I was going to say “go read this post” but as I read through it I found there were too many gems that I didn’t want you to miss.
So really, go read this blog post from Tom Bolt, an HR and recruiting expert : That Other Black Hole – Job Seeker Amnesia
Here are the things I LOVED from this post:
Tom starts off empathizing with the job seeker who gets a call and isn’t ready for the call. He says that when asked about a particular job you have applied for, and it doesn’t go as you probably planned. He says:
“How do I know this happens? It’s because I’ve been that voice on the other end of the line. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened while calling a job seeker and the conversation went strangely silent.“
How about you? Have you gone strangely silent yet? It’s embarrassing.
He then talks about the irony that if a recruiter doesn’t remember you (even if you are absolutely not a fit for the job), the recruiter is considered thoughtless, lazy and stupid. And he says:
“When the shoe is on the other foot and the recruiter is sucked into the job seekers’ bottomless void of amnesia, is it really so different?“
Read that again. You have probably bashed that stupid, inconsiderate and rude recruiter (or you’ve heard others bash). Don’t you think that recruiters think of you, the unprepared, the forgetful, the unorganized, as thoughtless, lazy or stupid? Or perhaps uninterested, aloof or simply not the right person for the job?
Recruiters are looking for people they can confidently present to their client (the hiring manager). If you are any of those things the recruiter isn’t going to CONFIDENTLY present you!
Tom goes on to say:
“…it is absolutely imperative that you keep detailed records of all of your contacts, applications, leads, conversations and anything else that could keep you on track.”
ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE. Seriously. I’ve thought that since I started JibberJobber. Some people, rookies, beginners, think they can remember this stuff. I tell you, as your job search goes on longer and longer, you can’t remember it.
ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE.
He continues:
“JibberJobber is an excellent online contact manager designed specifically for the job seeker and leaves little to be added other than entering your data every day of your search.”
And, with our Email2Log feature we make it easier to enter data every day. You simply send an email to your contacts and blind copy JibberJobber and that’s it! It is SIMPLE to update your data every day.
He says:
“Really, the reason for keeping records is not just to prevent embarrassment.”
You’ll need to read his post to learn why… and what his “finally” advice is.
Great post, and thank you to Tom Bolt for the props about JibberJobber!