What is the Most Effective Method in Finding Employment?
The best method is going to be different for everyone, it all depends on the position you are seeking, the industry, the corporate structure of the potentional employer and the type of recruitment methods used by employers, just to name a few.
Therefore I wish to share some tips, facts and tricks I found highly successfully in most given circumstances in finding employment today.
80% of vacant positions are not advertised. Why? It cost employers on average $650 for an advertisement on seek.com and given our economy, today's budget control in many companies, business and departments are tightly regulated.
Where do you find these vacant unadvertised positions?
Yellow pages, white pages, recruitment companies and networking with friends and family.
Before calling the business, do some research through Google or LinkedIn to find out the person you need to speak to. For a small business you would be looking to speak with the Manager, for a larger business you would be seeking HR Manager.
To get around the lovely receptionists I tend to state on the first call 'Hi is Karen available please?' this being the name I obtained from my research, this enables the receptionist to advise me if they still work there, generally not. This when you have the opportunity to ask 'who has taken over Karen's position please?' Excellent work, now you have the name of the person you are seeking. If you are really lucky you may be able to get transferred straight depending on the receptionist reactions and communication, if you feel they are friendly ask if you can be transferred to the HR Manager.
If you did not get the opportunity to speak to the hiring personnel, leave it a few days and call back asking for the correct person, if receptionists asks what it's regarding, generally a statement like 'I am returning a missed call'. This way the receptionist does not question you, by the time you are speaking with the manger, he would be boggling his mind trying to think about the message he didn't leave. It's all up to you to promotive yourself, make sure you have a copy of your RESUME IN FRONT of you to reflect on during the conversation, you will have mind blanks. This is normal, having your resume in front of you saves you and provides you with an aide.
Meanwhile another strategy, psychologically on average it takes a person 7 times of hearing or seeing your name, to become remembered.
So the method I use to obtain the most contact as possible is as follows..
1. Making contacting
- if you are responding to an advertisment take down the email address
2. Send through resume electronically
- This is required so your application and resume is in the software database and saves HR alot of time manually entering the information.
3. Calling or emailing to confirm receival of resume
- The lovely curtesy letter which advises you that your resume has been accepted is an automatic response from the software. This does not mean your resume has been seen by the hiring person.
4. Missed calls are good as it brings you to the mind of the Manager
- Just make sure you call back
5. Leave it three - four days if you have not heard back
- Then call back and enquire as to whether they are available for an interview
6. If your not suitable for the position ask 'if you don't mind me asking are they aware of anyone else who would be seeking a dedicated hard working individual such as myself?'
- They often are aware of vacancies within their industry.
When completing online applications and you are asked how many years experience you have, I tend to also pick the maxium as this should bring your resume up as a prime candidate for the position and your resume gets seen by human eyes. Theorically, you should be able to explan on your experience via the educational experience you completed for your career, otherwise if you are starting out in retail and you think you only have a year of experience in customer service, have you not provided aide to someone at church or assisted an individual when out shopping? This is classified as experience, also it does not refer to experience within an employment capacity.
Taking initiative and using these devices (yellow pages, white pages etc) shows employers you think outside the square, you will go the extra mile to achieve your goal and your ability to research and build on resources.
