Where’s Alec Baldwin When You Need Him?
I really enjoy this clip:
For context, here is the scene from Glengarry Glen Ross to which it pays homage:
So what does this have to do with the job hunt? Two things: First, Always Be Looking (the best “ABC” I have come up with is “Always Be Comparing”, but that seems like more of a stretch than it’s worth): even if you have a job, maybe you could have a better job; or maybe you just want to see what’s out there (perhaps in case the job you have isn’t as secure as you think it is). One of the best pieces of “how do you handle being laid off?” advice I ever saw was, in effect, “Always Be Looking”: Go on an interview or two every year, whether you think you’re interested in the job or not, just to keep the muscles toned. If you continue to be happy in the job you still have, so much the better, since you won’t be wondering what else is out there. If the worse thing happens, at least you’ll still have recent practice with the process—and if you handled it gracefully, maybe you’ll have some contacts at places you wouldn’t mind working.
The second thing these scenes bring to mind is—with all due respect and sympathy—maybe the problem is not that the leads are weak; maybe the problem is you. A substantial amount of the hunt is within your control: figure out what you want to do; figure out who does it; figure out how far you’re willing to move to get a (better) job; make contacts at your target company or companies; make yourself the best possible candidate for your job of choice (ideally, you will have chosen a field of endeavor for which you are already well suited); put yourself on the market; keep yourself on the market until sold (those last two with apologies to Robert Heinlein).