An argument against being depressed

Granted, the news about the job market is pretty depressing. Every month more jobs are lost, and there are more job seekers than there are openings. That’s the reality, and there’s nothing you can do about those facts.

Does that mean that you should just get depressed and give up? NO, even though you might be tempted to say, “Well if there are not enough jobs, then what’s the point?”

What has REALLY changed in this job market is that with fewer jobs and more highly qualified job seekers, the openings that do exist are going to the top candidates. Don’t think of yourself as the top talent? Well, if that’s the case, what are you going to do about it?

You now have two choices. You can choose to be depressed and give up, or, you can choose to BE top talent. That’s right- it’s a choice. And it’s your choice to make. The students and alumni I work with who have decided that they’re going to be the best and do whatever it takes to get the job they want, are getting jobs. They’re doing the right things to prepare for their career- getting experience however they can, developing relationships with the right people, and perfecting their job search strategies, and are perfectly willing to invest as much time and effort into achieving their goals as it takes. These are the “top” people the jobs are going to. The biggest correlation we’ve seen with job search success is the applicant’s level of commitment to being the best and willingness to do whatever it takes.

Therefore, if you DECIDE you’re going to be the best and do whatever it takes, jobs are out there for you. Granted, if everybody made this decision, then we’d have a real competition problem. But what you have going for you right now is that the majority of job seekers aren’t as committed as they need to be… making it easy for you to rise to the top if you decide to.

So don’t let the bad news about the job market get you down; just take that information for what it is- your guide to what it’s going to take to get a job.