Networking and the "Hidden Job Market"

Recent statistics seem to agree that 80 to 85 percent of jobs are never posted; they are filled because somebody knows somebody else who fits the requirements. The 10 to 15 percent of jobs that are posted result in an overwhelming number of applicants, and Human Resources people may only spend 20 seconds scanning each resume during the initial sorting process. Of the resumes that are kept for a second look, only top contenders remain. Competition is stiff because of the number of qualified applicants from a wide geographic area.

The "Hidden Job Market" is available through people who know you, your capabilities and your performance. Matches are often made based on personal recommendations, bypassing the traditional routine. My challenge over the past few weeks has been to build my network in Nova Scotia.

In the past month I have:

• volunteered at a political campaign office
• attended a three-day Career Choices workshop
• met with a career counselor
  
• joined the Chamber of Commerce
• written an article for the Chamber of Commerce quarterly magazine and 3 newsletters
  
• advertised Delcourt House Web Design in the magazine and newsletters
• met with the Career Adviser at Nova Scotia Community College - Kingstech
  
• talked with a corporate recruiter about my career search
• created this blog to document my career search
• updated my blogs and webpages
• improved and rewritten resumes and cover letters
  
• talked with the HR manager at an Atlantic property development firm
• applied for a few, specific, advertised jobs
• continued to explore possibilities with network contacts

Am I done yet? Not yet.

What Does the 'D' Stand For?

Who am I?

• D. Geoffrey Bell - Canadian composer specializing in choral music
• Geoffrey Bell - Composer of alt/electronic/pop music for for soundtracks
  
• Geoffrey Bell - Educator specializing in Technology
  
• Geoff Bell - Website designer

What does the 'D' stand for?
Dynamic, dedicated, determined, decent, discreet, and delightful (the last one from a former boss!)

The challenge is to condense this into a resume and keep it focused. Current thinking is that a resume must not exceed two pages, should highlight your accomplishments and work history, outline your personal and professional goals, and demonstrate how you would add value to your new employer. It should be clean, concise, and use action verbs that bring your achievements to the fore. The highlights should be attention-grabbers placed strategically near the top. Each resume should be tailored to match the advertised position and the style of the employing organization. Too much information adds to clutter; if it's hard for the Human Resources person to scan, it will end up on the pile of rejections.

So what do I say, and what do I leave unsaid for the sake of brevity and clarity? I have a new strategy... an online, hyperlinked resume. I'll keep you posted....

Haircuts: the New Career Search Measurement Tool!

At the beginning of February I began courting a new position that was of particular interest to me, would be a good challenge, and even happened to be conveniently close to home!  Before my first interview I got a haircut.

As the months roll by I have paid my haircut diva many visits.  

"How are things going?" she always asks.  

My answer is always the same; "Still looking for a new career."

I've realized that our brief visits, (it doesn't take long to cut my hair :-) have a regular rhythm, a way of measuring the time that has passed since my quest began.  The question is, when will I have a new answer?

Lessons from a Little Brown Bat (and David Foot, too)

I watched a fascinating interview with David Foot, the author of "Boom, Bust and Echo" on CBC NewsWorld this evening. He is a demographer, tracking trends in population change and forecasting the impact these changes will have on the world economy. Even though I have no background in Economics, his explanations and forecasts seemed insightful and well-founded. If the demographics of a country's population change, there are bound to be changes in the economy.

As a result of watching the interview, I was rather late getting outside to mow the lawns. The cool of the evening had already set in as I rode into the sunset on my trusty riding mower. As dusk arrived, I watched a little brown bat purposefully darting this way and that, collecting its dinner one morsel at a time. It was performing precision acrobatics at the perfect time in the perfect place. We both knew it didn't have much time before the insects stopped flying for the night. It focused on its task while staying keenly aware of its surroundings.

Lessons Learned: Agility, Persistence and Timing
As I explore and develop my career options, I need to keep these lessons in mind. Agility to respond quickly to new opportunities; persistence to get the job done; and timing to connect effectively at the right time. As for David Foot's forecast for Canada? He says that Canada is in good shape to weather the current economic uncertainties. We will feel the downturn, but are in a better economic position than our neighbours to the South. Agility, persistence, and timing, eh?

Turning the Tables: Screening Employers

In a previous post I mentioned a recent trend; some employers are expanding their screening of job candidates beyond the traditional checks for qualifications and references. They are checking MySpace and FaceBook pages as well! Knowing what some people post on their own pages, this can have a dramatic impact on their "hireability!"

An interesting article from http://www.ere.net/ turns the tables, or at least, levels the playing field for the potential employee. Some people who are considering a new job are now using FaceBook and MySpace to search for friends or acquaintances already working for a company, contacting them and gathering information. "How do you like working for the company? How would you rate the boss? How is morale?" In addition, people look for 'enemies' or former coworkers whom they wish to avoid.

The tools can be used by both parties. The sword cuts both ways!

Article link:

http://www.ere.net/2008/10/01/the-web-20-job-seeker-faster-smarter-and-more-connected/#more-4163

Generation Jones

In 2001 Mark Prensky introduced the terms "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" to describe the startling gap between young people who grew up immersed in computer technology and their parents and grandparents who may or may not have tried to keep up or understand how the world has changed.  By definition, my children were digital natives, and I was a digital immigrant. (Mark gives credit on his blog to those who used the native and immigrant analogies as early as 1994.)

When I was a child, a computer filled most of a large room and was much less powerful than a modern calculator.  Only a scientist or computer engineer could use one.  When I brought an Apple II+ computer home for the first time in 1982, it ran at a speed of 1Mhz, had 64k of memory, and used a 5&1/4 inch floppy disk that held 360k of data.  By 1990 the new office computer was a "Turbo" PC that ran at a blistering 10Mhz and had 640k of RAM, but most impressively, had a hard drive that held 10Mb of data.  This was the year I became one of the pioneers in our school system, getting an email account before most people had heard of such a thing, and using the Internet when it was still all text.  (Do you remember FTPing little programs from White Sands Military Base before most people knew a computer could connect to another computer over the phone?) It's difficult to imagine that most people had not heard of the Internet 18 years ago.  My children, though, grew up with email, the Internet and computers as tools that were ubiquitous, much like radio, television and the telephone were to people of my generation.  (Back then, televisions were black and white, telephones were attached to the wall, and a transistor radio was really cool!)

As a member of the youngest end of the Baby Boom, I have always felt somewhat akin to the older boomers, but always like a little brother "tagging along, " just becoming aware of the action of the 1960s as they ended and the 1970s rolled in.  As it turns out, I'm not alone! A term has been coined for those of us born between 1954 and 1965 - "Generation Jones." 

A recent article on the subject of generations and their comfort with technology is well worth reading.  It includes a quiz for those of us who think we may not fit the typical profile for our generation.  You can give it a try at:

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/06/25/what-generation-are-you-part-of-really-take-this-test/

Where does this put me in my quest for a new career?  I was quite pleased and somewhat surprised to score in the Generation X range.  I guess my ongoing interest in keeping up with technology has paid off.  Now to find the right organization that is looking for someone with Generation Jones maturity and Generation X techno-savy!

79 Job Applications

Seventy-nine job applications. That's how many I have documented since February when I began the hunt. This doesn't include applications that must be completed on different company websites. This doesn't include the school teaching jobs I've applied for. (Those would bring the total to over a hundred.) It certainly doesn't include the hundreds more that I have read and discarded, or read, researched, and then discarded.

Employers today expect each cover letter and resume to be tailored to match the job posting. If you apply for a few positions that are quite similar, this makes the process less time consuming. When you are trying to diversify and cover different bases, each one can take an hour or two to customize and polish.

I'm also learning through my reading and research that different employers expect specific styles of resumes for specific job-types. Advice from insiders in one sector may not apply at all to another sector.

Tip #1 - Do your research about what is expected, and get as much information as you can from people in that sector.

The concept of "transferable skills" discussed by jaded employees in staffrooms across the nation seems to be just another urban legend. Employers today appear to be looking for very specific training that matches job descriptions exactly, along with years of experience.

The current economic uncertainty in North America appears to have made job opportunities scarce, and employers don't seem to be looking for anyone whose background isn't aligned exactly with the job description. It's too bad, really. There are some talented, creative people out there who could bring new life, ideas and energy to organizations that need revitalization.

So, if you are still reading, you might wonder what types of jobs and careers have been in my sights. My strengths, expertise and experience are in three areas: Education, Music and Technology. I have discovered that my choices are limited by the lack of a Masters degree. Universities and Colleges expect lecturers and professors to have a Masters or Doctorate, and it is very unusual for a sessional instructor to be hired with only a Bachelors degree. The business world likes its leaders to have a Masters degree related to their field, or an MBA.

Tip #2 - Plan to get a Masters degree as part of your career plan. Many more job and career opportunities will be open to you in the worlds of Education and Business.

I have been looking at all sorts of different ways of putting my skill set to work. In the field of Education I have established a solid reputation as a teacher, a leader in the area of Educational Technology, and as a presenter at conferences and workshops. In the field of Music I have established my reputation as a composer of choral music. As a result, I have been exploring a number of possibilities:

EDUCATION - teaching non-credit courses, ESL to adults, training sessions for business, etc.
MUSIC - local music scene, Music Nova Scotia, local music store, composing for film & TV, etc.
PUBLISHING/EDITING/WRITING - editing for book and magazine publishers, technical writing for software/hardware companies
RESEARCH - a couple of research assistant positions connected with local Universities
TECHNOLOGY - various tech. firms have advertised positions that don't require a degree in computer science (however, these are the exception to the rule)
GOVERNMENT - somebody has to deal with all that paperwork, don't they? I've applied for positions in departments ranging from Tourism to Education to the Department of Justice!
NON-PROFIT/CHARITABLE/ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS - I would rather be in a position of responsibility to help people and the environment than just trying to make more profits for another big company.
ENTREPRENEURIAL - We started the Bed & Breakfast, and now we've started the website design company. Our first few clients have been very pleased with the results....
MEDIA/MULTIMEDIA - exploring possibilities with CBC, multimedia software, educational productions, etc
BIG BUSINESS - Yes, I have even applied for positions at some big stores
ADMINISTRATIVE - I have good computer skills, customer service skills, have done budgeting and scheduling, and have supervised others...

Some critics might say that I lack focus. I prefer to say that I am exploring all my options.

Tip #3 - If you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do in life, get the best education you can to match your goal. Keep in mind that many types of jobs change over time, so be prepared to keep learning as you go.

Where does this leave me? Still looking for the right match. Still looking for an employer who is looking for an intelligent, creative mind....