An Open Letter from Unemployment.

I debating posting this or at least thought of having it posted anonymously. The stigma that comes with a person who acknowledges that they are unemployed can be a lot. What’s wrong with them? Why does no one want to hire them? Most importantly, why would I take advice from them?

I get it. On average the people that will see or read this are employed. Those of us that are dedicated to looking for a job, don’t have time or energy to read some op-ed piece that doesn’t have a fundamental solution to our biggest hurdle. Employment.

But, if you do come across this read, and are struggling to find your next home in the career world, there are two important highlights:

One - do not get discouraged. The weight and overwhelming pressure that can be felt when searching for a job, not in leisure time, or while still currently employed, is immense. Similar to a ton of bricks pressing down on you, with no sign of reprieve. What I can promise you is it will not last forever. If you continue to move forward, even if tiny are the steps, you will find your way out of this moment. Your career may look different and there may be some sacrifices made along the way, but eventually this moment will end, and we know this because nothing can stay the same forever.

Two – you are not alone or unworthy. There are so many of us that have experienced the shadows of unemployment. It may not be comforting now or an answer to your current employment status, but it remains true, unemployment is not shameful. You do not need to hide in the darkness, tucked away like a troll under a bridge, hoping that some company or firm finally notices you and takes pity, leading you back out into the light.

The ability for one to stand in their circumstance, advancing forward, with the confidence and awareness that they are a valuable and worthy candidate is palpable.

What did I learn?

The reality is of my current 300 plus applications submitted less than 10% have or will ever be seen by a hiring manager. Of the countless emails and LinkedIn connects or introduction messages only a few will ever be opened, let alone acknowledged. Which means, for most of the companies where I submitted applications or sent an introduction email, I simply never existed.

What about recruiters? Their story isn’t all that optimistic. Most recruiting firms are inundated with thousands of candidates. It is unreasonable for a single recruiter to not only comb through their database but also review the hundreds of applicants that come via LinkedIn, company websites, Indeed.com, etc and remember them all for one job post. Lots of recruiters now use AI or excel formulas to weed out the bottom 90% of applicants based on key words or metrics. With thousands of applications submitted they are left with the top 10% of a key word search, removing all of the human aspect in recruiting and missing out on some of the best suited candidates. For most recruiters (in non-specialized fields) their job ends up being not finding the best candidate but providing good enough options to a company to get someone hired.

The sad truth for those looking for employment, applying and getting a call back for a job you want without a connection at the hiring firm, is like playing lotto. ?

The sad truth for companies that are hoping to have recruiters find the best option for their team, think needle in a haystack. ??

LinkedIn is social media. Facebook for the employed. We connect with people from our current or previous jobs, those are like our “collage friends” on Facebook. We spent a few years with them, remember what classes we had and have some cool memories. Then we have our “met at a party once” connections. Those are the conference crews, maybe a work dinner or meeting. You probably wouldn’t recognize them in passing but conversated that one time, just long enough to say you “know them”. Then you have the “I’m friends with your cousin” connections. Those are like the friends on Facebook that you have never physically met but you both have an affiliation with a person or place, so you connected.

I make light of it so we all remember, while LinkedIn can be a great place to do some investigative work on a person or company, gather some info, get notified about a conference or event (or post a thoughtful piece about unemployment) it is a social media platform. It is rarely going to be the place that drives meaningful connections that lead to your dream job, for that matter any job. Not impossible, just not likely.

Yes, recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn. Yes, people have been hired off connections via LinkedIn, but the fundamental problem remains, because LinkedIn is a social media platform it is generating all of our content and suggested connections based on an algorithm.

If you do not produce content, if you are not hash tagging areas of interest, liking others posts, or if you are not publicly active in all the ways, it will remain difficult to be noticed by firms, companies or recruiters. You will never end up on their feed and they will never end up on your suggested job lists. And even if you do all of those things, realize that you still might get missed.

So, what should we do?

I wish I had a better answer than some helpful tips below, that most of us already know. I am still looking myself. Wading through the muck and mire that is being unemployed. So sure:

·????? Utilizing AI to help craft and submit applications.

·????? Increasing your at bats and chances of being noticed.

·????? Remembering the power of the follow-up.

·????? Expanding your knowledge, using tools like Udemy for free on demand courses.

·????? Not relying solely on LinkedIn for your job search.

·????? Or leaning into LinkedIn (or any social media site) creating tailored content relevant to your desired career role.

·????? And to never be forgotten, reconnecting with people in real life, coffee catchups, personalized one-on-ones – simply reengaging. The face remembered is the face that was seen.

But truthfully the two things that allow me to carry on, even if I change no aspect of my process right now, is first recognizing that this moment of unemployment will not last forever and appreciating this as a principal aspect of life. Continuing to forge ahead, no matter how small the steps or grand the bounds, I “just keep swimming” (millennials will get it).

And lastly, remembering that being unemployed does not mean I am unemployable. Very few of us, have gone our entire careers without once experiencing a period of uncertainty. ?“Think of your career not as a ladder to climb but as a mountain range to cross, with different challenges and environments to master, expanding your tool kit along the way so you can keep moving forward.” Scott Galloway , The Algebra of Wealth.

So, climb out from underneath that bridge, dust off the bits of self-doubt and fear and keep making the trek. I can’t promise how much longer, I can’t foreshadow the challenges that lay ahead, but I can rest in the knowing that I will be okay – and so will you.