Break Time -- Part II

I vowed yesterday to take a break from the job search.  The initial game plan was just to relax, concentrate on home-based projects, and enjoy the day in its fullest.

I lied. 

Well, I didn't exactly lie.  I did do some laundry.  I went to the boardwalk for my usual pensive constitutional.  I donated a few bags to the thrift shop.  And I tried very hard to disconnect from the high-tech gadgetry that generally rules my day.  My intentions were sincere and my resolve started out strong.  Unfortunately, it didn't last as I found myself falling into my all-too-familiar daily pattern of constantly checking email/voicemail, scanning the online classified listings, and sending out resumes.  So the question now becomes why I'm unable to disconnect, no matter how hard I try.  Could I actually be addicted to trying to find a job?

It's an intriguing question, so I did a quick Google search on "job search compulsion".  I came up empty, so I figured it was just me.  Then I inserted "addiction" in place of "compulsion" and... voila!  Misery really does love company and apparently I've got plenty of it as job search addiction is not at all an uncommon phenomenon.  It seems there are many amongst the unemployed masses who are chained to their laptops, glued to online job-search boards, and waiting desperately for the phone to ring or an email to come in with an invitation to interview or -- better yet -- a job offer.

But according to AOL's Liz Lynch, spending too much quality time on online job boards may very well be a waste of time.  In her 2010 article, Is Addiction to Job Boards Killing Your Job Search? (http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/01/28/job-boards-killing-your-job-search/), Lynch makes the point that the return on resumes expedited through online job board channels is actually very low.  She cites the case of one desperate candidate who apparently submitted over 650 resumes online, only to receive roughly ten interviews in return.  Lynch is correct in her assertion that this may not necessarily be the most effective use of time and energy.  However, what she doesn't take into account -- or at least doesn't document in her article -- is which kinds of jobs the aforementioned candidate applied to during the search.  Did the candidate apply only to positions for which they're qualified?  Did the candidate apply to just anything simply to have something to show for at the labor department or was the candidate merely trying to get their resume in the hands of a hiring manager?  At the aforementioned ten interviews, what was the outcome?  Did the candidate possess good interviewing skills?  Did he/she dress appropriately for these interviews?  And what about the candidate's personality?  Are there any quirks or traits that may have discouraged the hiring manager from offering the candidate the position? 

These are fair questions, and as much as they make me question the candidate's judgment and motivation behind sending out so many resumes and not receiving a decent return for the time and effort spent, the article itself also makes me question the judgment and  motivation of Lynch and her editor.  Granted, Lynch's professional niche is social networking, a strategy which she highly recommends employing during the job hunt.  However, the reality is that some job-seekers have very limited professional connections.  They may be young, inexperienced, shy and socially isolated or they may be trying to break into a field for the very first time and simply lack connections.  So as invaluable as social networking may be, it may not work for everyone. 

I am considerably more impressed with Andrew Rosen's article for U.S. News and World Report, How to Fend Off Job Search Addiction (http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/11/16/how-to-fend-off-job-search-addiction).  Advice is always nice and Rosen has plenty, all rooted in common sense too.  Granted, Rosen's article is targeted more toward job-seekers who are already working, but there's a lot the unemployed can take away from this article.  He lists four warning signs of addiction, only two of which I meet, so I guess I'm not too far gone after all.  I am guilty of warning sign #1 (repetition) as I ceaselessly scan job boards all throughout the day and compulsively check email and voicemail.  Rosen's advice?  Reserve a chunk of the day (or a chunk every few days) for job-searching and stick with it.  Can't argue with this.

I am equally guilty of warning sign #3 (forgetfulness) as I've lost track of the number of positions I've applied for, not to mention the names of the hiring companies -- if I knew the names at all.  Rosen recommends applying for fewer positions and putting your heart and soul into sending tailored and compelling cover letters, which definitely seems sensible.  However, I do know better than to apply for positions for which I'm not qualified (warning sign #2), and I wouldn't dream of searching for a job in the wee hours of the morning (warning sign #4) since I like my sleep far too much.  But Rosen's article is a good reminder to job-seekers that there is such a thing as taking a job search too far.  So I'm going to tone it down a notch -- I think.  Or at least I'm going to try.