Asking for Help Is Not a Crime! (At Least It Is Not at This Point)

I know many are proud to possess a “Do It Yourself Spirit!” They have a problem to solve, they will look to research how to get it done, get the necessary materials and tools to get it accomplished, and address what they need to fix. There are many who will say that this is part of the American spirit and way of life.

As part of my coaching practice, most of my clients come to me through contract relationships I have with outplacement providers. A company contracts with an outplacement company. Their intention is to provide job search services to those employees they may have to let go, as part of cost cutting initiatives. Among the services the outplacement company offers the employee, (based on the services contracted for by their former employer), are resume writing, webinars on job search strategies and working directly with a career/job search strategy coach. The intent is to assist the job searcher in building a strategy process for their job search.

Some of the clients are happy to have the outplacement benefits. They may have been let go by a company previously, and found that the job search process had a lot of twists and turns they never expected. Others see it as an opportunity to get their materials that help to present them as working professionals strengthened such as resumes, Linked In profiles or cover letters. However, a disturbing number of clients do not make significant use of the services. While a few will outright refuse it, others will put it aside unless they find they really need it. Or perhaps they will look to have a new resume done, but do not choose to build strategy processes working with a career coach. Often when checking back with these individuals’ weeks or months later, they will still be in search, having applied to numerous job openings with little or no success in finding an organization that wants to hire them.

While it is hard for me to speak about the ones that do not take full advantage of the services provided to them, I have of course heard the comments of the ones that have. Among the things the outplacement services have provided them is someone with whom to prepare for interviews and search strategies. Others will say that it assisted them with understanding how not only to create their resume, but how to “tweak” it for a particular job opening. Those clients learn just having one resume is not enough. The need for a resume, that more closely matches the job description is essential in an era where resumes are matched against job descriptions electronically, with a machine deciding if the client is a great match for a company’s job opening.

However, the biggest thing that is often conveyed to me, is the job searcher at least feels “they are not alone in the job search process.” They can comfortably share their feelings at different parts of the search. They can speak to someone who is a part of the job search environment on an ongoing basis to get confirmation that it is not that they necessarily did anything wrong in their approach, but that what they have experienced happens also to other clients. For some clients who do not have an outplacement benefit available to them, or cannot afford a coach, the possibility of having help, and not doing the job search alone, can be supported through job search support groups which may be available to them, through local churches, libraries, or government agencies. Individuals that attend the same groups regularly, become support partners for each other. Many become not only acquaintances during the search process, but stay professional working partners as their careers move forward.

I often say to the clients that are a part of my life, (at least the ones that use the services), a job search is something that should not be done alone. In a world and a market where 75% to 80% of the people that land their next job position do so by either networking with professionals in their network, or reaching out to have conversations with potential hiring companies, the process implies the ability to seek assistance from others. For those that find that uncomfortable, they will have a lot of that “do it yourself alone time,” in the initial preparation steps of their search as they define who they are, and what they offer to prospective employers. However, once reaching the point of Targeting prospective job openings, learning of the needs of companies, and more importantly, continuing to follow-up with those they meet along the way, going it alone disappears from the process.

If you are an individual who is uncomfortable asking for help, remember it is not a sign of weakness. We all have talents and abilities that help serve others. Tapping into others has always been a major part of the job search process, and will continue to be as job markets ever evolve. Also, remember, helping is a two-way street. You may ultimately find yourself as the person supporting those who need help in their search, either at the time you are in job search yourself or somewhere in the future when you are actively working. We are all here to help each other.

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