Good Job Searching Advice from Shane Atchison, CEO of POSSIBLE
This article is about radical job searching in a flooded market. Shane wrote this post for the graduating class of 2013. But, I think it is relevant for anyone in the market for a new job. With the current economic climate, it’s like we all just graduated. Everyone is either unemployed or under employed and we are all fighting for the same positions. I have only been using the traditional job searching methods. I think I will use the advice from this story going forward. It is good advice!
Check it out….
So tomorrow you’re a job seeker. The bad news is that if you go the conventional route, you have a tough road. Currently, recruiters and job search sites can literally funnel a thousand candidates to every advertised position. Your chances of getting your resume read are not the best.
The good news is that not all job openings are advertised. I’ve read that as many as half of the senior and many of the junior positions in companies are never posted anywhere. In our case, that’s certainly true. Just a few weeks ago, for example, a recent graduate got in touch with me and told me about a job he thought he could do for my company. His idea turned out to be a good one, so we hired him.
Approaching a CEO may be an unlikely road to success, but swinging for the fences should be part of everyone’s job hunt strategy. Unadvertised jobs are real, and you might get one if you’re willing to work at it.
So here are some ways you can get started with your radical job search:
- Divide your search efforts in two. Spend the majority of your time in traditional search mode, haunting job boards, submitting resumes, and trying to get interviews. Devote the rest of the time to a more radical approach.
- Research thoroughly. You should begin your search by taking a close look at the companies or organizations in your chosen field. Your goal is to find one that’s the perfect fit for your skill set and ambition. The new hire I mentioned above really wanted to work for our agency, so he learned everything he could about us. He knew where our offices were; he studied all of our projects; he read every page of our website; he learned about our in-house social network—everything. When it came time to talk to me, he was ready.
- Identify the person who will hire you. If you can, pick out a specific individual you want to work for. Remember that you’re reaching for the stars here, so don’t be afraid to contact whomever you like. If you’ve got an arts degree, why not hit up your favorite artist or the curator of your favorite museum? And if you can’t figure out a particular person in the organization, go straight to the top. You have very little—nothing actually—to lose by aiming high.
- Get to know them. The Internet allows us a surprising amount of insight into what’s going on in peoples’ heads. Before you contact a person, read everything he or she has written in the last six months: articles, tweets, and blog posts. Don’t delve into personal stuff (that’s creepy) but get to know them professionally as well as you can.
- Make creative contact. As I’ve written in earlier posts, sending someone an email is a weak opening. Linkedin InMail gives you a great way to get in touch with just about anyone. But you can also consider writing a letter, or finding out another more creative way to make contact.
- Have a real proposal. You should figure out something you can actually do for the person or company. When my new hire contacted me, he didn’t request a management position, he asked for a job that made sense for him. This can be an existing job in the organization or something creative. Just make sure you’re qualified for it and want to do it.
- Hand-write a thank you note. A little politeness goes a lot farther than you might think. If a busy person has taken the time to see you or even exchange an email, you can certainly take some time to show your appreciation. This is also a practical step. Busy people may forget about you, and a thank you note will keep you in their thoughts.
Like I said above, you should use the radical approach side by side with a conventional job search. Send your resume to any inbox that will take it, but be proactive too. Even if you don’t get the job of your dreams, you’ll learn a lot about your industry, and when you finally do get an interview, you’ll be more than ready for it.
I will be thinking of some creative job searching. Stay tuned to see what I come up with. I may even post pictures!
This article is about radical job searching in a flooded market. Shane wrote this post for the graduating class of 2013. But, I think it is relevant for anyone in the market for a new job. With the current economic climate, it’s like we all just graduated. Everyone is either unemployed or under employed and we are all fighting for the same positions. I have only been using the traditional job searching methods. I think I will use the advice from this story going forward. It is good advice!
Read More
It is Saul Bass’ 93rd birthday. Google has payed tribute this iconic pioneer of graphic design with one of their signature doodles. All you have to do is visit www.google.com and hit play on the video above the search bar. After the video, Google takes you to their Saul Bass search results. It is funny how far we have come since graphic design according to Saul. He mostly designed by hand. It is only fitting that we pay tribute digitally.
Read More
My Brother and I joined Boy Scout Troop 967 and members of the Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, Pete Stow and Tammy Otten, for a great day of spelunking (caving). It is hard to explain the feeling of exploring natural caves. If you have taken the tour through Mammoth Caves… not even close.
Read More
Interbrand, whose consumer branding center of excellence is based right here in Cincinnati, came up with a new logo for the famed bat company late last year. It got rolled out publicly on Opening Day this year, replacing the iconic Louisville Slugger logo that had been around for more than 30 years.
Read More
The 13th inning was when I really thought that the Red’s luck had worn off. They tried numerous times to give the game to the Cubs including a nutmeg error by Todd Frazier. Bad guys ended up scoring 2 in that extra inning, but I knew it wasn’t over. The Redlegs had the top of the order coming up and they were all due for hits. I told my dad, “If they can’t do it with this part of the batting order, then they can’t do it at all.” They did it! The Cub Cadets gave up a hit to Xavier Paul putting runners on second and third. Jay Bruce hit a double tying the game and Ceaser Izturis, of all people, knocked Jay in to win the game.
Read More
It is time for the first Reds vs Cubs game of the season! I am very pleased to have tickets for tonight’s epic battle between Cincinnati Red, Mike Leake and former Cincinnati Red, Travis Wood. Both pitchers came up through the Reds organization to the big show at the same time (2010). Travis Wood had a couple trips back to the Minors and ultimately ended up as part of a trade to the Chicago Cubs. I remember there being a choice between these two pitchers on who would go to Chicago and who would stay in Cincinnati. I think we got the better end of the deal.
Read More
When you open a new restaurant or retail store, you do a “soft opening” to get used to daily operations. It is expected that you will make mistakes along the way. Cingrani had the most softest of “soft openings” last night as he made his first Major League start against the Miami Marlins. He did make some mistakes though, and shouldn’t think that every team will be that easy. “It could have been a little better overall, but I’m happy with it,” said Cingrani, who gave up one run and five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Read More
I am working on some animated GIF images for a new website. I don’t think it is such a good idea to have three animated GIFs right next to each other on the same page, but it is best to keep quiet and do the best job that I can. The people that own the website like it and that is what counts. You shouldn’t put 3 animations together for a few reasons…
Read More
Sean Martin Design is New & Improved! It is no secret that I like to tinker with things. My latest tinkering project is the Sean Martin Design website. Most of you probably thought it looked okay before. You are probably right. But, I have the curse that all artists suffer from… The “Nothing is Ever Perfect” curse! If you look at something and think of ten different ways you would change it, then you have the curse too. It all began when I didn’t like the way that my portfolio was being handled by the WordPress template that I was…
Read More
