Applying for a job in 2008

In our down economy in the USA, it can be a little depressing when looking for a job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 4.7 million people unemployed. Total unemployment rate is 4.8 %. The only sector with job growth is in the health care and food services industry. Now between these two industries, I will safely assume that the greater number of positions in the food services industry is in the low pay scale. And in the health care field, you would have to have some sort of higher education and certificate program needed, which adds to the barriers to easily enter these fields.

For the last several years, when you applied for a job, you would be asked to submit your resume and personal info via the internet. I have known many people who have gone that route in search of a job and the “dirty little secret” is that, applying for a job that way does NOT WORK! You see, the reality of it is that your resume and email submission gets sucked into the internet “vortex” or “black hole” where the rightful person who hires for these positions rarely sees it.

Imagine, if you will, the very busy human resources director, supervisor in charge of hiring, or CEO of the company responsible for hiring, being inundated with literally hundreds of resumes and applications by email. Their typical day involves receiving hundreds of personal, business and other emails a day, and that is not even yet getting to the job applicants! IF they have time to get to that, it would be days, weeks, or even months by the time they even get to your resume and job application submission.

The SECRETS to applying for a job today is:

1) Making direct contact by phone to the prospective employer and getting a name of a good contact from that company.
2) Hand carrying in the resume with brief cover letter to the physcial address of the company.
3) Following up with the person and keeping up the communication without appearing to be a “pest.”

Using this approach, you bypass over 90% of people who are submitting resumes to the internet “black hole” at the companies you are applying for. This is a tremendous advantage over everyone, and you get feedback a lot sooner if you are wasting your time applying with a company or not.

Mind you, it takes much pre-planned research and discipline to get an employer “prospect” list together, but it will reap much reward.

So what is the moral of this story? There is nothing like good old fashion “face to face” methods to snare your next job. This technique of applying for a job is timeless and most successful. Don’t be fooled by the “high tech” way of getting your next job…odds are way against you. This is best thing to “knowing someone” within the company that could give you the inside track for a job.

Feel free to post your tried and true method for securing a job in today’s economy….

Peace and Love,

Bruce