Looking for work in a packed job market
Flooding is a psychology term describing a technique used to help those with aggravated fears overcome them by surprisingly, over exposing, and overstimulating someone by the very thing, which scares them the most.
It can also be applied to the quest of a job seeker in today's market.
People are not driven to look for work for fun, well... at least not most. It is usually a fear that drives job transitions. This could be simple concerns such as one is not making enough income, or more complex ones, such as they are not appreciated, given opportunity/future to grow, or other management driven factors. Regardless, of the motivator, it is often a nervous excitement that a new job seeker comes to at that first click of a mouse in search of a new job.
Excitement, often precludes fear, and a quick survey of jobseekers revealed that most find the process intimidating, difficult to navigate, and confusing. What to apply to, how to write/revise a resume that will stand out, and what in the end is really going to be a better job, are all common concerns for the job seeker.
The first steps, include publishing or sharing that resume, or applying in person. After this first step happens, a surprising event occures with most of today's job seekers. They are simply overwhelmed with opportunities because so many employers are seeking help, of all kinds, in today's job market.
Flooding rapidly replaces fear and occurs as one simple post of a resume leads to tens, if not hundreds of calls, emails, and solicitations from hiring managers, companies, or the recruiters they use.
This stage compounds the confusion job seekers face and should be approached by those very job seekers with a bit of caution. Each new call and opportunity, can seem to be better than the last and the true reasoning behind why the jobseeker originally started looking can easily be lost in the noise of so many prospects.
This can lead candidates to say "yes," to more interviews, more time consuming "online applications," or assessments that they have the bandwidth for. It is easy in this over stimulating environment to loose objectivity in what constitutes a great job, from one which may simply be one just like the last one, which is being left with simply better pay, benefits, or a recruiting sales pitch.
It is most important then for today’s job seekers to clearly define what they truly want out of a new job before that first click of a mouse. Perhaps making a "wish list," prior to starting the search and only pursuing opportunities which tick off many, if not all the boxes off that list. Additionally, interrupt recruiters early in the conversations. Make sure the role offered is what one is seeking, that the wage, shift, and type of work that would benefit the most over the long haul. Doing so, will save both the job seeker and hiring managers time and in the end allow them and everyone involved to find better fitting employees, and more fulfilling employment.
This is a much better approach than going to many interviews, without a clear goal, and then finally settling for something that is almost good enough but leads to more dissatisfaction down the road and the same process repeating itself.
