It seems whether you are a Generation Y, or over 50 and a Baby Boomer, there is a perception that because of your age, you will be discriminated against during your job search.

Most of this so called age discrimination is based on stereotypes, rather than reality.  If you are Generation Y, there is the perception that you are there to pursue personal satisfaction, that you are less concerned with permanence and not influenced by authority.  There is also a perception that you have unrealistic expectations, large egos and you are not reliable.

If you are over 50 the stereotypes include the perception that you are unable to adapt to change, don’t like being micro-managed and you are less tech savvy.

So how do you overcome these stereotypes and what techniques should you use, to successfully secure a job?

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Unemployment is holding steady, but in spite of this, it seems to take longer to secure a job and the Australian job market is still really competitive.  In such a market, it is very easy to get discouraged, as it seems to be taking such a long time to secure a new job, let alone securing a dream job.

However, there are still jobs to be found, employers are STILL recruiting and people are still landing jobs on a daily basis.

So what is the secret to landing a job fast?

Well, there is no secret.  Jobseekers securing jobs in a competitive environment, are simply managing to sell themselves effectively to employers.  So how do you sell yourself effectively in this current environment?

Well, the answer is that you communicate your potential worth, by focussing on your ability to deliver RESULTS to employers?  In order to communicate your potential worth, you need to use the same strategies that companies use to market themselves namely positioning, packaging, promotion, persuasion, and performance.

By using these same marketing strategies, you will easily distinguish yourself from hundreds of other jobseekers and land a job fast.

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So you have lost your job, moving job or just looking for a new career opportunity.  Like millions before you, you browse for jobs on major job boards like SEEK and CareerOne, find the perfect job, submit your resume and then.………..NOTHING!

No response, no feedback or if you get feedback, the generic rejection letter.  If you are lucky, you will be in the 4 – 10% that actually successfully conducts and finds a job online.  But if you are like the remaining 90 – 96% who exclusively conducts a job-hunt online with the major job boards, you might be destined to failure.

So why is it with job boards being so popular, they are so ineffective?

Advertising on job boards is the last resort for employers (not first)

The typical employer, general fills a vacancy in this order:

(a) Promoting within, (b) hiring someone that is known through a network, or someone that comes recommended by a friend, or colleague, (c) using a recruitment agency, (d) advertising both online, or in newspapers, and coming in at last place (e) an unsolicited resume.

Conversely, a typical job-hunter looks for work, the opposite way, in particular by using the job board.  What this means, is that by just using job boards, you are missing out on 85% of the jobs out there, that get filled through recruiting options that employers prefer.

Major job boards are ineffective because they are popular

Job boards have changed the recruitment landscape.  In the days prior to the internet and the job board, employers advertised in the local newspaper and received a dozen or so applicants.  Today, an employer advertises and is inundated by job applicants, because let’s face it – finding jobs to apply for is so easy for the jobseeker!

What this means to you, is that your competition has just expanded at an unprecedented rate.  More competition, the lower the chances of success – unless you take the steps necessary to outshine the competition!

The gatekeeper is in charge

For the bulk of jobs advertised online, your resume will end up in the lap of the gatekeeper, namely HR personnel.  The gatekeeper is exactly that, what stops your resume from being placed directly into the hands of real decision-makers.

Think of them as the bouncer in front of an exclusive nightclub.  They have complete discretion over who comes to the party or not and will stop letting people through, once the room is full.  They might let a few people through, if they like the look of them, but the majority don’t get to come to the party.

You have to keep in mind that HR’s job is to simply ‘weed out’ job candidates and the less applicants they have to deal with face-to-face the better.  So if possible, avoid HR altogether and get your resume directly in front of the real decision makers.

Automated processes rule

Due to their popularity, employers now receive hundreds of applications from jobseekers.  To cope with the overwhelming influx, many employers have turned to technology to process applications.

What this means to you, is that your resume won’t even get read, unless it passes the keyword search and is scannable.  So you might be the perfect candidate, but that machine won’t know you are the perfect candidate, unless your resume contains all the optimal key words.

Then when you pass muster on the keyword search, your resume will be quickly ‘eyeballed’ by a recruiter or HR.  If you don’t make the cut during the 30-second review time, kiss goodbye to the job.

The solution to winning over the automated processes is to ensure that keywords are contained in your resume AND have a resume that can elicit a positive reaction within 30 seconds.  Unfortunately over 95% of jobseekers don’t have this type of resume.

Conclusion

For all their popularity, job boards have massive limitations for the job seeker.  Job boards are inherently tools built for employers and recruiters, rather than serving the needs of job seekers.  This is driven by the fact that job board revenue is generated by employers and recruiters advertising, not specifically by job seekers.

The reality is that the majority of job seekers don’t get their jobs from the major job boards (although the marketing from branded job boards would make you believe otherwise).

For all the modern human resources, management and recruitment literature that circulates around and the cosy ideas that employers want to create a work environment based on sharing and caring, there is one harsh reality – they don’t really care about you, your interests, aspirations or what you do outside of work (unless it impacts on them), in particular during the recruitment process.

You see employees are recruiting, because they have a problem to solve, a statutory or policy obligation to fulfil (particularly if government), or they want to make a larger profit. Period. To make a larger profit or to fulfil this statutory obligation, organisations/businesses need help and support (that’s you), from administration officers (task orientated), managers (managing people, resources and projects), through to the CEO, Director or Business Owner (the visionary leader).

Ignoring this fact is a VERY costly mistake for all jobseekers. You see jobseekers, are normally so wrapped up in their own little worlds, that they view the whole recruitment and job search process as about their security, their ambitions, their need to pay the bills, credit card and make money, as well as fulfil their interests, desires and needs.

Open up any number of resumes and sit on job interviews and so often the jobseeker focuses on themselves:

The objective statement – I want a fulfilling career
Interests – I love travelling
The interview – Question: So where do you see yourself in 5 years? Answer: In a really fulfilling job, with lots of challenges.

Don’t get me wrong I support all of these aspirations and desires! I think you have every right to a job that is fulfilling, to take an overseas holiday every year, to get really well paid for what you do, to secure a promotion and pay rise and successfully balance home and work life. In fact this is what I help my clients do everyday, by providing them with winning resumes and selection criteria responses, job interview coaching and job search and career transition support, so they do secure their ideal job and a pay rise. All of these things YOU do deserve and should strive for!

But employers really don’t give one iota about your insecurities; need to pay the bills, the need for job security, your desire for more money and a fulfilling career. They are as selfish, as we all are and are only interested in WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) – namely if you can solve their problem or contribute to the profitability of their organisation.

If you understand this, you can quickly turn your attention to developing a job search strategy and marketing documents that focuses on employer needs.

The Cover Letter Opening: ‘I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with a leading organisation such as BHP Billiton, which will enable me to utilise my skills and experience in managing transformational changes and improving net profits within a large complex organisation’. (The butter up and summary of exactly what the jobseeker offers in the way of solving the employer’s problem).

The Resume and The Job Interview: Provide them with a mirror image of the requirements and skills required by the potential employer and how you have made a difference for others AND how you can make a difference for their organisation/business.

This shift in focus alone will turn you into a ‘must have’ candidate – with employers clamouring to engage your services, as you are focussing on their needs, are the solution to their problems and have the capacity to make them more profit.

That is why if employers don’t really care about you on an individual level during recruitment, (your aspirations, dreams or even just the need for financial security), it does not matter. You are fulfilling your dreams and aspirations and obtaining security, by focussing on what employers need, and ultimately securing that dream job and/or pay rise in the process.

Well I know the holidays are on your mind right now, but have you thought about what you’d like to create for your career and yourself in 2012?

The New Year is fast approaching, and it’s a wonderful time to make a fresh start, so use the holidays to think about strategies to revive a stalled job search for 2012.

Every year, I receive calls and emails from potential clients that are really down in the dumps about their job hunting, having no success whatsoever when sending out applications for government or private sector jobs.

After reviewing their applications and talking with them about their job search, it becomes evident that the majority are missing out on jobs, due to poor responses to selection criteria, not applying for relevant positions and poor job search techniques.

So if you are unhappy with the job search activities in 2011, here are some tips for 2012, which will help revive your job search for 2012.

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The internet is an amazing phenomenon and is shaping our lives every day, and this is so true in regards to the job search game.  In fact, things are changing so rapidly, that unless you keep up with all the trends – you will be left behind.

According to a report by the International Association of Career Management Professionals:

• Individuals that do not use the email will be left out
• Individuals must be able to post a resume on the internet
• Internet networking is replacing much of the traditional face-to-face interactions

This is only the beginning, with trends rapidly changing the entire job search and recruitment landscape.  As a job seeker, it is vital to ensure that at all stages during your career that you keep abreast with these changes, so that you can maximise your chances of success.

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Remember being asked that question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ when you were young.  You saw people at work and wanted to be a fireman, nurse, doctor, teacher or postman.  You had no idea what it took to become skilled in those professions, they just sounded exciting and very grown up.

Well now that you’re grown up, the question of what you want to be is actually a little more difficult.  Yet knowing what you want is fundamental to ensuring that you find the right job, otherwise you could land up in a job from hell.  You see, some people are really suited to teaching, yet others loathe this profession and end up tired, stressed and burnt-out before reaching 50.  Likewise some people don’t want anything to do with client contact, yet others people love client contact and get maximum enjoyment from connecting with diverse people on a daily basis.

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With the passing of Steve Jobs, we are reminded of how technology, information sharing and the internet have changed since its inception.  Just 7 years ago, the idea of typing your name into Google and having your name appear in the search engines was unheard of, let alone LinkedIn and Facebook.

These are exciting times and an information sharing revolution is upon us.  As a job seeker, you need to be aware that this information sharing has taken us to a new age as a job seeker, in both the public and private sector.  What you primarily need to be aware of, is that the majority of employers and recruiters are undertaking comprehensive background checks on all applicants  (both online and offline) and if you apply for a government job, background checks are usually mandatory, with those requiring security clearance undergoing very intensive scrutiny.

So what does this all mean to you as a job seeker?

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Recruitment can be a fickle game, and one of the largest gripes from job candidates is the fact they get overlooked for a job, even though they are suitability qualified.

The reality about job-hunting is that it is often not the best qualified person that gets the job.  The person that gets the job is the one that can successfully demonstrate that they meet the employer’s requirements.

Take this example:  Frances was a qualified lawyer with extensive experience in business development and marketing obtained from a leading law firm in London.  Upon returning to Australia, Frances applied for several positions at law firms, requiring a business development and marketing expert.  She failed to secure an interview – even though she met the employer’s exact requirements (if anything, her international experience made her more qualified than other job candidates). 

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It is really interesting, but the way job-hunters generally look for work and how employer’s generally look for someone to fill a vacancy are the absolute opposites of each other.

You see a typical employer generally fills a vacancy in this order or preference:

(a) promoting within;

(b) hiring someone that is known through a network, or someone that comes recommended by a friend, or colleague;

(c) using a recruitment agency;

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