Keep At It - Never Give Up!
Throughout my personal and professional life, there have been times where my best has simply not been good enough. From missing the mark I needed on a test to pass a course in high school to getting a flood of ‘thanks for applying’ job application responses when I first started out in my career, coming in second can be soul destroying at times.
When I first set out on my career path after university it took me about a year to land a full time – long term gig. Some of that was self inflicted as I stretched out another summer of building fences but a good six months was simply due to not getting something – anything landed to get started. In August of ’96 I was applying all over the place to try and get a gig. Fall was coming along with repayment commitments on my student loans so I had to get something to pay the bills. I applied at all sorts of entry level jobs – from banking to transport and got a slew of rejection letters in return. One of the letters I got was from my eventual first long-term employer, Praxair, Inc - a Linde Company. It was an unsigned form letter that I kept with the others received in response to my fruitless applications at the time.
Fast forward to current day and not much has changed. We see it day in and day out on LinkedIn and other platforms that talented individuals are applying for multiple roles and falling short of their expected result. While nothing is guaranteed, applicants expect and deserve to know where they stand in the hiring process so feedback is very important every step of the way. Speaking from my own experience over the years, here are my recommendations for how to mitigate and reduce the frustration of not getting the job or candidate ‘across the line’:
For Employers
Follow Up – we’ve come along way since the standard form letter response getting sent in the mail. With tools on social media a company can automatically screen and respond to candidates that do not meet the pre-screening criteria. What’s more, using recruiters and recruiting tools make it easier to provide valuable feedback in simple and streamlined ways either directly or indirectly.
Give Feedback – if a candidate is short listed to the point where you meet with them in person, be sure to provide feedback on how they could have improved. What are the reasons for which you did not hire them? Were they lacking in a certain skill or area or was it simply a better fit with someone else. While hard to swallow sometimes, every candidate you have considered and taken the time to interview in person should be awarded some feedback.
Be Respectful – as an old boss / mentor of mine used to always say, you never know who you may work for one day so you should always be nice to people. That person you interview in your market space today may be your boss one day or even more importantly someone you may seek a reference from. Treat every interaction with a potential employee as an opportunity to build your company and personal brand. Being respectful costs you nothing and requires zero talent.
For Aspiring Employees
Follow Up – like on the employer side, the aspiring job seeker should be following up as well, especially after a face to face interview. Acknowledge the time spent and seek feedback. Many times job seekers skip this step thinking they don’t want to seem pushy – the opposite is true. When hiring for an important role, the candidate who follows up is seen as hungry and someone who wants is willing to take the initiative to get the job to completion.
Keep Good Records – in the case of the Praxair example, when I got the call back several months later for an interview I remembered applying and dug out the old unsigned letter. Turns out there was a disconnect between HR and the hiring manager and the form went out unsigned. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn’t but in any case it was a good icebreaker for us both and a good start to what would be a very rewarding part of my career.
Stay Professional – this one may be the hardest of all. Leaving a company and starting anew can be difficult, especially if you left under terms that were not of your choosing. Even in the largest of industries, the hiring managers and key decision makers can be a pretty small pool of professionals who all have shared connections and networks, even if not directly connected. While leaving a company on good terms can set you up for future success in your next role, the opposite is also true if you burn your bridges on the way out or shortly thereafter.
In a tough market such as we are seeing today, it is important to set yourself apart from the pack and keep yourself top of mind for hiring managers. For those out there looking for that next opportunity, keep at it. If you want good things to happen you have to work for them. Never have I seen someone be handed success without putting in the work. As Thomas Edison said, “recognizing opportunity is often difficult because it goes around disguised in overalls, looking like hard work.” Put in the time and keep at it.
Till next time, keep the faith everyone!
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Jim McKay is a seasoned supply chain executive with over twenty-five years experience in leading and coaching others. Through his 'Reflections' posts and 'Reflections of a Workaholic' publications Jim shares his experience in transportation, supply chain and leadership through impactful and insightful stories that are meant to help and inspire others.