Would you believe one-in-20 jobseekers (roughly 5%) use
professional résumé writers to avoid
seeking new employment? Odd to say the
least, but true. I refer to this group as the imaginary jobseekers, as their job search is conducted without any sense of urgency.
Naturally, this begs
the question: Why would anyone invest money to create a résumé without an urge to
use it? While this defies conventional wisdom, there exists a rationale for
pursuing such a course. Rather than use the résumé as an interviewing tool, it
becomes their emotional crutch.
Outwardly, this
type of jobseeker feels a dire need to project the appearance of seeking
employment. A spouse, parent or friends may be under the impression the
individual is actively seeking new employment. In some cases, these concerned
friends and relatives might even be fronting the expense.
The motives
behind imaginary job hunting vary. Whatever the motive, their immediate need amounts
to keep up appearances. Many imaginary jobseeker will resort to extraordinary maneuvers
in order to maintain this façade.
There is a
difference between going through the
charades like a Kabuki drama, versus taking
decisive action. As in everything else in life, it is not what someone tells
others, but what the individual actually does. In this regard, inactions
continue to speak louder than words.
The following
represent some symptoms that identify an imaginary jobseeker.
1.
Rather than the job search being undertaken as a
mission, task or objective, it
becomes an open-ended project with no scheduled completion date.
2.
The individual will delay applying for new
employment, or will postpone applying until the job opportunity closes.
3.
The individual will fiddle endlessly with the
résumé (and/or cover, and/or references)
—claiming that applying for employment cannot be pursued until the résumé /
cover / references, etcetera, are perfected. (Ah, the perfect rationalization.)
4.
The individual has a morbid fear of
interviewing. Such individuals will resort to anything including outright
denial to avoid triggering a panic attack.
5.
The individual has resigned his or her fate. Not
being successful on the first few go-arounds, the lack of self-confidence has quietly taken charge of the job search.
How
does one avoid becoming an imaginary jobseeker? There is no cookie-cutter,
quick-fix solution. We know that procrastinating a week or two won’t be
catastrophic. As weeks turn into months, the onus begins shifting. After
several months lapse with no progress in sight, the above distractions emerge. The
only one being fooled is the would-be jobseeker.
One
suggested remedy is to take decisive action. Eliminate obstacles as they arise
and remain focused. Move the job search forward with a sense of urgency, if
only by inches. If the job search slips into stall mode, double-down on moving
things forward. Worry not over making mistakes: Correct them as you endeavour
to forge ahead.