How long should it realistically take to find a good job in your field?

Question

I recently moved to Chesapeake, VA so my spouse could accept a better job and I have been searching for a job for a month now. I have worked in Operations and Logistics for over a decade and am looking for similar work. I have my resume posted on Monster, Career builder and several other job sites. I set aside 3-4 hours a day to search various companies websites and apply for jobs yet, I have had NO feedback. I think that I should have gotten at least a couples nibbles. Having never been unemployed before, I am feeling very discouraged and my self-esteem is really starting to nosedive. My brother says that I should expect a job search to take 3-6 months. I think thats crazy. Am I being unrealistic or is he?

Answer 1

Your brother's timeline is reasonably accurate - for perm jobs.

Finding direct-hire positions is a slow process as companies tend to be very careful about whom they hire. What you should/could do is look for contract-to-hire positions. Many, many companies prefer that route as it gives them (and you) a chance to "try each other out"...I call it rent-to-own (LOL). If you expand your search to include that option, you will be looking at about a 2 month time frame, vs. 3-6 months. However, and this is a big "however", you are running up against a time-factor. In about 3 weeks, the job market is going to take a major nose-dive due to holidays. Companies generally put jobs on hold from mid-Nov to mid-Jan.

Work with as many recruiters as possible. This will cast the widest net and will get the most response.

Also, go through your profiles on the job boards with a fine-tooth comb. Look for spelling and grammatical errors, consider re-wording parts if you are not absolutely sure about them. Also, make sure that your resume is formatted on the boards in an easy to read fashion. You should ALWAYS have a formatted version and a plain-text version. The formatted versions don't translate well to text fields.

This is also going to sound a little rudimentary but double and triple check your contact information on the boards. You may have an incorrect phone number or email address listed.

Answer 2

I really don't know the situation in VA, but...

It seems to take that long these days without the services of a headhunter. I personally know a 3 guys who were unemployed for over 6 months before landing new jobs. I also know someone who has no problem landing interviews within a week, but she was looking at administrative positions out here in California.

Answer 3

Within Ten minutes of placing my ad as a Male escort for ladies only, I had over 40 job offers.