As a career consultant I am often asked by my clients “How long will it take me to find a new job?” Or, “What’s the job market like?”
And the answer is----it depends.
First, it depends on how hard you are willing to work. And then on whether you have the knowledge and discipline to work on the right things at the right time?
A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor reveals that the average unemployed person spends less than 5 hours a week on job search. These same people probably worked 20, 30, 40 or even 50 hours a week in their prior jobs. Why, we ask, has their productivity been so dramatically reduced?
Here is what our company’s research finds are the reasons;
• Lack of job search expertise
• Lack of organization and structure
• Fear of rejection
• Emotional barriers (anxiety, depression, anger, etc.)
• Lack of a plan
And low productivity means a longer job search.
Orville Pierson has written an outstanding guide to improving one’s job search effectiveness. His book, “The Unwritten Rule of the Highly Effective Job Search” (McGraw-Hill 2006), is a must-read in the field. So, if you want to conduct a better search get this book and follow his proven approach.
