I hate looking for a job!
Years ago after I was entering my 10th job in only 8 years after I had graduated from college, a good friend of mine said ”I hate looking for a job! I hate the resume, interviewing, and all the stuff that goes with it.” His wife, also a good friend, echoed his sentiments. They went on to say they would rather put up with a “marginal” to “bad” job as long as they didn’t have to deal with changing jobs. Here I was entering my 10th job in 8 years, and he had been at his small engineering company for 8 years. Obviously, he and I had different views on the job market.
The irony came only a short time later. A new Director was hired into his company. She didn’t mesh personally with my friend. Quicker than you can say “I hate looking for jobs”, he was let go of the company and forced into a very long job search. After 9 long months of looking - trying to keep his children in daycare and putting an undue strain on his wonderful marriage - he finally found another position.
“I hate looking for a job!”
Most people would like to go to work for a company. Work with the same people, and retire after 30 years. As we all know, those days are over. As the above story dictates, a simple change in management can derail those plans. The reason people “hate” looking for a job is because they are not “professional job seekers”. They labor through a resume. They hit the “submit” button on Monster.com, CareerBuilder, or HotJobs. If they finally get an interview, they are nervous or anxious. It’s not natural for most people.
What could my friend have done differently?
- Network. You are probably tired of hearing people say “network…network…network”, but the fact is that if you build a quality network, you can reach out when you are unemployed for assistance.
- Volunteering. Sure, you can go down to your local food bank or hospital and volunteer, but you could also look for opportunities within your career field. If you are a computer professional, teacher, writer, artist, etc.. look for ways to volunteer your time as a tutor or mentor. Find creative ways to put your talents to work. Volunteer for a few hours a week or month - it does not have to be 8 hrs/day & 5 days per week. Not only will you get personal satisfaction, you’ll make wonderful connections with people “who may know someone looking to hire”.
- Update Your Resume. If you are a regular reader of our blog, you’ll note that we preach the value of a good resume. However, we know the reason for a resume is to get you an interview. Nevertheless, you must have an eye-catching resume. Add visual cues - charts, recommendations, keyword sections, etc. Make your resumé stand out, and make sure it is error free!
Networking, Volunteering, and an Updated Resume will help you get a job faster when you are out of work.
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Jay Markunas is a Career Coach, Fortune 500 HR professional, and professional job seeker. Along with his partner, Angela Loëb, will be hosting the Find a Career You Love tele-class on February 3rd at 7pm.
Through his company, Great Occupations, Jay helps job seekers and career shifters by offering The Job Search Boot Camp webinar, Find a Career You Love tele-coaching event, career & job coaching services, and career-related products. Each 1st & 3rd Saturday, he & Angela host The Job Search Boot Camp Show – which also available on iTunes.