The Magic of It All

The Magic of It All

I was leading a discussion group at my local library of those in job search transition, recently. We touched on many topics. One of the popular ones is the ways that individuals find out about job opportunities. When one takes the time to categorize the various ways, they basically come down to 4 basic groupings.

One of the groupings are job postings, which for all intent and purposes in today’s society are on online computer sites, (occasionally there are job postings in the newspaper, but those are usually fewer than the past, and tend to be for entry level type of roles). And, while the move to online technology has made it more accessible for those looking to apply to openings, it has also brought along a number of consequences. Far more people see an online opening, which leads to more people applying, which leads to overwhelm for human resource departments and hiring managers, and ultimately many people not hearing anything from their application. Data results show that, between 1% to 5% of people, are successful using online postings (ie. that they actually land a job from one).

A second method that individuals use is working through a recruiter. Recruiters may help lead those who choose to work with them to job opportunities. However, recruiters are paid by companies who have job openings, not by clients in most cases. The recruiter is going to favor those clients who are matches to what the companies who have job openings are looking for in a hire. They do not necessarily tell the other clients that are not fits to go away. However, they’ll keep them waiting, (often for months), without a word on opportunities. Or if there are opportunities, they’ll look to “force or fit” the client to a role that does not match well to whom they are. Candidates find recruiters are of help to them 1% to 5% of the time in landing a job role.

A 3rd method is direct contact. It involves the client directly connecting with companies, be it by email, by telephone, by Linked In connection, or US mail letter, indicating to a company representative their qualifications and their desire to see if there is a fit between company needs and what they offer? Direct contact has been successful for some. It certainly is a bold move. And, if done well and strategically can be very effective. However, the one thing it often lacks is the person doing the reaching out may be a complete unknown to those with whom they are looking to connect. All things being equal, those hiring often are more comfortable with known or recommended candidates.

Which leads to the 4th method, which is talked about constantly, NETWORKING. It is known to have 80% or higher success rates in job searching and people ultimately landing the opportunities that are meant for them. It admittedly is not easy for many to do, as they feel uncomfortable doing it especially if they are out of practice doing it. Yet, I continue to see its “magical qualities” in action.

At the job search group I led, two of my attendees had never attended a job search support group meeting before. They came from “opposite ends” of the job search spectrum. One was a woman who was returning to the job search process after spending a number of years away raising her children. The other was a man who had spent 25 years at the same company, before a restructuring and a buyout package moved him to the world of job search. The woman had been a special education teacher, and was considering that as one of her ways back into the workforce. The man identified he had a special needs child and was part of a group of parents of special needs students, (of which he was an officer), that met regularly to advocate for their children. The woman and man lived in the same school district. Upon hearing the woman’s specialty, he gave her his contact information, and invited her to the next meeting of advocates so as to begin making connections in the special needs education community. The veteran members of my group, (and myself), just smiled and acknowledged each other as we again got to see “the magic of networking” at work.

Neither person that came to the group that morning had any reason to believe that there would be someone at the group that could be of help to them in their search. Each came with their trepidations about this new experience of job search support groups. And, yet, they quickly learned one of the “secrets” of what this process of “search transition,” is all about.

I myself got to administer a little “magic of my own” a few days later. I was at a gathering of people that my wife invited me to involving a colleague of hers. The attendees were from diverse backgrounds. One of the woman I had met when I arrived turned out to be studying for her Masters of Fine Arts with a concentration in Poetry. The woman was at the gathering with her adult daughter. The person she got talking to that night was a Creative Writing teacher. The two women did not know what the other was about, wound up sitting next to each other, bonded instantly and ultimately exchanged contact information. I had remembered that the woman and her daughter had told my wife and I earlier they were from a town that I knew had a group called “The Writer’s Circle.” It was for aspiring writers. My connecting instincts immediately alerted me I had to tell the woman and her daughter about the group before we left the gathering. The smile on her face and thank you for the lead was all I needed to again “feel the magic.”