As the year starts, unemployment is a reality for many people, even as we have others making resolutions and plans for the new 12-month Cycle.
It can be very difficult being unemployed (yes, I have been there!)- at some point it seems to take your dignity and makes one feel quite desperate.
One thing that I have seen over and over for the many decades that I have coached and mentored people when things are this rough, people when asked what kind of work they are looking for, they say: Any Job.
Logically it makes sense for someone to say that because they do not want to appear, and perhaps they truly are not, choosy about the employment they want. However, this is a big mistake.
As humans we are wired to sense emotions and states, and contrary to popular belief, we are NOT really rational beings. And as soon as people you are speaking with hear the phrase “any job” – it triggers one of two responses, neither of which is useful for the jobseeker:
1) It triggers the overwhelm response within the receiver of the information – because at that point, even if they would have wanted to help, it leaves them overwhelmed as to what first step to take to help you given the BROADNESS of your response.
2) It triggers the pity response, in which case the person receiving the information may act in ways where they are trying to help, which, depending on the personalities involved, might lead to unpredictable outcomes- including hopefully finding work.
The first response leads to flight (people run away from the situation (e.g. by just saying something like: send me your CV and I will see what I can do) or Freeze – where they don’t know what to do next and can’t wait to get out of that conversation.
Without going too deep into the whole psychology of the process, there’s a very small chance of the jobseeker receiving the help they want by following this approach.
What works?
What I always advise people to do rather, is to at least qualify the “Any Job” statement by sharing a few categories of interest … Especially based on their previous experience or assessment of their own skill.
For example: “I am open to any opportunity really, since I need a job- but I am experienced in sales an PR which was what i was doing the last 5 years before my unemployment” – or one could also say:
“I used to be in admin and secretarial for the last 3 years, whoever am exploring moving into other new areas like finance, budgeting and project management.”
This approach gives the person you are addressing some clue about where to look on your behalf and might even trigger some memories of people who may have approached them looking for certain Skills.
mentioning what you have studied and some of the companies one used to work for in the past without sharing too much detail.
As animals, this approach inspires a sense of confidence in the person being addressed, and while the jobseeker might be desperate, it reduces the chances of a pity response and instead encourages a collaborative response.
Two final pieces of advice for Job Seekers:
1) In approaching potential employers or people in the network that you approach for help: Speak less and listen more- ask one or two questions to clarify, then reply in sharp clear answers then be quiet.
2) Always have your Cv or profile ready – and offer to share it with the people you are talking to, without them having to ask. There’s a reason for this, but I will leave it for the next article.
Conclusion
Being unemployed is a very uncomfortable space for many people to be in, and in desperation, it’s possible for jobseekers to make things worse for themselves by not being specific about the opportunities they seek and in what way they can be useful to a potential employer or connector.
In this piece, I share three tips for job seekers that increase their potential to be employed.
What other tips do you want to share for those seeking employment right now? Comment below.
The Museletter 
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