A few weeks ago, my friend and colleague Jason Alba was in New York for the first time. He needed to get to Penn Station and I showed him how to get there by subway. He was amazed that many subway stations lack clear maps and that on many lines, subway stops seem to be announced on a “need to know basis” if at all. I don’t think about this much anymore since I have lived in New York City my entire life and I view the idiosyncracies of the New York subway system as just another part of life here, but I can certainly understand how this unpredictable system can seem daunting to someone who is not used to riding the subways. I was reminded of this incident over the weekend while I was on an F train running on the E line (due to construction). To top it off, something was malfunctioning with the automated software on this line used to announce the station stops, so even though I was heading towards Queens the announced stops made riders think they were going to Brooklyn. So what does this have to do with job search? A lot, I think. You see, everyone wants the map, the rule book, the formula, and the fastest path to their next job. And yes, there are certainly strategies you can use that help make the ride smoother, more efficient, and more pleasant. But the system is not perfect. Like the NYC subway system, the journey to your next job will include set backs, delays, track changes, out of service trains, conflicting information, or even no information at all. What’s important is to know where you want to go and understand that there may be multiple ways to get there. It may take more time than you would like it to, and the journey won’t always be easy. But you will get there.
