As a recruiter, I spend a good deal of time speaking to people who are looking for work. In this economy, our phones ring often. Most people are calling to see if our clients are hiring. In an ideal world we would have the “perfect” job for these candidates. In reality, we rarely have openings for people who are calling us.
I always ask these people how long they have been looking and what they are doing to find work. Most are doing what worked in the past. Contact recruiters, go to online job sites, post on job boards and network. Unfortunately, these activities are not working well in today’s market. Why? In a tight market, people need to do much more then they did in the past. They also need to realize that being pretty good at finding a job is rarely good enough. Can a career coach actually make a difference?
In most cases, I would say “absolutely.” The market has changed and unless you are an expert at the job search process, you will probably struggle to find work. Working with someone who has been in the trenches and knows what works and what doesn’t, can be a tremendous advantage. While the Internet is loaded with expert advice, has it really made a difference in your ability to find a job? The below questions are designed to help you understand how/why a career expert can help you as you enter the job market.
1. What does your background look like? This is a huge factor to consider. If you have a solid track record, show logical career moves, have skills that are in demand and still cannot find work, you need a different approach. Why? Because even in this market, “A players” who know how to find jobs, are finding jobs. A career expert can help identify what you are doing right and what you need to change. On the flip side, if you have job hopped, switched industries and have skills that are not in demand, you have probably seen how difficult it is to find work. A good career coach can help you to overcome some of these obstacles and assist you as you compete with people who have stronger backgrounds. While someone with a perfect background needs to be good at finding a job, you need to be GREAT.
2. How long have you been looking? When people first become unemployed they typically have the energy and enthusiasm needed to hit the job market hard. After months of close calls but no job offers, two things start to happen. First, the most positive of people tend to lose that “spark” and energy they started out with. Second, and something that can be quite damaging, they begin to lose market value. While I don’t agree with their reasoning, most hiring managers want to hire people who are presently employed and shy away from those who have spent months without a job. You and I can argue why this is unfair (believe me, I am on your side) but in the end, it’s tough to change their way of thinking. Why wait months to enlist the help of a professional? I have yet to speak with anyone who is doing EVERYTHING correctly as they seek new employment.
3. What have you been doing to find work? This is a key question to ask. I talk to people every day who have achieved tremendous success throughout their careers. Yet, they seem to struggle the most when it comes to finding a job. I often hear, “I never had to look for a job, jobs always found me.” As I already mentioned, part of the problem is that people continue to employ the same tactics that worked in the "good old days". They call a few recruiters, network and post on job boards. These activities should be part of your overall search strategy, but rarely generate the number of interviews needed to find quality jobs. Unless you change this approach, you will continue to struggle. A good career coach can help design a complete search strategy that will yield much better results. To have success, you not only need a search strategy, you need to be able to quickly identify what is working and when needed , adjust your tactics accordingly.
If you are considering a career coach, choose wisely. Make sure they know the industry, understand your goals and have a long track record of success. Speak to people they have worked with. We have helped hundreds of technology professionals reach their career potential, let us help you. To learn more about our our career coaching program, contact us at : 949.675.0000 ext. 101
