JOB SEARCH! Is your JOB SEARCH going like you want it to? Expect it to? As well as it should?

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

I don’t know of anyone who would say their JOB SEARCH is going like they want it to. Nor as they expect it to or as well as it should! The first reason would likely be that they would rather be employed than in the midst of a JOB SEARCH.

A JOB SEARCH is not what would be called a pleasurable event. Nothing seems to go as planned, decisions from who we interact with take an eternity and we are not getting the results we would like as fast as we would like.

As frustrating and hard as the JOB SEARCH is, generally the two primary reasons they do not go as smoothly as they could are unreasonable expectations and failing to follow a process, or plan if you will. Not to sound cruel or insensitive, there needs to be reasonable expectations. There also needs to be a process or plan to be followed. You may have heard me say before that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. That with reasonable expectations will make your JOB SEARCH less painful and more productive.

Lets start with more about REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS:

At one time it was said, and although I have not checked recently, believe to still be accurate, that for every $10K in salary you got or are worth, you can expect your JOB SEARCH to take a month. In other words, if you are looking to get $70K in salary, your JOB SEARCH will likely take 7 months. This is only a barometer but a reasonable expectation.

There are so many factors that play into this time element that it would be impossible to write about every possible scenario. Here is a list of some of the most common:

Finding the RIGHT POSITION:

It takes time to find the right position for you. You may settle for something less than your previous position or strive to get something equal to or great than. Either way, finding the position does take time. After you find it, there is the application process, online or otherwise. Once the company sees your application, they then have to decide whether they want to interview you. That decision is not just the Human Resource person or Recruiter’s decision. They must get the Hiring Manager to agree that you are the right candidate for an interview. Most Hiring Managers are busy and don’t make quick decisions when it comes to hiring. This is all part of finding the right position and getting an interview.

Getting through the companies HIRING PROCESS:

This is also a time consuming process. An interview schedule has to be set up and everyone who is part of the interview process needs to be present and have time available. Once the interview is over the people involved will be exchanging interview notes as to their take on the outcome. This is like an acceptance by committee and if there are some with concerns or objections, it will create more time to get a decision. In addition to this, how many others are being interviewed and over what time span of time? Additional candidates being interviewed will complicate the decision process, thus, increasing the time it takes to get one.

Getting through the BACKGROUND CHECK PROCESS:

Say you get an acceptable offer. Now comes the background check. You can count on this taking anywhere from 7 to 21 days. Background checks generally go back 7 years, some 10 years. They check past residences, past employers, schools you graduated from or attended, any military service, and, more and more a credit check! Not all municipalities, police departments or schools respond in a timely manner to a background request so the background check drags on. Hardly anyone is cleared through the background check until all the information requested is in. And if you spent any time overseas, add more time. There is little a company can do to rush a background check through because of the dependence of getting information from sources they do not have any control over. Remember, this takes time.

Getting to the START DATE:

Everything is back and you are ready to start, like, right now. Not so fast new hire. You can reasonably expect to start in about a week, maybe two. It will most assuredly be the first day of a new pay cycle, and that will likely be on a Monday. What you may be faced with is a company budget issue that affects a start date by moving it out to the 1st day of a new month or quarter. It could also be affected by the start date of a new project, which may also be affected by a budget. Any way you look at it, you will probably not start the day after the background check results come in.

Have reasonable expectations and put time in perspective. Rome was not built in a day and a JOB SEARCH takes time as well. Keep in mind what John Quincy Adams said one fine day many years ago; “Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”

Now for the PROCESS or PLAN:

Remember the 5 P’s referenced above. They do work and if it is doubted, think of something you have done in the past without one. Be honest, objective and think how the same task would have worked out following a 5 P principle! It is hard to deny that in almost every instance you will get a better result when you have a process or a plan.

Reference the BLOG entitled: JOB SEARCH! Following a RECRUITING process will enhance your results! It can be found at:  http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

That BLOG references 12 steps that relate to how a Recruiter goes about working a process/plan. I illustrated how a job seeker can follow the same process to achieve the same results with efficiency and effectiveness. Here are 10 of the steps referenced in that BLOG:

1. Define a TARGET

2. Determine your targets HOT BUTTONS

3. Do your RESEARCH

4. Do your BRANDING

5. Determine your target’s HIRING PROCESS

6. Post the RESUME

7. Contacting your TARGET

8. Complete the APPLICATION

9. Illustrate your BACKGROUND

10. Securing the INTERVIEW

Some of these steps may not make sense or look strange, however, read the BLOG referenced that go into these steps and I believe you will understand what I am talking about here.

Remember the title of this BLOG; “JOB SEARCH! Is your JOB SEARCH going like you want it to? Expect it to? As well as it should?” If anything in this title is true in your JOB SEARCH then you should consider an audit of your process/plan. When you analyze each step look for areas that you are either not doing or not working for you. If there are any then you may have found the weak link in your process/plan. If everything is as it should be and you feel there is something missing, try tweaking the process/plan more to what you feel fits the way you work. There is nothing wrong with making change that works for you. There is no one perfect process/plan and if the one laid out for you is ineffective in any way, change what you feel is more appropriate for you and run with it. The whole point is to have a process/plan and to work it.

Other points to consider are:

1. Are you applying for jobs you are qualified for

2. Do you know what the company is looking for (don’t trust the job description)

3. Are you branding yourself (previous employers, the right school, the right job title)

4. Are you following your targets process completely and thoroughly (online application process)

I won’t get into definition on the other points other than to say that they are important as well. You be the judge as to how they will work for you.

A JOB SEARCH is a job in itself. Treat is as such, dedicate your time and effort in the manner you did in your job and commit to a successful outcome. Never give in, give up or quit!

The intent of this informative article on how your JOB SEARCH is going is to impress on the importance of REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS and working a PROCESS/PLAN. With that is encouraging you to audit the elements of your process/plan that you think are not working as well as you expect. Do this and you will be more comfortable with your JOB SEARCH, it will be more effective and you will get a better outcome.

There is more to this than can be covered here. Watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com    you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or email me at:    rsc@infoexchangegroup.com