271 is a very telling number

271 is a very telling number

And my friend is an excellent professional - one of the best on the market, I’d say. He has vast experience, deep knowledge, and the highest standards of professional ethics.

He lost his job. The company he worked for was taken over by a much larger and wealthier organization. He couldn’t reach an agreement with the new employer’s representatives. He wasn’t even given a proper farewell. Still, overnight, he found himself without a job.

Why 271? Because that’s exactly how many applications he sent in response to various job offers.

The few responses he did receive - literally just a handful - boiled down to a polite: “we are not interested.” Importantly, he only applied to roles where, in his view, his skills and #experience genuinely gave him a real chance to do meaningful and effective work.

This story has a happy ending - at least partially. He eventually got hired. He swallowed his pride (a bit on my advice) and called someone in a senior position at an organization he had worked with before. That manager knew him very well and recommended him for a role in one of the organization’s branches in the city where my friend lives.

I’ve been working in the recruitment industry for over 25 years. How many stories like this have I seen? A lot.

Could my friend have done more? In my opinion - no. Perhaps he could have called all his contacts and told them directly that he was looking for a job.

Jobrowse is a new and attractive option if you’re currently job hunting. And even if you feel you’re in a good place right now - it’s still worth putting yourself out there. It costs nothing (in the basic version), or very little (premium: USD 29.99). Interestingly, you can do it while remaining fully anonymous.

Step into jobrowse and see what starts to happen. In practice, you’ll begin the process of independently building your position in the job market.

Even the act of trying to define the value you can offer a future employer is an important step.

Jobrowse provides tools to increase independence - and, as a result, greater confidence in navigating the job market.

The number 271.

— Artur