Photo by geminicomplex
As I sit here trying to decide if I feel like buying a Sunday paper, I thought I would post my opinion on the use of classifieds for finding employment. I think the consensus among most professional is that newspaper classifieds are definitely old school, and the big job boards, or online classifieds (like Monster and Careerbuilder) are so huge that there is little chance of snagging a decent job from them. To a point, I do agree with that (I use the newspaper for coupons and for lining the guinea pig cage), but on the other hand, I have had great success with the job boards.
My Story
I have personally found my last 4 jobs on Monster and Careerbuilder. I think that the problem many people have with these boards is lack of follow up. Most people that I know post their resume, send it to a few employers, and then sit back and wait for the job offer. It doesn’t work like that, folks. Let me tell you about my last two job hunts, and how I managed to land the jobs.
I’ll start with the job that I had previous to the one I have now. I was attempting the stay-at-home-mom life, and found that it was not for me. I love my kids to death, but I am a much better parent when I am working. Anyway, I looked at the job boards, and only applied to those positions that I was qualified for AND interested in. Once I found a few, I then called the organizations and requested an interview. Lucky for me, I got in, made a great impression, and was hired. To be honest, I really believe there was some divine intervention involved, because I ended up with an ideal job and the best boss I had ever had, up to that point.
My second job was a little bit more difficult and more involved. Brian and I had decided to relocate from Michigan to somewhere with better weather (i.e., NO SNOW!). So, I started perusing the job boards once again. I happened to find out that the non-profit agency I worked for had offices in Southern California, and was hiring for a position that was a step up from what I was doing at the time. So, I applied via Careerbuilder (where I found the job), and then I immediately called the office and spoke directly to the Human Resources manager to let him know that I was interested, and that yes, I was currently out of state, but would love to schedule a phone interview. The phone interview was scheduled for a few days later, and that went quite well. I also asked the CEO of the Michigan office to send a letter on my behalf, which he did. Then, I didn’t hear anything for a few weeks.
During those few weeks, it became obvious that I needed to leave my current employer. The environment was toxic, and I was at a crossroads. I chose to put in my 5 week notice (4 weeks was mandatory, but I gave 5 for an extra safety net). I told everyone that I was moving to California, despite the fact that I didn’t have a job yet. I started praying….hard.
About 2 weeks later, I still hadn’t found a job. So I called the Human Resources manager back and said that I was still interested, and that I was going to be flying out to California that week (I actually wasn’t planning that, it just slipped out), and requested another interview. He agreed, and I literally flew out the following morning. He picked me up at the airport, I interviewed with him and my new boss, then they took me out to dinner and offered me the job. Then, 7 hours after I had arrived, I was back on a plane to snowy Detroit. Less than a month later, I was driving across the country with my family and belongings in tow (more on that story another time).
So, as you can see, I did not just send my resume out blindly and wait for it to be noticed. I took extra steps to get myself noticed, including multiple (but not annoying) phone calls and emails, and asking for someone with clout to vouch for me. I have been told that had it not been for those steps, they would not have taken the chance on me.
The Moral of the Story: If you want to use a job board, you’re going to have to put in the extra mile.
Two Working Parents 