Story 1
I promise I’m going to tie all of this into how to find a job in 2022!
A few months ago I was in Oahu, Hawaii. I went snorkeling at the beach where we were staying and was… how do you say, disappointed.
About a third of a mile out is a reef that protects the beach from bigger waves. Snorkeling anywhere within that third of a mile seemed boring. There were not vibrant colors of coral, nor where there fascinating coral formations. There weren’t amazing, colorful fish I was expecting.
We had to drive a few miles up the road to get much better snorkeling. At Three Tables and Waimea Bay we saw spectacular fish and other sea creatures! It was so cool. I was sad, though, that at the property we were at it was… boring.
Months later I was back in the property’s water giving it another try. It was the same boring, but this time I went a bit further. I went as close to the reef as I could, and found some spectacular coral formations. The further I went out the more I saw. I saw colors and fish that I wasn’t expecting. I started to appreciate what was in my own backyard.
I spent more and more time snorkeling out there, even doing some night snorkels. If you’ve ever done this at night you know that is when all the fun (and deadly) stuff comes out! We had underwater flashlights and had a completely different experience.
My perspective on how cool the backyard snorkeling was did a 180. The more time I spent the more super cool things I found. I had to look up stuff I didn’t recognize, or even know existed (fireworms???) after almost every snorkel. Even snorkeling in the day was exciting.
Story 2
As I was snorkeling around, looking at things and hoping to see the next coolest formation or animal, I thought back to the 1980s when I was growing up in Northern California. I loved growing up in the 80s, although I had no idea just how cool it was.
I spent a lot of time biking to the hills and looking for snakes. Garter snakes were the most boring, but I’d still catch them. Bull (or, Blow) snakes were pretty cool, especially because they could be much bigger than garter snakes. I really wanted to find a California King Snake but never, in the six years I looked, found one. I also really wanted to find rattle snakes but those eluded me, too.
I found tons of lizards (mostly blue bellies, aka fence post lizards), salamanders, newts, etc.
I often came home with some cool critter and enjoyed learning about them, watching them move or eat, etc.
Note: I know there are a bunch of people who think this is horrible. I don’t bring animals home like I did when I was a kid.
I was known as the kid who always had a new snake or lizard or something creepy and crawly. I remember once someone said, after I found a 3 or 4 foot bull snake, “How come you always find the cool snakes?”
Snorkeling in Oahu for hours, looking and looking, reminded me of that question. My answer was easy: Because I spend hours looking everywhere, under every rock, every log, and in every hole. I walk through the fields multiple times.
I think my finding critters had to do with my patience and persistence. I really would spend hours looking, and I looked everywhere, day after day.
How to Find a Job in 2022
I think anyone who wants to find a job in 2022 needs to approach it strategically, of course, but also realize it might just take a lot of looking. Patience and persistence.
I know you want a silver bullet to find a job in 2022. The closest thing to a silver bullet in any job search is intentional, strategic networking: informational interviews is my advice. I made a Pluralsight course on informational interviews and a six week job search program centered around informational interviews here.
Informational interviews can be hard. They take a lot of work. You need to prepare and follow-up. You should get a lot of introductions and then continue a cycle of intentional networking as you get closer to the right hiring manager.
“Hard” and “a lot of work” describe most job searches. At least with this strategy you’ll be intentional and purposeful about it.
I think your results will be a lot better, too.
But for this post, and tying back to the two stories, I want you to think about patience and persistence. Looking everywhere. Look even in the seemingly boring places. Look in your own backyard.
Your job search might feel lonely. I was alone when I was looking for snakes, as a kid, but I was so determined and driven that I didn’t feel lonely. As you work on your job search plan, and intentionally network, you should get busy enough with meaningful, rewarding work that feelings of loneliness are replaces with feelings of hope.
Career Management in 2022
I want you to find a job in 2022. I want that job to be rewarding… a dream job! I also want you to think about long-term career management. There are three parts to career management:
- Your network,
- Your brand,
- Multiple income streams.
You can work on each of these during your job search. You should work on each of these after you land your job, and for the rest of your career. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t let your network get stagnant. Don’t think that your brand doesn’t need your attention. And definitely think about how adding other income streams can help you have more control over your financial future than letting one boss take 100% of your income away.
I talk about career management, and other career topics, in some of my other Pluralsight courses here.
Get intentional. Be strategic. But realize you will likley need to practice patience and persistence as you go not just to the cool places but to sthe seemingly boring places. You might find those are excellent places where you’ll find beauty and relief from your job search (aka: a new job!).
Here’s to you as you work hard to find a job in 2022!