So you’ve decided to get back on the market. Should you look online or beg your friends to set you up? Come on strong or play it cool?
If you’re one of the millions of North Americans who’ve surfed the Web for love, you’d be off to a good start – in the job search that is. Razor Suleman, CEO of San Francisco-based employee rewards firm Achievers, likens the modern job hunt to online dating, and says the parallels are many. “Where algorithms match up perfect pairs in the online dating world, recruiters and candidates both use filters and keywords to narrow their searches and determine shared values, interest and beliefs,” he says.But the similarities don’t end there. “Trying to find the right partner and trying to find the right job are both about building a bridge between yourself and another person,” says Tamryn Hennessy, the national director of career development at Rasmussen College. From narrowing down the options to the first date, oft-awkward conversations and the will-they-or-won’t-they moment before the goodnight kiss, the hunt for your dream lover and dream job often lead you down very similar paths.
Setting up the profile
“As far as long walks on the beach stand, we appreciate the commitment to traditional romance but are really looking for individuality,” says Suleman. So how do you make your online profile – whether it’s your LinkedIn account, your CV or your résumé – stand out from the millions of other job-seeking fishes in the sea?
“It’s important to package yourself in a way that looks good and doesn’t have a whiff of the tired pick up line,” says Shawn Graham, a business consultant and author of Courting Your Career. “Using the same e-mail for every job application is generic and obvious and akin to approaching someone at a club and saying ‘you’re my dream man.’” Yeah right.
Narrowing the options
Online dating can feel a bit like shopping – the possibilities seem limitless. But Graham says it’s important to know your type. “You’re probably not going to date a bartender if you’re looking for a lawyer,” he says. Similarly, when job hunting, you want to make sure you’re not leaving one bad relationship for another.
“It’s important for people to think about what qualities they’re looking for in a career,” Graham says, but Hennessy warns being too particular at this stage can also hurt your chances of success: “No one’s perfect,” she says. If your list of deal-breakers is too long, you might find yourself defeated when you ‘settle’ for a job that on paper looks nothing like what you’re looking for, she says. Instead, focus on the most important element, whether it’s the need for flexibility, or great health care, or travel. “People often end up with the person they lease expected,” Hennessy says, “And if they had a long list of deal-breakers in front of them, they’d have a much better chance of winding up alone.”
Do your homework
“In your personal life, online or off, if you see someone you think is cute, you’re going to start asking around for more info,” says Hennessy. “Whether it’s a Google search or asking friends, it’s about looking for details that could help to make a personal connection.”
But in addition to the hoped-for personal connection with the interviewer (it always makes the formal conversation go much smoother when you discover you share a passion), there’s another reason for some dedicated pre-date stalking: One of the biggest complaints of recruiters is that candidates don’t take their time to research the company and the position.
One thing to keep in mind: They’re Googling you too. Make sure your online presence is a good one.