Job Seeking Advice

[Warhammer]

I know there are people here that have experience with this onsite and I am looking for advice/direction.

As some of you know, I took a job in Dayton in April of last year. On Jan 31, I was let go as part of a sales reorganization.

I have put in I don't know how many applications, and have only had two hits, both of these were through recruiters. In both instances, I got to the final round of interviews and wound up not being selected. In the first case, the company opted to go for a younger candidate who was cheaper (as detailed by the recruiter). The successful candidate for the second opportunity had more experience in aftermarket sales which ruled me out.

In both cases, the potential employers really liked me and how I presented myself. My dilemma is this, how do I get more hits on applications to get more opportunities? Are there any good sales recruiters out there that you are aware of?

[Sun Tzu]

What avenues are you taking? Craigslist? Other job boards? Directly through the company website?

Are you including a customized cover letter for each application? Are you slightly altering your resume for each application? How detailed is your resume? Is it one page long? Two pages? Three pages? Longer?

[stevew]

No advice but it's really shitty you got moved and then let go.

[Alf]

Is that thread of any help ?

LinkedIn: Do you use it? - Front Office Football Central

[Warhammer]

I have been using LinkedIn, job boards, company websites, and recruiter sites.

My resume is 2 pages and I send these in with a customized cover letter. I have not customized my resume much, but have for specific jobs to highlight certain skills.

[JAG]

Do you know where your former colleagues who were let go ended up? Would any of them be willing to put in a good word for you or see if there's an opening where they are (for those that have found work). Any other friends or family that might know of a place that's looking or have an inside connection?

For companies near you, have you thought about applying for a job in person? It might not be worth anything, but considering the amount of anonymous applications that HR sees, anything to help you stand out and be memorable in a positive way seems like it would be a positive. I did that when I applied at the place I'm currently working, though it may not have had anything to do with me getting the job. It's a time-intensive option though.

[Sun Tzu]

Yeah, JAG has a point. I can't speak for your area, but out here a big part of getting a gig somewhere is knowing someone on the inside. If you've impressed one of the C-level folks, or even VP-level, then that's a big plus. If you know someone on the ground floor, or even in lower-management, that can still help...but you have to approach it the right way.

I would scour LinkedIn for people that you've worked with in the past. You'd be surprised how quickly you can go from job searching to signing an offer letter, just by sending an email to an old buddy.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by JAG

Do you know where your former colleagues who were let go ended up? Would any of them be willing to put in a good word for you or see if there's an opening where they are (for those that have found work). Any other friends or family that might know of a place that's looking or have an inside connection?

For companies near you, have you thought about applying for a job in person? It might not be worth anything, but considering the amount of anonymous applications that HR sees, anything to help you stand out and be memorable in a positive way seems like it would be a positive. I did that when I applied at the place I'm currently working, though it may not have had anything to do with me getting the job. It's a time-intensive option though.

I would have no issue with doing that, the only problem is that I do not currently have a car (sales always had one provided to me).