HOW TO IDENTIFY REAL PACKAGING JOBS, WITHOUT THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH
BY CHRIS HILLMAN – SEARCHPATH OF CHICAGO, INC. EXECUTIVE SEARCH
This morning I was getting ready to go to work and I happen to have the television tuned to one of the major international news channels. They were discussing the recent change in unemployment and were offering to have an “expert’ come on show to help all those people out there looking for a job. The story opened with a discussion of the recent unemployment numbers and presented the fact that many employers are receiving many more unqualified resumes and the “expert” was going to help a current job seeker. They then introduced an employee from one of the major job boards. Presented him as an expert in helping people find jobs. They discussed the fact that if you do not have the right words in your resume, it will be tossed in the trash. The expert said that he prefers to say “it will go to the bottom of the pile.” Another caller then explained that he was planning on moving to a different location and was looking to get into another industry like IT or healthcare. The “expert” told him to reformat his resume to highlight his project management skills so that the human resource executives would be able to see how they would be qualified for a position.
Consider the following:
It is almost impossible for someone to get a position using one of the many job boards. For the most part, anyone who posts a resume on a job board is either unemployed, about to be unemployed, or perpetually unhappy. Most companies have come to the realization that using a job board may be a cheap way to source candidates, but for the most part, it is a pretty useless tool.
There are so many people out there that call themselves experts in career transition, recruiters, etc. Most of these people are simply making money by claiming they can help people find jobs, they just want money from the unemployed. How despicable. Most people who call themselves recruiters are not executive search recruiters, they are HR weenies, administrative people, qualifiers and screeners, and they are not recruiters.
The advice this individual candidate should have been given should have sounded something like this “are you nuts?” The last thing he should be expecting is to be able to move to a new area and try to find a pretty senior level position in a completely new industry. The key element here is that he is not qualified for a project manager’s position in healthcare. There are plenty of highly qualified project managers WITH HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE IN THE MARKET!
The crime is that this poor person is actually given some hope that he may actually get a job in a new location and a new industry. Now miracles do happen, but I have learned in my life that they RARELY happen.
Some better ideas:
During a downturn is the worst possible time to consider an industry switch, may want to consider an industry off shoot. Shift a bit, but moving entirely out of the industry where you have experience is going to make a tough move much tougher.Watch Full Movie Streaming Online and Download
-The key to identifying a new position is to identify the companies that would look at your packaging background and experience and see value. You have to be able to help a company increase revenues, reduce expenses, open new markets, etc. In this market, “I think I can” is just not going to make it.
-Once you identify 25 to 50 companies that you add immediate value, build an attack strategy for those companies. Use all available tools to have conversations with key people in those organizations. If the position is posted on the internet, you’re too late.
-If you desire to move industries, you need to build a long term plan to get there. It is going to require education, hard work, maybe a few steps backward. Are you really willing to do that? I mean sacrifice.
-Really consider why you want to switch industries. Is it because of a true dislike for what you do or is because of a bad experience in a current or former job. Please do not make a move because of economic reasons. I had one of my consultants tell me that she was going to move out to the transportation and distribution industry because NO ONE in the ENTIRE industry was hiring. I would recommend moving industries when we see all the trucks in the United States parked on the side of the road and abandoned. If that happens, we have much bigger problems to worry about.
This is my opinion as a Headhunter. I get paid a lot of money to find companies the best talent. I am just getting a little tired of all the “experts” that are offering opinions that are not really going to help very much.
Bottom line: It is hard out there, but it has always been hard. The only way to move and find a new opportunity is to develop a focused attack plan. To work it hard and aggressively. Use true marketing and sales techniques and never, never give up.
If you would like to receive additional information and a strategy document
www.searchpathofchicago.com
Chris Hillman, President and Managing Recruiter –Renewable Energy, Packaging Materials, Food Ingredients and Industrial Manufacturing
(815) 261-4403 x 100