Lately, I have been wondering where my hard work in tailoring my cover letters to specific job openings goes? It takes me anywhere from 40 to 70 minutes to craft such letters given the lengthy scope and complexity of job postings. Granted, some firms have automatic acknowledgement emails that bounce back after the submission, so I know my application and cover letter were received and entered into their computer database. But other firms keep you wondering. So I categorize companies into professional, those that give you some acknowledgement, and nonprofessional, those that lead you and your resume and cover letter into the job search black hole.
What else is floating around this black hole? Follow-up responses from people you’ve made simple inquiries either by phone, email or even occasionally in person. While it may be difficult for them to reply to you with disappointing news that you didn’t make that next cut in interview rounds, it is a simple courtesy for them to give you closure. Recently, I received a one-line note from a prospective employer after an interview. While it wasn’t warm and fuzzy, at least I knew where I stood. That’s fair considering the preparation time I had devoted to the interview.
Many of my fellow laid-off folks also suffer from this black hole syndrome. Many agonize and feel badly about not knowing the next steps or if any will ever happen. One of my friends is even convinced that one firm’s job postings are fake given her experience with the black hole. She’s certain this is so, because she’s applied to many different positions whereby her skill sets, stellar results and credentials were 100% dead-on matches for the openings.
I briefly wonder about the black hole occurrences in my own job search quest, but I don’t dwell on the lack of responsiveness. I just move on. However, I do keep in mind all the firms and people who exercise this black hole tactic. Eventually, the job market will be back to some level of desire to employ talent. So those firms that aren’t treating me so well now will be on the bottom of my list when considering where to deploy my talent. Some readers may wonder why I even consider myself talented (or have the arrogance to say so) having been laid off in this economy? Simply put, my talent has been lauded many times, and I will not let it disappear into any black hole.
Another dynamic of the black hole (as nature dictates), is that it seems to be ever expanding despite the best efforts of some firms to stand out by treating potential employees decently and professionally. These firms realize human capital is a key part of their growth in the short- and long-term and have invested an extra effort into not contributing to the job search black hole. For those firms that choose not to take an investment approach to their human capital, I guess they can’t outsource the responses to job applicants, because the nature of a black hole is to be silent.
In the end analysis, maybe all the job communications end up in that same spot as all my sons’ missing socks? That black hole mystery has never been solved in my house.
What’s your take on the job search black hole? Do you have any tactics for avoiding it?
