Chris Wellington “The Recruiting Guy”, President, The Wellington Group

“Chris, this is the 15^th email this week along with 22 from last week, multiple LinkedIn messages, 12 voicemails, mailed in my resume…and by the way I applied to all the open jobs on your website…”

Ok that might be extreme but I hope you get the jest, either you are showing signs of being desperate for a job or have no other resources to help in your job search. Either way, don’t become one of “those people” as many individuals don’t have the same patience in Human Resources or Recruiting and Hiring Manager rarely follow EEOC or OFCCP guidelines or employment law so they just throw you away per-se.

Now I am not advocating for just sending your resume and not following up nor the “spray and pray” method of sending out resume to every job on a prayer that it gets looked at. Direct contact to a recruiter or HR is great, providing they 1. Are accessible  2. Want to truly hear from job seekers. That’s right, many “don’t have time” unless you are the ideal match which is one of my pet-peeves to lazy HR or Recruiters in my PROFESSION! But you still can gently nudge them for some feedback.

The best way to approach applying for a job is as follows:

1. Only send your customized resume to jobs you are qualified for or have a strong interested in DON’T apply to all jobs a company has open
2. Select a read receipt option if sending via email so you know if it is opened and reviewed
3. If sending to a “black hole” HR tool or even ATS, put in the job code in your subject line. Review my previous blog “Job Seekers – Put That Job Code in Your Subject Line”
4. Look for other resources. For instance at The Wellington Group I am a Senior Partner to a much larger group of recruiters giving you access to thousands of open jobs and other recruiters. You can check it out here, and let me know if you see something of interest so we can work it the right way!
5. Leave one or two voicemails and one follow-up email per week. We recruiters and HR get busy sure, so follow-up is great but excess not so much!

While the competition is tougher these days or companies are hiring slower, don’t become one of “those people” but rather have a strategy in your job search. If needed, seek out other resources to find that right job or additional opportunities. You want to make a strong impression, not an annoying one.

Good luck with your job search!

Chris

For questions or help on this and many other ideas on how to make your career search more effective contact the staff at The Wellington Group @ info@twgrecruiters.com  or visit The Career Store.

Chris Wellington “The Recruiting Guy”, President, The Wellington Group

Are you consistently showing up as the person everyone expects? Or, are you Chris, Kris, Christopher, “The C Man,” etc as your mood, personality, professionalism and even attire change based on how you are feeling that day?

When you walk in the office door each morning, pick up the phone to call clients or peers, are you doing so in your own character OR in the character that your environment or current emotions have allowed you to be at that moment?

If you are in a management position or “the boss” can your staff count on you to be consistently you with very little deviation, OR is there a Scout or Forward Observation Post in place so they can all secretly inform each other of the either impending danger or gleeful cheer of the person, YOU, they will have to face that day? Do your internal and external clients feel the same way? Do they perhaps screen your calls to gauge the person calling them, and then MAY call you back based on the message and tone?

Now that I have you thinking, “How am I showing up?” I will elaborate and explain on why this is so important for your career and in the World of Work. For my entire readership, network and those just stopping by…this personal character trait transcends all Careers; from Corporate Executive, the Military, Healthcare Professionals, Sales, Administrative Assistants, Small Business Owners, Assembly Line Workers and Consultants. You see we all have a personal value of what we are worth to ourselves and in the eyes and minds of those we work for and with each day. This value is not just based on a tangible list of skills, how many acronyms are after your name or where you attended school. Your value goes well beyond this measurable set of “workplace criteria” to items like; team player, nice person, ethics, a smile, compassion for those around you and the commitment you bring to the job each and every day!

Many people I help coach on their career transition fail to stop and conduct a self evaluation on their personal value in the work place. Most people are all too quick to blurt out where they have worked or what they have done and overlook the cultural and interpersonal aspects of their accomplishments. What types of culture do you thrive in, do you know? In the evolution of the World of Work we have gone through in recent years, companies have slowed their hiring decision and organizations in general have reevaluated their staff promotion criteria. No longer is it “what have you done lately,” it’s now also about, “who are you every day.” Sure we can blame this on the strong advent of social media, more people than jobs, and perhaps we can say it’s the darn new HR trend. NO! People value people who show up consistently and predictably every day.

So what do hiring managers, human resources, peers and the overall corporate community look for in you?

1. Personality = Can you in a name or describe your personality type? What do those close to you, management or staff, have to say about your personality? Don’t know…ask!
2. Appearance = Are you in jeans and inappropriate shirts one day and a suit the next? Are you consistently aware of the first impressions OR are you always in repair mode for the impression people have of you?
3. Reliability = Can management, peers, staff and clients count on you to get done what you say you are going to do?
4. Effort = Do you go the extra mile as often as you can? OR do you wait for that 5pm “Bell” and run for the car or a means home? 
5. Attitude = Different from personality and character, what attitude do you display each day? Can you maintain this in an emergency, with a client complaint, or days when your personal life is at an all time low?

As you move forward in your current job, a job search, management of staff, or working with clients, think about how you are showing up. Take some time to perform a self-evaluation, or go the next level and conduct a proactive 360 group evaluation with those around you in the work place. Then, take this invaluable data and apply it to be the person you want showing up every day. It will take some consistent effort and work, but the end result is worth walking the path!

In short, be the person you want others to see each and every day! It just might help you get that next job, promotion, new client or the respect from those in your network and work environment!

Go be you, but be consistently you each and every day.

Good Luck!

Chris

To hire The Recruiting Guy as a speaker or trainer visit The Recruiting Guy or to retain The Wellington Group for your staff search needs contact us at info@thewellington-group.com.