Looking For A Job Is Kinda Like Looking For A Girlfriend…

Saul Colt partly inspired this post. While some of the stuff I’m going to discuss predates my meeting him and hearing this community building talk, the idea to take dating strategies and apply them to non-dating applications is one he’s articulated fantastically well, and for that I owe him a debt of gratitude.

There was a time I tried to use Craigslist as a way of meeting awesome and pretty girls, but I generally advise that the fellas reading this don’t use Craigslist, because the demand for awesome and pretty girls far outstrips the supply and that can be frustrating. And I hear you asking: “But Brian, how could you, a man, possibly know how many guys respond to an awesome and pretty girl’s posting on Craigslist?” Well, Craigslist doesn’t show the email addresses of the people writing posts on their website, so it’s possible to have an ad entitled, just for example, “Awesome and Pretty New Girl In Town Can’t Survive Without A Jeff Probst To Show Her Around” and it’s possible to have that ad’s responses go to, just for example, brian.alkerton@gmail.com.

Doing this led to two outcomes:

1. I was sent photos of male genitalia. I redirected them to my Junk Mail folder, which is kinda fitting when you think about it.
2. I was able to see how other guys were responding to the postings of awesome and pretty girls on Craigslist, which was crucial in understanding how to make myself stand out from the pack.

The majority of responses to an awesome and pretty girl were surprisingly similar to one another, and so when I recently found myself looking for a job and responding to postings on Monster and Craigslist, I wondered if the same could be said for people responding to job ads. So, putting up a generic sounding ad for the kind of office admin work I’m very good at and want to be doing, I got over 40 responses in less than an hour, and it turns out that responses to job postings are even more interchangeable than for awesome and pretty girl postings, so here’s a few tips that have significantly increased the response rate for job apps that I’ve sent out.

1. Don’t be too formal. I don’t know if it’s just me, but when a cover letter starts out with “To Whom It May Concern:” I automatically think of Saving Private Ryan and that scene right after the Omaha Beach assault where row upon row of women at typewriters are sending out the death notices. Maybe this is because Spielberg had an undue influence on my childhood, but of the responses I received, several started out with that phrase, and not a single one started out with “Hi.” It’s pleasant, it’s disarming, and it stands out specifically because it’s something people use all the time in their day to day conversation, but never in job correspondance. I think that’s messed up.
2. Acknowledge that you’re writing to a person who’s receiving tons of resumes. This builds a rapport between you and the person reading your cover letter. If the workplaces I’ve been in are any indication, no one really likes the hiring process and usually they’ve been asked by someone higher up to get it done. By expressing sympathy for their plight, you’re automatically putting yourself ahead of the pack.
3. Don’t be generic about your accomplishments. This one’s a biggie. Phrases like “detail-oriented” and “strong communicator” are a dime a dozen, so use a specific example or two of what you’ve done and why it makes you awesome. Don’t be afraid to point out the alarming uniformity of most job applications.

Here’s a sample of a cover letter I use, and while I change it up depending on the position, the basics remain the same:

Hi. My name is Brian, and I think I’d be a fantastic fit for the team you’re looking to put together. I recognize that you’re probably receiving dozens of resumes, and that every one of them probably says the same things about being detail-oriented, strong communicators, etc. Rather than simply repeat those things, here’s 3 reasons why I not only stand out, but why I specifically stand out as an ideal fit for your company.

(3 reasons)

I feel that the depth of my experience and wide range of skills make me an ideal fit for your firm, and my resume, which is attached, provides contact information for my previous employers so that you can verify the claims I’m making. I look forward to hearing more from you regarding the position and a convenient time to set up an interview. If you have any further questions about my qualifications, experiences, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or phone.

And that’s pretty much it! Obviously you’re going to need to adapt these tips to fit your personal style, as well as find out what kind of resumes/cover letters are being written in your field in order to get a sense of what you need to stand out from. However, by researching not only the company you want to work for but your competition as well, I suspect you’ll find, as I have, much greater success.

Good Hunting!