Job Search: Pointing the Finger of Blame

Something is wrong with the traditional job search process. Something is broken. We hear “good” news reports that “only” 330,000 new people applied for unemployment benefits in the United States last week, but considering that the number of initial claims is still that high is staggering. Maybe the headlines would not be seen to be so encouraging if taken in the context of the lives being touched. That number is more than the population of several major cities. We would notice if it read, “The Entire Population of St. Louis, MO Applies for Unemployment.” Diluting the data over the entire population of the country makes it seem so much less.

There is enough blame for a bad situation that we can spread a little on every aspect of jobs and job searches. The search for the cause funnels down through layers of uncertainty.

• Economy – We know business to be fickle and cyclical. There are ups and downs that sometimes seem to be totally illogical and borderline paranoid. The system of competition between businesses is good for employment, especially when it creates a competition for critical skills. Staying in touch with overall economic news and forming a realistic value of our skills to the current economy is important.
• Employers – In order to remain competitive, companies will sometimes need to trim costs at the expense of jobs. The finger of blame goes beyond an oversimplified story of profit and greed if survival is on the line. Jobs are saved when others are lost. Every job opening should be viewed by candidates as absolutely critical for the business or it would not be there. Needless to say, only the best will get hired.
• Managers – The people who must deliver on goals and expectations of a company need qualified and motivated employees to do the work. For the most part these leaders did not arrive and survive due to pure chance. Understanding management perspectives provides an understanding of the best way to present skills. Management jobs are also trimmed to the bone and must operate lean with positive results.
• Recruiters – Pulled in uncountable directions, the traditional broker of talent to managers walks a tightrope of being a candidate advocate and being a responsible partner to the business. For every candidate that slips into a black hole, there is a management demand that goes unanswered. Thinking like a recruiter gives perspective. Understanding is the education necessary to succeed.
• Ourselves – Unless the job seeker takes control and personal responsibility for the search, then the biggest finger of blame points into the mirror. In an environment with so many variables, constantly fine tuning the search is the only way to maintain progress. Knowing how to address each component in the funnel is necessary to make those adjustments.

Some job seekers enter the market expecting instant gratification because they have never failed before. If that drifts into a humble acceptance of almost anything, then it went too far. Balance is key. The odds are in favor of those who take setbacks in stride and never give up. Wasting time on finger pointing is counterproductive if not to make corrections to self. Remember that only attempting to control those things that are within the scope of personal control will actually work.

 
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