Why the job market feels like a dancefloor

It is a rough job market at the moment. Although the unemployment statistics tell a more rosy story, I work with so many clients who are sending out application after application and rarely getting interviews. Sometimes, this happens even after they’ve hired resume writers, coaches, etc. And other career coaches have confirmed they, too, are seeing this pattern with their clients. What was a shorter road a few months ago may be a much longer road now.

There are many reasons why this is happening, but I’ll save that for another post. Today, I just want to re-frame the experience, using a metaphor one of my clients came up with, for anyone who is on the market right now. They made a metaphor for the current job market and compared it to the TV show The Bear.

If you haven’t seen The Bear, it takes place in a very busy, always-moving restaurant. There are dishes being made, customers being served, and lots of stuff happening all around that not all parties are aware of. “It’s like a dance,” this client said. 💃 Brilliant 🎆

If you’re out there on the market right now, I encourage you to think of it exactly like this. [[Hunting for a job is like being on the dancefloor]]. There will be people who ghost you. Leads that seem like they’re going somewhere until they drop out of existence. Maybe even offers that are later rescinded or even fake/scams.

No one can tell you how long you’ll be on the dance floor. One thing’s for sure though: The more time you spend on the floor, the better you become at dancing.

Feedback is an important ingredient; if you’re not getting feedback find ways to seek that out.

Keep on dancing; I’m here if you need me.