Why People Can't Get a Job and Never Figure Out Why Not

I have jobs, and have?been in search of someone to take under my wing to help me run my company. I?m looking for someone who has drive, ambition, intelligence and various abilities including the ability to read and understanding instructions, and market oneself and one?s company effectively (we are a marketing company for crying out loud). It doesn?t pay a whole lot at first, but for someone looking for a foot in the door, with a HUGE upside on any new business they bring in, it? s probably one of the best opportunities a recent college graduate interested in ecommerce marketing could hope for. I?ve served as a Director of Ecommerce, and as CMO of other companies, and now that I?m off on my own, I?m looking to mentor someone ? to work one on one and to teach them everything I know about getting traffic to websites and making that traffic convert to sales. And guess what, I can?t find this person.

During my quest I have reviewed over 100 resumes and cover letters and interviewed a few candidates. Sadly, no one has been a good fit for this position. I have two main complaints when it comes to recruiting new candidates:

No-Shows

If you are part of the lucky 10% of people who are invited to interview with me, show up! If you can?t show up, or have lost interest, give me the respect of a phone call or email to cancel the appointment! Over the 10 or 15 years that I?ve been in the position to hire and interview people, I?ve had a no-show rate on scheduled interviews of about 20%. Find something else? Decide it?s not the right fit for you right now? Great! Give me the respect to call or email and cancel so that I can free that block of time in my schedule for another appointment with someone who is interested. People remember these things, and ? especially in an industry like internet marketing where people make their living by networking with others, you?ll find that the community is a lot smaller than one might think. I may know the CEO of the company you do want to work at, or you may be at a different stage in your career two years from now and may want to interview with me again. Don?t burn that bridge.

Generic and Irrelevant Resumes & Cover Letters

Holy smokes. People see the keyword, ?manager? in a job posting and suddenly I get applications from people who send cover letters talking about their experience managing cashiers at the local grocery store. I mention the word, ?marketing? and I get resumes from people interested in breaking into print advertising or television.

Read, people. You?re not doing anyone any favors sending stuff that gets tossed out after wasting 5-10 minutes reading through it trying to understand why this person has applied to the position. Let people who are truly interested have that opportunity instead.

And for goodness? sake, at the very least tweak a sentence or two in your cover letter to put it into the context of the position offered. BS me a little if you must, but at least show me that you read the ad.

Here?s a recent applicant?s cover letter, responding to my posting for a position in Internet Marketing. He had applied several times and so I felt compelled to email him some (positive) feedback. His cover letter went something like this:

To Whom It May Concern,

I saw your ad and am very interested in applying for the position. I am a bright, energetic college graduate that is seeking the opportunity to put his experiences and talents to good use.

I studied sociology and most of my coursework consisted of researching various thesis papers. I?m responsible and know how to take initiative. Having played and coached various sports, I know the importance of teamwork.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Seriously? I did not see one trace of anything that suggested that my ad was read at all. What a waste of my time. Here was my response:

Hi John,

You?ve applied to my job posting a few times and I?m not interested as your experience, though good, is not a fit for the position advertised. However I wanted to help you with some feedback that might make your job search more productive.

I would strongly recommend reading the ads in full, and at the very least customizing your cover letter to match the position advertised. Also, when someone mentions their name in the job posting as I have, it?s a good idea to address them by name, not, ?To whom it may concern.?

You should really apply for jobs that match your skills, experience and interest and reflect this in your cover letter, and in your resume with minor tweaks for each job you apply to. Don?t waste your time, or others? time, on reading irrelevant, generic cover letters and resumes.

For your reference, here?s my posting: [ad URL here]

I hope this is helpful to you. If you happen to know anyone who would be a good fit for this position, please encourage them to apply. The feedback you received in this email is reflective of how working with me on a daily basis would be for the right candidate.

Best of luck in your search.

Utterly Amazed

I have jobs too, and no one wants them. Of the people who do want them, most of the applicants haven?t even read the job posting. This is the equivalent of the pop up ads on websites of yesteryear that weren?t relevant to the user?s intent. If someone wants to buy coffee, don?t try to sell them porn. If you can?t display an ad for coffee, at least display something related. When someone advertises a marketing job, don?t send them the same, irrelevant cover letter twice pitching your experience as a team player who studied sociology and expect a response. At the very least, add a sentence tying this to online marketing somehow and BS me a little so I think you at least have a genuine interest.

Still Looking

I?m still looking to fill this position. If you or someone you know in New Jersey wants a foot in the door and can starve for 6-12 months while learning the ropes, please send them my way. It doesn?t pay a whole lot at first, but I am extremely generous and fair when people deserve it. Here?s what I?m looking for:

Internet Marketing ? Assistant Manager, Part-Time
On The Job Training, Hoboken, New Jersey

Small startup is looking for someone ambitious to perform basic SEO, affiliate marketing and content editing. Also manage 1 or 2 direct reports and help in the sales cycle in acquiring new marketing clients. You only need to be a quick learner, literate, ambitious and highly interested in marketing to succeed in this position and it can become very lucrative, very quickly. You will report directly to [my name].

Requirements:

• Bachelor?s degree in marketing, writing or related field with a very strong interest in internet marketing
• Must be both fast and accurate ? you must be able to keep up a fast pace and make deadlines, while delivering high quality work
• Basic understanding of HTML
• Highly literate in the English language ? ability to do light editing of content written by others
• Be comfortable working hands-on, as well as managing 1 or 2 other people, plus multiple projects
• Ambitious self-starter and excellent communicator who doesn?t need hand-holding
• Comfortable with working in a very small company with a casual atmosphere
• Basic knowledge of affiliate marketing, aggressive and articulate on the phone and via email

Part-time hours, on-site, potential for fulltime work and rapid advancement for the right candidate. Send resume, cover letter, salary requirements, writing samples, availability, etc. via email to jobs@unlimitedmarketingllc.com. No phone calls, no recruiters.

This article was inspired by an article I read recently on CNN Money, I have jobs, but no one wants them.

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