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Which job search technique is best? Many career counselors push networking and cold calling. They rarely tout the want ads. I think that's a mistake.
Those counselors don't understand that while, on average, networking and cold calling work better than answering ads, people who seek job search advice are more likely to be successful using the want ads. Networking succeeds if you have a 500-person Rolodex. Cold calling potential employers works for terrific self-promoters. If you had a 500-person Rolodex and were a terrific self-promoter, you probably wouldn't be reading this article.
Want ads have long been underrated, while networking was overrated, and that's truer than ever today. In the '80s, when networking first got hot, employers didn't mind getting networked. It was a bit flattering to be asked for advice. Also, employers hadn't yet figured out that a request for advice was often a ruse to land a job interview. But now, employers are busier, tired of being networked and increasingly see informational interviews as ploys, even when they're not. So while networking still often works, it is less potent than it used to be. At the same time, more and more job openings are subject to affirmative action hiring requirements, and fewer are filled from the inside. To fulfill legal requirements, they must be advertised.
Meanwhile, thanks to the Internet, answering want ads has become a job search method on steroids. On many sites, including Monster.com, you can even have an electronic job scout scour the Net for you 24/7, searching through hundreds of thousands of job openings and delivering the best fits on a silver platter right to your electronic door. All free to you! Now tell me that's not cool.
There are many other reasons why want ads are a more powerful job search tool than you may have been led to believe:
- Want ads are fast. Respond to an ad today, and you could be hired within weeks or even days. Other job search methods, such as networking, typically take months.
- Because employment Web sites allow you to instantly sift through enormous numbers of job ads, it's easy to find those that really fit you. The odds of a networking contact leading to a well-suited job are smaller.
- Want ads are a legal cheat sheet for job applicants. Unlike with networking or cold calling, you usually know what the employer is looking for -- the job requirements are right there in the ad. So you can tailor your resume, cover letter and interview to the employer's needs.
- Responding to want ads is ideal for people who write better than they schmooze.
- For most people, responding to want ads is less stressful than asking people for help finding a job, let alone trying to convince employers who haven't listed a job opening they should create a job for you.
- Using the want ads is ideal for people who work during business hours. A frequent cry of working stiffs is: "When will I find the time to network and make cold calls?" In contrast, you can search and respond to want ads at night and on weekends. And unlike when you're networking, you don't have to worry about bad hair days.
- Want ads are helpful if you're looking for an out-of-town job. The Web contains sites with millions of instantly searchable job openings all over the world. In fact, want ads should be an especially large part of an out-of-town job search, because you probably don't have many faraway networking contacts.
- The want ads are a great place to discover employers in hiring mode. Even if their posted ads don't fit you, contact them. They may have other openings not yet advertised.
- Want ads can even be useful when you're self-employed. Use them to identify organizations seeking someone to do work that's right up your alley and then propose working on a project-by-project basis.
How Much Should You Use Want Ads?
Most career guides give everyone the same advice: Use want ads sparingly. But one-size-fits-all advice rarely does fit all. So how much should you use want ads? Some people shouldn't use them at all; others should use ads a lot. Here's how to tell what's right for you. The more of these questions you answer "yes" to, the more you should use want ads:
- Are you better at writing resumes and letters than at networking?
- Are you more likely to answer ads than to network?
- Are you seeking a technical position?
- Do you know only a few people in your field?
- Are you expecting a salary of less than $70,000?
- Is your target job in demand?
- Are you currently employed in or near your target field?
Sure, if networking and cold calling appeal to you, use those techniques. But if they give you the willies, the want ads can be your launch pad to a cool career.
