Many jobseekers spend a
great deal of time applying for job postings hoping that their fine-tuned
resumes will land them the job of their dreams, or at least a job—or if nothing else, an interview. Their efforts often go
unnoticed, their applications unanswered, and they hardly ever find out why. On
the other hand, others are landing jobs even when they are not looking. Phenomena
such as these are realities of life and career building. However, they are
usually not included in the narrative that career advisors tell.
The purpose of this post is
to shed light on the untold portion of the job search narrative.
Narrative Assumes Ideal Conditions And Denies All Variables Except
One—The Job Seeker
Career counseling is built
on many incomplete claims predominantly focused on how things “should” be, but
not how they really are. The narrative generally disregards all variables
except the job seeker. It assumes fair and transparent application processes
that meet industry standards, that every application is considered equally and
that the people processing the applications are doing their jobs competently. Career
advisors’ narratives usually do not consider the political environments in
which hiring takes place or possible shortcomings of the persons involved.
Formality To Claim Transparency
Many jobs are posted merely to
claim transparency. Some of the best jobs don’t even get posted. They are
filled through networks. Additionally, some jobs that are posted don’t get
filled for financial or other reasons. Subsequently, interviews are often not
what they appear to be. Interviews are more about chemistry than content. Assuming
that a candidate is interviewing for an actual open position, the necessary impressions
are usually made within few seconds.
Regardless of the facts, career
advisors continue to claim that one can write the “winning resume” and conduct
the “winning interview.” Naturally, one can
optimize a resume to a level that can lead to an interview. However, that can
take days or weeks. Additionally, since an interview does not always mean that
one is being considered for an opening, it does not necessarily increase the
chances of landing a job significantly; particularly since jobs can also be
filled without an interview.
Last but not least, employers
are looking for the best fit, not for candidates with the highest credentials
or most sophisticated skill set. The message that more education and a better
skill set increases the chances of landing a job has little do to with facts.
Testing And Extensive Planning
The way one’s career
develops has little to do with what one went to school for, envisioned, or
carefully planned. Careers generally result from coincidence. Regardless of
these facts, job seekers are told to endure extensive career testing and
planning, or they are asked to create artificial networks that seldom lead to
more than frustration. They are given tests that allegedly determine which
careers a particular individual would excel in and be a good fit for based on his
or her skills and interests, as if the individual would not excel in other
careers as much, or as if being a “good fit” at a job would simply be a result
of the role one plays instead of a complex string of factors that depend on
various personal and job-related variables.
Obtaining Opportunities—“Who You Know, Not What You Know”
Obtaining opportunities is one
of the most crucial aspects of a career. Opportunities are not necessarily
determined by hard work, qualifications or skills, but by the chemistry one has
with the hiring manager or someone with influence over the selection process.
Career advisors rarely mention this or that superior qualifications and skills
can, in fact, even halt one’s career by intimidating some decision makers.
People who are aware that
they have received opportunities fairly easily claim that they were given an
opportunity, but they had to work hard to excel in it, disregarding the fact
that this is exactly what differentiates them from the others: They were given
the opportunity to “work hard,” to showcase their skills while others were not,
even though some others may have been equally, or more qualified.
Opportunities are often spur
of the moment events—coincidences. They are mainly determined by, as the saying
goes, “who you know, not what you know.” Obtaining an opportunity is, for some,
the most challenging, and for others, the easiest part of their careers. The
best job fits are the ones that one “falls into” without too much effort or
force.
Future Of Work—Fewer Employment Opportunities
Hope should be encouraged.
However, hope based on inaccurate perceptions can encourage individuals to
waste their efforts on unrealistic outcomes. When job seekers believe the way careers
develop is solely up to them, they work harder. They feel more powerful. Such
positive thinking is more likely to translate into positive outcomes, and some
people will excel as a result of the positive and empowering messages. However,
the opposite can be detrimental and more people are likely to be affected by
the negative outcomes than the positive ones because traditional employment
opportunities are limited and becoming rarer, and the quality of existing
opportunities are deteriorating. Even white collar work in the 21st
century is industrialized (similar to blue collar work at production facilities),
leaving little room for creativity. To maximize profits, employers are working
to specialize and systemize work through uniformity even more. Lacking ethics
and integrity in leadership levels that most people are familiar with encourages
further deterioration of the white collar workplace, meaning traditional
employment, as attractive as it can be, is not necessarily always a desirable
one.
Disproportionately Large Applicant Pools Benefit Employers, Not Necessarily
Individuals Or Society
It is in employers’ interest
that career advisors—backed by schools, universities—continue to claim the
“winning resume” or “winning interview” narrative because the narrative helps maintain
a wide applicant pool. However, with a few exceptions, disproportionately large
applicant pools also indicate oversupply of human capital and shortage of work—quality
work, to be specific. Employers can pick and choose from a pool of highly
qualified candidates while offering less and less. At some point, they can
offer so little that many workers cannot even meet basic living expenses in
spite of full-time work.
It Is Critical That Job Seekers Know The Truth About Hiring
Processes
The truth about hiring
processes must be told because an accurate perception of the situation can help
applicants make more educated choices. Instead of wasting much of their energy
and time to get hired by someone, they may find other avenues to maximize their
potential. Naturally, they can still continue to apply for jobs selectively, however,
while investing more energy into starting their own businesses or doing other
creative work. Additionally, when individuals stop being dependent on others to
hire them, and instead, start their own ventures, “everyone” benefits. Individuals
benefit as they are able to explore their talents and skills, and are more
likely to succeed authentically; businesses benefit from more competition and
society sees a better offering of services.
Career advisors can contribute
to better outcomes by telling the full story of how careers are made so that
job seekers can make better choices.
Original Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alev-dudek/myth-hard-work-and-creden_1_b_9311806.html
