What and Who Stands in Your Way, Part I

I regularly suggest that if people are serious about their job search efforts they must do more than limit their activity primarily to, or in the case of many, exclusively online activities. If you want better results you cannot limit your activities to passive means - not if you are serious. Simply increasing the number of resumes you toss out there, or relying on luck and prayer isn’t a strategy, that’s methodology suited more for lottery ticket purchases.  

Those born since the advent of the Internet likely never learned the ancient art of looking for a job as it was done a mere 20 years ago. I can hear it now, “What, you mean I have to actually go out and meet people before I have an interview?” Yep, that’s what I’m saying, you’re going to have to go old school; shoe leather, handshakes, telephone calls and, oh yeah, you’re gonna have to learn how to deal with in-your-face rejection. Ah, the bitter taste of rejection experienced up-close and personal. Figuratively speaking, you’ve got to get your hands dirty and wade into the swamp with a knife blade between your teeth. If these things sound unpalatable to you, sorry but rejection and struggling against occasional adversity is part of life and everyone loses more often than they win, which is what makes the taste of winning all the more sweet. 

Online job-hunting efforts should always be one of your tools and it can be sufficient all by itself during good economic times, like a few years ago, when just about anyone with a pulse could find a job if they really wanted one. On the other hand, when times are tougher that effort by itself doesn’t cut it. The need to evolve with a changing environment is a good way of saying “adapt or die” and could there be a more obvious sign of change than the current state of the job market?  

It’s easy for someone to criticize and point out what’s wrong. I can suggest generic solution sound-bites and toss about vague suggestions. I can tell you to do this or do that, but without taking the time to explain in some detail would be like telling a group of young and enthusiastic military recruits with no training, “See that hill, I want you to march up that hill and take it”, then sit back and watch them get cut down by the people intent on denying access. So, if you’re willing to open your mind and try new things that may seem a little uncomfortable, I’ll help as best I can and share some basic techniques. But first you need to better know what you are up against. There are procedures and people who, among their functions are there to prevent you entry; maybe not consciously but it is the case nonetheless. No matter, many people are obsessed with video gaming, in which the whole point is to get around and overcome obstacles to reach the next level, so these facts shouldn’t deter you from your goal. We are starting small and as such, your goal is not to get the job no, that may be the destination but there’s a lot in-between here and there, one step at a time; your goal at this stage is getting the interview. So once you get your head right and ready to do this, let’s talk about who and what is in your way.  

(Part II will be posted on Thursday)

Feel free to discuss this post (no registration required)