Interpreting Silence in Your Job Search
What To Do When You Get “No Response”
More and more job seekers are reporting success in landing a new position. That’s great! But what do you do if that does not describe YOUR situation yet?
Level of Engagement:
Look first to the level of engagement you foster with your application activities. If all you do is apply online for a generically posted job with a company you don’t know anything about – don’t be surprised if you never hear anything further. If you haven’t invested much in them; chances are they won’t invest much in you, either. You might get an automated response, as soon as you hit “Submit” or shortly thereafter by email. While that IS a response, you can do better!
Re-think Your Approach:
The number one thing you can do when applying for jobs is to send a targeted, customized resume and cover letter (wait – don’t stop there!) based on intelligence gathered first, which includes building and maintaining internal connections with the company in question. Instead of saying, “But I don’t know anyone there”, start by looking at companies where you DO already know someone. Talk to 10 people you know who are employed and ask about the companies they work for. Gain insider information. Ask about company culture, how they are organized, strategic objectives, management style, and actual job titles they use to describe positions that align with your talents. Do not worry about whether or not those companies are currently hiring. The point is, they WILL be, sooner or later. Start building those connections now.
Reality Check:
It is true; the “perfect” posting is often far from perfect. There may be 400 applicants for it. It may be so detailed that only one person in a million would be perfectly qualified. Many HR departments avoid phone calls like the plague. Others have no actual experience with the jobseeker-end of their own applicant tracking systems thus having no idea how un-user-friendly their processes really are. The hiring manager (a.k.a. subject matter expert for the position in question) may not be involved in the initial screening process. Posted positions are not always well-budgeted for, or there is restructuring afoot, or there is already an internal candidate all picked and primed.
Lesson to be learned: the best way to know if your resume writing and related application activities are worth the time and effort is to gather more information FIRST. Hiring is at the discretion of the company. You need to meet their needs first before they will meet yours. And there is always someone truly ready, willing, and able to meet those needs and can demonstrate it without a moment’s hesitation. Is that “someone” YOU?
Last note: this process takes time. How much time? As much time as it takes. Keep your hope, energy and faith in yourself alive. You can do this!
-Lisa
Connect with Lisa Mauri Thomas in LinkedIN. Visit the Change Your Job, Change Your Life website for more information on resume writing and related services.
Tags: approach, Change Your Job, Change Your Life, goals, job search, resume critiques, resumes