Even if you’ve been at it for a while.
Getting hired in 2023 is hard.
I typed out that sentence and stared at it.
And then I did something that I’ve been doing since I was a little girl.
No, not staring at a computer screen.
I asked myself why.
Asking Why is a big part of who I am.
Or so the story goes.
As a little girl, I often sat on our dishwasher, it was a green one that opened from the top. It didn’t even work. My mom used it for extra counter space.
I would sit on it and talk to my Mom.
Apparently, asking why…a lot.
Fast forward to 2023, and I’m still asking why (and still sitting on counter tops because it makes me feel like a kid again – don’t knock it till you try it).
Why is getting hired a hard problem to solve?
Without pointing fingers or placing blame.
It seems like a simple equation.
There are plenty of capable and talented people available.
Companies want to hire capable and talented people.
1 + 1 = 2
Easy.
Not so fast says my recruiter brain.
Budgets come into play.
Work locations have to be considered.
There’s also lifestyles and company culture and business priorities.
Then toss in
Work styles and leadership styles and work wear styles (I have plenty of suits languishing in my closet, they won’t see the light of day any time soon).
There are so many factors to consider and not a singular “right” answer.
So, no – 1 + 1≠ 2
No wonder it’s hard.
Now what?
You and I could talk about why it’s hard to get hired for a long time.
Possibly without resolution.
That’s why making getting hired easier is the reason I write this newsletter.
Rather than suffer like my unworn suits trying to figure out all the whys the problem exists,
I offer this alternative:
Solve the right problems in the right order and celebrate victories along the way.
If getting hired is the goal, what do you need to do first?
- It’s not updating your resume
- It’s not beefing up your LinkedIn profile
- It’s not calling your former boss
It’s the hardest part of a job search
You have to decide.
Decide what exactly you want to go after
The meaning of the word “decide” comes from the Latin word, decidere, which is a combination of two words: de = ‘OFF’ + caedere = ‘CUT
Yep, when you decide you are cutting off something(s)
Like when you decided to:
- Get married
- Accept the offer for your last position
- Buy the car
- Take the vacation
You cut off the other options by virtue of the act of making a decision.
It’s scary because the outcome is unknown.
But, what isn’t an unknown….is you.
I’ve repeated this phrase often lately:
Self-reflection guides career direction.
What do you want to do next?
The more clear and specific you can be in your decision, the less likely you’ll be rattled by the actions and reactions of others.
Right now, some of you are looking for the list of the things to do.
Because
Deciding is HARD.
Your very first step in making your job search easier is to decide.
The even better news is that you can change your mind.
But first you have to make a decision and then you take steps in that direction.
It’s November 2023, you’ve got about 5 active weeks and then things are (most likely) going to slow down.
The choice is yours.
What do you want to do next?
You get to decide.
Get out there.
You got this.