Five Hard Truths for Frustrated Job Seekers

Throughout my career, I have talked with many job seekers who are frustrated by the length of time and lack of success in their search. While I believe I have been helpful to most, there are some who still struggle. For those individuals, I offer up these tough-love observations.

1. You are not a victim. No matter the reasons for your search, describing your circumstances in a way that makes you sound like a victim will NOT resonate with hiring managers. Instead, describe the facts and move on.
2. Your attitude needs a reboot. Your frustration likely comes through when interviewing and networking. Try turning those negative feelings into positive action.
3. Speaking of networking, you need to do more. Unless you are the rare exception, you should make more connections, have more meetings, attend more functions, circle back and talk with more existing connections.
4. You need a new and improved search plan. In the words of the famous career coach Albert Einstein, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results".
5. The length of time and ultimate success of your search is up to you. It's time to take control of your search .

Believe me, I understand the range of emotions that accompany a typical job search. It's OK to give in to the frustrations - as long as it is only temporary.

To vent about your search, or better yet, to figure out a better way feel free to reach out.