Job Hunting Skills

[Jonathan Hutchins]

I have to say there's nothing new in the advice Aron and James have given, as 
is clear from the people who are doing EXACTLY what they suggest, and not 
getting hired.

Yes, there is a problem with these people who want to blame the unemployed 
person, who think anyone who can't find a job is a lasy jerk with poor 
communication skills (and probably nasty personal habits and hygene as well).  
We can take a little consolation from the fact that our modern economy has 
proved time and again that their turn will come sooner or later.

I've done the act - I've worked in several different (collapsed) industries, 
changed jobs a lot.  With two exceptions, any place that I didn't stay with 
didn't stay in business for more than a year after I left.  But I've walked 
the walk, talked the talk, done the dance more times than I like to recall.  

I'm really good at the whole Job Hunting Skills routine, when I can still get 
psyched to do it.

The thing is, it's all a sham.  How bright and cheery I am for an interview, 
how correctly and carefully I answer the latest psychobable interview 
questions - "Tells us what your worst work habit is".  "Oh, sometimes I'm too 
much of a perfectionist." - that's got NOTHING to do with how well I can 
secure a server, or how quickly I can troubleshoot a routing problem.

I've had the grave misfortune to work with some of the great self-promoters, 
who are not only aces at the Job Hunting Skills dance, they're good at 
keeping their nose clean and pointing the blame for their lousy tech skills 
somewhere else while they get ahead.  Managers, who know people skills and 
not IT skills, are easily fooled by these.

So it goes.  The job market in IT, particularly IN KC, is still very weak, and 
very spotty in where it's actually hiring.  Job hunting skills help, but a 
lot of it's luck.

Those of you who are blaming the unemployed for their poor job hunting skills 
are coming off with a real rotten arrogance.  Those of us who know both sides 
of the coin may be forgiven for a little advance gloating - we know your turn 
will come.  

Trouble is, you vote.