My mentor-emeritus, Dick Bolles, author of many books, but
most known for the What Color is Your
Parachute books, is always so wise when it comes to all facets of the job
search process. This holds true for one
of my favorite books, his The Job
Hunter’s Survival Guide – a fast read at 96 pages. It’s packed with facts, hard truths, and
no-nonsense advice, including this competency.
Did you know the average length of unemployment is 20.1
weeks and climbing? Lots of people have
been out of work longer than 27 weeks. As Dick says, “if you’re out of work,
better be prepared for the long haul.
Better to be safe, than sorry.”
Conduct is a
verb, an action-oriented word. This means your job search is an active process. The reverse would be true (right?)- it is NOT
a passive process.
So….think about how you spend your time. Do you have a spare 10-20 hours to devote
searching? Of course you do. Yes, it’s
true. That’s about 1-3 hours a day.
Can’t do it? Well, take a look at
how the average person over 15 years of age spends their leisure time on an average day at the bottom of this post.
Assume that finding work in your job. Work as though everything depended on You.
Even if you are currently employed, and looking for another
job, you can find time in your day to search, network and prepare for your next
job. After all, it’s much easier to find
another job when you’re employed.
In Dick Bolles’s words,
“Be willing to work hard on your
job-hunt. Don’t just give it ‘a lick and a promise’, and then give up. Working
hard means time and persistence. Lots
and lots of time. Days, weeks, months. And be smart in your use of time. Learn a lot during this period. Learn which job-hunting methods have the
highest success rate, and which have the lowest. Invest your time accordingly.”
Besides, if you are unemployed, what’s your excuse?
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