We can’t just be naïve and pretend that all of us will own businesses. Of course many of us aspire to. But even many of those know the hard fact; they don’t have capital to get them started.
Many may have to get employed to get their ideas going. But now, many have tried the route of applying for jobs and it hasn’t worked out for them.
Many rationalize all these. They will go to the extremes of believing that there are no job opportunities out here. They will have explanations of why some seem to be doing just fine in their hunting.
The traditional way hasn’t been very helpful to many of us. Waiting for posts and getting into the rat-race. After all that’s what we’ve been taught.
But the good news is that, we can always opt out. What do pirates do when their ship is sinking after an attack? They abort the ship. So it’s about time that we also abort the ship, while we still can.
All we need is to make sure that we’re employable and available. Some will think that this is easier said than done. However, I will not agree. Change is always possible.
Richard N. Bolles in What color is your Parachute highlights the fact that, the alternative approach to job-seeking is the PARACHUTE APPROACH.
“Here you begin, not with the job-market but with yourself. You figure out who you are, and among all your gifts which ones you most love to use. Then (and only then) you go looking for organizations that match you. And you do not wait until they announce they have a vacancy. You approach them anyway, not through a resume but through a person, specifically a bridge-person—someone who knows you and also knows them, and therefore is a bridge between you two.”
Many companies have begun to rely on this approach. Referrals are working out for many today. Know people who know people who can hire you.
Coupled with that, there are what are known as Candidate Initiated Approaches. They are about letting the employer know that you’re qualified and available. They love it. It shows that you’re a driven person.
Richard also posited that, “If you’ve tried as hard as you can to find a job, and nothing is working, stop looking for explanations. The remedy is staring you in the face: you need to switch approaches. If you’ve been depending solely on The Traditional Approach—and it just isn’t working this time—then you need to try using The Parachute Approach.”
Sure, it’s harder to use this approach. Sure, it requires more of you. It’s more work.
It requires you to do some hard thinking and reflect on who you are, and where you’re going with your life.
But that is precisely its value. It’s not just about jobs. It forces you to step back, and first think about your whole life. And what you want out of life. It begins with Who (are you) before considering What (shall I do).
Who precedes What.
This will help you in not regretting after getting a job. Many do. They wish they had known the reality of what was promised to them, in light of who they are. Avoid that.
Having struggled to secure employment hasn’t been altogether that bad. Has it? I mean, now you can work on yourself, become better and go to the right employers. All it takes is to change how you view your situation outside employment. See it as a time to learn, and do learn.