Reenergizing your job search—Part 2

By Pamela Adams, Communications Consultant

Second of a two-part series on today’s challenging job market

In December we heard from Paul Maccabee, founder of Maccabee Group. This month, we get the corporate perspective from Tim Connelly of Best Buy.

 

Tim Connelly, director of employee communications at Best Buy, offers a corporate perspective on looking for a job in this tight market. Like Paul Maccabee, founder of the Maccabee Group, Connelly says there are a lot of good people looking for work.

“We’re very impressed with the level of talent and variety of applicants,” he says. “With so many applicants, it’s even more important for job seekers to make themselves stand out. At Best Buy we look at whether candidates have the basic communication skill set required to do the job and then try to discern if they’re a good ‘culture fit’ for the company.”

Connelly explains that the basic skill set or “tool box” for communications professionals at Best Buy includes strong writing and editing skills, the ability to translate complex information into an easily readable and digestible format, communication strategy and planning experience, social media skills, comfort with technology, business acumen, ability to counsel and influence business leaders, adaptability to change, good interpersonal skills, and the ability to network in a large decentralized organization.

At Best Buy, as with most large companies, an applicant must submit a resume to Human Resources for screening. “The days of the general resume and cover letter to ‘Dear sir or madam’ are over. A resume should describe how you are qualified for a specific job,” Connelly says. “But your resume is more than just a list of skills,” he adds. “It should emphasize your accomplishments and results. Show how you can step into a position and start contributing right away.”

Beyond your resume, don’t neglect your digital profile. Connelly explains that Linkedin and Facebook can be a factor in candidate screening. “We don’t screen candidates based on their digital profiles as a rule,” Connelly says. “But we do sometimes look at them when making hiring decisions. There certainly needs to be consistency between one’s cover letter and resume and the way a candidate presents him- or herself, online.”

As with Maccabee Group, at Best Buy networking can help you stand out as a candidate. “You want to start with the Web and learn all you can about the company,” Connelly says. “Then when you meet with someone, demonstrate that knowledge. It also helps to communicate an understanding of the business in general—not just communications.”

Best Buy is an organization where culture fit is very important, perhaps more so than some other companies, Connelly adds. “We look for people who have a passion for their work. Employees have a lot of opportunity to make things happen here. We want to find people who will excel in this environment, so fit is obviously very important to us.”

Connelly offers this final bit of advice, “Learn all you can about a company and target your communications to a particular employer and job. Keep building your skills and networking. Know your key strengths and confidently articulate what you bring to an employer. And while times are tough, don’t give up.”