Dear Stephen,
This is not so much a question but rather me sharing my own experience with your readers on how I landed my brand-new job, as well as writing to thank you for some advice you gave me that ultimately got me the interview.
I was the VP of Sales for a furniture manufacturer. Nine months ago, I was suddenly fired. I was shocked. I reached out to all the recruiters that work in the industry, including you, as well as my friends and the people in my network. Most of the responses from the recruiters were the same, which was "send me your resume"; however, what you told me was a little bit different, and I think it ended up being the right advice for me.
When I called you, you told me you weren't sure if The Viscusi Group had the right opportunity at the time, and that I should be uploading my resume to all the competitors of where I was formerly working (especially when I did not see a job opening).
This seemed completely counter-intuitive to me, and I thought you were trying to blow me off. But you explained that some of the best jobs out there are never advertised, or no one even knows about them to begin with. This is because just like how every employee has a boss they don't like, every boss has an employee they secretly want to fire. You then explained to me the best way for that company to find the right person is when the resume falls into their lap for free, rather than engaging a recruiter.
I started by visiting all our direct competitors' websites, went to their career or employment sections, and I rarely if ever saw an open position that fit my experience. Nonetheless, I uploaded my resume. Within three months, a company contacted me and said they were confidentially considering replacing their VP of Sales and asked me if I would be interested in interviewing. Sure enough, it was a great opportunity.
Part of me felt bad because I knew someone was going to lose their job, but it was a good opportunity for an unemployed former VP of Sales like myself. So, after three months of interviewing, I landed this great new job as VP of Sales at a cool new company. I'm making more money than I ever did before, and I'm happy—so, thank you!
I've had many friends over the years who are unemployed; they always ask the same questions when they're networking – "who do you know that's hiring?" What I've learned is it's not usually who's obviously hiring who has the best jobs. So I wanted to share this with your audience. Thanks again.
Signed,
Happily Hired
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Dear Happily,
Thanks for sharing your story. This is something I want everyone reading this column to be aware of:
When you're out of work, or even if you're not out of work but considering a job change, of course you should apply for the obvious positions that you see open online, but what I see as a recruiter is the best jobs are never advertised or "open" to begin with.
This is because companies are not advertising who they're planning on firing. That is the secret: they look until they find the right replacement, which is usually when they decide they're ready to fire. If your resume is already in their database and your experience matches the job, boom! You get the interview.
With HR departments relying so much these days on artificial intelligence when it comes to hiring, if your resume is in a company's database, you're going to come to their attention faster and get the interview. If you're the right candidate, you're going to get the job. That sounds like what happened to you. I'm happy to be a very small part of that.
Any of my competitors would have given you this same information, and we're all happy to share advice. None of us think sending your resume to a recruiter is the sole way to land the best job—it's just one of many options available to you. If you're reading this and we don't currently have your up-to-date resume, you should change that.
Companies are constantly keeping their eyes out for the best employees. It's not only when they have a specific opening that they are looking; that's why people are always surprised when they're fired. Those of you reading who are currently out of work and looking for a new job—don't be frustrated, be proactive; start uploading your resume to competitors' websites, just like the writer.
The obvious place to apply is to your direct competitors so long as you don't have a non-compete. But if you do, there are just as many jobs in allied industries. That means, if you're in furniture, apply at a floor covering or textile company. If you're in kitchen or bath, apply in furniture. Your career does not end with a non-compete. There are many options open for you, but you need to seek them out.
Don't be one of these people that tells me you've "never had to look for a job," or that "the job has always come to you"... Guess what—the job isn't coming to you anymore! The best time to look for a job is when you don't need one, so always have your resume up to date and in the channels.
Signed,
Stephen