The Good, Bad & Disrespected

by George Lorenzo

If you have just entered the world of job searching, welcome to second class citizenry. That’s right; you are now officially an unworthy-of-common-everyday-respect citizen; despite your professional working status in life; despite any experience, skills and knowledge you may have; despite your exceptional gifts as a communicator and/or the fact that you were a dynamic former employee who helped move the company or companies you once worked for to new heights of success. All that means nothing now!

That resume you spent weeks on perfecting is meaningless. Your only status now is that you are “unemployed.” You are among the millions of other Rodney Dangerfield's now roaming the Internet, wasting hour upon hour writing cover letters that barely get read let alone understood.

If you have entered the ranks of the seasoned unemployed, you know what I am talking about. The cold, hard truth is that all those jobs that you see online are mostly unattainable because the true candidate has already been decided and the want ad you are reading is only a means for the hiring entity to show that they are following the rules. Or they are looking for that unrealistic perfect candidate.Or the ad is outdated and somebody forgot to take it down. Or the only person they are going to hire is a choice between several close friends or relatives of employees that have also applied for the job and, ironically, have none of the skills being asked for in the ad. The fact that you probably have more experience and know-how then the people making the hiring decision is probably a strike against you, too, because they subconsciously know that hiring you would be a threat to their positions.  

You are in a no-win situation. The only thing that you can hope for is the mostly random possibility of having a stroke of good luck that will get you in the door for an interview. And once you reach that door, be prepared for more absurdities and stupid questions, all aimed at knocking you out of the batter’s box. This is second-class citizenry at its highest level of attainment.

Some of the best advice at this time in your career is start your own business if at all possible. Take advantage of unemployment insurance and any other means you can find for income and try to do what you have always wanted to do. Of course, this is not an easy proposition by any means. In fact, it will more than likely be the most challenging endeavor of your life – but you may never have this opportunity again – so go for it if you have the gumption, self-discipline and passion to go it alone. If you are a risk-taker, then this could very well be your best and most fulfilling pathway. 

If going alone is not feasible, then I would suggest that you find a headhunter. – in other words, someone who can open doors that does this for a living. It may be worth hiring someone to do this for you, if you can afford it. 

Additionally, become a public relations expert for yourself. Join Rotary, your local Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, networking clubs, etc…. Do whatever you can to go out and shake hands with people. Get a business calling card. Let people know that you are seeking work, both as a hired employee and freelancer. Building face-to-face relationships is a much more effective strategy than sending out resume and cover letter after resume and cover letter. 

I realize that most of what I am suggesting requires some kind of financial investment. The only thing you can do is be creative and frugal. Look good. Be positive. Smile. Be friendly. Try to maintain a sense of calm despite the fact that you may not know where the next tank of gas will come from. Giving up is not an option. Something good will come about, hopefully very soon.