Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
Debra Feldman is founder of JobWhiz, creator of the JOBWHIZQUIZ, and
specialist in cyber-savvy strategic job-search consultations.
Q:
Just how helpful is the Internet for job-seekers?
A:
It is outrageously helpful!!! There is no better way to get publicly
accessible information as easily or as inexpensively. The Web
contains vast amounts of data that can provide leads, spur ideas,
enhance knowledge and maintain or start communication.
Networking is the key to finding a new job, and the Internet plays
an essential role in this endeavor.
Q:
Do you have a sense of what percentage of job-seekers secure jobs solely through the Internet?
A:
I have heard less than 5 percent.
Q:
About what percentage of a job-seeker's time should be spent on
Internet job-hunting, compared with conventional techniques?
A:
If you mean submitting a resume on line and actively making job
applications, no more than 20 percent and probably less. If you
mean using the Internet for research about contacts and
companies, then it’s a whole different situation. The Web
has made a huge world of formerly obscure or inaccessible
info widely available for free.
Q:
Do you feel that job-seekers are becoming overly dependent on
the Internet?
A:
Yes, maybe the seekers are, but not those who are actually
successfully finding new positions. Use the ‘Net as a means
to get more insight and info, not as the final answer!
There are some who get a false sense of accomplishment by
simply uploading or posting their resume or profile. Until that
information intrigues a reader and motivates that individual to
take an action designed to move the candidate towards a job
goal, one is just marking time by using the Internet. It is a
valuable part of the search, and most recruiters will not look
at a candidate who isn’t on the Web. Having your resume
displayed on certain sites is critical to making sure that you
are perceived as credible and knowledgeable.
Q:
Let's say you have a client with very limited time or who needs
to find a job in a hurry. What would be the 5-10 "MUST VISIT" Web
sites you would suggest your client visit to get the most out of the Internet
portion of his/her job search? And are there incredibly helpful job sites
out there that are not widely known?
I would recommend starting with these portal sites and then narrowing the focus
to specific industries, geographical niches, trade or professional associations,
and special interests. For executives, for recent grads, for internships/volunteers,
and for some specialty fields, I have a few favorites. I would tell everyone to get
onto a few major general sites and several ones specific to their circumstances
for the sake of exposure to any recruiters who might be trolling. However, the
likelihood of an offer is better if one pursues his or her own search and does
not just answer posted ads.
Q:
What do you feel is the most exciting or hopeful trend in job-hunting?
A:
I see using the Internet as opening up opportunities and
making listings more widely available. I think that the ‘Net
provides wonderful information and insights as well as job
leads that job hunters can use to begin planning how and
where they will look for their next job. The biggest bonus of
the Web is having a vast range of inside information and
published data readily available and accessible -- usually for
free. The Internet also means that there is no excuse to walk
into an interview unprepared.
Q:
What's the one job-hunting secret you share with clients but that may not be widely known?
A:
The secret to a successful job-search campaign is target
marketing. If you can be a marketing whiz, then you can get
yourself the job you want by correct positioning, clever
promotion, and savvy selling propositions.
Q:
What do you feel is the most disturbing trend in job-hunting today?
A:
It disturbs me that people almost all have the same reaction to
having to look for a new job. Quick, spruce up the old resume.
This reaction just leads to an updated version of a document that
may not adequately represent all that a person can offer a potential
employer. It would be far better if each person spent the first
phase of the job search figuring out just what he or she wants
to do and uniquely has to offer. Then the next step would be
to determine what types of businesses might best utilize
such talents, and using that industry’s jargon, prepare a resume
reflecting this match of skills and abilities to potential employer’s
needs. The best way to get an interview -- and only the interview
itself can lead to something bigger, a job offer -- is to tailor a
resume for each specific company where you know that you
can make a difference. This technique will separate you
from the other candidates. Yes, you will give up more
generalized opportunities, but who likes to buy generic
brands over the name brand, given the same price?
Q:
In what ways do you believe technology will continue to change job-seeking and the career development field?
A:
Warp-speed transfer of information means the possibility of faster
reaction to communication and the wider dissemination of information
more efficiently, at less cost and faster. It has complicated matters
since one is never sure if e-mail or post or fax is most likely to be
read. With the challenge of information deluging our staff, certain
conventions on how to communicate and via which media choice
would help matters.
Let’s face one big and simple fact, whether a job is posted in a
newspaper or on the Internet job site, company Web site, or trade
newsletter, among online resources, they all come down to the
same thing -- a listed opening. We all accept that more than
85 percent of job seekers find their jobs through networking and
contacts. The new technology will make accessing one’s contacts
easier and faster, reducing delays in turnarounds and eliminating
some sources of potential data loss.
Q:
The consensus among economists is that the economy is in a
downturn -- perhaps even heading for a recession. How are
you preparing your clients for tougher times?
A:
I encourage everyone I work with to increase their job-search skills --
from the teen entering the labor market as a nanny to the CEO-level
who finally accepts that writing and sending e-mail is a necessity --
even if it does entail typing on a keyboard for oneself. Job search is
something almost everyone can expect to need to do successfully
more than once in a lifetime; therefore, learning about how to manage
one’s career is a necessity for everyone, not just those considered
highly ambitious. Today, an employer and employee most likely will
someday part ways, and the employee will need to be able to
exercise job-search skills to make the necessary changes in his or
her career to keep moving forward.
Q:
A career counselor recently expressed concern that information
about careers and skills found in books of occupational codes
and in literature accompanying assessment-type instruments is
very outdated. She observed that many technical, highly skilled,
21st-century careers are just not listed in the resources career
counselors use. She posed the question, "How are you preparing
your clients for jobs in the New Economy?”
A:
I stress that the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on business communications,
necessitating that everyone master basic e-mail techniques in order to stay in the loop.
Q:
What's the biggest mistake job-seekers make that your advice could correct or prevent?
A:
See the Ten
Stupid Things Job Seekers Do, by Michael A. Goodman, author of The Potato Chip Difference.
[Editor's note: See
our review of The Potato Chip DIfference.]
My two cents on job-hunting mistakes is that individuals rush to get a
resume and cover letter “all set.” I strongly urge that the best chance for
success and getting an interview is to contact selected opportunities
with a customized approach -- letter, phone, personal referral,
e-mail, fax -- that demonstrates what you can do for the employer.
Then follow up, be genuine, and if you follow these techniques, a
great offer will follow your hard, determined, and very focused efforts.
Q:
What's the biggest myth about job-hunting?
A:
That it isn’t stimulating and fun and the best project you will ever manage!!
Debra Feldman brings over 20+ years as a management consultant to job search strategy design and implementation.
Her background includes both undergraduate and master's degree training at Columbia University and
subcontracting to major consulting firms as a project director. Ms. Feldman uses her expert strategic
planning and analytical skills to create a personally tailored, step-by-step roadmap to guide a
successful job hunt campaign taking full advantage of Internet resources to research opportunities,
identify suitable matches to employer postings and increase knowledge of specific industry leaders and trends.
Ms. Feldman's approach to job search uses problem-solving and technical skills to generate leads, take
quick, appropriate action on opportunities, and to maintain a network of professional contacts to aid
career advancement. Having assisted many private clients over the years to successfully and effectively
address their need for change, this JobWhiz is quite at ease dealing with the effects of transition and
turning change into a positive and growing experience.
