Suppose you meet a job seeker whose frustration is nearly a month old. You
ask the cause of his consternation, and he responds with a familiar lament: "My
job search is going nowhere."
From the looks of the guy, he has been diligent in his pursuit of employment,
so you ask incredulously, "You mean you haven't found a single job opening you
would consider applying for?"
The guy stares at you, as though he was trying to read something on your
face. You've clearly asked the wrong thing, but he answers anyway.
You say nothing because you simply don't know what it's like to have your
career off the hook indefinitely.
As if to break the uncomfortable silence, he says, "I haven't gotten a single
offer yet. I mean, I've only been at it for three-and-a-half-weeks, but come on!
I know I'm qualified to fill these positions. My job search isn't leading
anywhere, like it's in a holding pattern. I don't know what I'm doing
wrong."
What do you say?
This guy isn't getting what he wants out of his job search because he isn't
getting what he needs from it. He needs interviews to obtain job offers. Here's
your advice: If your job search is coming up "empty," it's because you
aren't getting interviews. You need to try different search methods until you
find one that works for you. You'll know it when you start landing interview
opportunities.
Does this mean that the job search is hit-or-miss? Is your best strategy just
to try different strategies until you find one that works? Should "luck" be how
you find a job?
