DIY Job Search

Job Searching for Yourself

My dear, departed grandmother used to say “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.”

It’s an old expression but lately it seems to be so true with job hunting that I swear I can hear her saying it now. “You can apply for them, but you can’t make them follow up, interview and actually accept a job offer.”

Help from Friends and Family

More often than you might think, I am receiving resumes from candidate’s parents, college career counselors and friends.

That’s a very nice thing for these people to do to try to help their children, students and friends find work. BUT, when it comes right down to it, a very small percentage of the actual candidates follow up on the initial contact.

I’ve called, emailed and texted the candidates directly. I’ve contacted the parent, counselor or friend directly and said “Yes I would be interested in speaking with them and have a possible job opportunity to discuss.” Thus far, less than 1% of the candidates have actually gotten back in touch with me.

Sometimes things move forward and there is a job offer extended.  No response at all from the job seeker.  No acceptance, no decline, no feedback at all.  Sometimes there is a job offer extended and the job seeker accepts the offer only to not show up on the first day of work.

Take Care of Yourself

In the long run, it is your career and your reputation at stake.  While others may help you, only you can follow through.  I know people with “blacklists.”  If you’ve done any of the above to a third-party recruiter or a direct-hire company, the odds are you are on one of these lists.  Even if you think they forgot that you didn’t show up for work on your first day because it has been ten years…trust me, that list was handed down from one manager to the next.  No one wants to risk being burned twice by the same person.

Protect your reputation!