Some ugly truths about job hunting

[Wes Bucey]

In Reply to Parent Post by Jim Wynne

<SNIP>

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

And of course, Robert Burns:

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley

With the point being that time and chance sometimes have a way of diverting, quite unexpectedly, the best laid schemes. Be open to and aware of the possibility of things you hadn't counted on and don't leave home without a Plan "B."

I agree with this part. In fact, one of my oft-repeated aphorisms is "Man plans, God laughs!" However, every contract I ever wrote and signed always had an "Acts of God" or "force majeure" clause, but that didn't mean that we didn't try to plan for every contingency.

[Wes Bucey]

I've been writing about successful job hunting for about six years. Some of you readers have been with me the whole way, others will be brand new starting today.

Let's summarize:

1. good-paying jobs are harder to find than ever
2. employers and recruiters are ruder than ever in dealing with candidates
3. folks only get hired from interviews, so the first task is to get an interview
4. contracting and temping are viable alternates to full-time jobs
5. consulting is a business, not a job - everyone is not cut out to be a consultant
6. generic cover letters and resumes are poor job hunting tools
7. good references are like gold, treat them that way
8. state or frame of mind when job hunting is important
9. a "skills assessment matrix" (SAM) is great tool in job hunting

An ugly truth:
There are folks out there (and some here in the Cove) who will tell you that everything I have written in the past six years is poppycock. My only response to that is "What is the highest paying job that naysayer has held? Does he still hold it? How many people has he hired this week, this month, in his entire life?"

I have personally hired hundreds of people in my 40+ year career. The companies in which I was an owner or major stockholder have hired thousands. In the 70's, I was a principal stockholder of the largest employment agency in Chicago (by default and foreclosure on a loan I made to the original owners.) When I write these posts about finding, getting, and keeping a job, I'm writing the truth. Sometimes it is an ugly truth, a hard truth, but it is the truth.

Another ugly truth:
If you want a job, you have to make a job out of finding a job. That means learning new skills, new tools, and how to use them correctly. If you aren't willing to do that, don't waste your time reading these threads - there are no magic ways to getting and keeping a good-paying job where you can be happy and have an opportunity to advance. (Even marrying the boss's child doesn't guarantee happiness and opportunity to advance!)

[tomvehoski]

Or just get on Youtube.

Many jobs are still found by being in the right place at the right time, running into the right person and dumb luck. Not saying it is your best strategy to find one, but it happens quite often.

[Stijloor]

In Reply to Parent Post by tomvehoski

Or just get on Youtube.

Many jobs are still found by being in the right place at the right time, running into the right person and dumb luck. Not saying it is your best strategy to find one, but it happens quite often.

I would love to see success rate statistics of job seekers using the "scientific approach" and the ones that were (as Tom describes it) "in the right place at the right time."

Stijloor.

[Wes Bucey]

In Reply to Parent Post by tomvehoski

Or just get on Youtube.

Many jobs are still found by being in the right place at the right time, running into the right person and dumb luck. Not saying it is your best strategy to find one, but it happens quite often.

Quite often? Percentages, please? Statistics of over 9% unemployed, not counting the ones who have "just given up trying" after 18 months to two years of unemployment belies your anecdotal comment.

I agree "some" have lucked out that way, viz the unemployed, addicted singer in the news lately who lucked out and picked up some jobs, but it is irresponsible to extrapolate those one in a million "miracles" to "quite often."

[Stijloor]

In Reply to Parent Post by Wes Bucey

<snip> I agree "some" have lucked out that way, viz the unemployed, addicted singer in the news lately who lucked out and picked up some jobs, but it is irresponsible to extrapolate those one in a million "miracles" to "quite often."

Ted Williams was not a singer but a former radio announcer.

[Wes Bucey]

In Reply to Parent Post by Stijloor

Ted Williams was not a singer but a former radio announcer.

Goes to show you - I only recalled the phrase "golden voice" from a headline, but hadn't read the entire story until your post. thank you!

[tomvehoski]

In Reply to Parent Post by Wes Bucey

Quite often? Percentages, please? Statistics of over 9% unemployed, not counting the ones who have "just given up trying" after 18 months to two years of unemployment belies your anecdotal comment.

I agree "some" have lucked out that way, viz the unemployed, addicted singer in the news lately who lucked out and picked up some jobs, but it is irresponsible to extrapolate those one in a million "miracles" to "quite often."

I can only speak to my personal knowledge. Look back at my post (#30) and you will see the two jobs I landed during this recession came from simply having a resume online and keeping it refreshed. My research, cover letters, customization, etc. all failed to land jobs. My result is 100% of jobs landed in last two years from a passive approach.