We could chalk the whole notion of
achieving job-changing success to good or bad fortune, or perhaps free will versus predestination, but those constitute a reach. The down and dirty
reality is that humans are creatures of behaviors. The bad job-hunting and
interviewing habits are not conducive to achieving employment success.
Most people believe
that bad habits are limited to over indulgence (eating, smoking, and drinking).
Those, however—unless habitual—usually have a marginal impact. It is the actionable
and passive behaviors that directly impact job-hunting effectiveness.
The most
observed behaviors amount to glaring dichotomies. Two that stand out are those
who are well organized versus those
who pursue a job search haphazardly,
and those who are proactive versus
those who are passive-aggressive.
Recently, I
encountered such a dichotomy. One was George and the other was Tim. Both had
nearly identical degrees, both are in their forties, and both were unemployed white
males due to similar circumstances. Beyond these, there are no other
similarities.
George appeared
well organized, and his résumé went together in about the same time it takes to
make a loaf of bread. Tim, not so such: His project has turned into a piecemeal
affair and we are still waiting for the dough to rise.
George hit the
ground running, and secured a new position in record time (two weeks). Tim isn’t exactly sure what it is he wants to do yet,
or when he will get around to making that decision. In fact, finding new
employment appears to be a low priority.
George had an
action plan well before he walked into my office—replete with a list of names
and employers he planned to contact. Tim has yet to articulate a game plan. (His unemployment benefits have not yet expired,
which may account for his lack of urgency.)
While no two individuals will conduct an identical
job search, behavioral dichotomies appear glaring. Awhile back, I had a similar
encounter with two mechanical engineers. Their profiles were astonishingly
similar right down to simultaneously applying to the same companies and having back-to-back
job interviews.
In that
situation, the glaring dichotomy came down to their interviewing skills. One
was well prepared, while the other was not. One exhibited proactive interest in
conducting employer research, while the other promised to do the same, but
never got around to it. Guess what!
The interviewer observed the difference.
We could scramble a list of opposites together: focused versus unfocused, fearless versus overly cautious, outgoing versus timid, and so on. Somewhere withing the array of behaviors, you'll discover that your actions (or lack thereof) speaks louder than your shallow promises.