Help Us Hire You: Avoid These Application Mistakes
Helping people is my primary personal passion, and supporting people in their job search brings me great satisfaction. In recent years, I've recommended someone for a vice-presidential position at a well-known telecommunications company, recommended a friend for her first independent project within hours of learning she'd quit her job, and suggested another colleague for his first speaking engagement at a national conference.
Each of these individuals truly made the most of the help I offered. Unfortunately, they are the exception.
Based on numerous other interactions, I've concluded that many experienced individuals, including marketing professionals, struggle to network effectively for new opportunities. Given the current economic climate and the associated job market outlook, this is alarming. Based on the most common mistakes I've observed, I'd like to share seven tips on how to showcase your personal marketing skills and improve your networking prospects:
Be open to conversation – I might initially call you based on a description from someone else who knows what you're looking for. After I've taken the initiative, introduced myself, and explained that so-and-so asked me to contact you, it would be nice if you were willing to thank me, exchange a few pleasantries, and tell me the reason for your call. Too many people react as if they're being bothered or as if they don't understand why I'm calling. Sometimes it takes me three tries to get a conversation started. Work with me, people!
Helping people is my primary personal passion, and supporting people in their job search brings me great satisfaction. In recent years, I've recommended someone for a vice-presidential position at a well-known telecommunications company, recommended a friend for her first independent project within hours of learning she'd quit her job, and suggested another colleague for his first speaking engagement at a national conference.
Each of these individuals truly made the most of the help I offered. Unfortunately, they are the exception.
Based on numerous other interactions, I've concluded that many experienced individuals, including marketing professionals, struggle to network effectively for new opportunities. Given the current economic climate and the associated job market outlook, this is alarming. Based on the most common mistakes I've observed, I'd like to share seven tips on how to showcase your personal marketing skills and improve your networking prospects:
Be open to conversation – I might initially call you based on a description from someone else who knows what you're looking for. After I've taken the initiative, introduced myself, and explained that so-and-so asked me to contact you, it would be nice if you were willing to thank me, exchange a few pleasantries, and tell me the reason for your call. Too many people react as if they're being bothered or as if they don't understand why I'm calling. Sometimes it takes me three tries to get a conversation started. Work with me, people!
Do Some Work Yourself – I received an email from someone unknown to me seeking senior marketing candidates. I then forwarded the email to a candidate whom I’d met for a networking lunch. Clarence (not his real name) responded in a stern tone that the employer’s email address was wrong, asking me to get the right one. All this, even though I had to use the same resources available to him (ever heard of Google?) to track it down. Clarence has also asked me to send him direct phone numbers for other people rather than calling himself to get them. Remind me – who is looking for work here?
Make It Easy to Help – An unsolicited email arrived from someone (call him “Clarence #2”) who had been referred by a business acquaintance I hardly know. The email included two separate Word documents. Having to open both (shortening review time), I quickly closed them since a mild virus was attached (eliminating all review time). When Clarence #2 called, he presumed I’d fully read the resume and asked what questions I had about him, followed by silence (precluding meaningful dialogue). Important tip – assume I haven’t given a complete stranger’s resume a lot of time; help refresh me. When later referring him to associates, I created a single PDF of his documents (he couldn’t create PDFs) to save them the virus (robbing time from pre-selling him). Clarence #2 could have gotten more valuable help if he’d saved me all this wasted time.
Follow-up – Maybe there’s a reason you’re looking for a job since follow-up is also typically spotty. Remember:
If I send information or make referrals, let me know if they’re beneficial.
If we set an appointment, do everything to keep it. When you cancel multiple times, don't expect much future energy from me on getting together.
If I invite you into LinkedIn and offer to make connections, include a message for the ultimate target that explains why you want to network. Don’t expect me to compose a message explaining why they should spend time with you.
Effective networking for job opportunities is not about passive waiting; it is an exercise in personal marketing and professional etiquette. The common mistakes observed—lack of conversational openness, failure to take initiative, poor document management, and inconsistent follow-up—are all self-inflicted wounds that undermine credibility. This principle of professional accountability is central to career success. For organizations using IceHrm, these soft skills are just as vital as technical competence. Just as IceHrm's Performance Management features require employees to take ownership of their goals and follow through on commitments, job seekers must take full ownership of their search. By correcting these simple behavioral flaws and treating every networking interaction with professionalism and appreciation, candidates ensure they are easy and pleasurable to help, exponentially increasing the likelihood of successful referral and placement.