The alternative for unsuccessful candidates is being lost in the proverbial “black hole” — we must come up with a better term for this. For these job seekers, the software did not find the candidate qualified and a human being never saw the resume.

My friend and HR pro, Laurie Ruettimann recently shared a post from The Wall Street Journal on this subject: Software Raises Bar for Hiring. In the post, the author quotes Peter Cappelli, a professor of management and human resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He “challenged the oft-heard complaint from employers that they can’t find good workers with the right skills” and says, “The real culprits are the employers themselves.”

Further seeking to prove how “it’s all the employer’s fault,” the article highlights a situation where a company received 25,000 (!) applicants for an engineering position, “only to have the HR department say not one was qualified.”

Clearly, that is an extreme case, but the HR community does buzz about the “war for talent” and how hard it is to find qualified people to hire. In the meantime, qualified people sit by without landing jobs. Something is broken, but I think responsibility can be passed around.

I’m not going to get on a soapbox and say it’s great that software screens out every applicant and that HR is working so hard to screen OUT people, they are missing otherwise qualified people. That is absurd. There is nothing redeeming about it.

However, what about the candidate? How is it helpful to publicize these stories — to tell people about the candidate who anonymously applied for a job in his OWN company and was not selected? Let me tell you why that person was not selected — his resume and materials were probably terrible. It is unlikely that he targeted his materials to explain how and why he was qualified for the job, and it very likely that, even if a human being had read his resume, he would not have appeared qualified for this own position. Sad? Yes, but I do not doubt it is true.

The hiring system has problems. However, instead of highlighting these extreme scenarios and companies who simply cannot figure out how to hire one “typical engineer,” job seekers need to start focusing on what they are doing to help themselves get through the system.

Instead of complaining that “there are no jobs,” or “it’s too competitive” or “companies don’t even know what they want,” job seekers need to take a good, long look at their own materials. They need to try to understand the (albeit broken) system of keyword screening and ATSs and they need to make a point to create materials to give them the very best chance of landing an interview.

Instead of spending all of their time seeking jobs to apply for via these inevitable systems, they need to create and enhance networks and communities of people who are willing to refer them for positions before those jobs are even advertised. Savvy recruiters are talking about “talent communities” as a way to make sure you always have a job (and as a way of helping recruit qualified people).

What’s a talent community? It’s just a fancy word for network. Teela Jackson, the director of talent delivery for the contract recruiting and executive search firm Talent Connections, has worked as an internal recruiting consultant for CIGNA HealthCare, Georgia-Pacific, and Turner Broadcasting. She defines an employer (or talent) community as, “A group of key individuals with whom you have had personal interactions and who work in or provide services to your desired field and/or target companies; it’s the group of people who could potentially hire you in the future.”

She explains, “Creating an employer community can help you when you’re unemployed and actively looking for a job, but it’s great to focus on keeping in touch with people you’ve built relationships with, even after you land your job. We’ve all heard stories about people who built a great network during their job search, but once they land a job, they disappear … until it’s time to look for a job again. Then, they have to start almost from scratch to rekindle those relationships because they’ve been out of touch for years.”

Is that you? The one with “no network?” Are you the same one complaining you can’t get a job because employers don’t know what they want?

Even if it’s true — employers may not know what they want — they do seem to know it when they see it. People are landing jobs; they are getting hired. If you are not getting hired, it’s time to make a change. Instead of worrying about the 25,000 people who didn’t get that engineering job, you need to start thinking about how you can do things differently.

Make a change

• You CAN create a resume to address the ATS’s needs. Have you been sending the same resume to every company? You will never get those jobs. Target. Focus on keywords. (Figure out your keywords — it’s not that difficult — they are the words that describe what the employer wants. Include them in your resume and indicate how and why you are a good fit.) If you can’t do it, hire someone who knows how to write a resume to get you noticed.
• Talk to people. Do your contacts know you are looking for a job? Do they know about what you do — your expertise? If not, you are making a big mistake. Networks – and referrals – help people land jobs. If you aren’t networking, you are putting yourself much more at the mercy of an ATS, because you’ll always be applying in a group of similarly qualified people.
• Build an online profile. If you are amazing, and no one knows it, I hate to say it, but, “Too bad for you.” Get your social media working. Create a social resume — a professional website highlighting your expertise. It can make a difference, and, at the very least, by being out there online, you are doing something for professional reputation. If you can create a community and demonstrate expertise, it’s very possible for jobs to come to you. It happens.

These are just three things job seekers can do to grab more control of their own careers. This is not your parents’ job search. Things are different today, it is competitive, and you need to do what you can to compete with people who understand:

• Applicant tracking systems are inevitable.
• Referrals get people jobs.
• Even if companies don’t know what they want, you can still land a job there if you are a little savvy and make a point to educate yourself about how to get a job today.

Bottom line: you have more control of your job search than you think. You can drive your own career bus, or you can hand over the keys to the nearest person. It’s totally up to you.

The post Why you are not getting a job appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Maybe you’ve heard the news that, as a teenager, Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was involved in some activities we would identify as bullying. Whether or not you believe how someone behaved as a 17-year old should affect what we think of them almost 50 years later, the discussion is yet another reminder of how bad behavior can easily come back to haunt you.

In this case, traditional news media have reported on this story by speaking to people who are willing to say they were involved with the Romney incident, or who witnessed it. Fifty years from now, we are likely to be reviewing Facebook posts and online blogs outlining how presidential candidates thought and behaved in their younger days. While a presidential election involves an extreme “background check,” it is a good reminder for all of us about how our behavior may come to light in the future.

Laurie Ruettimann wrote an insightful post about accountability and asked the question: “Whatâ€s our hiring criteria for the President?” (Or for other jobs?) These are important questions for every professional to consider. Criteria will continue to be competitive. It’s not going to get any easier to get a job.

Another notable topic that came up during the Sunday morning program was the issue of telling your own story. Clearly, this is important for politicians. If they don’t tell their own story, one of the commentators noted, they risk someone else filling in the details. This is an important mantra I tell all of my clients; I may explain this 10 times a day!

If you are a politician, and no one knows what you think about a particular topic, it shouldn’t be surprising when someone else steps up to offer an opinion about what you probably think. However, have you thought about how this also happens to anyone who does not tell his or her own professional story?

If you allow someone else to shape your digital footprint by failing to create your own online profile, be aware that someone else, intentionally or unintentionally, is filling that digital void by mentioning your name online or by writing something about you.

What are you doing to make sure you are telling your own story online?

The post Are you telling your own online story? appeared first on Keppie Careers.

• How long should my resume be?
• What should my cover letter say?
• When is the right time to follow up?
• How do I introduce myself in a networking setting?
• Do I list “job seeker” in my LinkedIn heading?
• Should I use Twitter? How often should I tweet?

The list goes on and on. The short answer I tell all of my clients? “There’s no one *right* way to approach a job search.”

It’s not difficult to find many answers to the same question. Experts disagree about how to write resumes, respond to interview questions, what to put in LinkedIn profiles and how to use social media. Ask 5 people a question about job hunting and you may very well be bombarded with 10 opinions.

This month, the Career Collective (a community I co-coordinate with my colleague Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter) addresses the question of job search “rules” and outdated job search beliefs. What are the job search “rules” so we can know which ones to break? The short answer: While there are guidelines and best practices, there are no “rules.” What works for you is not right for your neighbor, and your colleague needs to follow a totally different path to success.

This is frustrating for job seekers. One approach? EMBRACE the system instead of raging against it. Is it fair? No — job seeking is not listed under “fair” in Webster’s…it is anything but! (Plus, how much harder would it be to land a job if  there was a rule book everyone followed?) The nature of selecting candidates is discriminatory: the organization has a set of criteria, combined with personal biases, personality considerations and individual impressions. Hiring someone with the “right fit” for the job is as nuanced as it gets.

So, an oxymoron for you: If there are no rules, what rule do I suggest you break?

I was inspired by my friend Laurie Ruettimann’s recent post, “On Competition.” I’d be hard pressed to find a job seeker who doesn’t obsess about the fact that he or she is competing with the hundreds of other job seekers targeting the same positions. It’s overwhelming to consider the statistics of job search; it can be paralyzing and depressing to think about all the other people out there trying for the same position.

Consider this – instead of competing with everyone else for a job, focus on demonstrating exactly what a perfect fit YOU are for the position.

Laurie outlined her take on competition:

“I am unique and wholly differentiated from anyone else in the marketplace. I know that I don’t have competition — and neither do you. Time spent obsessing about your mistakes and worrying about your competition is time that is taken away from being your best and learning from your mistakes.”

Laurie explains:

“There is no competition when you believe in yourself and you act on your abilities. When you stop viewing success as a zero-sum game, people become partners instead of adversaries.”

“Stop competing” is not an easy “rule” to break; it’s too obvious to focus on how to beat out everyone else for the job. Some action steps:

– Focus on what you offer as it relates to the targeted positions. Think long and hard about why you are the best person for the job and do what you need to do to convince everyone else. Identify best practices that make sense for your job search and invest in them.

– Since you are the best candidate and well differentiated, don’t spend all of your time obsessing about job search. Use that extra time to focus on how you can help colleagues and other job seekers. Think about what you can do to create a team of partners instead of  adversaries.

You may be surprised by what happens when you shift your focus.

If you’re serious about differentiating and highlighting your strengths, I am launching a new service to help job seekers and entrepreneurs own their digital profiles. Don’t have your own website? What are you waiting for? Learn how you can help control what people find when they Google your name.

I encourage you to visit other members’ responses listed below. Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

Juice Up Your Job Search, @debrawheatman

It’s not your age, it’s old thinking, @GayleHoward

Want a Job? Ignore these outdated job search beliefs @erinkennedycprw

Job Search Then and Now, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

Break the Rules or Change the Game? @WalterAkana

The New: From The Employer’s-Eye View, @ResumeService

Job Search: Breakable Rules and Outdated Beliefs, @KatCareerGal

Job Hunting Rules to Break (Or Why and How to Crowd Your Shadow), @chandlee @StartWire

Shades of Gray, @DawnBugni

3 Rules That Are Worth Your Push-Back, @WorkWithIllness

Your Photo on LinkedIn – Breaking a Cardinal Job Search Rule? @KCCareerCoach

How to find a job: stop competing and start excelling, @Keppie_Careers

Be You-Nique: Resume Writing Rules to Break, @ValueIntoWords

Modernizing Your Job Search, @LaurieBerenson

Don’t Get Caught With an Old School Resume, @barbarasafani

How Breaking the Rules will Help You in Your Job Search, @expatcoachmegan

Beat the Job-Search-Is-a-Numbers-Game Myth, @JobHuntOrg

25 habits to break if you want a job @careersherpa

photo by alancleaver_2000

The post How to find a job — stop competing and start excelling appeared first on Keppie Careers.

During the show, Laurie Ruettimann, one of the masterminds for the Summit, asked fellow guest Ryan Paugh, Community Manager for Brazen Careerist, a great question. She asked what he would do if he were looking for a job today.

Listening in, I started to think about how I would answer that question in a sound byte. I answer this question with clients every day — helping people decide what to do when they are ready for a career change is my business. What’s the “quick and dirty” reply?

1. Identify what you offer. Figure out your value proposition as it relates to the market. Practice explaining how your accomplishments and experiences support your ability to solve specific problems.

2. Research target organizations that will value your skills and expertise. Find organizations who have problems you can solve.

3. Create materials that target your ideal organizations and opportunities. This includes a focused resume, an optimized LinkedIn profile and a totally professional social networking identity.

4. Connect, connect, connect. Use best practices for social networking. Expand your network using Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook. One best practice: give before you get. There are many steps to help you succeed with online networking, but knowing what you have to offer others is an important first step toward success.

5. Keep doing it! Hopefully, the more you engage with others, both in person and online, the better you will get at doing it successfully.

These are some of my first steps for job seekers. What ideas do you have?

(You can listen to the whole HR Happy Hour here.)

If you are looking for a job, you may also want to check out THE CAREER SUMMIT. Tons of career advice, all for a low price of $99 for a short time. Check it out now, before the early bird is over at the close of business Sunday, October 10th.

The topics include everything from how to think about finding a job you love, to what has changed in search, demystifying the recruiting process, online career management, interviewing and (last but not least) — strategies and tips for your resume, social media profile and job search. Read more HERE or visit the site HERE.

photo by bellybouncer

The post 5 things to do if you need to look for a job appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Career columnists like Anita Bruzzese (USAToday), Sarah Needleman (Wall Street Journal), Vickie Elmer (Washington Post) and Alison Doyle (About.com).

Recruiters, including Heather McGough (Microsoft), Jeremy Langhans (Starbucks), Richard Cho (Facebook) and Susan Strayer (Marriott Intl)

Authors, such as Alexandra Levit and Jonathan Fields.

Coaches, including Paula Caligiuri (professional career counselor), Alison Green (career advisor with non-profit expertise), Jason Seiden (executive coach) and Jennifer McClure (business process coach). I will cover resumes and job search/social media coaching in my session!

Plus, Mary Ellen Slayter (career advisor and senior editor, SmartBrief), Ryan Paugh (Community Manager for Brazen Careerist) and Susan Joyce (Job-Hunt.org Job Search Expert).

The site explains:

You buy one ticket and you have access to 13 sessions covering all aspects of job seeking and career management. The difference is you have control – you can access the information live, or whenever you like, since it’s all online and archived. Live sessions run between October 26th through November 17th. General sessions will be held every Wednesday, between 3 and 6PM ET.

You get invitations to all of our career expert sessions which you attend online. If you miss anything, log in to your account and access the session archives. We will record everything so you will have unlimited access to the classes. You can go back and listen at your convenience.

Why THIS summit? Because it’s the one-stop shop for the most relevant career expertise in the market today. There is a lot of “career expertise” floating around out there. We used a tough and cynical eye to handpick the experts we thought were most helpful and actionable – given today’s economy, given today’s social networking environment, and given what’s coming next. Check out our agenda to see what we’re talking about.

Sounds good? You really can’t lose, especially with early-bird pricing. You get all of this, plus bonus materials and a chance to win a career makeover for only $99 if you sign up soon!

Learn more by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

The post Looking for a job? The Career Summit is for you! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Luckily, Laurie Ruettimann, co-founder (with Mark Stelzner and Yasha Morehouse Stelzner) of New Media Services, live tweeted our talk. The tweets are below…I hope there is a tidbit or new piece of information you have not considered. (Note – to read everything in order, start at the bottom and work your way up! These are in reverse chronological order.)

The next free Voice of Careers webinar  is Networking With A Purpose Via Social Media on September 15th!

The post Social media for job seekers – what you need to know now appeared first on Keppie Careers.

I live tweeted the panel Laurie moderated with Ana Roca-Castro, social media consultant and founder of Premier Social Media; Carmen Hudson, recruiter and founder of tweetajob; and Microsoft Recruiter Heather McGough.

That is Anna, Carmen and Heather in the photo (left to right). (Laurie had to leave before I had a chance to take this picture.)

These are my tweets from their talk. Lots of great advice there for job seekers! Be sure to follow everyone to keep up with their updates going forward!

The post How to get hired – networking via social media appeared first on Keppie Careers.

If you are a job seeker, I wouldn’t be surprised if you welcome the opportunity to hear from recruiters and sourcers (the ones who track down candidates) about how to position yourself to land a great opportunity. On this “international” edition of my friend Stephanie A. Lloyd’s Dream Job Radio show, listeners not only had the opportunity to hear directly from those great resources, but also got the HR perspective – more accurately, the Punk Rock HR perspective, which always adds spice to the mix!

Featured guests included: Geoff Webb and Maha Akiki representing RecruitingBlogs, Laurie Ruettimann of PunkRockHR fame and Craig Fisher, creator and host of #TalentNetLive.

(In the photo to your right – Maha, Geoff and Craig) >

I was happy to share the coach’s vantage point, answering such questions as “What do you advise for job seekers who cannot afford to hire help?” and others! (There I am with Laurie in the picture below!)

Some tidbits from the show:

Craig – You are in big trouble if your job profile is just a paper resume. Everything is going mobile. Get a good smart phone.

Geoff – Resumes are terrible. You need to be involved in social media. Build a Google profile.

Laurie – Don’t feel that you must find a “dream” job. “Dream jobs” don’t always pay the bills. Hiring is not fair and we all need to recognize that!

Maha – Build a great online profile so I can find you while you are sleeping!

Stephanie – Get creative. Companies don’t take care of people. Get creative and have multiple streams of income. (There is Stephanie, running the show, below!)

Listen to the show HERE to catch all of the great advice from a terrific group of pros!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

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