Managing the Most Difficult Part of Job Search…The Waiting Game

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Managing the Most Difficult Part of Job Search…The Waiting Game

One could argue that writing a resume is the most difficult parts of job search, but the 1 thing I see job seekers struggle with the most is managing “the waiting game”. 

In this world of instant gratification, as a society we have become less and less tolerant of waiting.  With a heightened sense of urgency, job seekers especially are intolerant of waiting to the point of building frustration and anger.  They find themselves waiting for a response to an application submitted weeks ago, they find themselves waiting for a return phone call made days ago and they wait anxiously for an reply to an email sent hours ago.  Job search is one long waiting game.

Managing the waiting game is about understanding the intricacies of  hiring and managing expectations.  Job seekers assume getting a job is about them and their time frame.  When actually it is about the employer,  their need to fill a job and their time frame. The sooner the job seeker understands this the less frustrating  it will become.

Though employers have a need for workers, sourcing candidates is rarely ever the fire of the day, often delaying the process.  In the current job market the average time to fill a position ranges from 4 weeks to 3 months depending on level.

I tell clients that they can only control so much of this process and the speed of the process is not one of them.  They are at the mercy of the process, the employers and the job market.  The best advice I can offer for managing the waiting game is to do their best to sustain productive job search activity every day and know that this process is a marathon not a sprint.

2011-11-28T14:40:15+00:00

About the Author:

Cultivating Careers was founded by Karen Kodzik, a Career Consultant who has worked with individuals in transition for over 13 years. Karen meets professionals at various points on their career path and works with them to gain a clearer sense of where they want to take their careers. Karen Kodzik holds a Masters Degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Career Development. Karen couples seasoned counseling skills with a solid business acumen. She has coached and consulted various levels of professionals across industries to successfully reaching that next point in their career.