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August 25, 2009
Exploring the Job Search Black Hole
Lately, I have been wondering where my hard work in tailoring my cover letters to specific job openings goes? It takes me anywhere from 40 to 70 minutes to craft such letters given the lengthy scope and complexity of job postings. Granted, some firms have automatic acknowledgement emails that bounce back after the submission, so I know my application and cover letter were received and entered into their computer database. But other firms keep you wondering. So I categorize companies into professional, those that give you some acknowledgement, and nonprofessional, those that lead you and your resume and cover letter into the job search black hole.
What else is floating around this black hole? Follow-up responses from people you’ve made simple inquiries either by phone, email or even occasionally in person. While it may be difficult for them to reply to you with disappointing news that you didn’t make that next cut in interview rounds, it is a simple courtesy for them to give you closure. Recently, I received a one-line note from a prospective employer after an interview. While it wasn’t warm and fuzzy, at least I knew where I stood. That’s fair considering the preparation time I had devoted to the interview.
Many of my fellow laid-off folks also suffer from this black hole syndrome. Many agonize and feel badly about not knowing the next steps or if any will ever happen. One of my friends is even convinced that one firm’s job postings are fake given her experience with the black hole. She’s certain this is so, because she’s applied to many different positions whereby her skill sets, stellar results and credentials were 100% dead-on matches for the openings.
I briefly wonder about the black hole occurrences in my own job search quest, but I don’t dwell on the lack of responsiveness. I just move on. However, I do keep in mind all the firms and people who exercise this black hole tactic. Eventually, the job market will be back to some level of desire to employ talent. So those firms that aren’t treating me so well now will be on the bottom of my list when considering where to deploy my talent. Some readers may wonder why I even consider myself talented (or have the arrogance to say so) having been laid off in this economy? Simply put, my talent has been lauded many times, and I will not let it disappear into any black hole.
Another dynamic of the black hole (as nature dictates), is that it seems to be ever expanding despite the best efforts of some firms to stand out by treating potential employees decently and professionally. These firms realize human capital is a key part of their growth in the short- and long-term and have invested an extra effort into not contributing to the job search black hole. For those firms that choose not to take an investment approach to their human capital, I guess they can’t outsource the responses to job applicants, because the nature of a black hole is to be silent.
In the end analysis, maybe all the job communications end up in that same spot as all my sons’ missing socks? That black hole mystery has never been solved in my house.
What’s your take on the job search black hole? Do you have any tactics for avoiding it?
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Posted by Jane Allerton on August 25, 2009 at 01:48 PM in Job Search | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)
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I can give you a perspective from the employer side. It doesn't make it any better for you, but it explains a bit more about why it happens.
1. I don't want to tell you no because I don't want to burn my bridges. Even if I'm pretty sure you aren't a match for my job, who knows how I'll feel after I've interviewed a few people. I want to keep my options open.
2. It can take months to fill a position. By the time the job is filled, it seems like it's been so long since somebody submitted their resume that following up at that point feels too late to do any good. Yes, you can send a wedding gift up to a year after the wedding, but at that point, who's really going to do it? It just feels weird.
3. It takes time I don't have to spare. If I get 100 responses to an ad, responding to the 99 I didn't hire or the 95 I didn't choose to interview takes a lot of time. Time is a precious commodity. Yes, it's more courteous to give somebody a response, but it's easy to neglect tasks like that until it again gets to be too late to do them. And, hiring somebody isn't my primary job. I have other duties competing for my attention. If I don't get that project done, my boss will be disappointed in me. If I don't send you a rejection e-mail, you're the only one who knows. With only so many hours in the day, where do you think I'm most likely to direct my attention?
4. Communication invites further uncomfortable dialog. If I say sorry it wasn't you, chances are good that some percentage of people will ask me why. And, that's a very hard conversation to have because I don't want to discourage anybody.
Getting a job is about who you know. Beyond that it's a numbers game. Apply to an ad. Set a reminder to to follow-up a day or two later. Then, do your best to forget about it completely. Chances are you won't hear back, so focus your attention on finding other jobs to apply to or better people you know who know people with other jobs to apply to. Once you've applied and followed up once, your best option is to forget that job completely.
I know it's harder when it keeps showing up in searches and you have to keep ignoring it and wondering why you didn't get called in, but really it's about all you can do. Rather than thinking why didn't I get a response to that application think OK I already did that one. That's one fewer application I need to submit until I ultimately find a job, now where else can I apply?
Oh, and 40 to 70 minutes sounds like a really long time to dedicate to a cover letter. You want to customize it for the job, but that mostly means pulling out 2 or 3 things from the ad and highlighting how your experience relates to that. If that really takes you more than an hour, then that what it takes, but if you're doing too much more than that, you may want to rethink that strategy.
Posted by: Will | Aug 25, 2009 8:05:09 PM
hello,
I have been reading your blog the past few months.
I was laid off 2/25/09
I was looking and working on my resume, etc and everything felt like it was for nothing, because it did feel as if everything went right into a black hole.
I stopped looking, tried to enjoy the Summer and am going back to school starting next week.
I have no idea what will happen as far as a job goes. I try not to take it personal, I try to keep my faith and hope that everything will turn around soon.
Everything happens for a reason, it really does!
And things always find a way of working out in the end as well
I just trust in this...
take it easy :)
Jen
Posted by: Jen | Aug 26, 2009 8:56:40 AM
Nice post. I think the key to dealing with black-holes is to note that they exist, but to basically ignore them. While it is hard to be upbeat when you are job-searching (I call it a soul-crushing task), if you are proactive then you are constantly looking for new people to connect with, if they don't get back to you then you move on, but if you focus on it and wait, it is very easy to get angry and depressed.
Posted by: Will | Aug 26, 2009 1:41:36 PM
I too wonder what happens to my job application and cover letter when submitted to prospective employers who do not acknowledge receipt of them. My experience ranges from those who acknowledge receipt of my application to not a single response. Sometimes I get an email thanking me for applying and stating that I did not make the interview round.
One tactic I use for avoiding the black hole is to find a contact person within the organization whom you can follow up with by email or phone. I go on the organization's website to search for staff information and find a person in human resources or in the respective department for the job. The thing to remember is that organizations vary in size and scope so it goes for the job application process.
Posted by: Alarice | Aug 26, 2009 4:18:44 PM
I share similar experience, but continue to keep a positive outlook. I agree with you that it is about who you know especially in this market. I have adopted to soliciting in house recruiters through professional networking sites by asking them if I could send a copy of my resume regardless if they have a job posting. I guess I am hoping that to increase that "numbers" chance.
Additionally, statement that when the market turns around most of what you said will come true.
Posted by: sergey | Aug 27, 2009 3:34:12 PM
Hello Will! Thanks much for your sharing your insights from walking in the shoes of an employer and the diverse reasons why the black hole exists. They make lots of sense and certainly, I get the business ramifications of why most firms can not make the time nor spare the human energy to close the loop with the non-interviewing candidates. So the black hole will just be and it exists. So recognizing that the black hole is there and moving forward is a very powerful message and thought to enact upon!
Given a multitude of networking and other job search activities, only once in a blue moon, do I wonder, gee, what happened to that position possibility? Although, I must admit, the firms that do not contribute to the black hole do stand out as firms to keep on my top 10 target list. Excellence in follow up and loop closure should not just be a character of job candidates. The more desirable employers can also recognize this trait from the other side of the coin. In short, walking in another's shoes is a very healthy perspective to keep in mind, regardless of black holes or not. Thanks again for sharing, Jane
Posted by: JANE ALLERTON | Aug 28, 2009 3:13:21 PM
Hi Jane,
I just ran across your post and wanted to contribute a few insight's from an ex-HR manager and recruiter. When I posted an ad on-line, I set a filter on my software to run a Keyword match. If a resume didn't hit a 95% keyword match, it goes into the "black hole" and maybe you get an acknowledgment email, maybe not. The thing is I was screening out 1,000's of resumes. Keep in mind the number one job of Human Resources is to SCREEN OUT APPLICANTS. If a 1,000 resumes come in for one post, I had to screen out 990 resumes. In the end, the best jobs are never posted, and Hiring Managers prefer to hire people that are recommended by people they know. The rest of the resumes end up in the black hole. Good luck and don't waste too much time posting/applying on-line.
Posted by: Kristi Enigl | Sep 4, 2009 12:30:51 PM
I have experience in the academic, non-industrial world and am just beginning a job search in the non-academic, professional world. Here's my perspective:
1. Over the years, I have applied to several hundred teaching positions across the country, ranging from junior colleges to small liberal arts schools to major research universities. Many applicants send out 100 or more letters per academic year, and many schools receive 300+ applicants for a single tenure-track teaching position. Yet, I would say about 95% or more of all schools gave me a response. And not just a 2-line email, an actual formal letter in the snail mail. Often this came months after applying, as the applicant selection process takes a long time.
To be brutally honest, I find the "not enough time" justification extremely unprofessional. Come on, how much time would it really take to keep a database of email addresses and send out a 2-line pre-written form email upon filling the position? In 30 minutes, you could write a computer program that would automate the task and do it automatically. "Not enough time". Give me a freaking break.
I'm new to the non-academic world, so I don't know it as well, but in the academic world, applicants put a lot of time in on applications. During the average job search, I would apply to dozens of tenure-track positions, and each required assembling multiple paperwork, and customizing cover letters and statements. Probably an average of an hour or two per position, so maybe 100+ hours total and several hundred dollars on the job search in total. The schools understand how much time and money we put in on the search, and they expressed their appreciation accordingly.
Maybe this sort of thing is normal out of academia, but it will be the first thing to put a negative light on somewhere I apply in the future, and conversely, someone who does respond will have me speaking highly of the company when I discuss them with others in the future.
Posted by: Darin Brown | Sep 8, 2009 2:51:24 PM
Hi Jane,
I have experienced the "Black Hole" many, many times over the years during many periods of unemployment. The Black Hole Syndrome covers the whole gamut from non-response online inquiries to companies not even contacting you after you have had an interview with them.
I've learned that while it is a numbers game, there are a zillion reasons behind a no-response or even a "I didn't get hired" after an interview. Some of the ones I experienced:
1. The position was already slated for an individual, but the entire hiring process from posting all the way through interviews had to be conducted to show there was no favoritism.
2. The positions funding dried up and it doesn't even exist even though it is posted online.
3. The HR person who was supposed to respond to your submission was laid off themselves, sick, on vacation or had computer problems.
4. Your submission was never received due to Internet, bandwidth or network problems.
5. Your submission was received, but you were deemed OVER-QUALIFIED for the position.
There a many more, but I've learned to trim up the application process as much as you can, apply and the forget it.
With your great background, I won't have any problem landing a peach of a position!
Posted by: Redd Seider | Sep 8, 2009 2:54:26 PM
I have to respond to Will's post.
1. You don't want to burn bridges? Guess what, you did by your totally unprofessional non-response.
2. You feel icky about sending a response? Grow up, an adult does the difficult things in life whether they feel uncomfortable about it or not.
3. It takes time and money? So does applying for a job, and interviewing and so does sending a thank you afterwords. These are all things that a professional and courteous person does. You may think your business is on a tight budget. Well individuals who are looking for jobs are on even tighter ones. Many people are not only living on unemployment, more than just a few are digging into their savings and you have the gall to imply that the cost of a two sentence letter, stamp and envelope are going to break the bank? Your hiring for God's sake, that means your doing well and need more people to handle the extra business. Nobody hires if their on the verge of bankruptcy.
4. It's even more discouraging not to hear anything at all. Put yourself in the other person's shoes for an instance. And grow a pair.
It seems that courtesy and responsibility are a one way street for too many business owners and managers. Employees owe it to their employers, but employers aren't obligated to do anything, anything at all, even common courtesy is dismissed as "too expensive". I am very angry by this attitude and it's prevalence in the business community. I think that's why so many employees are extremely cynical about their jobs and their employers. Because time and time again those employers live up to their worse expectations.
Posted by: Randy | Sep 9, 2009 4:51:49 PM
As a hiring manager at a small firm, I used to go through hundreds of resumes to find a good person to hire. So, yes, 5 minutes*300 resumes = 25 hours. Yep, that is far too much time--and I'm sure recruiters using job boards get even more resumes.
Another tip: I barely would glance at cover letters. I knew what I was looking for, and could generally find it rapidly in a resume (or not).
Politeness is all about practical rules for living together, and in absent a sophisticated automated system, responding to everyone who applies isn't practical.
If something more personal is important to you, I suggest spending your effort on networking: I always responded if I received a resume from someone I knew, and gave the resume for more attention. That is practical, as there are far fewer to deal with.
Bottom line: Internet job board posting is a numbers game. Post more, with cover letters lightly customized; Apply to positions you are well-qualified for, as demonstrated by your resume. And see who writes back.
Posted by: Laura | Sep 10, 2009 10:54:00 AM
Talk about black holes and age discrimination. Try getting a position in Utah regardless of your highly rated credentials and experience. 190 applications over seven years. 18 interviews and in nine of them, the fact that I wasn't a Mormon arose. In three others, the advertised job was in fact over rated and more of a scam than factual. In the remaining six, my age appeared to be a major concern of the interviewer(s). Of the rest of the applications, I received a card or brief letter telling me the position had been filled, or I was not qualified from 30 companies, and the remaining 150 plus, no response at all. Job advertisements are merely methods to fulfill so-called civil rights requirements for "open position opportunities" and otherwise are a joke. Younger workers should have every opportunity their qualifications warrant. But when the qualit of their output is compromised by the desire for cheap labor, than the job market process is prostituted.
Posted by: Jim Oshust | Sep 11, 2009 1:22:20 PM
Hello Darin:
thanks so ever much for sharing the insights about the response process from the academic world. It does differentiate itself from the business world. That is really heartening to know that the academic community still takes the time (even if months later) to send a real snail mail thank-you letter back to the applicant. Being appreciated for one's time and effort is a really good feeling. It appears from your depictions of the application process within academia, that is more refined so to speak.
You also make good points about programming an automatic thank-you e-response not being so time-consuming or costly. While it is hard to identify all the exact reasons for non-responsiveness, I know that some firms don't have the thoughtfulness or staff on hand to do this type of programming. While not polite, it is the reality of the American job market today to be subjected to the black hole of non-responsiveness. As several other readers have mentioned, it is best to move forwards to other job search actions and tasks after an application submission is done online. And I would cherish the firms that have a polite response system in whatever form of communication. It speaks loudly to their treatment of potential employees even if no volume to their voice is heard.
Posted by: jane allerton | Sep 11, 2009 2:59:02 PM
A number of friends and contacts in HR and the recruiting world independently bring up the same topic time and again: Listings are often a formality, either due to legalities, company policies or a simple act of CYA. There are far fewer 'openings" out there than one is led to believe when perusing listings. Most are already targeted for someone internal to the organization. HR folks and recruiters constantly ferret out the intentions behind a posting so that they can determine how much time to truly devote to the process.
The internal person hired for the position often realizes a promotion, but the empty position he or she left behind is just as often not filled in the present economic climate.
I was discouraged to discover that recruiters will throw a handful of recent (but relevant) resume arrivals at such a position regardless, those that may have a chance at knocking the favored candidate out of the running. When a resume fails to gain any noticeable traction (e.g., a telephone or first-round interview) after a few attempts, it goes into the recruiter's black hole. Ever wonder why recruiters will suddenly stop returning calls after awhile? They've received a new pile of relevant resumes for the next posting.
Posted by: E.L. Beck | Sep 11, 2009 3:06:18 PM
My previous employer (for 5 years) was still posting my job on the 1-year anniversary of my hire. The probationary period was over, they assured me they weren't trying to replace me, and I pestered HR to delete it.
Aren't there laws against false-advertising that the FTC can enforce? I'm reminded of "ghost fishing" where lost/abandoned nets & traps continue to kill wildlife needlessly.
Will's employer excuses are completely accurate, and should remind us that competitive business is not polite society. Darin's protests are futile, but -like Jane- I will remember employers that treated me kindly.
To keep a healthy perspective, don't allow web postings to consume more than 50% of your job search. You may get discouraged by human contact, but the web black hole is absolutely depressing.
Posted by: Bill M. | Sep 11, 2009 4:59:53 PM
What creates job opportunities is the fact that there is a 30% turnover rate in executive positions. This does not mean executives are necessarily getting terminated, they could be getting transferred, promoted, leave for another opportunity, the company could be purchased and re-managed or the company could be expanding domestically or internationally or just be re-arranging the deck chairs. In any case the national average is a turnover rate of 30%, which means if you look at 100 companies and an average transition time of 120 days there is approximately 10 job openings at any given time. This is often referred to as the “hidden or non-published job market.”
Posted by: Jim Edwards | Sep 13, 2009 10:55:52 AM
I had the same problem until I changed my attitude about the job search. I was tailoring my resume to fit each job, spending 30-40 minutes on cover letters, as well as agonizing over why certain jobs were not responding. I even responded to the same jobs more than twice... lol.
I stopped my job search for about a month and did nothing. When I got back to it (early July) I stopped tailoring my resume. I knew that it was excellent as it was and I stopped kissing butt in my cover letters. I explained what I wanted and how my skills were directly related. Most of all, I had the attitude that these employers can either "take it or leave it" because I felt that I was talented as well and nothing was wrong with me and I would be an asset to ANY company.
I applied to 4 jobs in one week, got called for 3 interviews and had a new job in 1 week. I've recently just started a SECOND job which I really don't need but I took it (being greedy for the money lol)
I think its more in the attitude and desperation is easily readable. I relate looking for a job to dating.
Good luck and I know you will come here in a few weeks with a new post about how you found a new job!
Posted by: Dreama | Sep 14, 2009 5:50:54 PM
Hello Dreama!
CONGRATULATIONS! That's a really inspiring perspective and it's great to know that your direct approach translated well into job interviews and then landing one job! But two jobs is even more delightful to hear about (albeit, perhaps a tad tiring for you).
Ironically, after you wrote your comment, I received, 2 calls for interview requests within 20 minutes that same day. The interviews are real on-site discussions with the hiring managers, and I was very pleased how they came to my attention. In both cases, I did just a little tailoring of the resume, but nothing extensive. Lately, I've been having mostly fun in my job search by expanding my networks and skill sets. You are right, Dreama, desperation can be smelled miles away.
As the third quarter comes to a close, I "sense" a number of positive changes in the air coming to the job markets. So stay tuned and we shall see how the job situations develop. Thanks again for sharing your sucesses! Jane
Posted by: jane allerton | Sep 21, 2009 1:56:07 PM
Laura,
Five minutes once for a template, Microsoft Mail Merge to put in the name and addresses from your online application database (you do have one in 2009, right?) and now your secretary just has to print them out and mail them.
Honestly, it's as if we didn't work in the same world.
Posted by: Randy | Sep 28, 2009 4:58:33 PM
I agree with Randy, September 9, 2009, 100% about Will, the pretend manager! If you are a manager, why does it take you so long to fill a position or make a decision? Don't you know if you have the work or not? Do you make your customers wait that long to get the job done? As far as not telling people no because you might discourage them, that is a cop out. That pretty much tells me you make your hiring decisions based on superficial, unethical reasons instead of the applicants skills and knowledge. If you weren't so scared I would ask you to put your company name so I don't waste MY time and resources.
Posted by: Debbie | Sep 28, 2009 5:04:35 PM
I've interviewed over 1000 people for about 100 positions over the last 3 years. After I'm through, each person falls into one of three categories:
1) Going to make an offer
2) Not sure, will await feedback from other interviewers
3) Not a hire, regardless of feedback from other interviewers
If it's (1), I don't say anything to that effect, but let them know they did well, and we'll continue to talk. If it's (2), I let them know that we will continue to consider him/her, and HR will be in touch (either way, HR WILL be in touch to either schedule follow up calls/interviews or let them know it's a no-go). If it's (3) I let them know as soon as I'm sure. That's happened before after spending 5 minutes. I try to spend a few minutes with them after letting them know that I think they're not a fit. This has two benefits: one for the interviewee to understand in what specific areas they are lacking; and hopefully get the word out into the wild of what we're looking for in a new hire. A job description on a website can only convey so much. I've even gone through scenario (3) with one person, and he came back 2 years later, interviewing for a similar position, only now with 2 years of experience in what I told him he was lacking. He interviewed well (again), I hired him, and he's now a very productive individual contributor.
Short term, all this effort is a wash. Long term, it works.
Anything less is not only unprofessional, but counterproductive. In my humble opinion, that is...
Posted by: P\R | Oct 1, 2009 7:08:08 PM
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