Recently my sister reached out to me for help on her first post-college job search. She sent me her resume and a handful of links to roles she had interest in and we quickly got to work revising her resume. We put a plan together on how she was going to reach out to each company and who to follow up with to ensure she gets the interview request. I had asked her who she was reaching out to at each of the companies she was interested in and she said as of now she was simply applying to roles online. This is a very common response and for many people, it is simply the way job searches has become.
Being in the industry of helping consultants work through the already often stressful process of lining up their next project, I realized I have become accustomed to hearing how impersonal and transactional the process has become for most people.
The new job search experience we all now are becoming used to is an automated “Thank you for applying” email and the two weeks of silence before we may hear about a possible next step. I was talking to a good friend the other night and he mentioned he just received an email from a local company reading something along the lines of: “Thank you for applying for the role, however, we have determined that you are not a fit”. He had applied to this role 4 months ago and had long forgotten about it. He has simply assumed they passed on him and that was the end of it.
This is an all too familiar experience for many of us, however, it does not have to be. I have recommended to numerous friends and family members to reach out to a consulting or staffing firm when looking for a new role. The first major difference when working with a consulting firm is feedback and communication (if you are working with a good firm). A good firm will meet with you and will truly learn what you are looking for in your next role. The recruiter you are working with should offer help on your resume, LinkedIn, and they should also be able to coach you on interviews.
The next major difference is, most people I work with are seeing feedback within a reasonable amount of time. We are able to drive this feedback because we are not working with an automated hiring software, but speaking directly with the companies, managers, and other members on the teams. We know what projects are going on, what skills are truly needed, and the culture within the company. We also know who to call after the interview to get your feedback.
The next time you are looking for a new role, but hesitant about it because the search never seems to go anywhere, reach out to a staffing or consulting firm. These companies have been able to keep the personal touch within the job search and these companies will be able to help you navigate around the systems to find the next step in your career!
If you are interested in viewing similar articles, visit our blog, here.
View our LinkedIn, here.
