(in)effective candidate – program status
How to help a candidate who:
- hasn’t been able to find a job for 9 months or longer?
- claims that “I haven’t received any job offer because of the pandemic”
- hears feedback like “… your competencies and experience are amazing, but not your age…”
- thinks about giving up, “I follow websites with job ads for hours, I’ve sent dozens or even hundreds of CVs and… nothing?!”
As part of our CSR initiatives, in April 2023, we started recruiting for a program following the “individual outplacement” formula, which aims at supporting people who have not been able to find a job for a long time. Initially, we assumed that we would recruit 3 people, but eventually, we chose 5 people who started the job search process with us at the beginning of May (more about the recruitment criteria and detailed structure at the end).
Who became an active participant and how are they doing?
The recruitment process for the program lasted a week, and 65 people signed up for the event on LinkedIn. To participate, they had to fill in the application form, which 34 of them did. Of these, 26 people were qualified and given a task: adjust your CV to ATS using our guide. We received the results from 18 people and these are the ones who we invited to individual meetings via Google Meet to get to know each other better and to explore their individual situation.
To be honest, some conversations broke our hearts, because the stories they told were touching and often very sad. We initially wanted to select 3 people, but we could not stay indifferent. Ultimately, 5 participants started our intensive support program. As a reminder: they had to be able to spend 4-5 hours a day on this program.
Participant profiles and their progress
From the 5 participants:
- one didn’t stick to the rules despite getting warned twice
- the other four you can read about below
Participant A
Job search purpose: Senior Plant Director
Years of experience: 19
Looking for a job since: April 2021
Program stage: The participant is after his 5th session and has a perfectly prepared CV and CV for ATS. He prepared lists of headhunters and potential employers under our supervision, meticulously researching the current job market. Additionally, he updated his profile on LinkedIn to attract his target group. During the last session, he went through an interview simulation, which allowed him to gain valuable experience and hone his skills. He also began sending out emails, trying to connect with potential employers and recruiters. One more session remains for him, during which he and his Career Angel will summarize the activities and results so far, and determine additional actions that can achieve the goal of getting a job.
Participant B
Job search purpose: Operations Director
Years of experience: 35
Looking for a job since: July 2022
Program stage: The participant is after the 5th session, which included an interview simulation. She has carefully prepared application documents, including a CV, a CV for ATS, and an optimized profile on LinkedIn. In addition, the participant has prepared a list of headhunters and potential employers and sent cover emails to headhunters. She has one more session ahead of her, during which she will develop a contact strategy under our careful supervision. What’s more, she will soon be able to start actively contacting potential employers!
Participant C
Job search purpose: Marketing Director
Years of experience: 29
Looking for a job since: 2019
Program stage: The participant has completed her 4th out of 6 sessions. She now has an updated CV and a CV specifically tailored to ATS. She has compiled lists of headhunters and over 60 potential employers. She has also worked with us to create email templates for direct contact. In addition, she is currently working with her Angel towards optimizing her profile on LinkedIn. She has two more sessions left, including an interview simulation.
Participant D
Job search purpose: Sales Director
Years of experience: 28
Looking for a job since: August 2022
Program stage: The participant is now past the halfway point of the project and has just completed the 4th session. Together with her Career Angel, she carefully crafted her CV, CV for ATS, and optimized her profile on LinkedIn. The participant also prepared lists of more than 50 headhunters, potential employers and as many as 100 (!) companies she would like to work for. What’s more, she has just started sending out emails!
To sum up, we are already at an advanced stage of the program, with as much as 75% of the journey behind us. As for the job search process, for our participants, it’s only 30% of the path ahead of them. The entire Career Angels team is warmly cheering them on! They are working systematically and consistently, sticking to the set plan, which will surely bring them success in finding their ideal dream job.
If you represent an organization and want to support your (future) former employees: ask us for an outplacement services offer by sending an email to Zadrozna.Anna@CareerAngels.eu.
If you are looking for support in the form of individual outplacement: send an email to Bichl.Sandra@CareerAngels.eu who will personally match you with the most suitable career consultant. To save time: add your CV and availability for a Google Meet call.
PS. More about the entire program for those who are interested
The program in the “individual outplacement” formula consists of 6 sessions, during which the “Career Angel” (dedicated consultant) works with the participant on an individual job search strategy and its implementation. It is based on the methodology that Career Angels has developed over the past years. The elements the participants are working on are:
- application documents – CV and CV for ATS
- list of headhunters and potential employers
- interview preparation
- online presence, incl. on LinkedIn
- networking skills, etc.
Before each session, the participant receives reading material and “homework”, and after each session, they know exactly what needs to be improved and what to do next. The program is very intensive, as it requires 4-5 hours a day to complete the tasks.
