Fishing...

I have recently had a fair amount of time to reflect on the practice of job hunting, and I have come to some conclusions about it. The one major thought is that job hunting is, in many ways, like fishing. I spent some time this summer at the beach fishing, as well as fly fishing in the Colorado mountains. In both cases this analogy applies.
1: when you cast your line out, and don't immediately catch a fish, it's okay - just cast again. Like this, in job hunting (especially during an "economic crisis") I shouldn't get depressed if I don't get a job on the first try. When you are fishing you just try again.
2: when you are (fly) fishing it works better to "sight fish." This is the practice of throwing your fly out so that it will drift directly across the path of a fish who is actively looking for a bug to eat. This one is pretty straightforward- don't just post your resume on monster or some other site- find an actual job listing and apply to the company (or school, in my case) for that position. This one gets more detailed because when you are fly fishing, you want to look at the stream you are in and see what the fish are actively eating- this helps you to select the right fly to use. In jobing terms, you want to read the job listing for the qualities they are looking for and be sure that your resume and cover letter (or other application materials) are targeted in those areas of your skills.
3. When you get a bite, you need to play the fish smoothly on- don't just yank the hook out of it's mouth because you are so excited. For jobs, the bite is the interview. Be ready dress well, practice interview questions ahead of time. Brush up on the lingo in your profession.
4. Did I already mention that you shouldn't give up? Don't get discouraged. This past summer I "cast my line out" around 70 times, I got 12 "bites" and in the end two offers resulting in the job I have now.
I did just about as well in fishing, actually landing one fish all summer.
Was it worth it?... Definitely.

-- Post From My iPhone