I have not been job hunting in years. I spent 3 years studying for a Graphic Design Degree and before that I held the same job for years. Now the job market has changed dramatically. No longer are the days of printing out your Resume’ and Portfolio, getting all dressed up and marching into a company to make that first initial impression. Instead we have moved to the age of searching jobs on-line.
Most of the time the company lists it’s requirements for employment along with a job posting number with out ever stating the name of the company. You are required to submit your Resume’ including personal information and a Portfolio with out even knowing who you are really sending this information too. Not to mention that you rarely ever hear back from these people to let you know they received your information.
Out of all the jobs I have applied for in the past month only ONE company posted their company link along with a reply message saying they got my files in one piece. Kudos to them! And thank you!
Some companies allow you to apply right on their web site, which is nice. And you get the generic e-mail saying that you did indeed apply. Yes, I already know this. . .Yet, never much after that.
I have held many management positions in the past and always appreciated that ‘one on one’ contact you receive when meeting a person applying for a job position. There is a lot to be said when meeting an individual in person. Mannerisms, body language, humor and over all personality is not conveyed through an e-mail but shown in person. Even if the person is acting fake or is fibbing about their qualifications, you can tell in person NOT on-line.
So how do they do it? Reading your qualifications through a Resume’ & Cover letter and so forth. How do they know that the person is a fit for the company. If they are personable, friendly and really interested? Sure it is easy to post a job online and wait for replies, but how accurate is it for hiring the correct person? Or for us applicants to know if we even want to apply for the job! I have declined jobs before after going in and seeing what the work climate is like. Now we don’t even know!!! We as applicants are also being deprived.
Oh how I miss the days of researching a company, getting dressed up and marching in with my Resume in hand and greeting the person with a smile, feeling each other out and deciding together if were the correct fit to work together for the next 10 years or longer.
So the search is on. . . and I will continue to post my Resume’ and Portfolio and hope for the best. Praying that something good comes of all of this. Maybe I should just get dressed up in my “Job Hunting” clothes to submit applications on-line to experience the nostalgia of the old job hunting days. Can I post a photo of my charismatic smile on line for when they Google me up?!
There are many moments in life that you stop and think, hum, Right On! That is why or how this works. This is why I am feeling like this or what I really need to do. For some people these moments are rare and few yet some are more aware on a daily basis. I am always trying to be aware but not every moment in life requires being so aware. One of my favorite songs is “Drive” by Incubus, even though the radio exposure killed the song commercially I respect it for what it is, mostly because it is about being aware and in control of your actions and thoughts.