The Los Angeles Times recently reported that California’s state unemployment rate has reached a whopping 11.6 percent (June 2009).  That’s a whole lot of guys and gals out of a job.  Even grimmer is the prognosis that the problem won’t be improving any time soon. With so many people seeking a limited number of available jobs, it’s becoming more and more important to stand out from the masses.  But how can one break from the pack of impressive resumes boasting Ivy League educations and years of work experience? Well, the solution to that problem may not be as hard as one might think.
     29-year-old Dakotta Alex is a sought-after Human Resources professional who has worked with a number of renowned companies such as Microsoft, Amgen, H&M and Disney. He has penned several books on the subject of finding a job; his most recent effort is geared toward the particular hardships of locating work in a sluggish economy. For anyone who has lost a position or is looking to upgrade, Alex may prove to be a saving grace in difficult times.
     Allegory Weekly asked this expert the tough questions that job-seekers want answers to and discovered that he’s got the secret to staying afloat in murky waters.

AW:  What's the name of your latest book?
DA:  Damn, I Need a Job. Again! Recession Edition

AW:  How long did it take you to write Damn, I Need a Job Again!?
DA:  I've written four books and it's taken me anywhere from three months to one year each.

AW: What are some of the key mistakes people make when looking for work?
DA:  They apply to every position that they can within a company (recruiters and sourcers get irritated and may black list your name from not being competent enough to apply for the positions (if they are too far off).  Applying for every position does get you noticed, just not in the right way. People like to sit back and wait for things to happen after they send off their resume via Craigslist, Monster, HotJobs, etc.  This is an employers’ market and you can't sit around waiting for employers to contact you.  The gatekeepers (HR professionals) are dealing with a lot more issues than before.  Besides dealing with layoffs, employee morale, they are also still screening, interviewing, going to dozens of meeting because of re-orgs and redeveloping the requirements for the jobs.  If you are truly interested in working for that organization, do your due diligence and find out who the HR professional recruiting on that role is and the hiring manager.  Try to use your 6 degrees of separation and see if you could be introduced to either via electronically (linkedin.com, facebook.com, etc.) or use your BFF (Google) and try to do search terms on the groups and send them emails expressing your interest.  Managers and HR professionals are impressed when you do your research.  It shows initiative.  Be careful not to take this too far though and become a stalker!
     Cover letter or not - it really depends on the organization and their values.  Will a super hot startup want a cover letter? More than likely not, would a brick and mortar or mom and pop want one? More than likely, yes.  You have to remember as you being the job seeker you need to tailor yourself for the job.  It is important to remember it is an employers’ market and you need to do what it takes to be professional while standing out of the crowd.
     Not using technology enough - There are a plethora of resources available online (even some of which I haven't heard of).  I tend to stick with the main ones as they are proven, but read articles on AskTheRecruiter.com on creative job searching to hear of the smaller ones or read the job forums on craigslist.com and monster.com to see what others are up to.
     Power in numbers - if you can join a job hunting group with others like you or create one with varied skill sets.  If you're a sr. professional, find one that is a mid and entry level.  Keep the group small and send each other leads.  It allows you to cover more ground on the same industry / position while not competing with each other.
     Send thank you cards (you need to seem professional and make an impact as many ways as you can).  Only send thank you cards if you are interviewed in person.
     Follow up with the HR professional that scheduled you.  As stated before, most HR professionals are dealing with multiple issues and more than likely juggling 20 open positions.  While you would like them to remember to follow up with you (and they would like to) it is difficult to keep up that level of customer service with that many individuals. After you interview set expectations in place when would it be appropriate for YOU to follow up.  Don't become a pest and use your best judgment.  If an HR professional doesn't call you it means they don't have an answer yet or really busy.  Following up on a regular basis will not only give you peace of mind to know what's going on and still have the ability of not losing your self esteem knowing what's happening in the backend while keeping your options open but also allows you the chance to build a relationship each time you follow up.
     Don't take it personally! Many job seekers take the non response method or non follow up to personally.  Keep in mind not everyone is organized or has superior customer relation skills. Most importantly keep in mind how many thousands of people are being let go each day and how many thousands more are still interviewing and finding work.  Work through the statistic and understand your time will come if you stand out, follow up, maintain professionalism while building relationships.

AW:  Are social networking sites truly effective for people in the middle of a job search?
DA:  They are effective and here is why: The concept is the same as when you meet people in person and exchange phone numbers.  Social networking websites allow you to stay in touch with individuals and continue to build report with those individuals.  Before people had to either call the individual or email them to keep them abreast of what was occurring or to remind them of what was going on in their life.  I personally use the following format presently which has helped to keep me active in my network and to keep getting asked projects:
I have my Ping.fm feed to my Twitter, Facebook and linked in with status updates. If I wanted it would also feed into the other dozen sites I'm plugged into but I will keep it to three to minimize it.
     My Facebook is used for any person I've met in person and my linkedin is anyone and everyone that wants to be a contact.  While updating my ping / Twitter it constantly sends status updates at the end of the day so my 6k network knows what I've been up to and I will stand out at the end of the day when I email them.  On my Facebook I have added former bosses and other Sr. Professionals I would like to get to know personally who would be able to assist me in the future and I them.  By uploading photos and responding to feeds and status updates it allows me to be more personal with those individuals and have a closer report with them.  I am 90 percent more likely to go out of my way for those on my Facebook rather than my linked in because I know those individuals personally.
     There are staggering statistics also available on the number of people finding contacts via social networking and getting introduced to others via social networking.

AW:   What are a couple of tools that people can use to make their job search more successful?
DA:  Recruit.net (great international tool), Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, ZoomInfo.com, Xobni.com, Spoke.com, LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Craigslist.com.  The important thing is to take existing tools and to be creative - building your own support community is key (read previous thought on partner with others Sr. and lower than you in the same position).

AW:  As an HR professional, do you believe in, or feel that affirmative action really exists?
DA:  Affirmative Action does not exist but what does exist is companies that do business with a government organization do need to maintain a certain level of diversity.  The organizations are not fined if not, but they get extra 'kudos' points and it allows them to be higher on the vendor list.  If you are a qualified diversity candidate targeting vendors that does business with the government is a great option.  Again, it is not mandated for these organizations to hire 'diversity candidates' and it's a nice to have not must have.

AW:  What are some trends in recruitment that you've noticed over the past few years?
DA: Accountants, Lawyers, Medical Professionals always seem to find positions followed by laborers (plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, mechanics). Anything in between seems to struggle much more.

AW:  Hypothetical situation: Let's say that someone graduated with a degree in Elizabethan poetry or something like that from a super liberal arts college. What practical, real-world advice could you give to this person in his or her job search (considering they have very little work experience and a--let's be honest, here--ridiculous degree)?
DA:  Tell them to practice saying, "Vente or grande?" Kidding.  It's unfortunate though many people who do graduate with liberal arts degrees do end up as baristas or some low level admin position.  It really is up to the person 's determination on where they want to take themselves.   History has shown us that a degree is not necessary in obtaining success.  I personally feel it is quite courageous for a person to knowingly pursue a degree that they know will result in unfavorable results in operating in our society.  I feel people who do wander down those paths should however take the initiative and instill creative motives in doing what they want to do as opposed to giving up so soon. So my advice is be creative and don't give up. 

AW: OK, so we've talked about everyone else--let's get back to you. When will you personally feel that you've achieved success?
DA:  By definition the word success is the achievement of something planned or attempted.  I can say I have achieved almost every goal I've set for myself or found a reason why the goal was not worth continuing and needed modifying.  However, I think many people successful people feel the same as I do, you never feel satisfied with what you accomplished.  If your goal is accomplish one thing you always find something else to add on to it so it's a never ending cycle. ¤

For more information on Dakotta Alex or to get more advice on landing your dream job, click here.