The Future of Work is De-specialization

 

Social Networks and Job Searching: A Part Time Writer's Lament

Maybe it’s just me, but the promise of technology and social networking has been a giant disappointment. All the writing positions that companies try to fill get hundreds of applications. I’ve stopped sending resumes out. For a while it felt like I was making progress. Applying and writing cover letters, I make sure to put my best writing samples in the document dump that everyone seems to need. How many employers actually look at them? How do they even have a system in place that checks off the necessary requirements? It’s probably like so much of the digital landscape, they run a bot to filter them out.

But at least running a bot is giving some attention to your efforts. I don’t blame companies for that, at least they’re trying. It’s the ones that don’t bother that frustrate me. I only apply for jobs where I think I’m qualified. Some of them may be a stretch, but I do think the vast number of total applications for every decent writing offering reflects a huge number of unqualified writers. I don’t have the experience to hold down a full time agency writer job. My experience is with blogs, some SEO and very general copywriting. I look for freelance stuff and not the “join” us type positions.

Another problem with the digital age is how easy it is to fire off a bullshit resume that checks all the boxes on the company’s asking list. The difference between a writer with 15 years of experience and one with 5 could be tiny or it could be massive. Someone who only writes part time can do that for 15 years and never experience the grind of a marketing company work week. But a 5 year writer who’s done nothing but write various types of copy is worth much more. Human resources might not be able to parse this out by looking at both resumes. The better ones ask for writing/grammar tests to prove you’re at least above a certain threshold.

While the tests can whittle down the pool of applicants somewhat, there are still what I’d call personal skills to work through. Some people are rigid and don’t take instruction well. They might be a good writer but they’re loathe to make corrections based on what the editor's direction. Others are just terrible time managers and miss deadlines constantly. None of this is particular to writing, but with so much of the work force operating remotely it’s another wrinkle. Distance is a problem when schedules are tight. I love to work at home too but I’m not convinced it’s the best solution for full time employees.

Like old fashioned networking, face to face is just better. This could be a function of my age but I just instinctively trust people I meet more than people I only have a social media connection to. It’s partly why I always check local company listings before blasting off a ‘likely to be ignored’ application.

For all of the amazing advances in high speed internet and ways to connect with people all over the world, the personal connection is still more effective. I remember one of the tips for getting a new job from the bestseller What Color is Your Parachute? was checking with your friends. The author made a point to tell everyone to check with friends and family because employers look there first when they need to hire. There is a temptation to think the internet has made this rule obsolete. Not so. I think it’s as true as it’s ever been. If you doubt it, put yourself in the position of a hiring manager. Would you rather hire a faceless avatar with a good resume, or the family member of a great current employee?

I’m not dumping on LinkedIn or Indeed or any of the socials filling up my inbox with job alerts. But tossing out resumes is just as cheap as listing them. The huge number of applicants is practically a guarantee that yours will get lost in the digital trash heap. What’s the solution then? We are entering a phase of economic life where we’ll need to be more reliant on our ability to make our own money. Large companies are getting squeezed in the recession and making big layoffs. Our Fed has overspent and eventually the dollar is going to collapse. I know I know, it’s doom and gloom again. But we can’t expect that all that fiscal insanity won’t snap back at some point.

For most of us, me included, we’ll nickel and dime our way getting work here and there as a supplement to a regular job. I’ll do that until I can sustain myself from freelance work and part time employment. But everyone should find a side hustle and build it up if possible.

That's what's on my mind lately.