Why the Little Things Matter in Your Job Search

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Please provide an e-mail link to share with friends, co-workers, and others searching for work.
Thank you,
Maria E Acosta - Jersey City, NJ

Maria E Acosta - of NJ 3:09PM December 04, 2009

The job search/hiring process is much more complicated today. I worked for my last company for almost 13 years, getting laid off in May when our company folded. I worked for two others companies prior to that time.
With one firm, I made my rounds and walked in and left a resume not knowing if there was an opening or not (there were two coming up). I got a call, did a 3-hour interview on a Thursday and started on a Monday. I sent cover letters and resumes with the other two positions and got called, interviewed (had a second meeting with the president of the board of directors) and started working very quickly.
I think these days when you don't get the job, it's because of the immense amount of competition. We are not in a "normal" economy so it's even more important to do everything "right" as far as looking professional, interviewing well, using networking to find positions, and learning the new internet techniques like Twitter to find jobs.

Stephanie Benford of AZ 3:40PM October 21, 2009

The whole job search today is much more complicated: I am 45 and was employed by my last company for nearly 13 years. I have been out of work since May. I have only worked for three companies in my entire career. I have joined several job networks, I use friends and family as eyes and ears for openings. I go to the local job center for leads, resume tips and interviewing practice. I dress sharply, treat people with respect during the process, answer questions well. I think these days when you don't get the job, it's about the immense amount of competition out there.
The last three jobs I had were easy to get: I walked in one firm with a resume (not knowing if there was an opening – there were two people leaving shortly) and by the next week I had the job after a three-hour interview with two people. With the first two jobs, I sent a cover letter and resume, got called in and got hired within a few days after the interview.

stephanie Benford of AZ 3:34PM October 21, 2009

You said what has been going through my head for the last 10 months. I've been out of work since our office closed back in April of '08. I've started preparing for work searches and getting in a good frame of mind pretty early on.
Now, since I'm a middle-aged worker, I wonder if I will ever be hired again. I've had TWO interviews in the last five months! I've been to many workshops on resume writing and finally was able to put a decent one together, then made several to 'tweek', according to the job for which I've applied. I've been to all the other workshops about how to look for a job and have lists of websites to look at for which there isn't enough time in a day to check. Also, I've been networking by joining small groups and socializing more. If anything, it takes my mind off my troubles for a while. Worn out from hearing or reading the same lectures and advice over and over, with some notable bits of useful information as in this article, I too, am nervous as HELL about interviews where I was not as much, previous to the receipt of all the info about it. Just before checking out this article, in fact, I was going through my long list of possible interview questions I could be asked and I sat for hours thinking of answers. I will try to remember what I've written and tweek those according to the job as well. They ARE sincere answers but I went through and deleted or revised answers that might be construed as 'negative' or 'a possible problem'. But you have to 'spin it 'till you win it'. It's like I'm writing my work history book or reading an interview in someone else's biography. All I can do is BE PREPARED, do my best, look my best and act my best. I've been networking by joining some groups, attending regular workshops or just socializing more. Also, I eat right, take a good multi-vitamin, Omega 3's and get enough vitamin D to keep depression at bay. Getting noticed is essential so I try to stay connected, but I still have my days where I don't do much. This is harder than any job I've EVER held and I'm so sick of myself, I could vomit. But one thing I'm even sicker of... is others who are employed and have been employed for a long time, try to tell me something they think I haven't heard before... or even come close to implicating that I don't know how to search, don't know what I'm doing, or infer that I'm lazy and don't want to work! It's so easy for them to say and it really pisses me off!

sikofit of AZ 4:18AM October 06, 2009

This is some good information, and useful to keep in mind. However, as someone who has been in the job market for two years, with mixed (at best) results - it all matters. I have been told so many things by so many people, within the HR realm and outside it, that I am beginning to have near paralysis at the thought of an interview, virtually every word, the slightest little hint of negative body language - I have been told that there are employers check out your car, how you act in the waiting room, and what selections you make when offered a soft drink.
The gut feelings or little flags that pop up or every "i" not dotted and "t" crossed are just plain excuses. The whole job interviewing process has turned into such an Olympian excercise that there is almost no way to succeed - I thought that with 26 years of company loyalty, great people skills in a demanding position, with above average soft skills... that I would have a great chance at landing something when the business I worked for showed me the door... The truth is that everyone has advice, but no one wants to listen when I tell them my story, and there just seems to be no good reason why I haven't been hired. "Oh, that's a shame, good luck to you."
All that has happened is that after two years, all these companies are wondering what is wrong with me, and why I haven't been hired yet. So their gut tells them to pass again, like everyone else. You would counsel me about a negative attitude - stop right there, I am all seashells, balloons, smiles and great manners in an interview - no one gets to see how they stomp on my heart, interview after interview...
The truth is - you have advice, and you got yours published. Good for you. Does it work? Not for everyone.

TD of WI 5:21PM October 05, 2009

Julie -- yes, I do think it can be a good thing, depending on how it's handled. Once you hire someone and they become an employee, they're going to make mistakes from time to time; it's unavoidable. So getting some insight into how they handle that can be a really good thing. (That said, don't mess up on purpose just to demonstrate how you'd handle it.)

Alison Green of DC 9:25PM September 29, 2009

I'm curious if you've ever had a situation where someone screwed up, but then handled it so well that it turned into a good thing.
Knowing that a candidate can handle an awkward situation or admit a mistake in an honest, adult manner is a big plus, no?

Julie O'Malley of MA 3:34PM September 29, 2009

As an added note of what Alison alluded to.
When a hiring manager has a very large pool of candidates and lots of good people to choose among, as is often the case in this economy, you can't help but use those mistakes, errors and other problems as a tool for sorting through the applications or interviews.
It is already a very difficult call to make, so these "flags" end up being very "helpful."
That being said I would agree its often a heartbreaker when I have someone that I really like on paper and in general made a good impression in interview, but those little things just nag at my gut feeling on the candidate, and I find eventually win out unless the candidate takes extraordinary action to compensate for the error.

NB of NY 11:48AM September 28, 2009