Some of the best jobs out there for you are the ones that aren’t listed.
This past weekend, an Eagle Scout impressed me at a local job fair. As a company that specializes in career search services, we were looking for experienced HR professionals – he was a senior at the University of St. Thomas, and he wanted to be our accountant.
But, we weren’t hiring an accountant. Mr. Eagle Scout gave quite the pitch on his skills, including how he doesn’t know anything about QuickBooks – but, if we created a position, he’d be the best bookkeeper we’d ever have. After uncertainty and a little bargaining, we had a deal.
Our company went in looking for HR, and instead came out with an accountant. It’s like a trip to the grocery store – walk in for the milk, but you walk out with everything that can fit in the cart. We had a new accountant we’d fit in.
This kind of situation isn’t rare. With an unemployment rate of 7%, Galvestonians are bouncing back with more jobs after years of loss from hurricanes, oil spills, and bad publicity that took a toll on the city’s small businesses – but now, there’s a job growth rate of 2.4%. Still a commuter city, professionals are looking towards Houston and suburbs in between for employment, instead of right here on the Gulf Coast, with hundreds of small businesses and a future job growth rate of over 35%.
With that said, jobs don’t need to be advertised for them to be available. Sometimes, small business owners here in Galveston don’t realize the need for a particular position, until you walk up with an Eagle Scout badge and present a pitch – to hire you, and you’ll make them infinitely better.
Sounds easy on paper, but how is it done?
Create a list of companies that interest you.
Research companies, observe their needs, and fulfill them. Very few candidates take initiative in wanting to help companies rather than themselves. If you can offer stable growth and business, why wouldn’t companies hire you?
Make a pitch tailored to why companies should create a position for you.
If you have the skills, you have the power of change to their business. Explain who you are, and what you can accomplish.
When employers can match your face, words, and mission, they’ll know you better – and people hire those they know and trust.
As a candidate, you have nothing to lose. At the very least, you’ll be fresh on their minds when businesses are looking to hire. To top it off, it’s likely that no one is doing the same thing as you.
Aim to be the needle, not the haystack.
Smashing Resumes 