Tough Job Market:

Wouldn’t you agree that the “professional you” wants to be able to control your career path, accomplish professional objectives, and contribute to an outstanding company and team?  So how does a tough job market fit into this concept? 

A great article by Geoffrey James of inc.com speaks to how folks ‘live lives of quiet desperation because they focus on things they cannot control’. As I read the article, I felt that even though Geoffrey’s thoughts were spot on, they do not address an area I consider to be critically important.

So here is me getting real (and really angry)…I am hearing that “job seekers should toughen up”. While I understand that we are in a competitive job market, I want to remind recruiters and hiring managers that there are good people, great contributors, and highly competent professionals stuck in a ‘Groundhog Day’ job search cycle. 

Overall the term ‘job seekers toughen up’ means that individuals actively searching for employment should develop a resilient mindset, accept that the process can be challenging, actively manage setbacks by staying persistent, focus on self-improvement, and proactively seek opportunities despite rejections or a competitive market. 

Sounds like a lot of fluff to me. 

What advice…actionable advice…can we provide job seekers dealing with constant rejection? Or suffering constant silence…or even worse, trying to figure out how to buy groceries this week? 

What are the steps candidates can take to change their situation? 

The Job Market Can Be Brutal

Let’s face it, we are dealing with an extremely competitive job market. And if you have set any type of career objectives, wouldn’t it be helpful to know how to navigate the tough job market while working towards achieving those career objectives?

Let’s get busy doing some things that will make a positive difference.

Set Goals

Real goals.  Look at the job search as a project with a definite beginning and a definite end. And every project has an objective…a desired outcome. Therefore, you need to set an ultimate objective that is measurable, highly desirable, and has a due date. You also need to be specific. For example, stating that you want to be employed by a certain date isn’t good enough. Instead, define the Perfect Job. Outline exactly what type of employment you want. Consider things like your title, the type of boss or team you want to be engaged with, the function of the position, the compensation package, and how the new job will align with your career objectives. 

If you are willing to be flexible in certain areas, write those down too. For example, maybe you prefer a work-from-home position but are willing to consider a job that allows you to work from home three days a week. 

Once you have defined your Perfect Job, your goal may read something like: I will be happily employed in my Perfect Job by MM/DD/YYYY. 

You will then ‘practice’ your goal by spending a few minutes every morning reading the details of the goal while visualizing successfully obtaining it. 

Create a Plan

In Geoffrey’s article, he states: “If I don’t take action, I will fail by default”.  Therefore build an action plan that outlines clear steps to obtaining your goal.  

Areas to consider may include:

• Focus on tasks within the job search process such as # of applications. 
• Don’t forget to add tasks related to networking because building relationships with professionals in your field will provide access to more opportunities. 
• Outline what tasks you need to complete to create or fine-tune your personal brand. These will include the basics such as writing an effective resume and cover letter, but should also address things like writing an elevator pitch or cleaning up your digital footprint. 
• Assess your hard skills and map out a plan to learn new competencies or obtain new certifications or education. 
• Evaluate your soft skills, identifying any that need improvement. 
• Schedule time for self-care so that you can prioritize your physical and mental health to maintain your motivation and manage stress.
• Consider whether you should engage a mentor or coach.  

Consider having milestones. 

The way you set up your plan is up to you. But consider establishing milestones that will mark if you are on track.  For example, you may have mini-objectives like: Apply to xx jobs per week that match the definition of my Perfect Job. 

Having these types of measurable milestones will help you create daily objectives. 

But Be Flexible. 

Allow your daily plan to be live…meaning that while you want to be specific as you map out your plan, it is important to remain somewhat flexible and let the plan evolve. 

Why? 

Because as you ‘practice’ your goal every morning, new actions and tasks that will help you accomplish the goal will pop into your head. Additionally, as you perform an end-of-day success/failure exercise, other ideas on what you need to do will become clear. 

So…what is an end-of-day success/failure exercise? 

Success/Failure Exercise

Not only should you celebrate your successes, but you should evaluate what you did to accomplish them.  Were your daily successes accidents or the results of method and discipline?  And, were the items you classify as failures avoidable? The success/failure exercise will have you analyze your failures to learn from them.  You will want to ask yourself what you could have done differently to affect a different outcome. And then, you will put action plans into place to ensure you don’t repeat those same mistakes.

But here is the rule. Tasks that land in your success or failure columns can only be related to what you can control. World peace? Not in your competency (even if you were homecoming queen). Holding your temper or addressing discouragement? Absolutely something you should hold yourself accountable for. 

Conducting this end-of-day success/failure assessment is a key step in setting and achieving goals. 

Some Key Instructions: 

I am including a Success_Failure Template that will provide some guidance on this exercise, but here are a few key instructions.

• Unconsciously, writing your name on the success/failure assessment expresses ownership. Therefore, you always want to write your name on the form. 
• There should always be a space to write out the current objective. It can be your overall goal, or simply what you wanted to accomplish today.  
• Always make note of the date. I recommend you keep these completed forms while working towards obtaining the goal. They may come in handy if you want to check your progress or review for trends such as making the same mistake over and over. 
• In the Successes column, briefly list each of today’s Successes in working towards goal achievement. As you write them down, evaluate them. Were they perfect? Or could the success have been even better?
• In the Failures column, briefly list each of today’s Failures. Remember that these can only be related to your actions, reactions, or non-actions. For example, maybe you felt discouraged or didn’t submit a specific application that was on your plan. Then, consider what you could have done differently…and therefore, how you will handle that Failure in the future. 

Rinse and Repeat…and Consider Asking for Help

Before you go to bed, map out or fine-tune tomorrow’s plan. I encourage you to ensure that every day’s plan includes methods to help keep discouragement at bay. Including things like journaling, setting focus times, exercising, or sitting in the sun for a few minutes can help keep your mind in the game.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to your network. Consider engaging a recruiter or coach. You don’t have to navigate the tough job market alone.