A nice way to be told I didn't get job

Q: I want to share a wonderful story about how I did not get a job. Although I interviewed with a personnel clerk, the hiring manager called me himself to say it was a difficult decision, but I would not be hired. He was impressed with my qualifications and asked if I wanted to be considered for future openings. He also volunteered to help with my job search via his industry contacts. This is a busy person who has the same reasons as everyone else for not following up with people. Yet he made the time to tell me his decision himself.

In my whole life, this has never happened. The benefits of an employer handling a situation like this are tremendous. Would I send him business if I had the opportunity? Would I recommend this company to other people? Of course!

I hope other employers read this and act accordingly. You have everything to gain by being direct and honest with people who have invested time with you and your company regardless of the outcome.

To everyone who has ever been rejected for a job, I hope someday you get treated like this. Simple decency goes a long way. It changes everything.

NICK'S REPLY: It's important to note what happened here, what did not happen, and why you're happy after being rejected.

First, the manager took personal responsibility for notifying you of his decision. He established his credibility and earned a benefit because you'll recommend his company to others.

Second, he gave you the professional courtesy of introductions to his own contacts. He acknowledged your value. That's the benefit you got even though you were rejected.

Finally, you were treated respectfully. That left you with respect for the company.

I'd send this manager a thank-you note, and I'd copy the president of the company. Let's encourage high standards!

A note to managers: The next time you interview a job candidate, remember that the manager in this story is your competition. Are you as good as that?

THE HEADHUNTER TIP: Three mistakes that can cost you a job.

1. A boilerplate objective on your resume.

This always says the same thing: "I want to work for a good company that will enhance my career." A generic resume reveals that you'll take any kind of job that comes along. An employer is asking: What will you do to enhance my company?

Fix it: Make it your objective to produce benefits for the employer.

2. Too much emphasis on your expertise.

Talking about yourself isolates you from the company's broader business. Do you know how your work affects that business?

Fix it: Discuss the company's profitability. Discuss how the work you do fits into the bigger picture.

3. Saying you're tired of your old employer's problems.

The company you're talking to has problems just like your last one. The manager isn't interested in opportunists.

Fix it: Show how you can help the manager build a better company.

THE HEADHUNTER CHALLENGE

How do you apply for jobs?

Today the Internet is a very popular way to apply for work. Job boards and other kinds of online employment listings are easy to use. Some people still do it the old-fashioned way, while others favor a hybrid approach. How do you apply for jobs?

POLL

1. I submit my resume to the personnel department at companies I like whether they have openings or not.

2. I submit my resume to personnel only when I find relevant job postings.

3. I call managers directly and offer my services, since they are the ones who are hiring.

4. I rely mainly on online application methods like job boards and company Web sites.

Read The Headhunter's expert opinion online at www.appealdemocrat.com. Keyword: headhunter

Write to Nick at P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833; or www.asktheheadhunter.com.

COMMENTARY

I periodically run a poll asking readers to pick from various methods they use to get in the door of a company. In other words, how do you apply for a job?

According to surveys done by firms such as Forrester Research and CareerXroads, something like 40 to 60 percent of jobs are found and filled through personal contacts. I don't think that surprises anyone, and most people know in their gut that "It's who you know." Yet the last time I did this survey, 77 percent responded that they would pursue the channel that is least productive — jobs ads or postings. Even though they know that the line in the personnel office is long and the competition is stiff, people still take the impersonal path of submitting resumes and applications.

So why do people go through personnel?

Let's see if I can help you view this from another perspective. Suppose your boss gave you an important project, and you realized it could not be accomplished by conventional means. In other words, the way it's always been done ain't gonna cut it. Your boss just wants the job done. Would you continue applying the same old methods? Or would you demonstrate creativity and try something new? Remember: Your boss is watching and judging you.

Hold that thought.

Let's go back to applying for a job. What's the difference between how you'd behave on the job if you faced a challenge, and how you'd apply for that same job? Do you follow the same old path to the personnel department, or do you apply the skills you use at work to your job hunting challenge? Do you trust an old process that doesn't work well, or do you come up with new methods that might improve your chance of success?

Now let's turn back to your job.

Do you do your work and satisfy your boss by using the same "wait and see" strategy most people use when they submit a resume to personnel? Of course not.

Someone once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

What's the difference between doing your job and pursuing a new one? If you create smart new methods at work, why use dumb methods on the job hunt?

It seems the job market is geared for insanity. Maybe the problem is with employers. Many claim in their public relations materials that they want creative workers who "think out of the box." Yet such people are often locked out by the personnel department because they break the rules by approaching managers directly. Sometimes, even managers reject the personal approach when candidates call them directly: "Go to the personnel office!"

Maybe what the world needs is a college curriculum in job hunting. We could call it, "Use Your Brain 101: On-the-job techniques to win the job." A complementary course for managers might teach them how to welcome job hunters who try to make personal contact.

Please tell me you're not one of the 77 percent who wait in line to be processed by the personnel office. Consider using the same skills you use on the job to win your next job. Introduce yourself directly to a hiring manager -- like he was your boss -- and talk about how you would do the job.