Conference Sketch
September 10, 2007Regional Voices
December 1, 2007By Allison Hendriks
With unemployment in Canada at 6.1% (Statistics Canada, 2007), the lowest rate in years, jobseekers can anticipate a shorter period of unemployment. However, there are jobseekers and there are chronic jobseekers. As career professionals, we all have experience with clients, who, heedless of our advice, consistently use out of date and ineffective job search techniques. These clients often fall into using two of the typical job searching pitfalls: the newspaper and the Internet.
Obviously using the newspaper and the Internet is not inherently disastrous to a job search. However, in the wrong hands and used in the wrong way, these tools can become serious hazards to jobseekers, extending their job search by weeks, if not months. It is our role as career professionals to steer jobseekers out of the perils of chronic job searching, and into a targeted job search.
Career professionals come across jobseekers daily, and it isn’t hard to spot the chronic jobseekers, the ones who spend months in our resource centres persistently using job searching methods that simply aren’t working.
The Newspaper Addict: This client religiously responds to any and every ad with the same cover letter and resume. Though busy printing and faxing, this client is getting nowhere fast. In the past, this method was the tried and true means to finding employment. Nowadays, however, jobseekers need to be savvy about applying to employers, who expect more than ever before from applicants. 67% of jobseekers in Ontario look at or respond to newspaper ads. (Statistics Canada, 2004). Instead of using the newspapers to apply for jobs, a jobseeker can effectively use newspapers by garnering information about what employers are looking for in regard to qualifications and skills for a particular career.
The Internet Junkie: This jobseeker has the World Wide Web at their fingertips. Registered with as many job search sites as possible and receiving unimaginable job posting alerts, as well as searching through the maze of the classifieds online, this client feels productive because of the amount of time spent job searching. According to Internetnews.com, there has been a 33% increase in the daily number of online job hunters since last year. The numbers are staggering. Jeff Taylor, founder and chairman of Monster, by far one of the most popular job search sites, says that the job site maintains a database of more than 17.5 million resumes and 25 million job seeker members (Internetnews.com). Rather than relying solely on job alerts or Internet classifieds, and wasting time wading through the plethora of distracting and useless information, a jobseeker can effectively use the Internet to target and research companies.
When we see clients who are trapped in the treadmill of ineffective job searching, as career professionals we need to create a buy-in for the client to switch to a targeted job search. Convincing clients to step out of their comfort zones and start networking and researching companies can be a challenge. Two issues that can be hard to tackle are 1) Quantity versus Quality and 2) the Anonymity that the Internet and newspapers afford to job seekers.
1) Quantity versus Quality
The chronic jobseeker feels that the more applications made, the better the chances of finding a job. The problem is that the more applications that go unheeded by employers, the more frustrated the jobseeker becomes. The opportunities that arise may not even be suitable, but the job seeker pursues them out of desperation.
Convincing Arguments:
- A few hours for each targeted application could shave weeks or months off a job search. Numerous studies have shown that less than 10% of job seekers will find work through the classified ads.
- Researching a company online will eliminate unsuitable applications.
- Decrease competition by using a company’s website to search for job postings rather than more popular job banks and job boards.
- Information from a company’s website can be used to create more effective cover letters and resumes that will grab an employer’s attention.
2) Anonymity
Using the Internet and newspapers allows the jobseeker to remain anonymous until or unless the employer is actually interested in meeting with them. Some people feel safer when they don’t have to speak with an employer in real time or in person. While a network initially takes time to establish, the end result is worth it.
Convincing Arguments
- At least 63% of jobseekers will find employment through applying directly to the employers or talking with friends and family (Statistics Canada, 2007).
- Networking provides access to unadvertised positions and better paying jobs.
- Employers will take a personal referral more seriously than an unsolicited application.
- Make a connection by approaching an employer initially for information about the company or field rather than for employment.
As career professionals, we need to point out the hazards of ineffective job searching to chronic job seekers, and encourage them to use the newspapers and Internet more effectively while developing a targeted job search. As clients step out of their comfort zone and begin networking, they will shorten their job search, as well as develop skills that will last throughout their careers. These skills can transform a chronic jobseeker into a proactive jobseeker.
Resources:
Allison Hendriks is a career information specialist with the Centre for Skills Development and Training. She has worked as an employment consultant for over 10 years.