Stop Using the Job Market as a Scapegoat

Ever since the fall of mankind, human beings have found it easy to blame others when things just don’t go the way they planned. Adam started it all when he used Eve as a scapegoat by blaming her for giving him the forbidden fruit; and Eve continued this newly discovered behavior by choosing a scapegoat of her own–the serpent (Genesis 3:12-13). From that moment on scapegoating became a behavioral norm; and the more it’s practiced the easier it gets.

Take the job market, for example, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and use the poor economy and tight labor market as scapegoats for not taking personal responsibility for becoming gainfully employed. A CNBC columnist echoed this sentiment in a blog post entitled, “Is It the Job Market or Is It You?” A career coach and former recruiter, the columnist asserts that “many job seekers tend to prematurely blame the market when their own job search efforts are shallow or subpar.” In other words, they use the job market as a scapegoat for lack of follow though, inadequate networking or poor job-hunting skills.

Stop the Scapegoating

Using the job market as a scapegoat is a waste of your most precious resource–time. Implement these strategies instead of looking for someone or something to blame or finding excuses to do nothing:

• Use your precious time wisely by focusing your job search. Set reasonable daily goals and actively pursue them. Evaluate progress at the end of each day and adjust your goals as needed.

• Stay positive in the midst of rejection and avoid negative talk from others as well as your own self-talk. Be willing to change your approach to job hunting if things are not working the way you planned.

• Network, network, network. Don‘t just talk about it, do it. Connections generate job leads, the desired outcomes of any job search.

By all means, make a concerted effort to get rid of any scapegoats. The responsibility for re-employment lies squarely in your lap.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *