The Job Search Series #1

​Over the years, the job search has devolved into a relatively impersonal practice of uploading one’s resume online and awaiting a response. All we require nowadays is a computer to blast our credentials into the laps of hiring managers and recruiters who pore over the same regurgitated keywords in search of a diamond in the rough. The more applications we submit, the better our odds. That’s the philosophy nowadays. It’s a concept that aligns well with our thirsty culture of excess. It’s logical to think the more noses that get a whiff of our sterling qualifications the better our odds.

​But what if it just took that one well-executed narrative to land an interview at our ideal workplace? That’s the goal when anyone sets out to draft a concise document showcasing our achievements and experience.

​When it comes to most competitive jobs, there will be more than a few well qualified candidates who, on paper, match well with the posted requirements. Their resumes are well tailored and their cover letters are laden with well-honed experience and accomplishments. If you were to feed their resume into a computer, the output would reveal: QUALIFIED.

​We are not computers. We are human beings with assets far greater than those that can be quantified on paper. It is up to the applicant to reinforce their sought after skills with a similarly qualifying character that inspires further faith in the hiring manager. How do we effectively juxtapose our words to inspire such faith? While there are unlimited perspectives on how to best get the attention of a hiring manager, the path I would like to explore today is still considered by some to be largely unconventional. I see this changing rapidly, and by tomorrow the “unconventional” might well be the “norm”.

​There are actors we see on television or in the theater who have spent years developing their craft in an effort to evoke emotion from their audience. Our favorite actors, the ones who have over the years succeeded in igniting our thoughts, they are the ones we as jaded film buffs would most like to meet. Their on-screen exploits lend to a general perception that their own lives must be steeped in the same intrigue they incite on film.

​Consider yourself an actor. Your cover letter and resume(among other things) are your storyline, and their content is paramount to a great scene that leaves the audience wanting more. Who gets the interview? The candidates a hiring manager would most like to meet. Why would they like to meet them? Sure, their qualifications might be spot on, but the best hire a manager can make is never wholly confirmed by qualifications.

​Managers look to hire people who will function best in an environment defined by social commitment and workload. Unless you will be tucked away in a corner all day analyzing data, your personality and soft skills will either adhere to or be rejected by your peers. Are you a team player? Can you cope with a workload that is continually gaining steam? Will you be a happy employee? Or will you complain about small details and be in your manager’s office every Friday to lodge another grievance? Will you be trainable? Can you teach as well as learn?

​These are the questions at the forefront of every hiring manager’s mind. It’s about a lot more than just meeting the necessary qualifications. It’s about being the total package. Because a bad hire can cost a company exponentially more than ten good hires.

​Therefore, the key to catching a hiring manager’s attention is being able to encapsulate an affirmative answer to each one of these probing questions in a style that not only humanizes a candidate, but has a hiring manager on the phone hoping to place a voice, a personality to the candidate who has succeeded in piquing their interest. As much as we hate to mix business and pleasure, one cannot help but personalize an introduction to an individual who has aroused their intellectual curiosity. Once you’ve tapped their curious nature, they will feel obliged to quell their itch with a face-to-face encounter. How do we drum up this level of intrigue? The answer is as simple or complex as any individual’s creative process. But the vehicle through which to advance our intriguing narrative is rarely used and yet seems like such an obvious step to take if we truly wish to secure our ideal job.

​What is this rarely used yet obvious vehicle? A professional website.

​Log on to BlueHost right now and secure your domain name. Just do it.

​Spend the next few days or weeks or months honing your craft. You don’t need to be an expert on HTML to create a visually appealing and impressive design that has hiring managers beginning to evaluate your professionalism, your personality, and your value. A plain old paper resume is great, but a website is better. I don’t need to get into all the ways a well branded personal website illustrates your talent, your passion, and your skill.

​Have a page dedicated to your accomplishments, another page dedicated to your skills. Dedicate pages that add dimension to the individuality you represent. Showcase your experience. Link to past projects. Articles. Organizations. Show how well rounded you are, and give everyone a glimpse of the genius you inhabit in your spare time. Everyone has some genius in them. Bring yours into view. Don’t limit your unique perspective and abilities to a two-dimensional piece of paper that is discarded by hiring managers in a matter of seconds. Immerse them in an experience. Leave them wanting to shake your hand and lay eyes on the individual who has taken the time to invest in themselves. Share your goals. Share your hobbies. Your goal is to connect to your audience in a relatable way, while outlining your skills and experience, and conjure a hint of emotion. Positive emotion. This emotion should instill within them an element of faith that you are not only capable, but also complex.

We are now immersed in a digital culture. The pedestrian narrative of previous generations no longer lives up to the expectations of a global community living online. Have you found yourself watching a TV show from the 80’s and found the plotline a bit too simple? We have evolved, not physically, but mentally. It’s time to give yourself a unique and marketable digital footprint.

Unlike a resume, a website is not static. It’s dynamic. It’s a continual work in progress that you can update daily. Once you hand a resume to an employer, it instantly becomes outdated. With a website, and a little quality SEO, you become discoverable. Wouldn’t it be nice to be discovered?

So, how do you create a personal website? It’s relatively simple and straightforward.

1. Get a domain name and web hosting for your site. I recommend BlueHost, as it relatively cheap and offers a WordPress plugin.

2. Install WordPress and begin designing your site instantly with zero coding knowledge needed.

3. Install a Theme. WordPress has thousands of themes. Some are FREE, others cost money. Find a theme that you believe will best represent your vision.

4. Use plugins and widgets to add more features to your site.

5. Do your best to improve your site’s visibility online by making it SEO friendly. This might include installing an XML sitemap, modifying keyword density, and back-linking to other, more reputable sites. (I will get in to SEO a bit more in another post.)

Sure, you may hit some stumbling blocks along the way. But you’re learning, and learning takes discipline and belief. Believe in yourself. If you do hit a wall, there are infinite resources out there to help you through. I really doubt you will encounter any problem too monumental to be overcome. You’re a resourceful person. You’re a problem solver. You stare down all challenges and always persevere. It’s why you are an ideal candidate, and why more than anything you need your own website!

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