I figured there's always room for some ranting – it cleanses the soul, expresses issues, and lets people share frustrations. So thus let's start with Frustration Friday, a weekly look at what drives me and others crazy in the job and economic scene. If you'd like to guest rant, feel free to write me.
In this case, let me rant about embracing change in the job market.
Yes, I know things have changed in the economy and the job search. I was there. I've been working as a professional for seventeen years. I remember when Windows started, I remember when the internet became the big thing, I remember when small press comics hit big two decades ago and the growing self-publishing boom now.. I've seen changes in employment, economy, and geekonomy.
It's changed. It's change a lot. I know it. Trust me, I know it.
The problem is that right now I see way too many people ONLY talking about change in the job market. Social media is the big thing right now. Video resumes were hot awhile ago but that seems to be fading. For the LONGEST time I heard about how the internet was changing things – from people who did resumes the same way they always had.
It's changed, I get it.
The problem is that change aside the business gurus, advice gurus, and recruiters who are always embracing change are focusing on one part, one fragment, of the job search – the changing part.
They're forgetting the other parts.
There's networking. There's always networking. That doesn't change.
There's having good skills. That's not changing.
There's learning, that's not changing – though it may be about change.
So, I'm getting tired about hearing how everything has changed in the job search. Everything has NOT changed in the job search – there are more tools and venues, there are changing methods, but a lot has not changed.
At some point someone needs to do a book or a website on what's not changing in the job search. It'd be a nice antidote to all the others.
– Steven Savage
