WCIYP (What To Do When Your Job-Hunt Just Isn't Working)

Essentially, there are two different ways to hunt for a job. According to What Color Is Your Parachute, there is a "Traditional Way" and a "Parachute Way" to search for a job. If your job-hunt simply is not going well, it may be time to adopt a new approach. Either way, it is important to never give up during the process, as hard work and consistent effort to find a position that matches your skill-set will eventually work itself out.

Nevertheless, understanding the difference between the two methods of job-hunting is necessary in order to find success. The "Traditional Way" of job-hunting relates to creating a resume and posting it online in hopes of landing a position. Under this approach, a job-hunter is likely to take any position available, as exposing a resume online allows any recruiter to find it. On the other hand, the "Parachute Way" of job-hunting refers to finding out what you're passionate about as an individual, and then pursuing that passion in the form of a career. Although this approach may take more time and research, it is more rewarding since you will ultimately find an organization that matches your interests and beliefs. To find success with the "Parachute Way", it is vital to find a bridge-person for a company that you're interested in working at. In short, a connection with a bridge-person will enable you to communicate with a representative from a company that you hope to work for.

Since I am in a job-hunt and graduating in December of this year, I have begun to utilize the "Parachute Way" approach. My passion in life is sports and I have a degree in marketing, so my career goal is to find a position that links the two fields together. Ideally, this would mean that I work for a professional sports organization, such as the Chicago Bears, in a marketing position. Fortunately, studies have shown that the "Parachute Way" of job-hunting works 50-86% of the time. I find those to be pretty good odds if enough time and research is invested into a position that you're passionate about.

For a visual representation of how the "Traditional Way" and "Parachute Way" differ in structure, please consider the image below: