Job Search Blues

I was talking to my friend on the phone yesterday, and somewhere in the conversation the topic of another friend surfaced. We'll call the other friend Porshe.

My friend and Porshe talked recently about Porshe's situation. Porshe has been unemployed for a little over two year and has been searching relentlessly for a job. First, the focus was a full-time gig. When that wasn't working out, she shifted her attention to part-time work, and now she's at the point where she'll settle with a temporary position.

But even after two years of searching and being flexible about the type of job she has, nothing has turned up for Porshe. Of course, this is frustrating for her. But what gets her blood pressure rising faster than her continually unsuccessful job search is learning that other people around her are landing jobs. Good jobs.

So what is Porshe doing wrong? This is what my friend and I discussed. Porshe is shooting darts in the dark hoping they land on something; whereas, other are taking shots with the lights on. Porshe doesn't have a preferred job type, nor has she identified any of her strengths or passions. She is simply applying for any and everything that she finds. My friend and I talked about how this strategy can work against her. On the surface, it seems like casting a wider net will improve the probability of landing a job. However, it becomes extremely harder to sell yourself when you don't have a focused resume or proven experience in the industry you're applying for a job in. This is the case for Porshe.

She may see the number of call-backs or positive email responses increase if she focuses in on the jobs that fulfill her interests or complement her experience.

If you're like Porshe and you're stuck in your job search, spend a little time figuring out what you like to do and what you're good at. And seek out only the jobs that included elements of your interests and strengths. By doing so, you'll put yourself in a better position to showcase the value you can add.