Adaptability and Persistence in the Job Search

This week’s blog is written by Eman Jallaq. Eman is buckeye born and raised and graduated from Ohio State in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and minors in Spanish and Music. She is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Wayne State College and is teaching math to inner city youth in Chicago, Illinois.

When we start out our college careers as hopeful freshmen, it seems almost guaranteed that by the time we finish our 4+ years’ worth of schooling, there will be a spot out there waiting for us to embark upon our journeys to beginning the rest of our lives. The plan is simple at first: find a major, pass our classes, and find our dream jobs, or at least something on the path to our dream jobs. But what happens when we cannot find our dream jobs at the end of the road? Or even worse yet, what happens if we cannot find a job at all?

There will always be some unforeseeable circumstance that must be overcome, whether it be a bad semester due to a family loss, or a global pandemic that [impacts] national unemployment rates. But it is the way we react and adjust to these hardships that determines how we create our own paths. One of the easiest ways to remain stagnant in the job search is to continually have the same approach while expecting different results. If you are more than a month into your job search and you have not had any promising feedback, it might be time to step back and reevaluate your methodology.

I would suggest getting as many eyes on your resume as possible to see what could be deterring possible employers and to get suggestions about how to make your personal experiences pop and really set you apart from other candidates. Reach out to ECS and ask for their advice. Rework your LinkedIn profile to catch recruiters’ eyes and make a post informing your network of your setbacks. Your peers and colleagues will be more than happy to help if you are willing to ask; they can offer possible positions, references, and career advice. Make use of the resources at your disposal and work smarter, not harder.

Now let us say you have exhausted your options and are at a standstill. It might be time to look at other opportunities. It is important to know the state of your job market and be realistic with your expectations. In a thriving economy that boasts growth and potential, it is easier to wait for the right job to open up and just bide your time; but in a not so great job market, much like the one we are currently in, I implore you to step outside of your comfort zone and think outside of the box. A job is a job, and experience is experience. Employers a year from now would rather see that you took a position and honed skills and made new connections rather than seeing that you waited out the year with no growth.

Alternatively, if you are not willing to make the compromise for your expected salary, industry or position, there are countless possibilities for improving your resume and your skill set while waiting at home. Now might be the time to go back to school. If you are interested in pursing a master’s degree and your job search has been unsuccessful, take some time off and go to graduate school. If you do not want to make the commitment to more school, complete some online certifications to beef up your resume. This would include getting your OSHA certification, completing classes on Coursera, or any other resources that ECS might offer.

Your mentality and perspective are what hold the most power if you are stuck in your job search with no great offers. It is easy to lose hope and become lazy while looking for your next opportunity, and once you find that opportunity there is often a bit of imposter syndrome that makes you question your qualifications. Keep your confidence up, hold your head up high and believe in yourself because it is your perseverance that will eventually be your way to success!

“The only constant in life is change.” - Heraclitus