Landing a Job in a Crisis: Part II

Part I of this series laid the context and impetus for the topic: we are in the middle of the COVID pandemic, and with it comes a volatile job market.   If you haven’t had a chance to read that article, I would suggest starting there.  In it, I share how important it is to think of your resume as a story, and you as a storyteller.

In this article, I will talk about the second element that I believe is absolutely critical for differentiating oneself in a competitive landscape: positioning your value to the company.

Convey Business Value

It’s not uncommon for me to receive LinkedIn messages that go something like this:

My name is John Smith.  I will be graduating this coming May with a Masters in Business Analytics, after having spent three years as an associate at Management Firm XYZ. I would like to discuss my interest in potential data/analytics opportunities to help drive sales operations using data insights at your company.  Can we connect?

I appreciate the tenacity of the modern cold-calling, but there are better ways of going about it.   Why would I select this candidate over the dozens of others who sent similarly blanket-like statements?  I wouldn’t!  The folks that I will respond to are those who can articulate what value I, as a hiring manager, would receive from adding them to my team. 

It can be difficult, if not impossible, for a job-seeker to know what the remit of a particular team is, or what the needs of a hiring manager might be (particularly if there aren’t specific job openings posted).  However, this does not preclude the candidate from personalizing and tailoring their messages to interpolate such needs, or at least generalizing at the company-level.  Some quick Google searches or reading the company’s news/blog pages of their website will reveal updates regarding product launches, expansions, research efforts, M&A deals, or a new client and/or partnership.  This research becomes the springboard to frame one’s value to the business, and this can be applied through a number of vehicles including any messaging (like the example above [LinkedIn or otherwise]), the objective statement on the resume (without getting too verbose), and the interview process. 

Continuing with the proactive outreach scenario that was teed-up at the onset of this article,  let’s explore a better way of phrasing it.  The following can be sent as part of a connection-invitation on LinkedIn.

My name is John Smith.  I am reaching out to you because I recognize that your organization, Enterprise ABC, has recently acquired a complementary company.  Having worked as an Associate for three years at Management Firm XYZ, I understand the challenges of such a event; systems have to be audited, data has to be synchronized, and processes have to be standardized.  I am unsure whether your team may be responsible for any of these M&A activities but I have no doubt your groups is already operating at capacity managing the 30% growth that Enterprise ABC has experienced over the last year.  If in fact you do anticipate an increased workload in coming months, I believe I could be of service given my change-management responsibilities in the past.  I can traverse between highly tactical undertakings (proficient in SQL and Python), and more strategic initiatives (sprint-planning and project management).  My Masters studies, which finish in May, provide an additional breadth of knowledge that allows me to interface with Marketing and Finance as required.  If this is of value you, what would be best way to formalize my candidacy?   

Let’s unpack this to better understand why this is a more powerful note than the original message.

1. The message is short enough to read in under a minute, but contains enough content to tell a story (remember the importance of crafting a narrative from the first lesson)
2. The message is tailored within the first two sentences; the reader will immediately recognize that this is not a “canned” or generic message
3. The tailoring is not just plug-and-chug via replacing company names, but rather reflects the specific business’s current situation (M&A)
4. The job seeker outlines specific tasks or problems that may fall into the hiring manager’s purview
5. The job seeker positions how he or she can contribute to relieving some of those issues given his/her experiences
6. It ends with a very pointed ask.  By posing an inquiry, the job seeker is opening up a dialogue with the hiring manager, yet in a way that doesn’t over -commit the manager; at a minimum he/she may point the candidate to the job portal, or in a best case, may ask that the resume be sent directly to him or her. (Alternatively, if the candidate were to attach the resume immediately, it is not only presumptuous, but the question to the hiring manager becomes much more imposing [which is, “why don’t you hire me”])

Admittedly, this can be a time consuming effort, and is analogous to cover-letter writing.  In fact, the tips above can and should be applied to a cover letter. 

Knowing that composing an appropriately-researched introduction is not always possible (a startup company in stealth mode), and recognizing that identifying and reaching out to the most-suitable manager may be equally as tricky, I will offer one last piece, somewhat glib, but relevant alternative.  The “value” discussed here has been largely a skill-related value (address issues, undertake tasks, etc), however a monetary value is also an incentive.  This stems from internal referral bonuses.  Many companies offer them, and they can range from $500 to $3000 depending on the role that is filled.  Job seekers can leverage sites like Glassdoor to evaluate whether the target company offers such a benefit.  In the case that they do, this can be avenue to offer value to an existing employee.  Note that I use that word “employee” rather than “hiring manager” in this instance; that is entirely intentional.  I would posit that the bonus will resonate with more junior employees more than hiring managers.  This is for two reasons; the first is that the bonus will be more material given the discrepancy in salary, but secondly, the hiring manager may not earn a bonus for filling roles within his own team (as a function of corporate policy). 

A message to a more junior employee might go like this.

Hi Jane Doe.  I don’t think we’ve been introduced but I see we have some 2nd degree connections through LinkedIn; it appears you may know some of my classmates from State College.  Your profile surfaced while I was looking to build my network at your company ABC Firm.  The careers website listed a vacancy for a Data Analyst which I believe aligns with my experience.  I am curious whether you would be willing initiate an internal referral for the role on my behalf.  I’d be happy to sync-up to share my background and the reasons why I believe I would be of value to the business so that you feel comfortable submitting my application.  In addition, I read that ABC Firm as a $1000 referral bonus, so if things work out hopefully you’ll be rewarded for the effort.  Please let me know if we can connect.  Thanks, John Smith

This may not be the most elegant introduction but it may offer a foot-in-the-door when other approaches grounded in research and true value-building does not produce the expected results.

Check out the third and final installment of the Landing a Job in a Crisis here.