Job Search Tips

Q: I'm an attorney working in a law firm -- I'm not loving it, but I'm also not hating it. Occasionally, I feel like I should look for another job, but don't want to waste anyone's time, including my own. I feel like I should only spend my time looking at jobs which are 'near perfect' or ones which I know I'd take if offered to me. Is this a good approach or am I limiting myself?

A: Yes, you are limiting yourself because you are not seeing the advantages of looking for a job when you don't actually need to be looking for a job. Generally, the only two occasions people look for new opportunities are when they are: 1) Unemployed/about to be unemployed; or 2) Very unhappy in their current role. Unfortunately, those are the two worst times to look for a job because you are not in an objective state of mind, and are more 'desperate' versus able to give some deep analysis about whether a job opportunity is a good fit or not. Bottom line: the best time to look for a job is when you don't need to be looking for a job. Some additional things to think about: 1) If there is a job which piques your interest, apply for it. It does absolutely no harm to take a look at an opportunity; 2) Applying for a job (or even going on an interview) is not a job offer. To say "I don't want to apply because I likely wouldn't take the job if it were offered" is a little premature when all you know about the job is a basic description and the name/location of the company. You really know very little about the opportunity, and certainly not enough to gauge if it's a good/bad job for you (which would include knowing more about the personnel/team, reporting structure, day-in-the-life of the role, compensation/benefits, growth and career opportunities, etc.) -- all things you could learn about by going through some initial steps in the hiring process; and 3) Always have an updated resume on hand -- that way, if you find yourself passively looking for job opportunities, it is less overwhelming to think about applying (sadly, one of the main reasons employed candidates don't apply for jobs is because they simply don't have an updated resume).

Q:  Do I really need to include a cover letter when I'm submitting a resume for a job?  I hear that most people don't even read them.

A:  The simple answer is "yes", but we also believe that if you don't include a cover letter, it's not the end of the world.  We highly doubt most employers read cover letters verbatim, especially if they are getting bombarded with multiple resumes on every job posting.  We spoke to an HR Manager of a Fortune 1000 company last week who stated they receive an average of 80+ resumes per job posting (and they have over 50 open job postings on any given day).  Do the math -- that's more than 4,000 resumes which need to be screened by someone.  However, many companies have on-line applications and technology which take care of initial resume screening using 'key word' searches, the result of which is a list of 'matches' for a particular job; the remainder go in the cyber 'reject pile'.  Translation:  If your cover letter is part of the submitted on-line application, chances are it's going through the technology-based screening system along with your resume.  Therefore, it is likely wise to include a resume AND cover letter stating potential 'trigger words' matching the job description, so you have a higher likelihood of making into the 'match' pile. The only caveat we would recommend is to keep the cover letter short and to the point (i.e., instead of long paragraphs, use bullet points highlighting your experience as a direct match to 2-to-3 requirements stated in the job description).  However, the resume is the key document in any job search, so make sure it is clear, concise, flows easily, and doesn't elicit any questions about your professional background.  But as far as cover letters go, our philosophy is:  It can't hurt, and might only help, so why not do it? 

Q:  I never hear back from companies I apply to on-line.  How can I make that connection?

A:  When job-hunting, it may be best to think about the internet as merely a place to find out where there are openings at certain companies, and then apply via a different means.  After identifying an opportunity at a company or firm on-line, we'd recommend doing something the old fashioned way -- pick-up the phone and call the business directly.  You could say, "I'd like to speak to the person in charge of hiring for the Corporate Counsel position" or "Can you tell me the status of the Corporate Counsel role which I saw posted on-line?  Is it still open?"  You may be surprised by the information a receptionist will give you.  Ask for the phone number and email for the Hiring Manager and/or Legal Department, and then contact them directly.  Even if you ultimately land in Human Resources, at least you will be connected to a human being, and you can inquire directly about the posting and/or the Hiring Manager for that particular position through them. 

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