Important Points About the Job Search Process (Leads Below)

I, along with a few other CSB staff members, was fortunate enough to meet with some Wellspan human resource managers and personnel yesterday.  It was a very productive meeting, and some really important points came to light that I felt it was necessary to share with you.  These are insights that certainly relate to individuals who are applying to Wellspan for employment--but they also relate to just about any other company or organization to which you apply.

1. Yes, when you do apply to Wellspan--or virtually any other company--someone does have the job to read EVERY resume or application.  So when you don't get calls, that doesn't mean that they didn't read your resume or application.
2. Yes, the results of surveys or personality tests do affect you, especially if you don't do them or don't take them seriously.  If they are deciding between two or three candidates who are "close," that could be the deciding factor.
3. More often than not, when you aren't picked to interview or aren't picked for the job, it wasn't necessarily your fault or something you did wrong.  Often in that situation, the decision was based on something out of your control:  another candidate with special skills that you are lacking (such as being bilingual or having experience with a particular computer program), another candidate who has a certification you're lacking, or perhaps a need for someone with experience simply because they just hired two new inexperienced people and need another veteran to maintain the balance of experience/inexperience.  There are so many factors that go into selecting the "right" candidate, and many of these factors are out of our control.
   
   
   Some of you might take this point and feel pessimistic.  Why try if there are things beyond my control?  But that is exactly why you need to try...because you you never know when what you have is what they will need.  So take every opportunity to "sell" yourself and present yourself in the best possible light.  Show 'em what you got and give yourself a chance to win the job!  And, most importantly, don't take it personally when you don't get it!  Just try again!
4. In large organizations like Wellspan, the best way to have a chance to "break in" is to apply for everything!  They clearly stated, and repeated this numerous times, that the more you apply, the better your chances.  So apply, apply, apply!  And...don't forget that you must apply for every job individually...one application doesn't just mean you've applied for anything other than that specific job.
5. And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you are "new" to a field, look for ways to gain some experience.  Consider volunteering, consider taking another job that could lead to a better job.  The HR managers at this meeting really stressed that we all need to realize that today more than ever (due to the economy) people need to take jobs that are "stepping stones" to their final destination.  Every one of the HR personnel there talked about their jobs leading up to where they are now, and every one of them had jobs they didn't like, jobs that weren't their "dream job," and maybe even jobs that they felt were "below them."  But the important thing is that they took the job, gained experience, and used that to propel them to the next level.  What this means is that all of you need to be flexible in your approach to the job market.  Look for ways to "get your foot in the door" and move up from there.  In Wellspan, that might mean an individual who's hoping to be a billing/coding person starts by working as a secretary, an office assistant, or even something else.  But after six months, he or she can "bid" on other jobs, and "qualified" applicants making internal bids are given priority over external applicants. So it is outside of Wellspan, too.  If you are having trouble finding the "dream job," are there other, lesser jobs, that could be stepping stones to your final destination?  No one ever said that anything HAS to be forever.  We're all on that climb to where we want to be.