We live in an age where technology is advancing so quickly that everyday ‘inconveniences’ are slowly being replaced with some new and exciting tech items to solve them. Hence, making our lives easier. But, does this mean we are making it too easy for ourselves; that we are losing our ability to resource and communicate with others? Nowadays, it’s common to find ourselves in situations where communication should flow naturally, but instead, we hide behind our smartphones or computer screens.
The perfect example is our capacity to resource a new job. In the past, we would trail through the newspapers, call up our potential employer, and finally write a well-researched and mulled-over letter of application for that role. The application would have included the name of the person receiving it as well as a detailed explanation of why we wanted to work for that particular company.
The times have most definitely changed. With the introduction of job boards, applying for a job suddenly became a lot easier and, in a way, a lot less work. We are now able to save our details on a job board and then apply to whichever job we desire. Whether we are suitable for the role or not doesn’t matter, as we can send out as many applications as we like! This is no longer costing us money to send out letters or call up companies. It’s a numbers game now.
Some of us have lost our ability to resource effectively and communicate effectively in order to get a new role. We rely on social media tools to do the work for us and then complain to others about how non-responsive potential employers have become.
I once worked with foreigners who were facing hardship finding work. I remember one in particular who couldn’t understand why he did not have a job as he was well-educated and spoke English to an advanced level. When I went through his application process, I found that in only one week, he had applied for over 300 jobs online, using generic cover letters and resumes. He had not spoken with any potential employers, nor had he tailored his Resume for every particular role. As applying through job boards is free, he was playing a numbers game. Unfortunately for him, this process almost never works, and the few times that it has worked for people, it often backfires. Ending up being a job that they never really wanted in the first place. Similarly, by taking this approach, you are damaging your name in the industry because people will talk.
Recognising the division between online and external resources is essential. Understand that job boards and social media are excellent tools you can use to gather necessary information about the job and employer. Any further information, that could come between you and getting the job is best obtained by contacting the hiring manager or recruiter. It not only shows your interest in the role but also that you can make a suitable application, and potentially get the job.
Happy Hunting.
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