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How Job Hunting is Like Dating

HomeTag "Job Hunting"
How Job Hunting is Like Dating
July 17 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Bag the Job, Job Application, Job Hunting

For many years recruiters have said that recruiting is like dating.  Although this is a lighthearted approach, there is some truth to this claim.  If recruiting is like dating, then so too is job hunting.

Although this may be a simplistic analogy, it may help to put some perspective around your job search journey.  Job hunting is a daunting task, but by looking at it through a more humorous frame, it may help to alleviate some of the stress.  I get it, some of you might be saying “but dating is a daunting task as well.”  Though this may be true for some, I hope you find that dating is at least a little bit more enjoyable than job hunting.

6 Ways Job Hunting is Like Dating

  1. Know what you’re looking for.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, if you don’t know what it is you’re looking for, how will you know that you’ve found it?  As an example, in the dating world, you may be looking for a long-term relationship or a short-term, casual relationship.  This is similar to your job search.  It would be the difference between a permanent and a contract position.
  2. The medium you use. Using online sources is quintessential to both job searching and dating.  That said, another critical medium is your own network.  You can almost think of this like being set up on a blind date.
  3. Looks good on paper. Once you’ve read through numerous job ads, you will decide to which roles you wish to apply.  Similarly, as recruiters sift through countless resumes, they too will decide which applicants they wish to speak with.  This will all be based on each parties’ criteria for pre-selecting a potential match.  Once a potential match is identified, then an initial screen is scheduled.  In the dating world, this could be a coffee meeting.  In the job search world, this could be a telephone interview.
  4. Interview. You can think of this as the courtship phase.  Courting in dating may take a much longer time than the interview stage in your job search.  That said, you still want to make sure that you are presenting the best version of yourself.  Making sure that you look your best and that you say the right things are just as important as being honest and authentic.  Keep in mind, this courtship phase is a two-way street.  You should be interviewing the potential employer as much as they are interviewing you.
  5. Probationary Period. Similar to the “dating exclusively” phase of your courtship, your probationary period begins when you start with the new organization.  It typically will last about three months from the time you start the new role.  During this time you are “feeling each other out” to ensure that what was presented during the Interview stage (or courtship stage) is true to life.  It is for this reason that it is critical that you are authentic and truthful during the interview stage.
  6. Full-Time, Permanent Employment. Once you have passed the probationary period, you would be considered a permanent employee.  Keep in mind, while in the probationary period, you too should be confirming that the employer is the right fit for you as well.  At this point, you are officially “going steady.”  As a point of note, although this stage may not be relevant for contract opportunities, it is still critical to be authentic during the interview stage and during the contract term.  The role may lead to a permanent opportunity or even future contracts.

Final Thoughts

Much like in dating, it is important that you broaden your horizons in terms of the types of organizations to which you wish to apply.  There are a number of organizations that are very popular and “sexy.”  As a result, there will be a lot of competition for roles within such organizations.  By keeping an open mind and looking for potential in different organizations, you will be broadening the playing field.  As such, you may even find an opportunity outside of the popular organizations which may be a better fit for you.

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time, happy hunting!

For personalized advice, check out the services section here.

 

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Recruitment Life Cycle: What to Expect While you Wait
June 30 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Job Application, Job Hunting


I have received a number of questions from (somewhat frustrated) job seekers regarding how long they should wait during each stage of the recruitment process. The main source of frustration comes from the long periods of time that can pass without any feedback. So to understand why this might be the case, let’s take a look at the recruitment life cycle.

Recruitment Life Cycle

There are 5 key components in the recruitment life cycle (from the organization’s point of view):

  1. Need Identification – here the organization identifies a need, obtains approvals, and prepares their marketing material (i.e. job description).  This is the behind the scenes stage of the recruitment life cycle.
  2. Sourcing – the point at which the organization posts the role online and receives applicants. In many cases, recruiters will actively search for candidates in their network as well.
  3. Screening – during this phase, recruiters will review resumes, conduct telephone screens, and schedule interviews. In addition, interviews will be conducted by the hiring team.
  4. Selection – as the name suggests, this is the point at which a successful job seeker is selected. An offer letter is extended and background checks are conducted during this stage.
  5. Onboarding – once the successful job seeker becomes a new hire, they will enter this final stage of the recruitment life cycle.

For the job seeker, the recruitment journey starts at the Sourcing stage, and ends at the Onboarding stage. As such, the focus of this post will be on the Sourcing, Screening, and Selection stages.

On the inside, the overall timeline for these three steps is 6 weeks, broken down as follows: 2 weeks to source, 2 weeks to interview, and 2 weeks’ notice. So to break this down even further, let’s look at each of these stages separately.

Sourcing

Typically, when a recruiter receives a new, approved role, they will post the role for two weeks. That said, there are a number of factors that can impact this timeline, such as:

  1. Organization is Unionized: the role may be posted for varying durations, depending on what is in the collective bargaining agreement.
  2. Recruitment System Set-Up: depending on how the recruitment system is set up, the role may be automatically taken offline at a specified time. Alternately, the role may remain online until it is filled.
  3. Recruiter Preference: similar to the automated recruitment system set up, a recruiter may wish to organize her/his desk and workload by either having roles remain online or go off line after a specified period of time.

Given that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to job postings, it is usually better to apply to roles sooner rather than later.

Screening

As mentioned, a role may remain online until it is filled.  Hence, this stage can begin in tandem with the sourcing stage. In other words, as the organization conducts their interviews, they may also continue to receive resumes from job seekers. As a result, the screening process may be extended to accommodate last minute applicants.

Additionally, depending on the level of the role or organizational policies, there may be several rounds of interviews. The greater the number of rounds of interviews, the longer the timeline for the screening phase. Coupled with this, the timeframe is highly dependent on the availability of both the interviewers and interviewees. Coordinating interviews with multiple parties can be challenge to accomplish in a timely manner.

Although most organizations would like to have this phase wrapped up within two weeks, it can take four weeks or longer.

Selection

This stage typically begins when an offer letter is extended to the successful candidate. There are a number of factors that can impact the duration of this phase, such as:

  1. Job Seeker’s Notice Period – in North America, an employee is typically required to provide two-week’s notice when they leave their current position. This can vary, however.
  2. Background Checks – depending on the background checks required for the role or organization, this process can take several weeks to complete.
  3. Counter Offer or Competing Offer – if the successful candidate receives more than one offer, they will take time to consider their options, thereby delaying this phase.
  4. Offer Rescinded or Rejected – the organization may rescind the offer of employment if a potential new hire does not pass this final stage. Alternately, the prospective new hire may reject the offer of employment in favour of another offer. In either case, the organization may need to start their search from scratch, thereby extending the overall recruitment life cycle.

In many cases, an organization will wait to reject the unsuccessful job applicants until this phase has been completed and a new hire has been confirmed. As such, it could take weeks and even months before a job seeker receives any feedback on their candidacy.

Final Thoughts

In addition to all of the factors mentioned throughout this post, seasonality can be a final factor that can impact the recruitment life cycle. For example, during the summer months the overall recruitment process can be drawn out due to accommodating interviewer/interviewee vacation schedules.

Remember, it may take several weeks from the time you apply to a role until you hear from the organization. Being aware of what you can expect at each stage of the recruitment life cycle should help to minimize any frustrations you may feel along your job search journey.
I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.  Also, for personalized advice, check out the services section here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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How to Search for a Job
June 02 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Job Hunting, Job Search, Job Search Tips

In response to a recent viewer question, here are my top 8 tips for conducting your job search.

  1. Know what you want – It is important that you do the self-reflection needed to help you determine the best career path for you.  My previous blog post discusses this in detail.  As mentioned in that post, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, how will you ever know that you’ve found it?
  1. Create a Target Company List – While going through the exercise in step 1, think about which companies would have the attributes that are important to you and employ the skills and experience you have.  Having a top 10 target company list will streamline your research, networking, and job search efforts.  As a result, you will be able to make efficient use of your job search time.
  1. Company Websites & Social Media
    1. Company Website: Most companies have websites, and many companies have a career section on their website.  Be sure to visit their sites, taking note of any current openings they may have that match your background.  While going through this exercise, try to notice any trends that you might see in terms of keywords or qualifications listed in the job ads.  In many cases, company career sites will have the option for you to sign up for a ‘job search agent,’ which will notify you of relevant openings when they become available.  As a cautionary note, do not apply to too many roles within your target company – this may give the company the impression that you are not focused or are desperate.
    2. Social Media: Be sure to check out their LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages. LinkedIn is a wonderful resource for conducting research and identifying people within your target organizations with whom you may wish to network.  In some cases, companies may have a Twitter career page.  Be sure to follow such pages so that you are the first in the know for any roles that may come available.  As a final note, remember that employers may check your online profiles, so it is important that your online presence is updated and professional.
  2. Network – Networking is critical to any job search.  You never know who you might know who works in your target organization, or who knows someone else who works there.  Tapping into your network is a great way to find jobs the company might have available, the skills they look for, and uncover the hidden job market.  Where possibly, try to set up interest interviews with your target company.  Before tapping into your network or going on any interest interviews, be sure to have your elevator pitch ready.  For more information about crafting your elevator pitch, check out my blog post here.  Click here for a copy of my networking guide.
  1. Job Boards – There are a wide variety of job boards available to you.  The most popular job boards include Monster and Workopolis, but there are also government sponsored job boards that you can find for your province, country, or state.  In addition to these more traditional job boards, there are job aggregator boards which scrape job ads from across the internet and aggregate them onto their site.  Examples include Indeed and Eluta.  Much like the company career sites mentioned above, you can set up ‘job search agents’ on these sites so that you are notified of job postings as they become available.
  1. Industry Associations – Your company list may fall into one or more industry segments.  Search any industry associations in which your target company/companies may participate.  Such industry association websites may have their own job boards or a list of upcoming industry events.  Attending industry events is a great way to grow your professional network and potentially learn about new job opportunities.
  1. Recruitment Agencies – As mentioned in a previous blog post, recruiters in recruitment agencies are a great, mostly free, resource.  Not only will recruitment agencies have a variety of job opportunities available, recruiters are typically very knowledgeable about the latest industry and company trends.  In some cases, recruitment agencies may also have knowledge of opportunities in the hidden job market.  For more insight on working with recruiters, check out my previous blog post here.
  1. Make a Plan – While conducting your job search, it is important to keep yourself organized and to create an action plan.  Set weekly goals for the number of jobs you apply for and the number of networking contacts you are going to email.  Remember to build in time for research, interviewing, and tailoring your resume.  Not only will this keep you focused, but it will also keep you organized.

I hope you found these tips helpful.  If you have any other tips on job searching, please feel free to leave a comment below.  Also, if you would like personalized advice, please check out the services section or send me an email – I’d be happy to help!

Until next time, happy hunting!

 

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