How Not To Get A Job

June 18, 2008 on 1:57 pm | In Journalism, Marketing, Media Relations, PR, Public Relations, Research | 7 Comments

The resumes keep flowing in here and they shouldn’t. My Creative Team is a network of freelancers. Someone with an IQ approaching that of a stalk of broccoli should be able to figure out that means we don’t have employees. So, below is a piece I wrote a few years back to help out those little darlings who are looking for jobs. Apparently, no one else is helping them. Enjoy.

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If the resumes and emails I receive are any indication, neither your parents nor your teachers taught you how to properly look for a job. I frequently receive notes to my email address that are addressed “To Whom It May Concern”, or “Hiring Manager”, or even “Please pass this along to the appropropriate person.” I guess since YOU are the one looking for a job, that I am supposed to help YOU find it. Because YOU are special. Your Baby Boomer parents have been telling YOU this all of your life, so it must be true.

It’s not. Welcome to the real world.

If you are looking for a PR job, it’s YOUR JOB to find it. You should have had intro to journalism at some point in your college career. Unless, of course, liberal educators have removed all job-related courses from the curriculum. But that is another posting.

From your journalism courses, you should know how to do a modicum of research to find out the proper person responsible for hiring. In 20 seconds on my website, my eight-year-old grandson could discover the name of a real person and also determine that My Creative Team doesn’t have employees, only freelancers.

And if you are going to be working with journalists, you need to know how to customize your story pitches. “To Whom It May Concern” sure gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I’m sure a reporter would love to receive that in an email pitch.

When I got out of college about 100 years ago now, I sent out 200 letters and resumes, each addressed to a real person. Not “Hiring Manager.” I got two responses, which I thought was pretty rude. I swore then that I would always respond if I ever got into a position where I could do the hiring. Even if the response was “Not hiring. Good luck to you.” No longer.

If you don’t do the research to find out who I am, then I don’t care about who you are or your feelings. Sorry.

Now, here’s a little more unsolicited advice. If you want to stand out from the crowd of job seekers, it is not hard. Send a letter and resume via snail mail. Address it to a real person that you have done a little research on. Include some references about the person’s history or career in your letter. If you really want a job, show why you should have it. Trust me, it is easy to separate yourself from the crowd. At least, based on my experience.

Other Posts Of Interest

  • http://www.justinrains.com/ Justin

    I have had developers call me and ask if I’m hiring. They didn’t ask for me but I’m the only one here so I know they are just randomly calling companies.

  • http://www.my-creativeteam.com Harry Hoover

    Justin, those are the folks who always will be the last to get hired.

  • http://www.PublicityHound.com Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound

    I love your comment about the Baby Boomer parents who think their kids are special.

    USA Today had an article today about the large percentage of college grads who are still living at home with mommy and daddy. The same mommies and daddies who micro-managed their kids’ lives by overscheduling them for things like soccer and ballet, and refused let their kids be responsible, make mistakes and learn from them.

  • http://www.my-creativeteam.com Harry Hoover

    Thanks, Joan. I’m a Baby boomer parent. My kids are special, but they also are now responsible, independent adults.

  • Ben Butina

    Excellent advice. I would add that you greatly improve your chances of getting a job if you’ve had some contact with the company or its people BEFORE you hit them up for a job.

  • Pingback: THINKing » Links - 4/9/2009

  • http://www.freethinkinggames.com Thinking Man

    I’m thinking that getting resumes is just part of being a website owner. I remember when I was a young buck trying to get a job in radio. I sent my resume everywhere…even to stations that did not exist anymore. You would be surprised at how many bites a guy with a few months of broadcasting school, no degree, and “Sincerely,” spelled wrong on his cover letter got. If you throw enough resumes out there someone is bound to bite…

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