Job loss and the art of patience
By Kevin Press, BrighterLife.ca
Meet Roy.
That’s not his real name. He asked me to use a pseudonym because he’s out of work and doesn’t want to be seen to be indiscrete while he’s got himself out there on the market. Fair enough.
Roy and I connected last December when he asked to meet over coffee. A lot of us get these calls now and then; lately more often than usual. I always say yes because, you know, one day it might just as easily be me asking Roy for a bit of his time.
We’re a year apart in age. His two kids are the same age as mine. His wife is at home full-time, like mine. And we both work in marketing. Roy’s been in the professional services field for 15 years; his last title was national marketing director. About the only thing he and I don’t have in common is that we market different professional services.
So I’ve decided to try and help by forwarding him openings I hear about. There’s not a lot happening in the marketing field right now, but opportunities do come up and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.
I’m going to write about Roy in the coming weeks as he conducts his job search. He’s a bright guy, with a valuable perspective. He’s the sort of young professional that should never have found himself out of work in the first place. I’m interested in learning about how he navigates the process.
In our first interview, Roy offered this advice to job hunters. Be patient. Don’t panic and go after the first thing you see. “There’s a compelling desire to get back onto the income track, especially with kids and spouse at home,” he said. “You need to take a few weeks. Get past all of the emotions and feelings that you have initially.”
It isn’t personal, Roy told me. “You realize that this really isn’t about you. This is about a certain time, and you happen to be in the wrong place. Companies don’t necessarily make perfect decisions. They’re just trying to manage a difficult time like everybody else is.”
Stay tuned for more on Roy. He has excellent advice on networking that I’ll blog on shortly. Meantime, let me know if you need a marketing director.
For me, the toughest aspect of job hunting is not applying for jobs and not getting interviews or even not getting the job after an interview, it is the unprofessional and insensitive conduct of many HR staff and hiring managers. They do not get back to you at the time they say they will, they do not return your calls for days and sometimes they do not bother to get back to you at all. This makes job hunting very stressful. Job applicants should be treated respectfully, like potential customers.
Michael, thanks so much for your candor. It certainly is tough out there, for everyone. I’m going to take this to a couple of my HR friends. I expect what you’re experiencing isn’t unique and I’d love to know why this sort of thing happens. Stay tuned.
Michael I agree. It’s too bad so many hiring managers miss the opportunity to broaden their reach.
Something for Roy to look into is HAPPEN: http://www.happen.ca It’s for executives in career transition. They meet weekly in different parts of the GTA and it’s a good resource to tap into. It’s set up with a presentation about something career-related then a networking session with other people who are also looking. It’s a sort of “how can I help you?” place. They also have online resources. It may be something to his interest. I don’t work for them, I just went to a meeting last week is all.
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