The Challenge of Competing in Your Job Search

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize?”
I Cor. 9:24

Competition…It seems there are so many things in life where you are competing with someone or something.

• You compete with TV to get your spouse’s attention.
• You compete with all those school activities to have family time.
• You compete with all those supermodels (men and women) to stay slim, trim, and beautiful/handsome to be attractive to your spouse.
• Churches even compete with Sunday NFL games for attendance, or with other churches featuring the latest in their church programming.

Competition carries over into your job search…

And now, here you are in a job search and competing again. Your résumé is competing with the hundreds of other résumés vying for the same position.

• Is it eye-appealing?
• Is there enough white space?
• Are there enough, and the right, key words?
• Do my accomplishments adequately communicate my skills?
• Does my summary statement effectively talk about what I have to offer and the passion I bring to the job?
• And the questions go on and on!

Remember, God is working on your behalf.  He is guiding your search. He is even guiding your hands and the words you use as you compose your résumé. So forget the competition. Trust that God will move you to the place of His choosing in His time.

How does your résumé measure up?

Joseph’s résumé didn’t look that good either:  Beloved son with a heightened sense of his own importance and able to interpret dreams, several years as a shepherd’s helper, several years as slave to Potiphar, several years in Pharaoh’s prison. Would you pick him for a responsible position? Probably not.

However, despite the inadequacies revealed in his résumé, God used it to find favor in Pharaoh’s eyes, and Joseph was chosen as the Prime Minister of Egypt. Quite a vocational work history and promotion from being a prisoner!

(If you’ll click on this link, it will take you to my “Free Stuff”, where I offer a great deal of information on creating a résumé as well as a long list of sample résumés)

God was at work in Joseph’s life, and He is at work in yours also. Whether He has you destined for the executive suite, the engineering office, the production floor, or the mailroom.  He will use you there, and you can find fulfillment. Trust Him! You will love the results.

Dear God of the improbable, help me to see beyond my own inadequacies in the face of competition and trust your guiding hand.

If you would like to explore working with a Christian centered Career Coach, Contact me for a no-obligation consultation and we can discuss your situation, what you would like to achieve, and structure your job search to fit your uniqueness.