I'm a morning runner - it gets my day off to a good start with the flow of endorphins, plus it's really quiet, there aren't many people (or cars) around, and I can let my mind wander over work and the day ahead of me. Today was the first time in 8 days that I've been able to run outdoors,
and even though I felt like I might die around mile 1.5, it was glorious
not to be stuck on a treadmill. And between my thoughts of dying this morning, I started contemplating how winter running and the hiring process at this point of the year have some similarities.
I can hear your skepticism at the connection. But listen...
Summer running is nothing. At 5 AM, it's 65 degrees, you wear shorts and a tanktop, and the sun is coming up to welcome you to the day, so getting out of bed is (slightly) easier. Winter running, on the other hand, is the torture that only truly sick people put themselves through. Winter running:
- Requires so many more clothes: long pants, thicker socks, a base layer and outer layer on top, gloves, a scarf or neck warmer, and ear/head covering. At a minimum.
- Means you're going to run in the dark at 5 AM or 5 PM.
- Is cold. Really cold. It was 15* when I left today.
Winter running requires a stamina that spring/summer running may not require. You have to drag yourself from the warmth of your bed, spend twice as long getting dressed, wake your brain up enough to have the mental capacity to spot ice patches, and remind yourself constantly that you'll feel better if you just go.
Hiring, in December particularly, can feel pretty similar in my opinion. Everyone involved in the process - hiring managers, recruiters, candidates - feels tortured, and is ready to give up until January. With open positions, we contend with vacation schedules, end-of-year wrap-up meetings, and office closures in order to schedule interviews and meetings, or get approvals to move forward with candidates. When we do make an offer, it's rare that a new employee will actually start in December because of those same things. Managers who need help and candidates who need work are anticipating the approval of new budgets and new positions. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we all win when we make it through the cycle.
It's still a stretch, I know. But here's the deal: winter running and hiring both require stamina to accomplish, but they both have a positive end. We walk away feeling pretty great, and we've probably convinced ourselves that the next go-round can only get easier. So stick with it - you'll be happy in January that you did.
I've talked to a LOT of job seekers in my career who have told me time and again that they give up their job search for the holidays - new jobs aren't being posted, no one's hiring, budgets are frozen, etc. I've heard every excuse. Yes, it's Q4 and year-end for most companies, so many of the excuses seekers have for giving up on their search are valid. Yes, budgets are pretty much spent for the year. Which means there aren't many new jobs being posted. But that doesn't mean we're not hiring - or prepping to hire in January. So I'm of the opinion that if you're giving up on a job search or career transition this holiday season, you're missing out on a prime time for networking.
Here's why:
- Even though I have positions to fill, there are fewer openings than during our peak times. Which means it's less likely that I'll be on the phone all day and more likely that I'll be sourcing for awesome candidates.
- Holiday time-off (mine and that of the hiring managers) can make it hard to move quickly through the hiring process. So my day might be a little more flexible depending on who is in the office.
- I know I'll have openings in January when a new budget goes into effect, so I'm looking for quality people right now who could be a good fit when some of those opportunities come up.
What all that can mean:
- I might welcome a chance to break up my day with a networking call.
- I might be more willing to give you advice on your resume.
- I might be happy to help you network with my other recruiter friends. And I probably know a good placement agency for you to work with. Or which agencies to avoid.
- You might find yourself on the top of my to-call list on January 2nd.
Granted, not every company has year-end on 12/31, and some recruiters are probably busier than ever over the holidays. And I know that I can be an anomaly in my networking philosophy as a corporate recruiter - some people relish in their ability to ignore every networking request. So don't think that I'm telling you that every person works like I do.
But here's my advice: don't give up on your job search over the holidays. Use this time to target companies you'd like to learn more about, and actually spend time on their websites. Figure out what kind of roles they typically hire, and if you'd even have a home there. Find their recruiters and/or HR generalists (hello LinkedIn, Facebook graph search, and Twitter), and reach out. You never know - you might find that someone will be more willing to spend 15-20 minutes on the phone with you between now and December 31st than they will be on January 6th.
The last time I was in the job market, I had been with my company for just over 5 years. There had been a change in ownership about a year prior, and with it, some of the processes had changed. While the process change hadn't bothered me much (once I got used to it), the management change (particularly the change in management style) really bugged me. First, I was definitely at a point where I was burned out, and being the only recruiter for the shop, there was a lot of pressure to perform. Especially since I was supporting 3 sales folks on my own. I asked for help, but my requests were downplayed with suggestions that there wasn't enough work to justify the cost of another recruiter. Said the person who had never recruited and really had no idea what was on my plate. I didn't have a team. And beyond some new positions on occasion, I was doing the same thing day after day, and I wasn't challenged by my job. I was stressed out by my job, but not challenged. The environment changed from a place where I had a voice and felt like I
was making an impact to somewhere where my opinion didn't matter and I
wasn't being listened to. And when I seriously think about it, if my manager had really listened to me and got me the help I needed, there's a fair chance I'd still be there.
All of those reasons added up to why I was open to exploring new positions with different firms. And gave me a good idea as to what was really important to me for my next job. I needed a team, but I also needed to feel like I had ownership of what I was working on - which meant I could control and influence parts of the business, but have people to support me when I needed some ideas, to help when I was overwhelmed, or could take over when I needed a vacation. I needed a supervisor who would trust my judgement, and who I thought was actually listening to my ideas. I needed a challenge in my daily work. Knowing that I'd need all of this to feel motivated, energized, and ultimately happy in my job, it actually made it a lot easier to pinpoint the positions that I would apply for, or the people I'd respond to when they reached out to me.
If you're thinking about making a job shift, really start to think about why you're making that shift.
- Are the issues you're encountering today impacting your long-term happiness and job satisfaction, or are they just an inconvenience for today? (As a hiring manager told me yesterday, not every day is rainbows and unicorns.)
- Has something changed that has affected your morale, your motivation, or even your performance? Do you love where you work enough to fix it, or is it really time for a change of scenery?
- What's missing that you've had before and would like again? Or what haven't you done but you'd like to be able to do? Can you get that from your current employer? Have you asked for the responsibility?
- What's going to make it really easy for you to say yes to someone if they offer you a new job? (And it can't be all about the money. Well, it can be, but salaries will always be subject to the market and the supply/demand of your skills. Folks who are really happy with their jobs rarely tell you it has to do with the money.)
I have two questions that I ask every single candidate I interview:
1. Why are you looking for a new position?
2. What do you want from your next position?
If you've actually thought about your career, you should be able to answer these without hesitating. Realize, as well, that you should be able to tell me why you think my company, and the job we're discussing in particular, align with what you're seeking. I won't hire you if you're seeing this role as a stepping stone, or if you flat out tell me that you'd rather be doing something else. Apply for the roles that make sense for you in your career, and ultimately, I think you'll find an easy, happy match in a new company.
I think the art of saying thank you has gone by the wayside, and it's really disheartening. As a newlywed, I just waded through a slog of thank you notes, and though my husband complained about his hand cramp, nearly everyone commented on the fact that they had received a personalized, heartfelt thank you. It's more likely that they commented because they got the notes less than a week after the wedding, but that's neither here nor there.
I've been working with a candidate over the last couple weeks who is the king of saying thanks. To the point that he's probably overdoing it. Seriously - I get an email after almost every interaction with him. Just to be clear, though, he's not pandering; he's just the kind of guy who is genuinely thankful for every chance he gets.
A thank you note isn't just a great way to express your gratitude. When it comes to saying thanks after an interview, it can convey a lot about you to a recruiter and a hiring manager, and can help you clarify any concerns or questions about your background that maybe weren't covered in the discussion.While saying thank you after every phone call isn't necessary, Mr. Candidate does have a really good system that has certainly kept him top of mind around here.
- He thanks us for spending time with him, acknowledging the time the managers take for him out of their busy schedule.
- He reiterates his level of interest in the position and the company (hint: we love it when you seem eager to work here).
- He reiterates his background to make sure we know what he brings to the table and how he matches our requirements.
- He asks questions! About the next step, about the company, about the team - he makes his thank you something that requires action.
- He sends personalized emails to each person. I noticed during one round of his interviews that he walked away with some sticky notes. I was curious about that - the folks he had met with didn't have business cards with them, so he asked for their email addresses on a pad of stickies he found in the conference room. (What do I love about this? He ASKED for their contact information, and found a creative way to get it when they didn't have cards. Always ask for a card.)
A thank you note from a candidate can totally change someone's day. It takes 5 minutes of your time, and if you send an actual card via snail mail, it'll cost you $0.46. So if you really want a job, take the time to say thank you when someone spends time with you talking about it. Who knows - it could be the whole reason you get a shot.
