When
one works for others (pick your poison),
two things routinely occur: either you enjoy what you do, or you find yourself
going through the motions.
When you have a passion for what
you do, the days pass quickly. Your performance usually reflects the quality of
your efforts.
For those whose life’s mission
amounts to earning a steady paycheck, changing employment qualifies as a reluctant
chore. Work performance rarely exceeds adequate
and most workdays drag. For these jobseekers, changing employment usually amounts
to falling off the side of building into a dark alley, while being lost in
Yonkers.
With few exceptions, the job
searching poses a challenge.† For
most, it is damn-hard work. Anytime one undertakes a formidable task, the
individual’s stress level sores. When that stress persists, other side effects
surface. (Some jobseekers become
downright irrational. Others become physically ill. A few might qualify for therapy.)
Recently, a stressed-out jobseeker
contacted me. He informed me he had written several versions of résumé, and
then proceeded to educate me about the résumé prep process. I was curious as to
how many résumés he had prepared. Upon inquiring about his employment status, he
revealed he had been unemployed more than a year.
A smile of incredulity came upon
me: Being lectured by an unsuccessful jobseeker had a surrealistic effect,
leaving the impression that one of us maybe divorced from reality. Nonetheless,
I listened with empathy as he provided instructions on how he wanted me to
proceed in creating a functional résumé.
The caller nor his situation was
unique. Such inquiries arrive weekly. Each needs help, but many do not know how
to obtain assistance. In the alternative, they double-down and recycle previously
failed efforts that might somehow return different results.
The gestalt of job-hunting
success is greater than its individual parts. Those elements often include a written
strategy, networking, perfecting interviewing skills, a decent résumé (or vita), eating habits and exercise, correcting
credit reports and maintaining quality references. ¨
The ultimate challenge, however,
comes down to appearing authentic—both
on the résumé and in the interview. Being able to persevere to that decisive
moment amounts to successfully integrating the entire process.
Most jobseekers entertain
ambitious aspirations, yet hold a mixed understanding of what is required to
reach their employment objective. Somewhere between one’s aspirations and the ability
to marshal one’s collective resources lies true job-changing success.
† Those
who acquire their employment status through marriage, friendship or inheritance
qualify as exceptions.
¨ Each of these
topics has been addressed in other articles.
Copyrighted (c) 2015 by Robert James
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