How Long Will It Take You To Find A Job?

Sep 28, 2015
3 min read

How long will it take you to find a job? According to google you should be prepared to spend anywhere from 4 months to a year looking for a job. That’s a long time to be sitting around looking for a job, there are of course exceptions to this as I know several people that have gotten jobs in days but it can take some time to get the job of your dreams.

What are some of the factors that influence the time it takes to find a job:

Industry

As I write this article Oil prices are as low as they have ever been and this is having a significant impact on industry. People are getting laid off and there are fewer job openings available. I recall when the economy was roaring in Calgary Alberta and even the least qualified of individuals were getting jobs in major companies. Today I see many qualified Engineers working at bars and waiting tables, this is sad to see but if you are caught without a job in an industry downturn you can expect to spend significantly longer looking for a job.

Experience & Credentials

The greater your experience the higher your chances of getting a job, most organizations seek candidates that can add value quickly and make them money so if you have experience in the field of interest you will have a better chance of finding a job. This can be frustrating when you are trying to break into the industry as you can’t get experience till you find a job but without experience you can’t get a job. This is where networking can play a major role when trying to break into an industry. Having the right qualifications can also be a problem as you will see below.

Salary requirements

The higher the perceived salary requirements the longer it will take you to find a job. Note the word perceived even if you decide to take a pay cut most employers will look at your qualifications and get an idea of how much you should demand. They don’t necessarily care if you mention that you want to take a cut and go off what you should be making. If you are struggling with the job search and suspect it has to do with pay concerns you may want to hide some experience to get your foot in the door. You may notice that this contradicts the first point e.g. the more experience you have the easier it can be to get a job, but experience can increase your perceived salary. There is a sweet spot for this but it can be a bit tricky and has to be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Level of competition

Some fields are more competitive than others but you can expect a longer job search in a competitive field. Imagine trying to get a career as a professional singer with shows like X-factor and American Idol. It doesn’t matter how good you are as there is tonnes of talent out there and you will most likely take some time to find a job. In these type of fields you must have something that makes you stand out from the crowd e.g. An average singer with a great background story is a lot more interesting than a good singer with no depth. You can increase your competitiveness by getting involved in initiatives that are outside the realm of your industry e.g. an average Engineer that is a member of Toastmasters is more interesting than a great Engineer with no depth on their resume.

How long have you been looking for a job and what do you think is holding you back? Take short survey below