By Lori Rubinger, Director, Training and Special Projects

It often surprises me that many young people and not so young people resist consulting professionals.

I met an old friend while out doing some shopping last week, while we briefly tried to catch up holding our heavy grocery bags, like most conversations the conversation went to “so how are your children?"

She proceeded to tell me that her son graduated from a “high- in- demand” field, and surprisingly one year later, he is still unemployed. By default, my radar went up and I began to pose the usual battery of questions which ultimately led to “tell him to send me his CV perhaps it needs tweaking”! That same week the CV arrived in my inbox. The verdict? Clearly this young man had never consulted a sound CV resource. This CV was not going to get him through any door let alone get read. I replied with some broad suggestions for improvement along with an invitation to contact me.

Did you hear from him?

I had the same experience with another person who prefers not to network because he does not feel comfortable and believes that when the right person sees his CV he will get an interview. It’s wonderful to have such confidence, but smart job searching would serve him better.

I could go ahead and fill this page with examples but I think you see what I am trying to say. To all non-believers of consulting experienced people who can offer sound guidance, I say the following:

1. Intelligence does not replace experience
2. Being an educated person means continuous learning
3. You don’t/can’t have all the knowledge
4. There are many resources that can make a big difference in your job search
5. One small change can make a big difference
6. The most successful people know how to learn!

If you are not reaching your employment goals, consult a job search professional and register for a job search related workshop or program. Worst that can happen is you will land that job!