A Broken System or Your Cure for the Disease of Unemployment

As I listen to and read comments of those seeking new employment, there seems to be some common themes. One that is not common, but a great observation by a gentleman with whom I corresponded recently, was one that is not on the radar screen. It is an observation that I feel provides real insight into a huge source of the lack of success, frustration, fear, anger and other emotions felt by many job seekers.

His observation (and one my partner and I recognize) to put it in his terms is, “the job search system is broken.” His points that are dead-on of the broken system are:

• Sending resumes and cover letters does not work
• Networking is not a strong avenue for most people or done well
• HR contacts are not decision makers and don’t help
• Recruiters do not work for the candidate; they are paid by the client. They are not in the business of finding jobs for people
• State agencies are way behind the curve on knowing what to do to achieve success. They mainly process claims.
• Career coaches don’t have a handle on the situation
• Most advice addresses the symptoms, not the disease

I think the last point above is probably the most important and encompasses all the others. When looking at conducting a job search, there are many components and they all have to be performed well, in order to achieve the goal of obtaining the job wanted, not the one for which they settle. Today, most do not reach the point of being able to even settle for a job.

The point of addressing symptoms, not curing the disease is right on-point. Consider what is available as advice. Most advice will recommend what to do for one or two points. The advice addresses the specific symptom, not the disease. For example, in the case of sending resumes and cover letters to companies, traditional of advice is to make sure the cover letter addresses specific points. Other traditional advice points out the resume should contain certain points and look a certain way. These are addressing symptoms. The disease is the lack of several things:

• A lack of knowing how to conduct an overall job search
• A lack of where to really start. It isn’t with the cover letter and resume being sent to companies. There are numerous steps before hand that if not accomplished correctly, the best cover letter and resume will yield nothing as most do.
• The lack of knowing that sending a cover letter and resume is not a high percentage activity for successful in a job search.

So what is the disease that needs cured? The disease that needs cured is the current, collective body of knowledge of how to conduct a job search. It is a patch work of bits and pieces of advice and previously used actions that sometimes worked for some people, under certain circumstances. It has been used for decades in every situation regardless of whether the situation and circumstances changed dramatically. Now, that probably seems rather confusing and that is understandable. Let me explain.

The vivid analogy is the humorous story of the auto worker who wanted a new car, but did not want to buy it. He had the bright idea he could steal a part a day from the factory where he worked, and eventually have all the parts needed to build his new car. He proceeded to do so but it took many years for him to take each part out of the factory. The car he ended up with was a hodge-podge of parts from so many different models that it did not look like a real car. Of course, it did not function either. The common wisdom of how to find a job and opportunity suffers from the same “hodge-podge” effect.

The same can be said for how the typical job search is conducted today. Let’s look at it piece by piece:

• Employment seekers send cover letters and resumes to unsolicited companies. Why? Because others have done so in the past and some have had some success.
• Sending responses to job postings. Why? Because traditionally people over the decades have answered ads in print media and now electronic media. In the past, some have obtained jobs: now that equates to how to find a job.
• Contacting recruiters. The history of recruiters goes back three to four decades when there were many “employment agencies” where one would go, get interviewed by an Employment Counselor (as they were then titled). He would call companies to see who could use someone with the qualifications possessed by the person who applied. The applicant/candidate typically paid for this type of service. Sometimes it worked. Out of that, evolved what most recruiters do today. However, today they work for the client company, not the candidate. Most job seekers do not realize this and still think a recruiter is most interested in finding them a job.
• State and federal employment services. Like most government agencies, they have good intent, but little substance and even less motivation to actually be helpful. There is no need to explain further, as this is not a political discussion.
• Networking with others. This can be effective, but it evolved decades ago when the supply of labor was short, demand in the economy was huge and simply by word of mouth supply and demand met up with each other. People think they can do the same today. They are correct, but it must be conducted in a completely different manner than it is attempted by most.
• Professional career advisors. They listen to the symptom the candidate/applicant provides through their explanation. The advisor dutifully responds with how to treat that specific symptom. If the process goes on long enough and the candidate/applicant has enough financial resources, they may get to what the disease is and develop what they hope is the cure.
• Finally, all of the above have the influence of the huge advances in technology we enjoy today. The results are still ineffective. The only difference is it is faster and vastly more contact can be achieved for the same lack of results. Applying technology to a broken system has no effect on its output. When it is wheat that you seek, increasing the amount of chaff simply steals time better spent on effective actions.

What is the answer? The above points are just practices that have evolved in a random manner. They do not create the effect needed, causing the next action required, that ultimately leads to the success desired; a job offer. They are not applicable to the economic conditions today, so what practices and skills are necessary to be successful TODAY?

Instead of attaching band-aids to the wound when the patient needs a transfusion, the prescription has to change in order to save the patient. The objective is to bring the perspective employee in contact with the right perspective employers in such a manner they both recognize they can be of benefit to each other. This results in an acceptable offer and acceptance resulting in viola!, success. The cure has to be effective on a consistent basis. Therefore, specific actions have to be taken by the perspective employee first. (To understand why it has to be the perspective employee that takes the action, take a look at an article on our site about hiring companies today at http://www.careertrackexperts.com/articles/hctone.pdf

There are a series of specific actions the perspective employee has to take such as:

• Analyze and learn what they have to offer as a qualified candidate/applicant
• How to apply what they learn when appropriate and in an appropriate way that causes the desired results
• What type of companies do they want to work for and they would qualify for
• Learn a great deal of specific information about the companies to be contacted
• How and who to contact in and around those companies
• How to gain an interview with those companies
• How to present the qualifications in a compelling way that illustrates to the perspective employer the candidate/applicant will help them achieve their objectives and goals
• How to follow through
• How to gain the subsequent interviews
• How to gain the offer deserved
• What research has to be done if relocation is required
• How to prepare to start the new employment
• How to start the new employment “hitting the ground running”

Now I suspect some are saying to themselves, this is not much different than what has always been done. While some of the words may be similar the actions behind them, the results they produce and more importantly, the skills required are completely different. The list is not an exhaustive list but rather basic, essential steps.

Each of the steps builds on the previous one. Each causes the desired effect of the next one. Each is a controlled action by the perspective employee. It is not throwing information out into the great employment abyss and waiting for something good to return.

Finally, consider this. Each person, when employed has specific duties and responsibilities they perform. Those duties and responsibilities require skills. The skills come from education, training, and experience. They also come from initiative the employee takes to excel at their job. The same thing holds true for this “job” of finding the right company and position.

The unfortunate reality is that there has never been a resource to provide effective education and training to those seeking their next employment. The reality has been there was only experience to rely on and those who provided the “band-aids” to the wound. Sometimes the advice did treat the symptom. Just like medicine there are much better ways to save the patient today than there were decades ago. While medicine has advanced tremendously, seeking new employment is still using leeches and potions.

The good news is there is a resource today; right now that can teach the skills and training for success to those seeking their next career opportunity. Career Track Experts has brought the job search process into the second decade of this new century. A complete step-by-step process is provided that prepares the job seeker to take specific actions resulting in specific effects that lead to the next step. They ultimately lead to the achievement of the job seeker’s goal of obtaining the job offer they want with the company they want.

The process is taught in a series of five, one-hour webinars held over consecutive days every other week. To learn more about each session, see the course dates and register go to http://www.careertrackexperts.com/6.html.

Start a productive, successful career search right now by curing the disease, not treating the symptoms.