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JEROME YOUNG Q: When you were first laid off, how quickly did you expect to overcome the challenges of job loss? A: If I conducted a regular job search process of just applying to jobs online, I expected that it would take 6 months to find a job in this economy. Since I could not afford to wait that long, I decided to conduct some research and create a highly effective job search strategy that enabled me to get job interviews and job offers quickly. Q: What skills from your career experience did you rely on to help you create a results-driven job search strategy? A: I relied on my market research, writing and marketing skills to create a results-driven job search strategy. My market research experience enabled me to conduct research with job seekers who had been laid-off to understand what job search strategies were successful and which were not. It also enabled me to conduct research with recruiters to understand exactly what they are looking for from candidates NOW. Q: What are the top factors that make searching for a job now more difficult than three to five years ago? A: The large number of unemployed people looking for jobs, the limited number of available jobs and the limited staffing resources of employers due to layoffs are the factors that make searching for a job now more difficult than three to five years ago. Q: What trends are shaping the way recruiters and human resources professionals review potential applicants? A: The increased number of resumes received per job posting and the limited number of staffing resources by most companies have caused human resource professionals to spend less time reviewing each resume. In my research I found that within 15 seconds a recruiter typically decides if they will read further, contact you or move on to the next resume. With this in mind, at Attract Jobs NOW we format resumes so that within 15 seconds candidates stand out and capture the attention of human resource professionals. Q: The rules of the job search are evolving and changing. What do you think the first rule of a successful job search is? A: The first rule of a successful job search is to understand your strengths and what jobs you’re interested in. This includes establishing the industries, companies, field of work and specific job titles you would like to pursue. This will drive the rest of your job search plan. Q: In your opinion, what are the top three challenges job seekers face today? A: The top challenges job seekers are facing today include: creating resumes and cover letters that truly stand out and show results; getting attention from human resource professionals who are overworked and under-staffed; and getting compensated appropriately when there is such a large supply of unemployed job seekers. Q: When reviewing resumes, what are the top three ‘flaws’ that could potentially prevent them from getting job interviews? A: One of the major flaws is a poorly written resume, filled with misspellings and other grammatical errors. Poor writing shows a lack of detail for ones work and a lack of writing skills. Being detail oriented and having strong writing skills are very important to employers with email being a primary form of business communication. Secondly, task oriented resumes that lack results is another flaw. During these challenging times results are more important than tasks and employers are looking for demonstrated results on your resume. Lastly, resumes that present a person as a generalist as opposed to an expert or specialist is a major factor in preventing candidates from getting interviews and job offers. With limited personnel resources due to layoffs, employers are not looking to hire employees that need training. They expect new hires to hit the ground running and that’s more likely with an expert or specialist as opposed to a generalist. Q: What was the key strategy that resulted in you securing interviews and job offers within 30 days of being laid off? A: The key factors that resulted in my job search success were my understanding of my strengths, my understanding of what employers are looking for and my ability to attract the attention of employers with powerful documents and effective online search tactics. Q: What’s the best advice you received when you were laid-off from your previous position? A: The best advice I received was, “Looking for a job is now your full-time job and you should treat it as such.” What this advice really means is that you should conduct your job search process as if it’s a project at your job. You should create a goal oriented project plan and execute that plan by putting in 8 hours in a day, tracking your progress and adjusting your plans accordingly. Q: How have you helped friends and family members to seek employment during the economic downturn? A: I’ve helped friends and family members to seek employment by updating their resumes and cover letters and creating comprehensive job search strategies for them to execute. They have been quite successful. Q: What’s your advice to jobseekers who are struggling with overcoming the emotional and mental baggage that often comes with job loss? A: My advice is that you should always strive to be in the place where you are most valuable. Being laid-off or unemployed is an opportunity to find a better job where you are more valuable and more valued by the employer. In order to do that you need to have a positive attitude and continue to be confident in your skills and ability to add value to an organization. |
