Back to the future

Job hunting trends look familiar

by Christopher Key

Like most editors, I get an impressive amount of press releases by e-mail, fax and snail mail. The vast majority of them, frankly, are a waste of trees. On the rare occasion when I get one with some substance to it, it’s worth a story. Such was a release I received from The Creative Group, a national staffing firm with offices in Seattle.

The release was headlined Job Hunting Trends for 2004 and featured the expertise of The Creative Group executive director Tracey Turner. There was a day when you looked for a job in the Help Wanted section of the local newspaper, sent in a résumé and got hired if you were qualified. Things aren’t quite that simple anymore.

“Just as tastes in clothing and music change over time, so do the preferences of hiring managers,” Turner said. “Candidates who understand the current mindset have an edge in the job hunt. Today’s managers are risk averse. They simply can’t afford to make hiring mistakes. As a result, they’re interested in applicants with a documented record of success.”

That means putting more emphasis on the show in show and tell.

“Words hold very little weight right now,” Turner said. “Employers want proof of a professional’s abilities.”

More information is better than less when applying for a job.

“Employers are willing to spend added time reviewing résumés and cover letters, so these materials can be more detailed than in the past,” Turner said. “Candidates also should be prepared for a lengthier interview process, including meetings with potential peers. Professionals must ensure their résumés reflect their achievements in former positions and illustrate all the skills they bring to the table, since companies may be hiring one person to fill what was once several different roles.”

If a lot of those items on the right hand side seem familiar, you’re probably somewhere around my age. That’s what a lot of us seasoned citizens were doing before the last batch of job hunting fads came around. Rather than take the word of an out of town firm, I sent this information to several local employment professionals to get their take on what’s in and out.

HereÕs what tactics are in and out for 2004:

OUT
• Using terms such as Ôteam playerÕ and Ôresults driven'.
¥ One page rŽsumŽs for people with seven or more years of experience
¥ Functional rŽsumŽs organized around skills and experience.
¥ Trying to camouflage employment gaps. Ê
¥ Relying on want ads for job leads. Ê
¥ Networking only within your industry. Ê
¥ Vague or embellished answers to standard interview questions.
¥ References with impressive titles who donÕt know you very well.
¥ Telling the interviewer you want the job.

IN
¥ Citing specific examples that demonstrate these sought after traits.
¥ Two to three page rŽsumŽs that highlight quantifiable achievements.
¥ RŽsumŽs that list work experience in reverse chronological order.
¥ Explaining gaps in the cover letter, noting current activities (part time or temporary work, volunteering, etc).
¥ Sending rŽsumŽs to a target list of companies you want to work for.
¥ Networking within and outside of your industry, as well as online.
¥ Real life examples that illustrate the points youÕre making.
¥ A variety of well informed references, including former peers.
¥ Offering to assume the role on a trial basis.

Mark Warren of Mark Warren Associates said that the findings of The Creative Group were pretty consistent with what he is seeing.

“Employers have to know you have the goods,” he said. “My clients want to know your reputation, as well as your productivity. The human factor is huge. Employers are getting better at figuring out exactly who they want to hire. It’s a bear to fire people nowadays, so nobody wants to screw up hiring.”

The elusive chemistry is where things often go sideways.

“That’s why you include peers in the interview process,” Warren said. “Time is important and human resources is squeezed tighter. They tend to focus on competency and are not screening for all the other stuff. I recommend that employers get a list of people they can call who worked with the prospective employee and ask permission to call them at home.”

Job seekers need to be prepared to answer questions regarding how they would handle situations in non-strength areas.

“Employers want to get a 360 degree picture from supervisors, supervisees and peers,” Warren said. “The key is knowing what your strengths and experience are and be able to articulate them. Get the story out without resorting to slick phrases. Be prepared for both behavioral and situational interviews.”

It pays to document your accomplishments.

“Keep a journal of your achievements, a paper trail,” Warren said. “It’s like having a master résumé.”

There are a lot more people entering new fields, moving toward their strengths.

“People are looking for more mission driven, meaningful work,” Warren said. “Then there is the Whatcom County factor. People are willing to give up certain things to stay here.”

There’s some good news for job seekers.

“Travel is starting to pick up,” Warren said. “Employers are now recruiting again, but they’re being very selective. It’s not as much of a buyers’ market as it has been.”

Consultants like Warren can help with some difficult situations.

“I can get core information employers can’t ask for,” he said. “There are a lot of faith based companies that can’t ask questions about spiritual matters.”

Older workers are now more in demand because of their experience and track record.

“Go work for a company 30 to 60 days to demonstrate your skills,” Warren said. “It’s like being an interim, but it’s a good way to get hired.”

Sheila Brillson can vouch for the Whatcom County factor. The former mayor and city manager of Michigan City, Indiana, is now an administrator for WorkSource. That’s the umbrella organization comprising the Employment Security Department and other state agencies, community colleges and schools, community organizations and the Northwest Workforce Development Council, operators of the local office.

WorkSource services are free to both the employer and employee. Those services include employee recruitment and other services to local and regional businesses. They can also assist in arranging space for businesses to recruit, interview or test applicants. In addition to maintaining job listings on the go2worksource.com Web site, they provide specialized services to veterans, youth and displaced workers. Training on how to apply for jobs and how to succeed in the workplace is offered.

Brillson is a former English teacher who held elected office for 16 years. She also co-founded and chaired the EDC in Michigan City, which attracted $137 million worth of industry. After deciding not to run for office anymore, her son suggested they move someplace “…really cool, like the Pacific Northwest.”

“We’re going back to the older ways of looking for work,” Brillson said. “Nothing beats old fashioned good manners, professional attire and following up on interviews with a thank you note. The competition is stiff, so make yourself stand out.”

Having been recently unemployed, she has a lot of empathy for job seekers.

“There are more jobs listed now than there have been for a while and they’re not just service jobs,” Brillson said. “Our staff doesn’t think that going to work for a company on a trial basis is a good idea. It could be seen as begging. A volunteer internship through the Opportunity Council might be a better approach.”

Brillson and her colleagues agree with The Creative Group, for the most part.

“Chronological résumés provide the evidence to back up the skills that have been used as part of the functional résumé,” she said. “A combination of both types can be the most effective as the business wants to know what an applicant has to offer and also how those skills were obtained.”

She reinforced the message about references.

“Employers have told us that having co-workers and direct supervisors as references is helpful to them,” Brillson said. “With these references, the information the employer needs about how you are as a worker and how you get along in the workplace gains credibility.”

Details are important.

“Business customers appreciate a cover letter,” Brillson said. “Some will not accept a résumé without one. Following the application instructions put forth by the employer is more important than how nice your résumé looks. Your résumé should be customized to the position for which you are applying.”

Dr. Sylvia Thorpe is a renaissance person who does career counseling, among her many other activities.

“There are jobs out there,” she said. “Real ones, not just burger flipping. You have to be a go getter, but not pushy.”

Thorpe agrees that the task has gotten rather complicated.

“Online search engines can pick hot words from your résumé, but that doesn’t mean you can do the job,” she said. “Résumé writing is a real trick. Long and wordy may work in the big city and for some professional positions. Now that there are so many applicants for each position, employers have been trained to look at one page. You’ve got probably 25 to 30 seconds to get your message across.”

Employers need to have realistic expectations.

“Want a good person for $8.50 an hour?” Thorpe asked. “That’s hard to do unless things are very bad. They won’t stay long if they’re any good.”

She points out that employers in Washington are protected when it comes to providing accurate information in references.

“Some of the states have been caught between defamation suits by employees and negligent hiring suits by employers,” Thorpe said. “Many employers are still scared of providing information that could in any way be considered defamatory. Personality tests can help eliminate the jerk factor, but each test has to be job relevant and nondiscriminatory. Be very careful.”

Thorpe suggests that prospective employers frame questions to elicit specific examples of behavior and skills.

“Job seekers should be prepared with two minute stories that help tell an employer how you work,” she said. “It has to be clear, with specific numbers or problems involved.”

Thorpe lists three basic employer expectations: appearance, dependability and credentials, in that order.

“It’s interesting to note that 75 percent of the jobs are never advertised,” Thorpe said. “So the two best ways to find a job are through warm contacts, or networking, and cold contacts, or researching. Businesses with less than 50 people have 70 percent of the jobs. There are open jobs and skilled people out there, but 40 percent of the time, they don’t connect.”

Thanks to a very informative press release from The Creative Group, stories like this one may help both employers and job seekers improve that connection rate.