Getting Hired in an Apocalypse
Getting Hired in an Apocalypse
It's tough out there, but people are still finding jobs. You'll be one of them. Here are three ways to find a job right now.
Not gonna lie, it’s nasty out there. But the good news is that it’s not as bad as it sounds. The layoffs, recession, and banking crisis grab headlines. There’s no headline when someone gets hired. Soon that someone will be you.
I know it feels like there are way more candidates for far fewer job openings. You’re not wrong — the data doesn’t lie. The question is how do you make the data work for you?
There are ways, my friend. I’m working with coaching clients every day. They’re getting interviews, getting offers, and getting hired.
Here are three ways to make the system work for you, even when it feels like an apocalypse.
One: Stop Applying and Start Networking
I’m coaching my job search clients to spend less time reading job ads and filling out applications than I did before. In 2022, I’d advise candidates to split their time about 60% / 40% — that’s 60% job hunting (including reading job postings and filling out applications) and 40% networking.
Recently I’ve reversed that. I’m now at 40% applications and 60% networking. Why? Nearly all of my clients are either getting jobs through networking, or we are finding that the jobs found though ads or applications are being closed with a strong assist from networking one way or another.
Director+ people should probably bump that up to 75% / 25% — meaning 3/4 of your time should be spent networking. That crowd among my readers can check my math, did you find your jobs networking or with a strong assist from it? I thought so. Almost no Director+ job is going to be filled without a major assist from networking.
Another reason to spend less time clicking on ads/applications: There are a ton of “zombie” job postings out there that will never be filled. My guess is maybe half belong to employers that just have not had the time to figure out what to do with postings made before their latest hiring freeze. I addressed this in my recruiting transparency pledge which so far ≪checks notes≫ approximately zero employers have adopted.
Two:Be the Early Bird
Even if you can’t make contact directly with a hiring manager, copious anecdata supports that most job openings will go to people who apply within the first few days after the job is posted. This is supported by my own experience. Over the last five years, I’ve hired about 10 people — and I’m pretty sure all ten were candidates I saw in the first week or so.
I’ve checked this with some other managers and our opinions are divided. There’s the “early bird gets the worm” theory. But we also agree that hiring managers are most engaged in the first few days of the search. Job searches do have a tendency to go sideways after a week or two weeks.
LinkedIn Job Alerts are a must. This should be your primary method of applying for jobs. If you are only looking at new postings from your Alerts, you are living a healthier life.
Also pay special attention to your most desirable employers who post jobs on their own websites. Some of them won’t show up on LinkedIn or perhaps not immediately. You’ll enjoy an early bird advantage if you discover that the jobs posted on their web site (or on another website) before job seekers find them someplace else.
An even better option is to be networking with people at your most desirable employer company. That should be your top priority should be for people at those companies to know that you are talented, available, and passionate about the opportunity to join them.
Three: Work from the Inside
Based on my experience working as a corporate hiring manager, it’s good advice for candidates not to apply for a job without listing an “I know this person” reference at the company. This puts a flag on your application that the internal recruiter and the hiring manager notice.
It doesn’t matter who you know, or how you know them. From the recruiter’s perspective, this puts you in a fancier-looking envelope. You can even go to a social community like Blind, and people will eagerly offer to be your reference solely to try to earn their company’s recruiting referral bonus.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but while it lasts it’s an effect you can and should exploit to your advantage.
A good strategy might look something like this:
Make a list of your most likely future employers:
not currently frozen
hiring people with your desired title
geographically compatible
Use LinkedIn to find people you know who currently work there who will act as a reference OR
If you can’t find a current reference, see if you can get connected to a former employee of that company who could introduce you to a current employee there.
Here’s a template you can use:
Hi name!
I’m writing to ask if you can do me a favor.
I looking for a new position as a Product Manager.
I noticed you used to work at COMPANY. I’m planning to apply for a position there.
Could you introduce me to a former colleague there?
It would be a huge advantage for me to have even a single connection there when I apply.
I would be so grateful and eager to support you the same way if I ever had the opportunity.
Thank you so much!
Please don’t feel shy about sending messages like these. You’re not asking for much, here. And how much work is it really for somebody to say “Sorry I can’t help with this!” or to just ignore it and get on with their day.
These are tough times, pal. Job seekers have got a job to do. You can set aside about 12% of your pride, roll up your shirtsleeves, and do some tough work on networking. The worst thing that can happen is that it can make your job search ineffective and not rewarding in a slightly different way than it was before.
These are the kinds of tactics that people are using today to get better results. That’s why people use them! Give it a try, and see if it feels productive for you.
And please let me know how it turns out. I want to hear from you, in the comments or in the Safe @ Work Slack community where you are always welcome.