I understand why employers won’t hire you

Lots of connection requests. So little tolerance for ignorance. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m not a superstar, but I love to write, hack, reimagine, help, consult, and “let my freak flag fly.” I get a lot of requests for job search advice, and  I feel obligated to answer most of them. I understand why employers won’t hire you. Let me explain.

I denied your connection request. I don’t know who you are. Whether you have a photo with no profile bio or a bio with no characterization, it’s a fail. I will take a minute at times to check out who you are because maybe you’re just getting started. Your job search is suffering. You’re canceled.

 

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Listen to Personal Branding for the Modern Job Seeker

Be more like Sarah. Let me introduce Sarah as an example.

Sarah has followed me for years. Like four years and rarely asks a question. She likes my content, and now and then, dm’s me for career advice. Yes, I gave her free advice. I gave her advice without hesitation breaking the entrepreneurial rule of “free information.” I have no problem. I have gotten tenfold back in return.

I know Sarah as she has moved from several states. Her boyfriend (she says “boy toy”) works for the government, and she has sworn me to secrecy what he does. Let’s just say she has no reason to work other than to secure her future. She is a college professor with tenure and currently is on hiatus to write her third book. The book she says, “…unless you have interned at NASA and practice as a part-time sociopath, would never know it exists.” Well, why does she follow me? Why does she share my content? Why does she congratulate me on every milestone? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.

Oh, I went to her university profile page at the private college where she teaches. She is everything she told me and then some. I can’t say because we have a discretionary agreement. I went to my college library online. I found three of her research papers–17 other collaborators between them all. She says she has written more.

When I first connected with Sarah in 2012, she did not have a profile picture. I connected with her anyway because her social profile was evident. Yes, clarity in everything is everything. She has a quality profile picture now.

There are profiles with the picture without clarity. I don’t want to connect with you either. Neither does an employer.

Read The Best Job Search Personal Branding Advice of 2016

Companies want clarity. At least a bird’s eye view.  

In “Manhattan,” Woody Allen’s character suggests his famous actor friend he’s a fraud. His sitcom has a laugh track during unfunny jokes. Sitcoms today still do this, and you know the jokes are, well, not funny. Most of these sitcoms are canceled.

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Is your profile like the sitcom with a laugh track? 

In a recent article, more than 60 percent of companies won’t interview a candidate not online,

“The study found that 61 percent of employers conduct social screenings to look for information that supports a candidate’s qualifications for the job, 50 percent want to make sure the candidate has a professional online persona, and 37 percent want to see what other people are posting about the candidate. Just 24 percent of those surveyed check social media to search for reasons not to hire someone. ” ~Business News Daily,  June 16, 2017

They are inconsiderate when they don’t say why they want to connect. We don’t have common connections. Other than breathing we have don’t have common interests from what I can tell. Employers won’t either. Recruiters won’t acknowledge your existence.

Be like Sarah. You don’t have to stalk (or maybe you should), but be findable. Try connecting with me again and hopefully, you have a photo and a profile summary. A live audience that laughs a little is better than a laugh track responding to a lousy joke. Anytime.