I know it’s emotionally difficult to be unemployed, but I also think a huge percentage of people simply don’t understand the most effective ways to obtain a job.

When I’ve talked to long term unemployed people in the past, I tend to find their perception of the effort involved is not what it ought to be. Specifically, I hear about how they can’t find the right job, or that they’re only applying to a handful of positions.

What they seem to not understand is the numbers game involved. Applying thoughtfully to ~10 jobs a day is extremely doable, and is the kind of effort that a person may need to put in to quickly find another job. Hundreds upon hundreds of positions over a month will almost invariably result in an offer and if it doesn’t, you need coaching to figure out what you’re doing wrong.

It’s hard to find a job yes, but it’s a kind of hard that responds well to additional effort.