Yes, sometimes things don’t work out exactly the way we want them to, exactly at the time we wish they would. We get an opportunity, or we meet someone with tremendous potential to influence our lives, but the timing isn’t right or the circumstances don’t lend themselves to fully exploring the situation at that moment. Sigh, yes, timing is a critical component, both in job search and in life. But having said that, don’t despair, as there are ways to still have a happy ending!
Ensure a Happy Ending
- Maybe you just need to be patient and simply stay in touch. This can be very true if someone else was just hired for that dream job of yours. There is no guarantee the newly hired person is going to work out … in the first few weeks, that person could end up disliking the new job, prove to be a bad fit, be let go, or quit. If you have followed up and stayed in touch with the people who interviewed you, you might even learn of the situation early – before they start interviewing again. And if you are savvy and lucky, you can even persuade them that you are the right candidate, and they don’t have to go through the chore of interviewing again – you are ready to start next week!
- The pause can give you more time to research the situation. Let’s say you are interviewing with a company, but then out of the blue, you are told hiring is being put on hold and everything stops cold dead. This is usually such a devastating experience that the job seeker often takes a break from his/her job search and has trouble staying positive. However, if a hiring freeze suddenly gets imposed at the company where you are interviewing, you can view it as a dead end and do nothing, OR, you can use the knowledge you’ve gained about the field to further your job search: approach similar types of companies in that same field; contact companies that support or service those types of companies; even seize the opportunity to network via the people you just met while interviewing.
Obtain Your Goal
Remember, how you view those unexpected “timing ooops” can determine if the door is permanently shut or just merely leading you down a better method of obtaining your goals. If Plan A does not work out, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet! Just don't lose sight of what you want and instead focus on a new way to reach your goal.