Getting Hired Is Not A Transaction

Getting Hired Is Not A Transaction Sorry to break it to you but getting hired doesnt happen as a result of a single transaction like submitting a resume online.  But wouldnt that be nice. Eliminate Frustration Its  frustrating when you dont get a response or a call after submitting your online application. I understand. But your frustration has to do with your unmet expectations, not what the HR team does or doesnt do. Furthermore, there are also situations  that will frustrate you: You  wont  get a meeting just because you ask for one. No one is entitled to connect with you on LinkedIn. Your emailed request for a conversation with a stranger will be ignored. Even your Tweet is likely to fall on deaf ears. Fat chance youll  get a job if you go around asking everyone you know for one. You have to earn the right to get these things.  And you do that by establishing a  relationship first. Strong  relationships are based on knowing, liking and trusting you. So lets re-think this. If you are serious about landing your next job, stop obsessing over how many jobs youve applied to (and been frustrated by when you didnt get a response) or how many people havent fed you job leads. Job search isnt transactional. Instead,  work on building trusting relationships with people with the single goal of getting to know each other- nothing more. No hidden agendas. No ulterior motives. Just get to know people. Heres the deal, for so long, youve been taught to follow instructions, play by the rules, be compliant. These are important, to an extent. But these rules dont apply to real life. Those who  have achieved success (landed dream jobs and/or get what they wanted), seldom did it by playing by someone elses rules. Successful people have  supporters, allies, informants, buddies or someone who advocated for them. Unfortunately, schools and  employers put more emphasis on getting you to play by the rules than on teaching you interpersonal skills like how to  meet people, build mutually beneficial  relationships and help others. What ultimately influences  success usually has to do with how  trustworthy or credible you are. Ever Bought A Car? When was the last time you plunked down over 20K on a car because you saw a flyer in the mail? The flyer may inspire you to take your next steps and learn more about the car. But that would have to be a pretty great flyer from a brand you recognized and/or trusted. What Im suggesting is that your decision to invest in a new vehicle is influenced by many factors. More than you may admit to. The truth is, hiring is not a transaction like buying a car. There are numerous factors that go into the final decision to purchase/hire someone. Ultimately the decision to hire someone is based on a  person-to-person exchange. Change How You Do It Instead of putting all your effort into tweaking the  resume, why not put the majority of your effort into building relationships and NOT expecting anything in return, other than learning about someone. If you did this with the same sense of frequency and urgency you use when searching  the job boards, it could change your outcome. One last thought to ponder. Could your inability to forge trusting relationships be  the reason youre not  landing a job (and holding on to a job for that matter)?