The job market &
what's important

(John) You divide the job market into 8 segments... and recommend that people try to uncover opportunities in all of them. Why?

(Lydia) Because you never really know where the ideal offer will come from. Based on an individual's situation, we will recommend either more... or less... use of some action channels. But, we do advise people not to ignore any of them. Time after time, we have seen great opportunities come from unexpected sources.

For example, who would think that a recruiter would recommend a pharmaceutical executive for a top job in real estate? Recruiters usually look for individuals with industry experience.

Or, who would guess that, in a large industry like the automotive industry, a position would be created for an operations manager... who contacted a firm based on a lead he uncovered from our Job Market Access Center?

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(John) Could you explain how the job market works? I think very few of us really understand it.

(Lydia) People only job hunt occasionally, so they really don't know much about it. First of all, the job market has changed more in recent years than in the last few decades combined... so you are right, most people really don't understand it. In its simplest form, the market consists of jobs that get listed in some visible way, and those that don't

The first group is called the "published job market." These job openings appear on employer and recruiter websites, and in papers, magazines and job boards. The ones that don't, are private. They make up the "unpublished job market"... and it's the largest part

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(John) When you say "old job hunting methods"... what are you referring to?

(Lydia) Unfortunately, 98% start by writing historical resumes. When you read them, it's hard to find out what makes a person special. But today, if you don't capture attention... and do a terrific job, you're going to be disappointed. Even talented people can rarely create compelling materials that will truly generate a lot of activity.

What makes things worse is that once they've drafted a resume, most people just answer some ads, contact a few recruiters, post resumes on a few job boards and network their friends. But, with average materials and such a limited effort, 95% get poor results.

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(John) Isn't it a fact that people still get new jobs... if they work at it long enough?

(Lydia) John, the answer is yes, if they put in a lot of time. But, you have to ask... what kind of job will they get? How long will it take... and what did they miss? Is it really right for them from a financial and growth viewpoint? These things are important to consider.

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(John) How do the employers who don't publish their jobs do their hiring?

(Lydia) A number of ways. They hire people who send resumes to their executives or to their websites. They also hire through referrals. Many scan the best resumes they receive. In effect, they create their own recruiting database of candidates, so it's the first thing they look at. Getting into the recruiting database of your best prospects is very important.

They also hire people who come to their attention through networking. John, from a candidate's viewpoint, traditional networking works, but it can be a slow process. And, some people don't want to approach friends or spend time going on courtesy interviews.

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(John) What do you do to help people get interviews for the jobs which are not published?
for the jobs which are not published?

(Lydia) First, we help market our clients to growth firms and other key employers. Going direct to employers should be part of the way everyone searches for a new job.

Second, we supply leads to emerging opportunities that are not yet released. Gaining access to these leads is invaluable, because it is a way into situations that few people know about. So, there's generally a lot less competition.

We also make it possible to do what we now call "expanded networking." As I said, we start by creating their resumes and marketing websites... and then we provide executives and influential alumni to network. The key point is that all they need to do is email people a link to their website... and many react very favorably and refer them to others.

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(John) Do many people change industries?

(Lydia) 60% of our clients change industries, John. A lot of people want to bail out of "slow" industries like airlines, autos and textiles... and move into faster growing and higher opportunity industries.

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(John) Do people know what their industry options are?

(Lydia) Very rarely. And this is really important. We usually come up with a range of entirely new industries for people to consider... things they wouldn't normally think of. Few people can do this on their own. So their careers are highly restricted by what they've done before.

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(John) How do you determine which industry options are best for people?

(Lydia) We use special software that matches the characteristics of industries where they've worked... with all the other possibilities. We come up with some that are an 80% match... some a 70% match — and so on. Of course, the firsthand knowledge of our staff helps a lot here.

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(John) Specifically, how do you help people make themselves appealing to new industries?

(Lydia) John, employers think of phrases which describe someone they need. For example, a CEO might be thinking... "I need a turnaround specialist... someone who can cut costs." Knowing that, we pinpoint and sell the phrases that describe their transferable skills.

The phrases go into all the resumes and letters, the voice mails our clients leave, and are part of what they say on the phone and in interviews. We call this a "communication strategy." It's the same thing politicians do. They have certain "talking points" to put across... throughout a campaign.