With the holidays upon us or passing us, many people have new games in the house. If you are familiar with video games, you know it takes some practice to get the hang of it so you can advance forward through the levels. At the beginning, there is a learning curve that is frustrating. But you start getting the hang of it shortly and things seem to smooth out. Unlike video games, though, in job search just as you are getting confident in what you are doing, the game ends.
The average American changes jobs every three to five years. The average job search lasts seven to ten weeks and will vary by salary range (the higher the salary, the longer the search). Doing something for seven weeks every five years or so is not enough practice to get really good at something, especially something that is as critical to your future as conducting an effective job search. That’s why most people feel very insecure when organizing and planning their job search. They are always novices at the game.
Working with a professional resume firm or career coaching practice gives the job seeker the benefit of having a professional player on their team from the start of the game. Career professionals do job search every single day and they stay in touch with what works to win the game. We know all the cheats and the shortcuts, the secret moves and where to find the key to open the doors.
If you think my analogy between video games and job search is a bit far-fetched, I invite you to check out the latest releases of video games. For those of us who cut our gaming teeth on Pong, Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Centipede, the games today are mind-blowing. There are 3D graphics, real time play, multi-player team play, and online competition. Job search today is similar in complexity. There is online resume posting, resume wizards, job search agents, recruiter mass mailings, online portfolios (for a cool one check out Luke Ahearn), global job search, and video conference-enabled interviewing.
If you want to win at this game called job search, it’s important to have the right players on your team. Evaluate and hire the best in resume firms and you’ll get to the highest level a lot faster.
