The workforce is fluid right now. We all know that. You can’t count on companies to be loyal to you anymore. Heck most of us have been affected in one way or another by lay offs, downsizing and all the other reasons why loyalty from a company is something for the 50’s and 60’s.
And let me tell you a secret. It’s a big secret and one that employers and companies all over the world will not tell you.
Employers value people with strong experience.
That’s right. Let’s say I am running against you for a role. It’s a high performance role and the company needs someone who can hit the ground running and who needs to generate several million in savings in a very short time.
You are a twenty year veteran with your company. You have worked in the same plat for most of that time. You are loyal, hard working, and you have a real depth of experience on your plant.
I, on the other hand, have worked in 30 countries during the past twenty years. I have worked on these sorts of plants and many others. (As well as many industries) In the process I have met and worked with some of the best in the business. Because I am always working on improvement I have worked out how to squeeze millions of dollars in savings/benefits out of even the best run organizations, and I have a network of contacts that will support my application from all over the globe.
This is without mentioning the different cultures, challenges, difficulties and other character building experiences…
Who deserves it more? You right, no doubt about that.
Who is likely to get it? Me.
Why? Because I have generated a level of experience through working around that you could never get sitting in one place. Companies want value, they want people who can implement, and they want people who can bring something…“else.”
So if you are wise you always have one eye on what the next job could be.
Now, the reason why I write this is because the standard approach to getting new work is to send out a CV. WRONG!
Don’t send a CV unless it has been specifically requested. E.g. don’t respond to job ads that ask you to send a CV. In the standard CV we focus on what? What you can do right?
But have a look at the comparisons above. What you can do is not the important issue, what you can achieve or the value that you provide…now that’s a desirable quality!
So instead of a CV emailed in, just like everybody else, all over the world, every day. Why don’t you try to stand out from the crowd? Find out who the person is - the one who will pull the trigger - and send them a personalized letter.
Email is okay, snail mail is better, both together is a fantastic idea. Print it on good paper, with a professional letter head, a good envelope, and write something personal.
Why do you want this job?
Whats the value you can add to this organization?
What experiences prove that?
Try to copy in some of the references that you have written about you on the internet. If you are on a site such as LinkedIn them give them a copy of the URL so they can go there and check out your recommendations themselves.
The world today works on relationships, communication and community, particularly because there is so much “noise” in the world today. Everyone is online, sending emails and writing blogs like this one. You can have your own channel if you want to discuss anything you want to.
So you have to stand out…more than every before you must gain peoples attention.