30 days or 300 - how long it takes you to find your next job is heavily impacted by luck - here’s how

A few weeks ago I was shovelling snow in my driveway (something that makes me wish I lived in a warmer climate), and something fortuitous happened - a large icicle fell just a couple of feet from where I was standing bare-headed.

If circumstances had been just a little different, I could have been hurt pretty badly. Luck was on my side that day.

So that got me thinking how luck can shape major events in our lives. The job search is a good example of this - when you think about it, there are a lot of ways it can be impacted by luck: How well you do, how long it takes you to find a job, and even whether you find the job you want.

In today’s issue of The Launchpad, I’m going to show you a small subset of scenarios where luck can sway the outcome one way or another.

Application timing

Turns out when you submit your application after a job has been posted does indeed impact on your odds, because of hiring fatigue. These days, some postings get more than 1000 applicants, so you can bet that the fatigue is real.

So imagine you submit your application for a marketing manager position within 24 hours of the job being posted. Your resume is among the first to be reviewed and if you’re a good candidate for the job, there’s a good chance you get an interview.

Take advantage of this on sites like LinkedIn where you can create job alerts that notify you when a job that matches your preferences opens up.

Internal company changes

People quit, get fired, and teams sometimes get reshuffled. This is a right place right time situation - imagine you’re talking to a contact at Apple, your dream company. Suddenly, one of their team members quits and because you’re fresh in their mind, they recommend you to their manager.

This goes to show how networking can and should play a big part of your job search - you never know when an opportunity will present itself simply as a result of someone you know.

The hiring manager’s mood

Sounds silly, but I’ve seen it firsthand on a few occasions. It's human nature for subconscious factors to play a role - they do in every other aspect of our lives. It’s not surprising then that job search is no different.

Imagine you’re being interviewed by a hiring manager that’s in a good mood because they just got some great news from their spouse. Shouldn’t be factor in an ideal world, but it unfortunately is. Their good mood might make them more open/favorable to what you say. The opposite is also true if you’re speaking to them on a bad day.

What does it all mean?

It’s tough to admit that something so important as someone’s livelihood can be shaped by something so abstract as luck, but it’s true. There are factors outside of your control that you can do absolutely nothing about.

With that being said, there are factors that are definitely in your control, like:

Your resume: is it up to date? Is it tailored to the role? Is it well-written?

Your application method: Do you take the time to tweak your resume in between applications? Do you follow all instructions? Do you follow up with recruiters?

LinkedIn profile: Is it complete? Will visitors clearly understand who you are as a professional and what you do?

Interview skills: Even if you suck at interviews, you can improve your skill quite a bit by preparing for common interview questions in your field. I’m going to be sharing a few common interview questions along with how you’d answer them in an upcoming issue of The Launchpad. Stay tuned.

Keep informed: Stay on top of trends in your industry.

• Follow company pages and important people on social media. LinkedIn and Twitter/X are great places to do this.

• Follow recruiting agencies. How well these companies are doing is a good indicator of job market conditions.

• If you belong to a professional/trade association, go to their events (or if that’s not an option, maybe read their newsletters - most will have one).

Network: There are a lot of ways to do this, and the important thing is doing it. Don’t just rely on your resume or LinkedIn to bring people in - put your sales hat on and get in those trenches. Informational interviews are a great place to start.

Reader Questions

Weekly Industry Roundup

A collection of interesting articles from around the web this week:

• How much do Uber and Lyft drivers really make?

• Interesting Reddit thread about being absolutely transparent in an interview.

• AI destroyed my job. Now what?

That’s a wrap for this week. Hope you enjoyed the 51st issue of The Launchpad!

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What topics do you want to see me cover in future newsletters?

I’d love to hear from you - let me know if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover.