You can get hired, if you know what to do...
Meet Tim.
He served in our military and then took advantage of the GI Bill. But, because Tim wanted to get working, he opted for an Associate's Degree. He landed a job upon graduating. Then, after years of working for the same company, got laid-off.
He's since moved to a new city to be closer to family, but is finding it
impossible to get a job. Why? Almost every job posting he feels
qualified for has "Bachelor's Degree Required" listed in it. The result
has been no interviews - and definitely no job offers.
Is it "back to school" for Tim? Not necessarily.
Tim specializes in Supply Chain Management. He has done a lot of
continuing education in the form of courses and certifications. Also,
his experience and level of position at his last job indicate he is more
than capable of doing the work. Truthfully, the Bachelor's Degree most
likely wouldn't teach him anything new. It just might make getting
employers to pay attention to his online applications a bit easier,
here's why...
ATS: The ultimate robo-recruiter. (And, that's a bad thing!)
ATS (applicant tracking systems)
are used by many companies today. Especially, by larger businesses that
hire for Tim's skill set. The corporate recruiters simply put in a set
of criteria they are looking for (i.e. Bachelor's Degree), and then, as
the applications come in, the ATS automatically screens out the ones
that aren't a 100% match in skills and keywords. This means at least 8
out of 10 times, Tim's application is never even being seen by a human
eye. All that time he spends applying online? It's a waste.
Career L.U.C.K. = Get past ATS with a little strategic networking!
There is something Tim can do to create his own career L.U.C.K. - watch the video below to learn how he can go around the ATS and find the best way to get hired without a Bachelor's degree.
Here's what Tim needs to do:
Locate the Problem - Tim has several problems.
To recap, first, he has moved to a new city and has no existing
professional network to leverage. Second, with only an Associate's
Degree, he will automatically get eliminated by ATS, making online
applications a near useless method for him to find a job. Finally,
because he is currently unemployed, employers in the new city will
naturally discriminate against him. Tim has to find a way to network
with people directly so they can get to know him and see his true
potential.
Uncover the Issues - Since applying online
hasn't worked and Tim has no network to tap into, he is feeling as if he
can only apply to jobs that will accept him with his Associate's
Degree. This:
A) Limits his options severely.
B) Makes Tim feel bad about himself and his ability to get hired.
In short, Tim is experiencing a crisis of confidence and is frustrated
to think that all his hard work, both in the military, and on the job
after he got his degree were for nothing. That hurts his ability to put
forth the kind of effort he'll need to get a new job. As months pass, if
something doesn't change, Tim will find it harder to motivate himself
to look for work. (This article shows how crisis of confidence can deeply affect your ability to succeed in your career.)
Create New Plan - Tim needs to go around the
ATS. To start, he must do his homework and find companies in the area
that hire for his skill set. We call this a "bucket list" - and it's the
single best way to focus a job search so you can get real results.
Next, Tim will leverage several aspects of his situation that will
encourage people to want to network with him. In this case, the fact
that he is a veteran and new to the area will enable him to make use of
the "Welcome Wagon Effect." This is when professionals go out of their
way to offer to help fellow professionals who are new to the area. Tim
will use this approach to connect with people in his chosen field of
Supply Chain Management that work at the companies on his bucket list.
That way, he can ask them first-hand what it takes to get hired by their
companies with only an Associate's Degree.
Know Your Next Steps - To keep Tim on task, I
suggest he start with a total of 10 companies on his bucket list. He
should find the top firms in the area and be able to back up with facts
why they earned a spot on his list. Then, he'll research five employees
at each company for him to target his outreach to. Using LinkedIn, Tim
will be able to customize his requests to connect, using the information
he gained while research each firm and their employees. This will
statistically increase the chances they will accept his connection
requests. Once they accept, Tim can follow up with an email seeking an
opportunity to either chat with them by phone or exchange emails so he
can get their guidance and perspective on what they think it takes to
eventually earn a position with their employer. (This
article offers step-by-step process for creating your own bucket list
and the right way to ask for informational interviews.)
NOTE: He will not ask them for a job, or to refer him
to one. Tim is simply asking for information that will empower him to
customize his approach when applying to these companies in the future.
However, by establishing a relationship with existing employees, Tim can
hopefully leverage that down the line. Over 80 percent of all jobs are
gotten via referral. So, to improve your chances of getting hired, it
only makes sense to network with people who have jobs at the companies
you want to work for!
Lesson learned? Remove the online roadblock!
If you are like Tim and don't have the degree, or perhaps other skills
and experience listed on a job requirement, the chances you'll get hired
when applying online are slim. The solution is to use the technique
above to go around the process. It's the only way you can get the
employer to overlook the criteria the set and realize you have the
ability to do the job!