Smart Recruiting Programs? I think not!

Smart Recruiting Programs? I think not!

In the past 5 years, many of my friends have been on the receiving end of the “thanks for your hard work, but…” Laid off, terminated, separation of employment… all keywords for being unemployed.

It has been about 5 months since I left my last position. I left for many reasons, but the most important one is finding a truly balanced life. I found myself working 10 to 12 hours a day as well as on the weekends. There just wasn’t any time left for my family or friends, much less taking care of myself. That’s not to say working hard is a bad thing. I have never had a job where I worked less than 9 or 10 hours a day, but when your kids and your spouse tell you they never see you anymore and why can’t you get a job where you are available for the big things, it gets you thinking. Am I working to live or living to work? For a long time I was living to work, but very little of my awake time was spent living.

So I decided it was time to live. I needed to spend more time with my family, my friends, and taking care of myself. Then after a little time regrouping, I would look (and find) my next big career. I mistakenly thought it would only take me a month or two to find a  job after I started looking. I believed all the hype that the job market has rebounded and that more than 200,000 jobs have been added per month so why wouldn’t it be easy for me to find one?

That is a question many of us have been asking for years! Those of us looking for work are being filtered out by the computers. These smart recruiting programs are supposed to make it easier for the “right” candidates to make it through. Theoretically, this means more of the right people actually make it in for an interview increasing the probability of the best candidate being hired. And yet I know many talented, skilled, knowledgeable folks who aren’t even getting in for one interview.

There are many articles about changing your resume to fit the application so you can get through these filters as well as changing your cover letter to include the keywords on the job description. All in the hopes that these smart programs will actually be— smart. But so far, it hasn’t been working. What to do?

I have been reaching out to my network, again. I had initially let my friends know that I was leaving my old job and provided them with the basics of my background so if they heard of anything in their companies they could let me know.  I am now going to many of my friends’ companies websites weekly to see if a job posts. Then I am emailing them directly to see if they can forward my resume to the hiring manager (if they know the person) or the recruiter along with their personal referral. Let’s see how that goes.

The reason I am posting this now is that I know there are many highly talented, qualified, and skilled folks out there struggling with the same thing. Don’t despair. Don’t forget that your skills, your talents, your knowledge, your achievements didn’t go away just because you are looking for work. You are still a valuable member of our society and the world. Continue to give where you can using the gifts you have. The more you give, the more the world will respond with giving back. I believe it. I believe that the right job and career is out there for all of us. We can’t give up. Ever.

May your days continue to be infused with your incredible spirit!