Today I leave for my annual trek to Orange City, Iowa to participate in the Red Raider Alumni Classic. It is a golf tournament to benefit the athletic fund for Northwestern College, where I graduated and played on the golf team. Since golf is on my mind, I tried to find a way to incorporate it into my blog.
On a couple of occasions this week I had candidates outline to me how depressed they were about the state of the economy and the overall job market. While there is certainly some truth to that, it should not impact a candidate's approach to the search. It does not matter if you are an active or passive candidate. No client in their right mind wants to hire an employee that is bitter, trying to overcome a bad work environment, and/or in a sour mood after a long period of unemployment or even underemployment.
These people need a rescue club. This is a hybrid 3 or 5-wood typically that serves to "rescue" a golfer from a bad lie or deep rough. In other words, you're in trouble and need some help. A purist wouldn't ever use one as it is almost considered cheating in some circles, but unless you are on the PGA Tour and paid millions of dollars to chase that little white ball around the course, it is a wonderful investment for any bag.
For a candidate this could be a friendly reminder from a reliable source to go into a job interview with a positive attitude. It could mean taking some time to find an article online (trust me, there are plenty) to read about interview tips. Perhaps even taking a trip to the mall before an interview to shop for a new suit. I actually had a candidate do that about three weeks ago and she was unemployed. Instead of showing up with a chip on her shoulder, she was sharply dressed and ready to impress. That is good use of the "rescue club".
In a perfect world there would be no market for a rescue club. I am hopeful that in tomorrow's best ball format we have every drive in the fairway, every approach shot landing on the green, and all putts as make-able birdies from within ten feet. But just as that is unlikely, the search process and interviewing for a job can land you in the rough. How you get out may just depend upon whether or not you suck up your pride, admit you could use some help, and you reach for that rescue club.
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