Forums
Unexpected HR job search challenges
HR Career Forum
Unexpected HR job search challenges
Discuss your job search, the interviewing process, creating the right resume, how the HR profession's changes require new job-search approaches and related topics.
PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE LENGTH OF THIS POSTING....
Two years ago, I relocated for a Director level Human Resources position that turned out to be a bad fit. I remained in the
0
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId97
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId97Discussion:DiscussionId32509
Forums » Topic Forums » HR Career Forum » Unexpected HR job search challenges
|
Unexpected HR job search challenges
posted at 11/30/2006 6:58 AM EST
|
Posts: 3
First: 11/2/2006 Last: 12/5/2006 |
PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE LENGTH OF THIS POSTING....
Two years ago, I relocated for a Director level Human Resources position that turned out to be a bad fit. I remained in the position for just under two years. I am now in search of a challenging new opportunity but would like to avoid relocating again. I have no stated industry preference at this time, and would be comfortable traveling extensively (up to 80%) or telecommuting in my new position. I would be comfortable working in a company of any size—my professional drivers are challenge and change. Challenges: 1. I am poorly networked in the two larger cities that are closest to where I reside: Columbia & Charleston, South Carolina. Both are 45 – 60 minutes away from my home—and I have spent little time outside of the office these past two years. 2. There appear to be very few middle/upper level HR management positions in the immediate vicinity (including the cities referenced above). Most of the leads I have followed up on were targeting candidates with considerably less experience & considerably lower salary ranges. 3. The business "focus" in this part of the country is largely manufacturing, which I am finding is strongly biased against candidates who have not already worked in manufacturing environments. Questions: I am not sure whether there is a problem with my resume pitch or with the content of my resume. I do not know how to network into companies that would find a candidate with my education, professional experience, and willingness to travel appealing—organizations like IBM, Hewitt, Accenture, CEB, TMG, etc… |
|
|
Unexpected HR job search challenges
posted at 12/5/2006 12:43 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 3/10/2008 |
Dear JHMR:
Here is a fact: Five OClock Club clients who earn over $100,000 a year are getting 38% of their interviews by contacting companies directly. About 6 to 8 percent of all jobs are filled through ads. And about that same number are filled through search firms. The rest are through networking and other techniques. The higher a persons level, the less their search relies on networking and the more it relies on direct contact. Ill be glad to send you a pdf on contacting companies directly (any reader who would like this pdf should email me at kate@fiveoclcockclub.com with the words direct contact in the subject line). Having said that, you should try everything: join local HR groups (network), contact employers directly, answer ads and contact search firms. For direct contact, the trick is coming up with a list of appropriate companies to contact and the names of the right people (perhaps company presidents, depending on your level and the size of the employer). Contact them whether or not they have a job opening. Here is one website to consider: http://www.charlestonlowcountry.com/relocation/employers.html I simply went into Google and entered Charleston, South Carolina employers. This site gives you every major employer in the vicinity as well as the number of employees. Your local Chambers of Commerce are also good places to contact for lists of local employers. Youre right that manufacturing companies generally want people with manufacturing experience. Youll probably have to focus on service businesses. When you say that youre interested in IBM, Hewitt, Accenture, CEB, TMG, etc, do you mean that these companies have offices in your area but you cant find them? Or do you meant hat youre willing to relocate to work for one of them? Please send me your resume so I can take a look at it and comment. Remember not to post your resume on these forums (although you are encouraged to post your resume in the Workforce resume posting section. Cordially, Kate Wendleton President, The Five OClock A national career coaching and outplacement organization www.fiveoclockclub.com |
|
|
Unexpected HR job search challenges
posted at 12/5/2006 12:58 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 3
First: 11/2/2006 Last: 12/5/2006 |
Thank you for your reply, Kate. I will look forward to your feedback on my resume which I have sent to you by email.
I would also appreciate receiveing the PDF that you referenced about contacting companies directly. The companies I mentioned (organizations like IBM, Hewitt, TNG, Accenture, CEB)are reported to have a high percentage of employees who telecommute or listed as remote employees--with frequent travelto client sites as part of a consulting team. They do not ever "relocate" to a home office of any kind. Thank you again, Jennifer |
|
|
Unexpected HR job search challenges
posted at 12/5/2006 1:33 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 3/10/2008 |
Dear JMHR:
Let's take your resume first. Your current resume starts out with: OBJECTIVE: Strategic Human Resources or other professional opportunity compatible with my work experience and educational background. EDUCATION: University of Rochester, Rochester, New York PhD, English Department, 19xx MA, English Department, 19xx McGill University, Montreal, Canada BA, English Literature/Psychology, Summa cum Laude Its difficult to see your HR experience. Your two most recent jobs were in recruiting (one as Director of Staffing and the other as Manager of Recruiting). Your HR Generalist experience is totally buried. I imagine the reader having to sit there with a cup of coffee while they studied your resume to get to the important points. But the average resume is looked at for only ten seconds, so help them figure you out in that time, and send them a message that encourages them to read on a little while longer. Your new resume could read -- depending on the kind of job you want next: (Make the following bolded and centered) (line 1) Recruiting Director / HR Generalist (line 2) With 7 years of hands-on experience (line 3) and a Ph.D. This should be followed by bulleted accomplishments that would be of most interest to the reader, such as: · Industry experience includes health care, telecom and not-for-profit. · HR generalist duties include employee relations, employee referral, incentive pay and retention programs, policy writing/revision, benefits, new hire compensation, job evaluation and delivery of training. · Led a high performance recruitment team of 10-12 recruiters that exceeded all staffing & retention targets. · Generated a $4.9 million cost avoidance in the first year by developing a highly successful new graduate RN recruitment strategy. Your education should be moved to the bottom. From your summary, they will know that you have a Ph.D.. They can look tot he bottom of tyour resume for the details, which are basically not all that relevant to HR. I'll address other issues in a later post. Cordially, Kate |
|
|
Unexpected HR job search challenges
posted at 12/6/2006 12:27 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 3/10/2008 |
Dear JMHR: As to your issue:
"The companies I mentioned (organizations like IBM, Hewitt, TNG, Accenture, CEB)are reported to have a high percentage of employees who telecommute or listed as remote employees--with frequent travelto client sites as part of a consulting team. They do not ever "relocate" to a home office of any kind." Here's one way to find people to talk to at those companies. Join SHRM (Society for Human Resource Professionals). I did a search on Hewitt, and came up with 102 names. Accenture had 122 names. You can look at each person's title and location and see who would be the best ones for you to contact. Cheers, Kate Wendleton |
Forums » Topic Forums » HR Career Forum » Unexpected HR job search challenges
