Real World: Job Search #18

Offering Hope

It’s June 1^st. Maybe if you are still reading this blog, you are still in the midst of the job search. You are not alone, I promise! I know several friends and future colleagues that are still searching for that job offer—some even waiting for a first on-campus interview, or a phone interview. I’m writing to you all to tell you: DON’T GIVE UP!

Here’s how the job search works. It’s kind of like a Catch-22. As grad students, we’re all looking for a job. We find some available positions, which get snapped up pretty quickly. Then, we apply for some “anticipated” openings, too. These anticipated openings only become available if and only if the person in that position currently decides to move on.

The problem with the anticipated openings is that the staff members currently in those positions are also job searching—and the positions for which they are applying may also be anticipated. So they can’t make a decision on whether they are leaving until someone else makes a decision first. In this current economic climate, the people who up and leave a position without the promise of another job are few and far between. Everyone wants job security.

All of this to say that positions are still opening up every day. Keep checking online. Keep using your contacts. Maybe it’s time to start broadening your search. If you have absolutely never considered another functional area, maybe now is the time. Keep it up! Good luck, friends!