Real Thoughts on Corporate Job Sites

I saw an interesting position on the Real Networks site yesterday. I spent the morning writing a solid cover letter and created a single PDF with my cover letter and resume for uploading to the site. Much to my chagrin, the site stripped out the cover letter and all of the formatting and then dropped the text from my resume into the resume field. Ugh.
Had all my work on the cover letter been wasted? I couldn't tell for sure, but it sure felt that way.

I always bristle at the uncertainty that surrounds corporate job sites. I didn't want to sit passively by, hoping that my credentials made their way to the hiring manager. So I went to my network and asked for help in getting an introduction to the appropriate person. I specified the job title in the e-mail to make it as easy as possible for those reading the request to act on it if they had the right connection. Sure enough, I made e-mail contact with the right person within a couple of hours. The news wasn't good, they'd already filled the job internally, but I made the connection and maybe it'll pay off down the road. Anyhow, at least he got to read my cover letter...

Perspective on Craigs List Ads

Guy Kawasaki provides terrific feedback from the perspective of a hiring manager who places a Craigs List ad. First, his observations confirm one of my long-held beliefs from my days as a hiring manager. You can learn a lot about a candidate's work habits by asking him/her to complete a simple exercise that simulates a functional duty of the position in question. Guy cites several instances of "laziness" that he witnessed when he asked candidates to provide samples of photos.

Second, Guy confirmed the impact of a well-written, thoughtful ad response. How can you prove yourself to be remarkable with a one-size-fits-all form letter or by not sending any cover letter at all? Your interview starts with the first keystroke. So get it right from the start.

Finally, and most applicable to my current situation, responses to Craigs list ads are of a high quality and come flooding in quickly. So, the shelf life of a job posting is short and leaving an attractive posting unaddressed for several days can be risky. As a result, I've adjusted my schedule to check and respond to online ads (especially Craigs List) more frequently throughout the week.

When to say less

I read an anonymous ad in Craig's list today that really left me scratching my head. After promising that its product would be the "next brand that has history breaking results and future growth opportunities" and a desire to break into "untraditional distribution networks," the company said it would only speak with those who had 5-years of industry specific experience.

What is wrong with this picture? If they really wanted to be remarkable, why would they hire from a pool of applicants that will be more than likely to do what they've done in the past?

I decided to role the dice for this one by putting my money where my mouth is. I applied without a cover letter. My e-mail was three lines long and it basically said "if you want to be different, then why are you looking inside your industry? If you want to stand out, I'd like to talk to you."

The First Pinup for my New Office

Thanks to my man Seth Godin for this one. Seth provides his usual breath of fresh air in pointing out the danger of "good enough" marketing. As soon as I get a job, I'll be posting his comments at eye level in my office. I'll make them flash if I can.

Adjusting the Focus

I've decided to drop "Industrial Technology" from my search description. I had thought that it was possible for me to get excited about this space based on my long history in this space, but no. As I research and prospect for opportunities I find myself much more interested in consumer products and green technology. It is here that I find the remarkable products with stories that need to be told.

A review of my current target list and their markets confirmed this for me:

Flexcar - Car-Share service
Sahale Snacks - Premium snack foods
Zoka Coffee - Premium Coffee Roaster and Cafe's
Highlands Coffee - Premium Coffee Roaster and Cafe's
Pioneer Organics - Organic/Sustainable Grocery Delivery
Imperium Renewables - Biofuels
Targeted Growth - Biofuel Feedstock
Clearwater Compliance - Water Purification
Halosource - Water Purification

Of course there are always exceptions and there are other companies with compelling stories to tell, as my recent discussions with Red Fin and CDS have shown. But when it comes to delivering a clear message to my network that will produce solid referrals, I'm sticking with Consumer Products and Green Technology.

Anticipating the Questions

I had a great lunch meeting with Glenn Kelman of Red Fin yesterday. Forty out of the forty five minutes of our went off just as I would have hoped. He asked great questions and I hit them out of the park. I could definitely sense there was some "clicking" taking place. Then the "but" happened. As in (paraphrased), "you've got some great ideas, but you don't really have any experience in our space. Give me an idea of how you might steer our marketing plan."

Do you know the feeling you got in college when you sat down to take an exam and realized that you had been studying the wrong chapter? That's how I felt at that moment. Though I spent plenty of time building my knowledge of the Red Fin story, I failed to anticipate that question. Which is crazy, because in hindsight, it's an obvious question for a hi-tech CEO to ask a candidate with no hi-tech experience.

My answer to the question wasn't great and I knew I was capable of much more. Unfortunately, I gave him every reason to believe that his suspicions were true. I left the meeting with that sinking feeling that I had blown a great opportunity. Playing the question back in my mind as I ran some errands afterwards, I came up with some great ideas (I thought, anyway) that I shared with Glen in my Thank You note afterwards. He replied positively and promised to re-engage once they have hired a CMO, so I think I saved the day. But I sure wish I got it right the first time. Next time I will for sure.