Don’t Close the Doors on Opportunity

Instant gratification is certainly a great feeling. We do something right and we are immediately rewarded. However, not everything comes with a quick response. Let’s consider getting hired for a project. Back in the day it was simple, right…? You would get up Monday morning, usually around 7 a.m., have a cup of coffee, a slice of toast with jam, and maybe a couple of eggs with bacon. You’d open the front door and pick up your newspaper delivered just a couple hours earlier by the kid just down the street. For those of you who don’t know what a newspaper is…its news, weather, coupons and ads printed on paper, rolled up and held together with a rubber band. Newspapers were delivered to homes every morning before online news and digital ads were created.

Anyway, you would pick up the newspaper, head back to the kitchen, and continue enjoying your coffee while you sifted through the want-ads. There were pages and pages of job openings. You would find the job you liked, call the number listed, and drop by the business for an in-person interview. Yes, you could actually show up for an interview. Just walk into an office building, ask to speak with the manager and anyone passing by would point you in the right direction. You could walk back into the building unescorted, meet the hiring manager who would get up, say hello and ask “when can you start?” Yes, back in the day getting a job was...different then today.

Nowadays it’s digital for most jobs. You are usually required to send in your resume, interview with recruiters and then interview with the hiring manager. Then, if offered the job you get a contract and if successful you get offered a full time position. So what happens when a job doesn’t start until a few months out? Do you drop everything and move on to the next job opening? I would recommend that you submit your resume, go through the interview process and see what happens. However, don’t wait to hear back from the recruiter. What if you don’t get an offer when the time comes? Instead, get online, find another opportunity and see what else matches your skill sets. Whatever you do, don’t drop the application process simply because the start date is too far out. If you start telling recruiters that two months is too long to wait then you’re just closing doors on opportunity.

Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.