Three Little Words

Three little words, 12 innocuous letters, that strike fear and dread in the hearts and minds of even the boldest, best and brightest in the financial markets but if encountered forcefully, can end up being a rewarding experience.

The Job Search

The Job Search is so disquieting because of what it does and what it doesn’t do and what it takes away. TJS does shock us when we realize it has to start, it doesn’t (at least not every time) show up with a warning and it takes away our senses of routine and of security. All of us either have met TJS or knows of at least one person who is dealing with TJS as we speak.

What is often missed while gnashing teeth, doing the why-me’s, and donning the finest Brooks Brothers sackcloth, is what TJS gives those who embrace it and go out of their way to make its acquaintance. Think about it. It offers an opportunity to reinvent, to take an audit of skills and strengths and weaknesses, to take the staleness out of our games, to take the time to analyze what we want to do when we grow up. It also provides a new sense of community.

Hey, right now there are a ton of highly qualified men and women in the same situation and to get through a dalliance with TJS quickly and successfully you all will need to reach out to each other. Out-of-work (and employed) friends and former colleagues will have contacts that can be used, networks into which one can tap, and will become aware of opportunities just perfect for you that not even best efforts would uncover if you went it alone. And vice versa. (Note to selves—be willing to share.)

You know what else? TJS should prompt you to contact lapsed acquaintances. Why not? Raise your hand if you have been on Facebook or LinkedIn and found old classmates, colleagues, and/or neighbors and marveled at who has been found ‘after all these years’. (Never mind about how much weight they have put on. Totally not the point here.) If you were looking for these people for purely social reasons, why not do the same exercise for professional reasons? The advice would not be to call so-and-so up or write him or her an email and ask for a job. Reintroduce yourself (in some cases it may be easy, in others cobwebs and crickets may have to be disposed of), do the proper catching up, ask to get together and then talk about additional contacts and referrals.

And guess what? While working with TJS, if you think you have looked at every job board, thought of every potential contact, or fully developed your network, you haven’t, and that is exactly the time when you re-triple your efforts. Complacency is not an option-employment is.

Like any relationship, you never know how long you and TJS are going to be together. In this case you, of course, really hope it won’t be long but the reality is that it could end up being longer, even way longer, than you think. (Believe me, I know). As with any elite athlete, you have to pace yourself but also have a mental, emotional, and social support system in place to get you through the peaks and valleys that will present themselves with uncanny consistency. That support system could take the form of attendance at religious services, a scheduled lunch date or discussion session with friends or whatever but the absolute key is to get out and do something. Do not fall out of a routine, just create a new one. Treat every day as if you were indeed heading in for work. Get up, have a solid breakfast, schedule some exercise time. Plan the day before what you want to get accomplished the following day and then follow through on that plan, which should include applying for jobs, reaching out to contacts, and staying current on trends in your piece of the industry.

Progress will be important to your mental and emotional health. You may think you are making progress, but are you really? How will you measure progress? Go back to basics-pull out a yellow pad and a Dixon’s #2 pencil (do #1 or #3’s actually exist?) and write down every job to which you apply or call you make or email you send. (OK, a computer spreadsheet can be used.) You will get asked (and will ask yourself) about what you are doing, by both recruiters and family members, and you’ll want to come across as having a plan and DOING things. Style foul on you for asking for help if you are not doing your own work or look like you are not doing your own work.

Another part of progress is follow-up. If you have a meeting or interview, find out what the time frame is to hear about next steps. Hold the individual to that time frame. Then, be persistent stopping short of being annoying. I heard of someone who was in a very competitive situation for a job and who later found out he didn’t get it because the recruiter didn’t think he showed enough interest. Ouch! Call, write, e-mail. Don’t let the radio silence be your doing.

Please relay your thoughts, comments and experiences. Like I said—there are a lot of you out there who feel your pain.