Modern Job Search

By Patrick K. Haro

In 1982, I worked as an Employment Developer with a County-funded nonprofit organization in Silicon Valley. At the time, I was paid to help refugees, immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iran, Poland and Czechoslovakia to find jobs. The program objective was to move refugees from public assistance to the independence usually afforded by regular employment.

These refugees had left (and in many cases, fled) their countries with little more than those few possessions they could carry and their families; some left with only the clothes on their backs, and a few were forced to leave behind immediate family members.

By the time they were referred to me, most had been in the States long enough to develop good English language skills. Interestingly, virtually all had already obtained California driver’s licenses and either owned or had regular access to automobiles.

What was most striking about my charges were the careers they left behind in their home countries. They had been practicing physicians, chemists, computer programmers, electrical engineers, teachers, journalists, restaurant owners, helicopter mechanics; one had even been an airline pilot. They were the former working middle class of their respective countries.

Some may also recall the state of the U.S. economy in 1982. We were in the midst of a severe recession, made worse by both high inflation and high unemployment. The double-digit unemployment rate compounded the already difficult task of finding employment for anyone.

But almost without exception, my people wanted to work. Most of the jobs offered to them were well below those of their recent careers, to say nothing of their capabilities; they nonetheless accepted. Although I had managed to place most, virtually all of them were now underemployed.

I cannot describe the guilt I felt, having been responsible for underemploying so many good people; my only consolation was that they were both confused by my grief and unwilling to accept my apologies.

Unlike me, they understood that underemployment is a state most of us necessarily endure at some point in our careers.

TRADITIONAL JOB SEARCH

Today, I am a headhunter with a retained executive search firm; I used to be paid to find jobs for people; now I am paid to find people for jobs. In 1990, I began providing pro bono career counseling to senior executives and middle managers. I have since spoken with thousands of job seekers concerned enough about their careers to seek my advice. Although most are employed when they contact me, all are in the process of considering their career options; many are on the way out of their organizations and some are already “on the street.”

When I ask job seekers to describe their job search, with few exceptions, their responses are always the same:

  • Update resume
  • Submit unsolicited resume to headhunters
  • Inform existing contacts (including headhunters) they are actively looking

More enterprising job seekers may additionally:

  • Update profile on alumni career sites
  • Register with public job boards (theladders.com, etc.) and submit resume
  • Search professional networking sites (linkedin.com, etc.) and submit unsolicited resumes

Although traditional job search usually results in employment, it almost always results in underemployment. Like my early refugees, many well-educated and experienced job seekers often choose underemployment over unemployment.

While most will agree underemployment is preferable to unemployment, I believe that job seekers would do much better by reconsidering their approach.

What you desire in a job and what is available only occasionally coincide. One major drawback of traditional job search is its dependence on job availability; something over which you have no control. Enlightened job seekers disregard what is beyond their control and instead focus on what they can manage.

Modern job search is about disregarding job availability, and instead, targeting specific jobs, connecting with the respective hire decision makers, and building awareness of you.

TARGETING

If we disregard availability and define your ideal job as a position that already exists for which you are fully qualified, you should be able to tell me:

  • The name of this company
  • The title of this position
  • The physical location of this position

Surprisingly, most job seekers are unable to do so; although they are able to speak in terms of general interests (function, industry, location), few can actually describe their ideal job. While you have no control over the availability of a job, you can manage the process of being considered for its hire.

Visualize your ideal job; it is very likely occupied today and will be for most of your job search. But how likely is it to become available? Executives are promoted, transferred and terminated every day. Although we cannot predict when, we know with certainty every job eventually becomes available.

When your ideal job becomes available, how will the company respond? There are several executives involved in the decision process for most hires; identifying these hire decision makers is essential for serious consideration.

For example: If your ideal job is CFO of XYZ Corporation, the likely hire decision makers are the CEO, the Board Member heading the Audit Committee, and the head of Human Resources. Your best chance of being hired is if each of these executives is aware of your capabilities, understands how you might add-value in this position, and knows where to find you when it becomes available.

CONNECTING

Once you have identified the hire decision makers for your ideal job, it is imperative to make a connection with each. Three of the more practical ways to connect (in order of preference) are:

  • Endorsement
  • Introduction
  • Cold call

An endorsement is the most desirable way to connect with a hire decision maker, but also the most difficult to obtain. If you do not already have a trusted third party willing and able to endorse you, your network of existing contacts is probably the best place look.

Although most job seekers invest plenty of effort “networking,” few understand how to capitalize on their existing contacts. Most executives have at one time received a phone call, an email, or even endured a drink or a meal with a business colleague whose primary purpose was to inform them they are actively looking, and request their help identifying suitable positions. Most people by nature like to help others (especially people they like), but few like being assigned sentry duty on someone else’s job search.

A more mutually satisfying use of a contact is to tap their knowledge by asking specific questions. Relevant to my earlier example, these might include:

  • “What do you know about XYZ Corporation?”
  • “Do you know the (CEO/Audit Committee Head/HR Head) at XYZ Corporation?”
  • “Who do you know that might introduce me to the (CEO/Audit Committee Head/HR Head) of XYZ Corporation?”

Direct questioning enables a more productive conversation and more importantly, affords your contact the opportunity to actually be helpful in your job search.

While endorsements may be “few and far between,” introductions are somewhat easier to secure. An introduction is the job search equivalent of a “warm call” in sales, and easier to ask of a third party; especially when they are not completely familiar with your capabilities. Another attribute of introductions is they do not require an existing relationship; introductions made by both existing and new contacts are equally valuable.

The least desirable (but out of necessity, most frequently used) means to connect with a hire decision maker is by cold call, which usually takes the form of an unsolicited email, letter, or telephone call from you.

BUILDING AWARENESS

Current affiliation with an employer may be nearly as important as education and experience in modern job search, so it is important to be gainfully employed while seeking your ideal job. But what if you are already unemployed or unable to remain in your current job for the six months to a year it may take to see tangible results? In this case, you should view your job search as a two-stage process, in which your best near term option is likely to be underemployment.

Why is current affiliation so important? Many hire decision makers have developed a hair trigger response mechanism for dealing with job seekers; requests for employment are routinely met with responses like “We have no requirements at this time,” or are immediately referred to their Employment department. In modern job search, it is essential to avoid approaching hire decision makers from the perspective of active job seeker; approach instead as a gainfully employed, but interested party.

You must determine why each hire decision maker should be interested in meeting you. When you visualized your ideal job, you must have had some reason for choosing this particular company and position…why? If you believe you would create as much (if not more) value in this position as the incumbent, you have a basis for a conversation with a hire decision maker.

REPEAT UNTIL SUCCESSFUL

Think of traditional job search as analogous to shopping; the item you desire (your ideal job) is either available for immediate purchase or not at all; if it is not available, you will likely choose a substitute (underemployment). In contrast, modern job search is analogous to farming; the process of seeding a field is time intensive and harvests seem long in arriving…but with vigilance, they do eventually arrive.