Speed Bumps Lead To Opportunities

Have you ever been moving along rather swiftly in your car, truck or van and all of a sudden there is a speed bump in front of you? Your foot is frantically looking for the breaks so that you don’t damage your car.

Speed bumps are asphalt mounds constructed on streets. According to Wikipedia,The use of speed bumps is widespread around the world, and they are most commonly found where vehicle speeds are statutorily mandated to be low. In other words, you are legally required to reduce your speed in the area of the speed bump. For the purposes of my discussion of a successful job search, my use of speed bumps are the apparent obstacles, both expected obstacles and unexpected obstacles that are in the way of you receiving the job you are looking to do right now. As frustrating as a speed bump can be when driving, the speed bumps you face in the job market are equally frustrating.

Every time someone tells you “no”, you are dealing with a speed bump. Every time you send a resume/cover letter and get no response, you are dealing with a speed bump. When you have navigated your way through a hiring process and the last interview comes and goes with no response, you are dealing with a speed bump.

So what do you do with a speed bump? Just like you slow down to face them in your vehicle, you get to slow down and deal with them in your job search. For each speed bump you face during your job search, the first thing you need to do is slow down and assess the situation. Take a moment a give your self honest feedback about why you might be getting a “no” or why you are not getting a response back from your resume/cover letter submissions.

Speed bumps will lead to opportunities if you take the time to slow down and re-evaluate your situation. Once you assess the situation you are facing, develop a plan of attack so that you can successfully traverse the speed bumps in your job search. If you are unsure about why you are struggling to get a positive response, you may want to consider hiring a career coach. Someone who is trained to evaluate resumes, someone who can listen and assess your strengths and potential weaknesses. Whether you work through your job search on your own or you enlist assistance from a professional, remember that every issue you face in your job search that seems to be hindering progress is a speed bump. It is an opportunity to slow down and re-assess. Make course corrections as necessary and continue to move forward. When was the last time you saw a car stuck on a speed bump? It is not a place to get hung up on. A speed bump can only impede your progress if you stop and/or if you go so fast that you damage yourself in the process. Move forward with caution, but keep moving forward, you will eventually reach your destination!

Image Credit: sxc.hu