Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life

Chapter 19. Reading Between the Classified Ad Lines

It's so easy when you work backward!

The newspaper help-wanted classified ads look like an organized listing of job openings. The ads are in neat columns, alphabetically grouped, and often numbered by a code for the position. (Same with an Internet job board.)

Organization begins and ends in the newspaper's word processor. The ads are a totally unpredictable, random, free-for-all.

But at least the advertisers have put their money where their mouths are—they're paying for responses. That means you can work your incredible instanting!

There are four types of ads.

The Ones That Don't Say What They Mean (25 Percent)

Confusing words are usually the sign of a confused mind, a committee decision, or both. This occurs most often because the offeror is rushing to meet an ad deadline. The salesperson in the classified office is equally frantic. So, the result reads like an eye chart.

A quarter of all ads are unintelligible, except for the job title (which may be inaccurate). A call-in response is particularly effective, since the offeror probably still doesn't know what he wants.

If you call early enough, it's like picking wallpaper. The first jobseeker he sees is the one he'll choose. He's very impressionable, and your first impression really counts.

So genie him if it's an open ad (Do 1). Otherwise, send a mirror letter like what I discuss in the next Do.

The Ones That Don't Mean What They Say (35 Percent)

These ads appear most frequently and are ...