous sweat and agony into crafting the "perfect" cover letter, while the reality is that they almost never are read… or even looked at. Furthermore, a qualified resume or application is never rejected because there is no cover letter included… even if the ad asked for one. The resume is really the only document that matters. Generally, recruiters and HR staff don't have the time to read them, and don't bother to even open the document in most cases. So don't waste your time creating one. Certainly never rely on your cover letter to make your case for a job when it should be presented in your resume.

The exception may be if you are able to find and present your information directly to the appropriate hiring manager rather than to an HR department. Usually, the hiring manager doesn't sift through the high volume of resume submittals themselves, and sometimes will take the time to read a cover letter in addition to the resume. Never count on it though! Never use your cover letter to include key information about your fit for a position that isn't already apparent in your resume. The resume is the only document that you know will be considered.

Move it online! Newspapers and magazines typically have very few "Help Wanted" ads anymore. That's especially true when it comes to professional, white collar positions. The overwhelming majority of ads are now online, whether on broad job boards, company websites, or display ads. Similarly, the application process is typically online as well. 

Additionally, there are countless other resources available for a job search. Resources that can help in creating resumes, prepare for interviews, manage all your information flow, connect with new contacts, research people, companies, and opportunities, as well as many other aspects of the process. The internet has clearly revolutionized the way someone does a job search over the past 15 years.

Competition is fiercer! Because it's easier for people to find and apply to opportunities online, it also means that companies receive far more applicants for each job than ever before. The internet has made it easy for people to point-and-click to apply to many more jobs than they ever have. As a result, there are more applicants, both qualified and unqualified for each job out there. It becomes more important than ever to find ways to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Even if you're a "perfect" fit, it can be difficult to get noticed among dozens, or hundreds of other applicants.

Networking and personal contact still reign supreme. A statistic that hasn't changed much over the years, is that the vast majority of hiring still occurs because of various forms of networking. Connections, old or new, now as always, still dominate how people get jobs. Resumes, online applications, recruiters, and other forms of finding a job haven't changed the fact that employers still feel most confident in hiring someone that comes to them through other people they know. Even hiring the next door neighbor of a friend of a golf buddy sometimes seems like a better bet than hiring an anonymous resume that shows up in their email box.

Now, as much as ever, networking and proactive personal contact with potential employers is an essential part of distinguishing yourself from the "masses". Most job seekers don't do it, and so the ones that do, get noticed. Who are all the people you know, and who are all the people they know, and who are all the people they know? The power of connecting and gaining further referrals makes all the difference in finding and gaining a new job in today's world.

Is today's job market different? You bet! However, the "personal touch" that made the difference in your parents generation, still has the greatest influence in landing that next job today. Adapt to the changes, while clinging to the things that work as well!

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Find a Job or Make a Job?

As people are having difficulties finding new jobs in today's job market, many are opting for self-employment. They look for ways to create a living out of their own skills and initiative rather than waiting to be hired by some employer.

For many, it's a viable alternative. For many others, it can turn into a disaster.

Is going into business for yourself the answer?

Maybe… or maybe not. Here are some observations and things to consider…

It's not for everyone! As with my own experience when I first went out on my own… it's not usually the way you think it will be! I had been in the recruiting business for 18 years with a great deal of success prior to opening up shop on my own. My first few months were terrible as I enjoyed my independence and setting my own schedule. It's great to have flexibility, however, the lack of expectations from anyone else led to very little real work getting done on my part. While I thought I had a lot of self-discipline as an employee, I found I didn't apply the same work ethic when I was my own boss! After a time, I realized that if I didn't buckle down, I would lose everything.

Not everyone has the self-discipline to schedule their own day as well as someone else might schedule it. If you're someone that needs a traditional employment structure to be as productive as you can, then self-employment may not be for you. It can certainly be learned, and many people adapt easily, however, it's important to be very aware that it will be different. Even if you've been in a job where you worked very independently, it will be different when no one else has expectations about your performance other than you.

What would you do? The possibilities are endless. However, not everything can pay the bills. Taking the time to figure out what you would do, and how much you could/would earn is crucial. Knowing what you want to, or can do is the start.

Ask yourself questions…

• Would you do the same kind of work you've done as an employee for someone else?
• Would you build a business out of a hobby or interest?
• Would the work be seasonal or year-long?
• Would it require a storefront, office, truck, tools, equipment, home office, etc.?
• How quickly could you make money?
• How much could you charge / earn?
• How many customers would you need?
• How would you find customers?
• How long can you go without an income?
• How will you cover health insurance? How much will it cost?
• How much demand is there?
• How much are customers willing to pay?
• How much competition is there?
• How much do they charge?
• How many people fail?
• How committed are you?
• How much do you want to do it?
• Is your family supportive?
• Are you capable of dealing with risk?

Be honest with yourself! Answering these questions as honestly and accurately as possible will help you make a reasonable decision. There will be obstacles, and they can certainly be overcome. However, understanding all the factors and going in wide-eyed will make you better informed and better prepared.

Should you consider self-employment? Only you can determine that for yourself. For many people, however, it's an option that certainly ought to be considered. It may be the end of your job search and the beginning of the greatest adventure of your life!

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