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Like many things, the notion of career planning and job hunting
has changed dramatically since September 11. Here, acclaimed author
Richard Bolles offers five strategies for finding meaningful work
in the face of an economic recession and a national crisis.
On June 2, 1976, a newspaper reporter named Don Bolles was assassinated
in a Phoenix parking lot on his eighth wedding anniversary. The
victim of a fatal car bomb, Bolles was targeted by a local mobster
unhappy with the reporter's investigative stories about fraud and
corruption -- articles that capsized political careers, derailed
businesses, and targeted organized crime in Arizona. Bolles, 47,
was a husband, a father, and the brother of acclaimed career advisor,
Richard N. Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?: A
Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers.
On September 11, when Richard Bolles learned that four commercial
airliners had slammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon,
and the Pennsylvania countryside, he immediately sympathized with
the families and friends of people killed in those terrorist attacks.
"I know that grief," he says. "You live in the land
of might-have-been and wish-I-had." After witnessing the horror,
Bolles also knew his job would never be the same again. He was right.
Like many things, the notion of career planning and job hunting
has changed dramatically since September 11. No longer is changing
your career about finding a new employer; it's about redefining
your priorities and ambitions, Bolles says. It's about coming to
terms with what matters most.
"September 11 exposed the repairs we must make in our lives,"
Bolles says. "So often we take our loved ones for granted as
we become enraptured in our work and our jobs. September 11 helped
us see that now is the time to appreciate our loved ones, to listen
closely to them, and to begin important conversations with them
about work, family, and balance. Don't wait for a cataclysm; do
it now."
This fall, Bolles updated his Web site with advice about job hunting
after September 11. Though his guidance borrows heavily from the
totally rewritten 2002 edition of Parachute, Bolles concedes that
the market has shifted significantly since he finished writing the
new book earlier this year. Here, he offers five fresh tips for
finding meaningful work in the face of an economic recession and
a national crisis.
Don't Believe the Hype
Despite aggressive advertising campaigns launched by sites like
Monster and Hot Jobs, Bolles says only 4% of job seekers actually
land a position through the Web. What Color Is Your Parachute
2002 also reports that 74% of job hunters experience some degree
of failure while trying to apply for a position online and 40% are
ultimately unable to apply due to broken links, poor navigation,
or stale information. Some 45% of those who do submit a résumé
and cover letter in response to an online job posting never hear
back from the hiring company at all, he says.
"The statistics are depressing, but necessary," Bolles
says. "If you know the cold, hard facts, you will adapt your
job hunt accordingly. But if you only pursue online job leads because
you think the Web works for everyone, you risk losing your self-esteem,
which is the worst thing that can happen to an applicant during
the job hunt."
Try Plan B
When the standard job hunt doesn't work anymore, Bolles suggests
a weekend homework assignment: Perform a career inventory. First,
ask yourself whether you most enjoy working with people, data, or
things. Then begin listing the skills, interests, and working conditions
that would comprise your ideal job. As you analyze your unique career
criteria, Bolles says a compass will emerge to guide your job search
in the most logical, fruitful direction.
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"This is a method that requires more time and more effort,
which is why people avoid it," he says. "By engaging
in this introspective exercise, you're already a step ahead of
the competition. You've identified a set of transferable skills
that will help you find a role outside of your current industry
or job description."
Be Picky
Once you determine the elements that constitute your dream job,
begin pinpointing industries and companies that fit your parameters,
Bolles says. Don't settle for less than your ideal position. And
don't allow discouraging economic news to temper your fire.
"Job hunters typically run around like chickens with their
heads cut off," Bolles says. "They try to prove they
can do 1,014 different jobs without realizing that employers steer
clear of scattered applicants. Employers want someone who is really
good at one thing. The trick is knowing what that one thing
is, but you can't be everything to everyone."
Jump the Gun
The traditional job hunter sniffs out a fresh trail of help-wanted
postings. The successful job hunter doesn't wait for a vacancy
sign to appear in the window. She identifies the industries most
attractive to her, researches top companies in those fields, and
then finds contacts at those companies. Regardless of whether
the companies are officially hiring, Bolles says the successful
job hunter arranges to meet with executives for information interviews
-- a sure-fire job-hunting strategy offered in the first edition
of Parachute.
"If you start out with you, and not the job market, you
won't have to contort yourself to fit a job description,"
Bolles says. "A worker who is in a job, a place, and a field
that he enjoys will always outperform a worker who settled. The
key is attitude and enthusiasm."
In addition, Bolles says, the best jobs are seldom advertised
to the outside world. Often, companies begin looking for replacements
internally or find themselves too inundated with work to post
a classified ad immediately. If you walk into a company during
the hiatus period after an employee's departure, you may be the
only applicant for a job that hardly anyone knows about, he says.
Don't Back Down
Congratulations, you've landed a sweet job with a fast company.
Now, where else can this position take you? Which employers are
seeking your skills? Who will hire you next? When will you move
on?
Especially since September 11, workers everywhere are learning
that nothing is certain anymore. Jobs are liquidated, staffs are
reduced, and companies change hands with little or no warning.
The talent market is in upheaval.
"I know one guy who turned on the radio during his commute
to work and found out he lost his job," Bolles says. "The
day you start your present job is the day you should launch your
hunt for the next gig. Don't wait until you get fired to think
about your job hunt. Everyone who holds a job now should be asking
about the next step."
Anni Layne Rodgers is the senior Web editor for Fast
Company.
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