Job searching is like running a marathon.
When you started your job search, you thought it would be over quickly. You thought you were going to sprint to the finish line with a new job in no time. However, you have since learned that the job search is more of a marathon than a sprint.
Whether you are unemployed and looking or looking while employed, you have experienced the ups and downs of a long search. In the Boston Marathon, there is a hill called Heartbreak Hill. At about 20 miles into the race, runners come upon Heartbreak Hill in Newton, Massachusetts. It is the last hill the runners face. But the race isn’t over. There are another 6 some odd miles to go.
They are tired, and they hurt. But they continue. There are bragging rights ahead. Job searchers are tired but also continue. They face many heartbreak hills of their own. There is a job ahead. They push through the black holes, the hopeful interviews that end up nowhere and the many other challenges.
The runners know they are only a few miles away from the finish. Job searchers don’t have that luxury. The end is unseen and unknown. But both groups persist in their quest. Winning is everything to both. Although there is no shame in not finishing the race; the job searcher has to face colleagues, family and friends with the news they are still looking.
Some runners run in a group, others by themselves. Some job searchers share the search with others, while others go it alone. In a group or alone, they all have people cheering them on along the way providing support and encouragement. A smile from a friendly face makes the trek a little easier.
For each runner and job searcher there is a story. Stories of people overcoming obstacles to be successful are inspirational. People who have beat the odds and persevered when times were tough and quitting seemed the only choice.
When both the runners and job search reach the finish line there is relief and rejoicing. The struggle is over, they have finished. Not everyone wins the Boston Marathon, but every job search who lands a job is a winner. They have fought their hills, push on through painful moments and have crossed the line to the job they want.
Marathons aren’t for the faint of heart. Runners and job searchers know this. Prepared people finish. The unprepared may finish, but the result isn’t pretty. If you are a job searcher, prepare for a marathon. Be happy if it turns out to be a sprint.
