iStockphoto/supertramp As someone who has applied for jobs and employs up to 50 employees, I wanted to share thoughts on job hunting.
If you are in the world of broadcast, from engineering to on-air, there are plenty of places to look for work. Monster and Career Builder are a start. For engineering, the SBE.org website is one of the best. There are classified ads in Radio World. If you know of specific employers for which you want to work, keep your eyes on their websites. Many companies have excellent job listing sections, whereas educational websites can get bogged down by other types of jobs.
Know and understand with whom you are applying. Have some idea of who is running the show and the financial status of the company. If the company is publicly held, research its stock because your livelihood rests on the strength of the leadership. Follow the trends of the businesses and take note of how frequently jobs appear to open up (or not open up); that can be a good indicator of employee satisfaction.
Know the cost of living and other data about where you might be going. I like Sperling’s cost-of-living calculator online (bestplaces.net/cost-of-living). Another excellent resource for understanding where you might be going is city-data.com.
REFERENCES AND RÉSUMÉS
Your references are one of your most valuable assets on your résumé. References are professionals willing to say that you know your stuff. When I hear from numerous candidates and a few provide references while one doesn’t, guess who is last to be “asked for references,” assuming the others were solid enough on the phone interview?
As a matter of format, use no more than one font. Make the layout “formal” and consistent.
Don’t get cutesy. We’re going for professionalism, so leave the colorful printing and goofy fonts off your resume.
Be sure to spell check, and spell check again — then have someone else check the spelling and grammar. Don’t look as if you’re sloppy or don’t care or you’re probably not going to get a call.
Submitting a résumé is work, or it should be. Each should be tailored to the job for which you’re applying. Again, apply for jobs with employers with which you really do want to work.
As someone who has been on both sides of that fence, it’s hard to not to question why someone spent only a year at their last job. Be prepared to give a reasonable and honest answer if you’ve made a few “jumps.”
INTERVIEWING
Hiring managers: Remember that you were in the candidates’ seat at one time.
I treat every person who submits a résumé as I’d like to be treated. I give a generic response telling someone that I appreciate their time in applying and if it appears their qualification meet our needs, I will be back in touch. I also try to include a timeframe on filling the job.
I usually communicate via email initially and expect these people who’ve applied to respond within 24 hours. I see this as an example of their enthusiasm and true interest in the job I’ve posted.
It’s my opinion that the rudest thing a prospective employer can do is to conduct a phone interview and then not respond at all or followup in any way. You’ve just taken the person’s time and left them hanging without so much as a followup email to say that you didn’t feel “the qualifications met our current needs” (a reasonable explanation).
If you meet with a candidate face-to-face and decide not to hire them, I would suggest that you owe that interviewee a phone call or email to thank them for their time and let them know that you’ve “decided to go a different route.” Don’t keep them “on the hook” for days.
DOING A LITTLE MORE
There’s one other thing I’ve done when hiring new employees (who are relocating) that I find almost shocking that others don’t do: Welcome them!
You’ve just spent a lot of time reading many résumés, interviewing numerous people, then finally negotiating and committing to one person. You’re just going to let them fend for themselves?
As a former member of the U.S. Air Force, I experienced the welcome package, designed to help service members and families understand and familiarize themselves with the area’s culture and the new base (location).
I’ve taken this as a great example of a way to make new employees feel welcome at my stations and make sure they had an easy transition to this new area.
That little gesture creates a great first impression with your new employee and helps them to feel invested and confident in the life change.
Share your own ideas about job hiring and job seeking. Write to radioworld@nbmedia.com.
Dan Slentz has just accepted a position with a family group of stations in Fort Myers, Fla.. He will now serve as the director of engineering for WINK, which includes two TV stations, five FM stations and four AM stations.
