Jobseekers, 80 Percent of Success is Just Showing Up

“80 PERCENT OF SUCCESS IS JUST SHOWING UP”

Woody Allen said that.

Was he seeking employment at the time? I doubt it, but the point is more valid than you might think, and also counterintuitive, to most jobseekers.

Pareto’s Principle pretty much guarantees, by our human nature, that we will waste a whopping 80 percent of our time (or more) on activities that only provide marginal benefit, yet we only spend 20 percent of our time focused on the activities that will account for maximized benefit.

Notice that I did not just say that 20 percent of your activities produce 80 percent of your positive results? I am actually asking jobseekers to focus their efforts on the one tool that generates the most likelihood of success (the 20%) and drop the rest (the 80%).

How much time are you spending on your computer during your job search? Did you send out 300 resumes, and not even get one nibble? I’ve done it, we all have. It does not work, and we know it; but many continue to expend their efforts in this way with minimal, if not zero results.

If you are spending 80 percent of your time researching online job boards, surfing classifieds, posting resumes on recruiting sites, or “connecting” on social media you are missing out on THE most creative, productive, and impactful job search tool – SHOWING UP.

The vast majority of job openings are never advertised; they are filled by word of mouth. That’s why networking is the best way to find a job. If you ask anyone, in any field, how they got their jobs, most people will likely answer “through networking.”

Now you may be saying, “I need a job, I can’t afford to work for free, or pay to attend networking events, are you crazy?” Yes, it does seem illogical, but I can tell you for a fact, that pretty much every job, or project, I have ever had has arisen out of a conversation I had sitting around a table as a volunteer on a community board, chatting during a volunteer shift at a city festival, rubbing elbows with fellow participants at a conference or seminar, or chatting at events held by professional associations (including those that weren’t mine).

Networking, volunteering, talking to people around you, and building relationships, without even expecting a job lead, is most likely where your next job will come from.

Avoid the trap of spending the whole day on the computer, and show up for success!