Who Says You Can’t Find A Job?

One of the most common complaints that people have is that they just can’t find a job. Largely, if not entirely due to the economy, unemployment is at an all-time high and more and more individuals are finding themselves at home. Many of my friends have told me that they have applied to several jobs only to never hear back from them. So what is the problem here? When people say that they can’t get a job, the first thing I ask them is “where have you looked for a job?”

Saying that you can’t find a job should mean that you have tried every possible job opening available and still can’t get an offer. What most people mean when they say is that they can’t get a job is that they can’t get a job they feel they are best qualified for. Take for example the recent college graduate. After 4 years of hard work, they would expect to be rewarded with a full time job that somehow justifies their hours of studying and hard work. In reality, because of the economy many recent college graduates are finding themselves unemployed and back at home.

Graduating college, you come away with some expectation of what life post-college would be like. You expect to have a job that you have prepared for all during college and expect to have some sort of ‘plan.’ With the economy the way is though, you should expect nothing and should be ready to change your ‘plans’ at any moment. The point I am trying to make is that Yes, you should apply to all those jobs that you feel you should get but that you should also be flexible in the jobs you apply for. Just because you were an accounting student in college doesn’t mean you can’t apply for jobs you are overqualified for or out of your focus.

With the way the economy is now, you should be jumping at every opportunity you have. It’s not that people can’t find a job, but rather they don’t want to take jobs that have the ‘I can do better’ tag. The other day I heard the story about Ken Karpman who made $750,000.00 a year as a CEO. After a failed business venture Ken tried to find a job but spent 2 years unemployed. Due to a struggling economy and corporations struggling to stay alive, Ken took his UCLA MBA to the local pizza restaurant to ask for a job. From $750,000.00 a year to $7.29 an hour, Ken did what most people should do right now. Don’t wait and see if the economy will get better, take action now. Ken waited 2 years hoping to find a job that would fit his resume. As a result, his family now has over $100,000 in credit card debt and his home is now in foreclosure.

Taking a job you feel you are overqualified for or shouldn’t be doing doesn’t mean that you will be doing that the rest of your life. Having a job right now is as important as it has ever been. A big reason why you see so many college students unemployed right now has a lot to do with pride. In the case of Ken Karpman, who would have ever thought that a former CEO would now be delivering you pizza? We drive certain cars, wear certain clothes, and take certain jobs because we want to live a particular way and to some degree show off a certain lifestyle. With a poor economy, to plan for the future, you need to first think about the present.

Finally, it is important to remember that just because the economy is down, doesn’t mean that their isn’t an opportunity to build for the future. If you still don’t ‘think’ you can get a job, going back to school and furthuring your education is a great option. There are many great opportunities out their for you and it is your job to go out their and take full advantage of them. Remember that every accomplishments starts with the decision to try. Don’t miss out.