Rose Tinted Glasses – Don’t Make That Mistake
September 22, 2009 by Damian
It has been pretty obvious to everyone that getting a job in the last 9-12 months has been very difficult. The number of vacancies has shrunk dramatically while at the same time, the numbers and quality of applicants has increased in a similar vein. This has left some good people either out of a job or sitting very unhappily in their current one, desperately wanting to be somewhere else.
Recently, there has been a marked change in the mood around the job market and the country in general. The general consensus is that the worst is behind us and that the recovery, although it may be slow, is on its way.
I agree with this sentiment and god knows I hope that it is correct. However, I have already started to pick up a sense from people that they think that, once business confidence has been restored and the markets have stabilised, changing jobs will be as simple as sending in a CV, having a chat with a hiring manager and signing on the dotted line.
I think there is a serious case of people looking through ‘rose tinted glasses’ at the pre-credit crunch job market. I read an article in a reputable online legal magazine by a partner in a firm in Dubai who said they used to hire people purely and simply because they had the letters ‘LLB’ beside their name. Obviously he was over-simplifying things but the message that he was sending out was, in my opinion, a dangerous one.
It was not (and never will be) very easy to change jobs. Back in the ‘good old days’, I know that there were some people who secured jobs in firms who, in reality, were not strong enough for them and were completely out of their depth. However, those people were the exception, not the rule but their experience has lent creedance to the belief that changing jobs is as simple as changing one’s hairstyle.
I, like everyone else, am looking forward to a job market where people have options. A ‘normal market’ should be one where a person does not have to sit in a job that they really dislike or is unable to move locations due to a lack of suitable opportunities.
However, I think that everyone needs to get some perspective on how the market will actually look in the coming months and years. It will not be a matter of just applying for the job you want and getting it. You will still need a strong CV that showcases your skills and experience. You will still need to demonstrate that you can add significant value and that you have the potential to go far in the organisation. In other words, you will still have to work hard to get a job.
Those who are looking back through ‘rose tinted glasses’ and think that getting a job will be easy, even when the market does improve, are going to be in for a nasty surprise.
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