Ask for the Job, then ask for the Referral

As you may already know, job search consultant Marco Cepeda has contributed his expertise several times in the past. He's back again this week with some advice to people who are working hard at finding a new position but haven't gotten anywhere.


QUESTION FROM ONE OF MARCO'S STUDENTS:

I have sent resumes out in response to ads in both the papers and the Internet. I have cold called on businesses, both in response to ads and from lists I have made. I have gone through the phone book, done my research to find a contact point and sent out resumes to them. I have followed up on email and by phone. I have gone to job fairs. I have rewritten my resume and cover letter numerous times, changing both the style and the type. All told, in the last 4 months I have sent out, delivered and followed up on almost
400 resumes.

I have over 18 years of good experience in my field and resumes that used to get me numerous responses, just don't anymore.

For all that, I have had 1 preliminary phone interview, for a job I could not take (they wanted over 50% travel, I am a single dad and can't travel that much).

So, what am I doing wrong here? What is not getting the job done? I know that once I get in the interview, getting the job won't be so hard (always been good at the interviews). I can't seem to get that far.

Any and all input or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Jason
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REPLY FROM MARCO:

Hi Jason,

The answer is right in front of you, but you are just too close to see it.

The first part of the job hunting formula can be broken down to two components:

Lead Generation System =

1. Playing the numbers, and

2. TARGETED leads

See, there is ONE reason and one reason ONLY that you are not getting interviews. If you are targeting the wrong people, companies, positions, then it really doesn't matter how many resume's you send out, how many people you talk to... you are selling the wrong product to the wrong target.

How do I know this?

It's simple math.

If you're getting a lot of resumes into the hands of hiring managers, you should have had several interviews by now. Since you haven't, I can tell that you need to adjust your approach so you're reaching a more "qualified" buyer.

So how can you increase your target quality and thereby, increase number of interviews to get the job?

Well, it's always industry specific and I don't know exactly what you are doing. But you should be checking out industry directories (such as the ASAE Association Directory at http://www.asaenet.org/ - click "Directories" on their home page), joining industry organizations to network and always, always asking for referrals.

Referrals offer the best method to bring the highest quality leads. And I'm guessing you didn't make 400 phone calls after they "rejected" you, to get a referral. Most people don't think that way. And that's why it works.

If you speak with a hiring manager or recruiter and they can't help you, ask them if they can recommend someone who might be able to help a person with your background. Not only does this expand your lead pool, but it also distinguishes you from other job seekers when you make the call to the person you are referred to. If you call someone and say "Sally Smith of IBM suggested I call you because she thought you might have a need for someone with my background," you are no longer just an anonymous person but you're someone who knows their friend Sally. So they're going to be much more receptive to talking to you, and they're going to want to try to help because they like Sally (hopefully Sally does have a good relationship with them)!

If you want to find out how I was able to get a "truckload" of interviews during the down market and got around the "system" designed to screen you out, our self-study course is now available. For information or to get this interviewing course, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/ebook.htm