A Bewildered Gen X'er on the Job Market

As I look out at my prospects on the eve of my third month as an active jobseeker, I find that I have learned more during these ninety-odd days than I had during my nearly seventeen years as a labor economist. Economists spend their days mapping the contours of markets through the lens of time and large-scale movements. A subset of those in the field of behavioral economics narrow the focus of these movements to the experience and motivations of the individual. Within this frame, labor markets move through the interaction of jobseeker and prospective employer rather than through global markets or industry trends. This is a far more nuanced view and has been filled with a number of interesting revelations.

I have found that the best opportunities within a job market that purports to be as tight as any in recent history are those that we create ourselves. I have always been taught that the best way to stay busy is to make oneself useful, so this time has been spent in service to my friends. Along the way I have received a great deal of advice as to what to look for and with whom to connect. This hasn't yielded any hard offers to date, but they have led to some of the most interesting conversations.

I have also found that one of the keys to navigating a market filled with a seemingly endless array of options, but precious few near the place where I have found my home is to understand yourself even when the market seems utterly bewildering. I have realized that my strengths lie in helping others better understand their world. It is in building partnerships and solving challenges. I have found a passion in doing things better rather than necessarily doing more.

I have finally discovered that few of these strengths and fewer of these passions can be found in a typical job description. I admit that I have found the world of online recruitment slightly more bewildering than someone who has prided himself on being a tech-friendly and at least somewhat knowledgable Generation X'er might find nearly anything. I have read through job descriptions that are overwhelmed by industry or role-specific acronyms and concepts that have proven to dissuade me from pursuing opportunities rather than enticing me to learn more. I have filled countless online forms and sent them into the ether.

I know that not every firm recruits this way. I hope to help more firms realize that greater success lies in inspiring and supporting the passions of all of their staff. The most prosperous organizations are teaching organizations. There is tremendous value in understanding what a position demands and identifying the candidate with the potential to exceed those needs.

There is a great deal to be excited about in the month to come. I will continue to reach out, to connect. And I will pause to mark a very significant milestone. But for now I will strive to learn more about the contours of this very particular and utterly peculiar job market. Perhaps that 3.2 percent estimated unemployment rate seems a bit high after all.