If you're like me, any sort of shopping expedition is not exactly first on your list of good times. The farthest from a fun, relaxing experience may be a journey to any place with a "Super" involved in its name. An open scuffle from the second you hit the acres of parking space. Aisles you could theoretically roll a Hummer through, barricaded in shifts by overflowing carts with three good wheels.
Yet everything you could need is there, so of course you keep going back. Getting out of there smiling involves strategy, zipping through the carts and grabbing exactly what you need. Talking to people who are struggling in their career search, or unsure of how to approach a Career Expo, I get that feeling of being overwhelmed on their part (and completely understand). A virtual and physical world of literally any job opportunity imaginable certainly can be a paralyzing thing. You can stand in an aisle with a cart burdened down by too much stuff, scanning every last can, or you can stride in with a handle on where everything is, make a few essential grabs, and marvel at how quickly you managed to pull it all off.
Research and practice are involved, but anyone can do it. Whether the job market or the super-sized marketplace, everyone is there for the same reason, looking for the same thing. A few analogies:
- Avoid the crowd: Some folks like hitting the store at 2 am to pull this off. Career-wise, steer clear of the major, general job boards offering positions that you know thousands of other people are applying to.
- Think basket, not cart: In the megasupermarket, not always a luxury we have. In your career search, a necessity. Your goal is not throw position after position into your "cart" with a sweeping motion of your arm, but to travel light, know exactly what you're looking for, and cut through the bewildered crowds slowed down by too much information. Easiest way to do this...?
- Make a list: Of course. But hey, heading out the door, I know I forget all the time. Focus, keep moving, and watch the feeling of "too much" become "just what you need." Search smart!
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