When I had lost my job at Houlihan Lokey, I thought I had known exactly what to do—and that’s what I did. I updated my resume, signed on to numerous job search boards, compiled lists of companies to contact and took out my shopping bag full of business cards, old emails, notebooks and pieces of scrap paper containing the contact information of professional colleagues and acquaintances.
I had been through the job-hunting routine before—and although it had never been an easy process—I had always managed to succeed on my own or with a little help from my family and friends.
I did not think there was anything new anyone could tell me about how to find a job. My resume was strong. I knew I had to network among family, friends and professional peers. I was not completely comfortable making cold calls, but I knew it had to be done and was actually pretty successful at engaging potential employers once I had them on the line. I was not at all comfortable leaving telephone messages for complete strangers—but that is how cold calls often start out.
On the other hand, I was completely comfortable sending emails to anyone and everyone—and I knew it was a numbers game. The more people I could get to look at my resume, the better my chances of finding a job.
Although I disliked having to retype my personal information for each different job site and online application, it was still an efficient way to find leads and apply for jobs. On some sites, I could apply to job after job with a few clicks of the mouse.
On a typical day, I would do some research and apply to half a dozen targeted jobs online, but sometimes I would get enthused and blindly apply to a dozen jobs of all sorts with a last minute, end of the day flurry of emails and online activity.
I knew I would be lucky to get one response out of a hundred emails and virtual applications, but I kept trying—and I usually got that one response. Even if my applications for specific jobs were not fully targeted, I sometimes got responses and established new relationships with recruiters or potential employers after forwarding my resume or applying for a position online.
Nevertheless, ninety-nine percent of my emailed resumes and online job applications seemed to evaporate into cyberspace. Even when I applied to highly relevant jobs on the job board of my alma mater, the MIT Sloan Alumni Job Board, I rarely received a response. I was excited about the positions and had the required experience—but no one ever seemed to be on the receiving side of my emails and online applications or be available to speak when I called.
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