Seems like not only pilots have a hard time opening doors.....this person shares some of our troubles finding work. I don't know her by the way, just happend upon this on a news web site. Thought you might find it interesting.
My name is Linda Anne, I'm in my late 30s and I've been looking for work for six months. I left a secure position in the marketing and communications field for what I thought was the career opportunity of a lifetime – only to find it was eliminated from the organization as quickly as I'd been recruited into it.
The toughest part of looking for a job is the gamble involved in the recruiting process. Even though I know my strengths, what I'd like to do, and who I may like to work for, it's nearly impossible to make a direct connection with the people offering work.
I've found that human resources departments will only grant interviews for candidates they are considering for official vacancies. They won't discuss the potential needs of their organization, or provide the names of decision-makers. That means it's impossible for me to target certain companies in advance. It's disheartening to know that the recruiting process is really hit and miss.
The recruiting protocol is to send in your resume so they can keep it on file – and wait. Attempts to follow up are responded to by bulk e-mail replies, phone calls are not returned and making contact with decision makers is discouraged. Then I see advertisements for positions I'm well qualified for at companies I've already made contact with. The argument is that I may not be suited to their organization, but if they've never met me or seen my work do they really know this for sure? I'm not convinced the decision makers in organizations even get to know that I'm available.
What can be hard to swallow is the smugness and rudeness and the "send us your resume and we'll call you" attitude. Knowing that my future hangs on a piece of paper, or in a database with thousands of others, is unsettling. My challenge is how do I let them know I'm not just any candidate?
I'm a manager with a marketing, communications and Internet product management background. I have a solid track record, awesome experience, have augmented my post-secondary with an up-to-date degree (by returning to university as an adult), plus I'm physically and mentally in shape and have a very professional presence. More importantly, what separates me from the pack is drive. I was the one in the office who was available to stay late or travel outside of business hours to meet deadlines and client needs, when others weren't. I also didn't take my knowledge base for granted. I got out there to acquire experience and education to keep me up-to-date. I went the extra mile and took short-term contracts and maternity leave positions to gain experience. I went to seminars, conferences and many after-hours events to gain more knowledge in my field. And I did all this because I love the work I do and know I'm good at it.
When you feel you've worked hard in your career, it can be difficult not to feel bitter when these details that separate excellent candidates from ordinary ones seem not be considered by HR people and recruiters. I'm into over six months of brutal searching, phoning, e-mailing, go-nowhere interviews; I've made contact with hundreds of people. Most of them haven't even bothered to acknowledge my communication. So far, I've met only a few HR people or business owners that have taken the time to treat me with respect and dignity and made me feel like the professional that I am - even though they didn't have an opportunity available.
I read a column recently that said getting out there where the HR people and other exec's "hang out" – conferences, events, luncheons – is a good way to network. But without a corporate expense account the fees are prohibitive. Most luncheons begin at $30, sessions at $100 and upward from there. When you don't have an income it's not possible to attend these events on a regular basis, even though I know how important it is.
What's really disappointing is that everyone knows that you only find opportunities through the back door of most organizations. However, I've found that networking can be fickle when you aren't connected to an exciting project or successful organization. When I had a lofty-sounding business card, people were tripping over themselves to ask me to lunch and work together. Since I now am on my own, I'm treated very differently and the professional courtesies extended are vastly different.
Right now I'm wondering why people should have to grovel in ridiculous ways through some underground network to get considered for an opportunity. Why shouldn't applicants be able to professionally work through a proper HR system to get themselves in front of the right people and sell themselves?
And then there are the consulting opportunities. The work that's frequently done by contractors though it could or should be a permanent position is also found through the back-door process. Everyone knows that contracting can be a way into an organization, and often it's easy to slide into a permanent role without there being a full and open recruiting process for the position. However, again, if you're outside the loop of internal connections, you're doomed. As a consultant looking for short-term work as a way into an organization, you can't call HR and find out which directors or managers need consultants this month because HR usually isn't involved. Do organizations really get the best people this way – or do they end up with employees who are friends of friends, and nepotism problems?
I think many companies are making a huge public relations mistake. As a marketing and communications professional, it seems like such an obvious mistake to spend loads on advertising and image, yet have poor HR practices. Shouldn't responding to interested applicants be just as important to responding to interested customers?
Keep the faith,
Finch
My name is Linda Anne, I'm in my late 30s and I've been looking for work for six months. I left a secure position in the marketing and communications field for what I thought was the career opportunity of a lifetime – only to find it was eliminated from the organization as quickly as I'd been recruited into it.
The toughest part of looking for a job is the gamble involved in the recruiting process. Even though I know my strengths, what I'd like to do, and who I may like to work for, it's nearly impossible to make a direct connection with the people offering work.
I've found that human resources departments will only grant interviews for candidates they are considering for official vacancies. They won't discuss the potential needs of their organization, or provide the names of decision-makers. That means it's impossible for me to target certain companies in advance. It's disheartening to know that the recruiting process is really hit and miss.
The recruiting protocol is to send in your resume so they can keep it on file – and wait. Attempts to follow up are responded to by bulk e-mail replies, phone calls are not returned and making contact with decision makers is discouraged. Then I see advertisements for positions I'm well qualified for at companies I've already made contact with. The argument is that I may not be suited to their organization, but if they've never met me or seen my work do they really know this for sure? I'm not convinced the decision makers in organizations even get to know that I'm available.
What can be hard to swallow is the smugness and rudeness and the "send us your resume and we'll call you" attitude. Knowing that my future hangs on a piece of paper, or in a database with thousands of others, is unsettling. My challenge is how do I let them know I'm not just any candidate?
I'm a manager with a marketing, communications and Internet product management background. I have a solid track record, awesome experience, have augmented my post-secondary with an up-to-date degree (by returning to university as an adult), plus I'm physically and mentally in shape and have a very professional presence. More importantly, what separates me from the pack is drive. I was the one in the office who was available to stay late or travel outside of business hours to meet deadlines and client needs, when others weren't. I also didn't take my knowledge base for granted. I got out there to acquire experience and education to keep me up-to-date. I went the extra mile and took short-term contracts and maternity leave positions to gain experience. I went to seminars, conferences and many after-hours events to gain more knowledge in my field. And I did all this because I love the work I do and know I'm good at it.
When you feel you've worked hard in your career, it can be difficult not to feel bitter when these details that separate excellent candidates from ordinary ones seem not be considered by HR people and recruiters. I'm into over six months of brutal searching, phoning, e-mailing, go-nowhere interviews; I've made contact with hundreds of people. Most of them haven't even bothered to acknowledge my communication. So far, I've met only a few HR people or business owners that have taken the time to treat me with respect and dignity and made me feel like the professional that I am - even though they didn't have an opportunity available.
I read a column recently that said getting out there where the HR people and other exec's "hang out" – conferences, events, luncheons – is a good way to network. But without a corporate expense account the fees are prohibitive. Most luncheons begin at $30, sessions at $100 and upward from there. When you don't have an income it's not possible to attend these events on a regular basis, even though I know how important it is.
What's really disappointing is that everyone knows that you only find opportunities through the back door of most organizations. However, I've found that networking can be fickle when you aren't connected to an exciting project or successful organization. When I had a lofty-sounding business card, people were tripping over themselves to ask me to lunch and work together. Since I now am on my own, I'm treated very differently and the professional courtesies extended are vastly different.
Right now I'm wondering why people should have to grovel in ridiculous ways through some underground network to get considered for an opportunity. Why shouldn't applicants be able to professionally work through a proper HR system to get themselves in front of the right people and sell themselves?
And then there are the consulting opportunities. The work that's frequently done by contractors though it could or should be a permanent position is also found through the back-door process. Everyone knows that contracting can be a way into an organization, and often it's easy to slide into a permanent role without there being a full and open recruiting process for the position. However, again, if you're outside the loop of internal connections, you're doomed. As a consultant looking for short-term work as a way into an organization, you can't call HR and find out which directors or managers need consultants this month because HR usually isn't involved. Do organizations really get the best people this way – or do they end up with employees who are friends of friends, and nepotism problems?
I think many companies are making a huge public relations mistake. As a marketing and communications professional, it seems like such an obvious mistake to spend loads on advertising and image, yet have poor HR practices. Shouldn't responding to interested applicants be just as important to responding to interested customers?
Keep the faith,
Finch
