Who do you think you are?  Where do you get off treating me this way? Would you treat your mother like this?

If you’ve been a candidate in the market for a new career opportunity some time over the last couple of years, you’ve likely felt (or feel) this way.

You’ve applied to countless jobs without any luck.  They must be real jobs because they were posted on Monster and CareerBuilder.  [Cue sarcastic teenage mantra.] “Not.”

All too often, I speak with candidates who have found themselves lost in a tough place while seeking new employment.  They’ve shared, again and again, their frustrations related to the search.  Regularly, applications and resumes are submitted without so much as an acknowledgement of receipt.  Often, there is absolutely no communication at all, and if candidate is fortunate enough to get a response, it’s an email declining the individual from further consideration.

Companies invest a great deal in integrated applicant tracking systems.  In recent years, I’ve heard them referred to as “Applicant Relationship Systems,” but few organizations utilize their tools for relationship building.  The investment in these automated systems has removed a crucial element from the hiring process…the interpersonal communication.

Now, candidates have to understand a few things.  First, we are confronting an employment market unlike any of us has seen.  As such, there are many more candidates competing for the same opportunities.  Companies utilize automated systems to manage the volume of applications, and to be able to track the process to ensure equal opportunity for all candidates.  I wonder if the systems are designed to identify the right talent, or if they are designed to house an impersonal, yet streamlined hiring process.  This is the point where I acknowledge that any hiring process should be led by a recruitment professional, who has the experience necessary to coordinate systems and people.

Needless to say, an individual candidate cannot change the way a company operates.  So, it’s very important to understand the framework you’re in.  Check your messages.  Too often, candidates don’t track what company they’ve applied to.  When the automated communication is delivered electronically, it’s often sent to a spam folder.  It’s very easy to mistake a message misdirected to a junk folder as a lack of communication.  So, if you are a candidate, track the company you’ve applied to and add its email extension to your “safe-senders” list.

Next, while individuality is important, you may want to second guess the content of your voicemail.  Technology has given us very cool tools.  Some mobile phone companies allow you to select a song to be heard by the caller while you are being contacted.  If you have this capability, I implore you to choose your tune wisely.  While the company representative calling you may be a huge fan of Sir Mix a Lot, he/she probably doesn’t want to hear “Baby Got Back” when trying to coordinate an interview.  (Apologies to Mr. Mix a Lot.)  Even if you don’t have this type of service, you should still be aware of the outgoing message.  Review verbiage, clearness of message, and the overall length of the message.  You have a captured audience as the caller awaits the beep, so make the most of it. 

Finally, humility goes a long way.  Don’t presume that you are the best candidate for an opportunity that you’ve only read a job description for.  Confidence can be very good, but confidence in an environment where you don’t have all the information is more likely foolish, and can be viewed as arrogant.  So, stay away from “I’m your ideal candidate” statements.

The truth is the best thing you can do is to focus on what you can control.  Think in terms of your goals and competencies, not the (perceived) lack of communication.  You’ll become more determined than ever, and that will lead to long-term success. 

http://www.yellowdogrecruiting.com/yellow-dog-media.html