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Today's meditation:
Recently, I had an opportunity to offer several folks some much needed career coaching/mentoring.
Sometimes,
those conversations require some pointed advice, and some harsh truths.
Especially when the person is laboring under delusions that are actively
harming their efforts.
As a generic summary of some aggregated key observations:
No, you are not being discriminated against.
Here's why companies and recruiters are not responding to your application submission:
Your resume is like a tragic construction project that was abandoned mid-build.
Your
resume is a recitation of places you have worked - but doesn't reflect
WHAT you CONTRIBUTED, the IMPACT you had, or the RESULTS you
produced....and, more importantly, you have not QUANTIFIED those
details.
As a metaphor, your
competition (for any job in your field of specialization) have invested
time & effort to build a career, experience, and credentials - that
would best be characterized as "showing up in a Ferrari" - while you
have been satisfied with building a career that might best be
characterized as "showing up in a Yugo".
You have made ZERO effort to distinguish yourself.
You have made ZERO effort to demonstrate thought leadership.
You have demonstrated ZERO effort to show that you are curious - and have been continually learning.
You have made ZERO effort to build a professional network.
You have not even tried to leverage the very meager professional network you have haphazardly built by happenstance.
You have NOT done THE WORK - to prepare yourself to compete in this job market.
You are NOT owed a job.
You must EARN the right to a job.
You have simply SHOWED UP - and exigent supply-demand forces have allowed you to have a job, in the past.
You have apparently depended on LUCK and HOPE - and that is no longer a feasible job search strategy.
You have been COASTING.
You need to GET OUT OF NEUTRAL.
You need to LIGHT A FIRE in your belly.