5 Job-Search Habits to Break

Nice job Heather. I'm sure I've said the same thing over and over to my coaching clients. Thanks for summarizing it so succinctly. I have found people making mistakes #2, 3, & 5 the most lately. Desperation breeds desperation. The solution to not having found work is not to just look more, faster, harder, but more strategically. Targeting the search may be the most important key to securing employment.

Only the best,

Ron Katz

Author, "Someone's Gonna Get Hired...It Might As Well Be You!"

Ron Katz of NY 5:34PM August 29, 2011

Even as a "grownup", ie, over 30 yrs under my belt in a full time medical profession, I STILL don't know what I want to do or can do well....They key to this is the supervisor in direct charge of you. There is no way around the prejudices or sterotypes of that individual that I'm of. EEO or a Union---if you have them, are a godsend as they can fight for you and help you get an objective view of the "boss" and he/she of you. They can mediate disagreemens if they're honest and not working for the administration and in fear of losing their own jobs....

In reality I've seen much more of that type of thing than anything I've see in the little articles I see here. Are the writers of the article really so blind? Fairness has nothing to do with the average job; neither does coming to an equal mediation of the problem.

I have felt powerful and empowered in certain jobs, and like a total use, a lazy malingerer in others....but I feel I'm the same person.

Marie of FL 9:40AM August 18, 2011

I've worked for many companies since 1979, large and small.

I've come to the conclusion that there's no such thing as a "Dream Company"... All management these days is time and money-based. Schedule is king, not quality or innovation, despite the company's glossy ads.

Your job experience is affected 10% by company culture, and 90% by the specific manager/supervisor you're working for. In turn, their attitude is determined by how much pressure they're under by department heads, to meet schedules.

Since there's no way to target specific managers and supervisors (even if information was available about them), it's fruitless to target companies. What appears great on the outside can be a pressure cooker or demoralizing if you stumble into the wrong department working for the wrong manager.

In a very large company, you often will not even be working in the department who INTERVIEWED you, so you won't know what the situation is until the a month after you report for work.

I say give it a month, because at first it will truly seem like a dream company during HR's orientation, which is basically a combination sales pitch and pep rally designed to make new employees excited to be there. But that quickly wears off when the realities of the job gradually become visible.

I've also found that the same companies who talk about how valuable their employees are will be as quick on the trigger when layoff time comes, as companies who never talk about employee value.

Bottom line, over the years I've come to not expect much as far as job satisfaction from any company... They are simply buying your time, and they expect a profit from your work.

Moreover, they invent project schedules to match their profit goals and promises they've made to the customer, which are usually made to please the customer, not the employees.

They really don't care if exempt salaried employees have to work 80 hours a week to meet those schedules. They only care if you're paid hourly and thus get overtime - Then they tell you to go home after 40 hours, and make exempt salaried employees fill the gap. Being a computer programmer, I'm usually hired as an exempt employee, but I've been in both positions.

So, being almost 60 years old, I'm just counting the days until I can afford to tell my manager to shove it. I'm sure HR would be horrified if they were told what conditions really are - Not horrified at the conditions, just horrified that anyone would speak up about it - And I would be promptly escorted to my desk to box up my belongings, then marched out the door.

I've seen that from both perspectives, also - I've even been diciplined for refusing to fire one of my employees simply because he did not fit the "idea corporate attitude". Funny thing about that, my manager was diciplined by top corporate management because he tried to make me fire someone who simply spoke the truth. Sometimes, justice prevails.

Chuck of TX 6:49PM August 04, 2011

Having been unemployed for 11 months 2 years ago, I know how hard the job situation is. Through that, I've learned many aspects of job searching, and have compiled the tips into an email that I've sent to many others. The character limitations of this response prevents me from cutting and pasting, so I've put the tips on a website: http://jenner1a.tripod.com/jobsearch.html

In reality, most of the jobs will be provided to those who have connections. The adage of "who you know" really does work, as persons inside a company can provide recommendations, which can usually get you past the HR, or at least get to the top of the pile of resumes. I've been able to refer several people at my company, some of whom had interviews, and one who was hired. The people that know you are the best able to provide references, since they know your work ethic, personality, and determine if you're a good fit for the company. The "what you know" gets you through the interview.

You should avail yourself to knowing as many people as possible, because you don't know who will come through for you regarding a lead. I usually discourage resume blast (since everyone else is doing it), and hiring a search firm for you (since there isn't much follow up, if any at all, as well as wasting money). Join industry groups, alumni clubs, etc.

Also, you need a strategy as to how to get a job. Although you can search job search sites (which has a ~20% success rate, which worked in my situation), you need to use more proactive strategies instead of reactive strategies of combing through job applications. Investigate the companies advertising the jobs. If you like the type of company or industry, see if there are other similar companies. Use LinkedIn and/or ReferenceUSA to find other companies in your area. Once you find interesting companies, then find contacts inside the companies.

If you find very specific job requirements that need 088Lgs or an "illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator", then the company has probably filled that position with an internal candidate, but had to post the job according to Federal law.

ProgRock of IL 12:35AM August 04, 2011