Career Pivot

Repurpose your career. Pivot now.

Call today!
512-693-7132
Contact Me

  • Start Here
  • BOOKS
    • REPURPOSE YOUR CAREER
    • PERSONAL BRANDING FOR BABY BOOMERS
  • PACKAGES
  • SPEAKING
    • SPEAKING
    • WORKSHOPS
  • ABOUT
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • BLOG
    • 2ND HALF OF LIFE
    • CAREER SUCCESS
    • CAREER CHANGE
    • JOB SEARCH
    • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
    • SOCIAL MEDIA
    • MULTI-GENERATIONAL WORKPLACE
    • NETWORKING
    • BECOMING AN EXPAT
    • SURVEY RESULTS
  • RESOURCES
  • PODCAST
    • CAREER PIVOT INTERVIEWS
    • INTERVIEWS WITH CAREER EXPERTS
    • REPURPOSE YOUR CAREER AUDIO BOOK
    • REPURPOSE YOUR CAREER SERIES
    • BECOMING AN EXPAT
    • QUESTION AND ANSWER
    • OTHER TOPICS

How Long Will My Job Search Take? Longer Than You Think! [Updated]

February 7, 2018 by Marc Miller 16 Comments

Previous Post Logical Creative Career Pivoter Camille Knight [Podcast]
Next Post Combat Age Discrimination with Strategic Relationships [Updated]

How Long Will My Job Search Take?

job searchI am often asked, “How long will my job search take?”

My answer is almost always, “It depends.”

I work, primarily, with those in the 2nd half of life—which is code for those over 50 years of age.

I tell them that a really short job search is three months. It takes almost three months for a company to decide to hire someone, post the job, interview candidates, make an offer, and then make the hire.

What factors affect how long the job search will take?

  • Depth of experience and perceived salary requirements
  • Your network
  • Geographical demand for your skills
  • Time of year
  • Age discrimination

Depth of experience and perceived salary requirements

The more experience you have and the greater perceived salary requirements, the longer it will take. Notice I wrote perceived salary requirements. Yes, I know you say you will take less money but…no one will believe you!

The reality is, the higher the perceived salary requirements, the fewer and fewer jobs there will be. After you get over a 6 figure income, the number of jobs decreases in most job markets.

Please read my post Will I Ever Be Employed Again in a Job I Want? This is the story of Matt, a former CEO who went almost 3 years underemployed because of the perceived salary requirements. The more money you make the longer the job search will take.

Your Network

Your next job will likely come through a referral. That referral will come from one of three several types of relationships:

  • An existing relationship
  • A stale relationship that you will re-energize, which is also called a weak tie
  • A new relationship you strategically create

If you follow the Target Job Search Strategy you will be strategically building a referral network.The stronger your network the shorter your job search.

Geographical demand for your skills

Are your skills valued in your local job market? For example, if you have an oil and gas background and you are looking for a position in Central Texas, where I live, well…it will be a tough and long job search. However, if you move to Houston,  you will find your skills much more valued.

If you have a certification, is it valued in your local market? The varies greatly by region!

If your skills or credentials are in overabundance or are not valued in your local region, you need to extend the length of your job search or expand your geographical search zone.

Look for people who look, taste, and smell like you to determine whether your skills are in demand. Search LinkedIn for people with your level of experience, certification, and skills to determine the demand in your region. Who employs people who look, taste and smell like you?

Time of year

Like every other business process, hiring goes through cycles. A lot of hiring occurs after annual budgets are approved. Look at financial statements of each target company on your target list and determine when the fiscal year begins. Some companies start their fiscal year in October and others start in January.

Hiring usually stops from late November through the middle of January. This is an excellent time to network and build your tribe, but little hiring occurs during this time.

Similarly, hiring slows down (but does not stop) during July and August when many people go on vacation. It only takes one person in the hiring process to go on vacation for everything to grind to a halt.

I highly recommend you follow your local business journal. If a company gets a big order, funding from a venture capital firm, investment from private equity or received a local or federal grant, this is the time pursue the target company. These kinds of investments will follow a calendar cycle and you need to track when each kind of investment tends to come in the calendar year.

Age discrimination

Age discrimination is alive and well. You need to factor this into the length of your job search. You have to be realistic and find employers who value your skills and experience and will not discriminate based on your age. I am working with a client right now who is part of the long-term unemployed cohort, and she is targeting government positions. For her, it is a numbers game, but she will be treated fairly in applying for government positions.

For those of you in the 2nd half of life, are your skills and age a barrier? I live in Austin Texas, one of the worst places to be old and unemployed as documented by the Atlantic. Austin has a general unemployment rate hovering just above 3% but the unemployment rate for those over 50 years of age exceeds 12%. Even if your skills are in high demand, being over 50 will increase the length of your job search.

So how long will my job search take?

I tell my clients to plan for a minimum of 6 months to 2 years. If you are employed, it really depends on the amount of time you can dedicate to the job search. If you follow my Target Job Search Strategy, you should plan on starting your job search 18 months after you start a new job and plan on that search taking 18 months. That means you will be prepared to changed jobs every 3 years. That does not mean you will change jobs every 3 years, BUT you will be prepared to do so.

If you follow the strategy that jobs are never permanent and you always are looking for your next position, your job search will be much shorter should you become unemployed.

How long do you expect your job search to take?

Marc Miller  

Be sure to check out the Career Pivot Client Testimonials Page

Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above.

Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast

When you subscribe to this blog you get full access to Career Pivot’s Whitepaper Library

Do You Need Help With ...

 Job Search  Career Pivot/Change Career Success Careers in the 2nd Half of Life
Social Media Multi-Generational Workplace Networking Entrepreneurship

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: job search

Previous Post Logical Creative Career Pivoter Camille Knight [Podcast]
Next Post Combat Age Discrimination with Strategic Relationships [Updated]

Comments

  1. Deborah Mitchell says

    November 1, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    I think this post hits on a lot of key points. When I lost my job as a television producer it took 3 years to land another one. In the meantime,I started a company and sharpened my skill sets. Reinventing yourself for the workforce is not easy but doable. I was just featured in this month’s Essence Magazine all along with several other worn over 50. Here is the link to the article–
    published here: http://www.essence.com/2014/10/20/3rd-act,

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      November 1, 2014 at 6:19 pm

      Deborah,
      Congratulations on your success and getting your story told!

      Reply
  2. Terre Leveton says

    November 14, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    I was searching for a position that was a good fit for nearly two and a half years. I am a clinic administrator. I was offered three positions during that time that were either at ridiculously low salaries or entry level positions, which I elected not to accept. But I have now found one that seems to fit well. I did lower my pay for the first two months, with the agreement it would go up at that time.

    I would suggest to the other EXPERIENCED people, and I am 67, decide on the positions you are willing to accept and in which fields, and concentrate on those. Be persistent. I found my best options came from referrals and Craigs List. Agencies were useless, and I went on every interview that came up and replied to every ad that was close to what I wanted.

    Even the position I took was listed as a front desk and biller, when in fact it was an office manager. I found several opportunities like that. Don’t eliminate jobs without apolying; you never know. I was often referred to another job from the one I applied for.

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      November 15, 2014 at 5:14 pm

      Terre,

      The most important thing you said was “Be persistent”. Yes referrals are golden!

      Reply
  3. LaTosha Williams says

    November 15, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    Great Article! Recently, I relocated to a larger city and I was discouraged by the amount of time it has taken (5 months) for me to find employment. I am going to take your advice and network!!! Thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      November 15, 2014 at 3:37 pm

      LaTosha,
      It really is who you know!!

      Reply
  4. Jack says

    December 1, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    So true. Especially the obnoxious perceived salary expectation obstacle. It strikes me as incredibly arrogant and narrow minded but that indeed is the true nature of the beast. Where does this mentality come from?

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      December 1, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      Jack,

      The salary expectation is based on human nature. We like to move forward and not backward. If you take a job for less money, it is perceived that you will leave later if someone offers you more. This was a huge issue for Matt in this post https://careerpivot.com/2017/will-ever-employed-again/

      Reply
  5. Marty says

    November 27, 2018 at 9:56 am

    Should you take a job that is lower than your most current salary? Just to have a job? But keep looking?

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      November 27, 2018 at 10:22 am

      Marty,

      That is “that depends” answer.

      Most of the time people will not hire you at a lower salary because you will not stay. If you can get hired the next question will you have the time and energy to properly run a job search campaign?

      I have seen people take service-oriented sales jobs and be exhausted at the end of the day. The get stuck in a dead end job.

      Marc

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Start A New Job Search 18 Months After Starting A New Job | Lifehacker Australia says:
    August 4, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    […] How Long Will My Job Search Take? [Career Pivot] […]

    Reply
  2. How Long Will My Job Search Take? | Waterbury Cohort 1 says:
    August 6, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    […] I tell my clients to plan on a minimum of 6 months to 2 years. If you are employed, it really depends on the amount of time you can dedicate to the job search. If you follow my Target Job Search Strategy, you should plan on starting your job search 18 months after you start a new job and plan on that search taking 18 months. That means you will be prepared to changed jobs every 3 years. That does not mean you will change jobs every 3 years, BUT you will be prepared to do so. […]

    Reply
  3. Get a Job: The Do's and Don'ts of Calling to Check the Status of Your Job Application - says:
    June 1, 2018 at 1:25 am

    […] keep pestering the supervisor or hiring manager. Getting a new job can be a slow process. It is okay to call on the status of an application once, and possibly twice if they ask you to […]

    Reply
  4. Emergency Funds: Why, Where and How Much to Save – Wise Woman Wallet says:
    September 8, 2018 at 4:32 am

    […] If I lost my job right now, how many months would it take me to get a job with the same or more pay? Longer than expected, says Marc Miller of CareerPivot.com. […]

    Reply
  5. Tips for Reentering the Workforce After Being a Stay-at-Home Mom | Affiliate Marketing Biz Opp says:
    November 7, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    […] Most importantly, maintain looking for new jobs and submitting purposes. According to this text on Career Pivot, it often takes between 6 months to 2 years to search out a job. A few different issues to bear in […]

    Reply
  6. 🏆 Top Job Search Articles of 2018 says:
    December 18, 2018 at 10:02 am

    […] Marc Miller: How Long Will My Job Search Take? Longer Than You Think! [Updated] […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Are you ready to take control of your career?

Are you ready to stop reacting and start planning what is next?

How can I find purpose and a paycheck in my next act? Figuring out what comes next is a journey. Marc Miller offers practical guidance and informed advice for anyone looking for both meaning and money in the second half of life. – Chris Farrell, author of Unretirement

Available on Amazon.com and other fine retailers

Do You Need Help With …

 Job Search  Career Pivot/Change
Career Success Careers in the 2nd Half of Life
Social Media Multi-Generational Workplace
Networking Entrepreneurship

Personal Branding for Baby Boomers"Lots of experts talk about the importance of personal branding for career success, but Marc Miller teaches you how to make it happen." ~ Nancy Collamer, Second-Act Careers

Now available from Amazon

Blog Categories

  • 2nd Half of Life (75)
  • Becoming an Expat (6)
  • Career Change (28)
  • Career Pivot (9)
  • Career Success (92)
  • Entrepreneurship (24)
  • General (2)
  • Job Search (98)
  • Mult-Generational (17)
  • Networking (15)
  • Personal Brand (12)
  • Podcasts (118)
    • Podcast – Becoming an Expat (10)
    • Podcast – Career Pivoter (21)
    • Podcast – Expert (32)
    • Podcast – Other (13)
    • Podcast – Question and Answer (17)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Book (11)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Series (12)
  • Social Media (27)
  • Survey Results (14)

BoomerJobTips

A Baby Boomer Learning Community

Popular Posts

  • What If You Are Not Passionate About Anything? [Updated] (241,929)
  • Talents versus Skills – Do you know the difference? (101,085)
  • College Degree After 50 – Worth It? (56,759)
  • Are you a Multipotentialite? (39,108)
  • What is Your Current Salary? How to Answer! [Updated] (38,348)
  • Perfect Fit for the Position? Expect to Lose! [Updated] (32,903)
  • How Long Will My Job Search Take? Longer Than You… (22,711)
  • 3 Steps to Get the Hiring Manager or Recruiter to Respond (22,568)
  • 5 Things on Your Resume That Make You Sound Too Old (19,763)
  • Dealing with that Directionless Feeling [Updated] (18,312)
        

COACHING PACKAGES

  • Career Pivot Review Package
  • Career Pivot Evaluation Package
  • Brand Story Development Package
  • Targeted Job Search Package
  • Birkman Assessment®

All packages can be combined at significant discounts – ask about discounts for the unemployed!

Learn more

FROM OUR BLOG

An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count

An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count [Podcast]

Episode #114 - Marc presents an interview with networking expert, author Karen Wickre. Description In this episode, Marc and Karen discuss her book. Taking the Work out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count. Karen is a veteran … [Read More...]

RESOURCES

Check our our RESOURCES, including:

  • Books we recommend
  • Career Pivot white papers
  • Webinars
  • LinkedIn instructional presentations

Learn more

CONTACT ME

Marc Miller

Career Pivot

512-693-7132

Contact me

© Marc Miller and Associates, LLC 2012-2017 ~ All Rights Reserved ~ Customization of Genesis Framework by Weborization

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Find out more.