How job search and hard-boiled eggs are similar

How are hard-boiled eggs even connected to job search? I know, that’s a big stretch. My regular readers know I connected many seemingly unconnected things to job search in the past.

The other night I was talking to my 31-year old son, Dan, on the phone. He called to tell he was back from his annual Memorial Day camping trip and had uncooked leftover bacon and eggs. The bacon and eggs had been in the iced cooler all weekend.

He wanted to know my thoughts on using them.

I told him if the temperature had remained cold all weekend, the eggs should still be OK but use them up soon.

How to best make hard-boiled eggs

In particular, he wanted to know if I ever baked bacon in the oven. I have done it that way once or twice. Pinterest is always my friend so I found this recipe and shared it with Dan.

Next, he wanted to know the best strategies for hard-boiled eggs. Once again, I used my favorite cooking research tool, Pinterest! I found this comparative study of hard boiling eggs. In it, the author compared the method I used most of the time, putting the eggs in cold water and then bringing them to a boil for 12 minutes. Even after plunging the boiled eggs in ice water, the author got the same results I always got with this strategy, eggs that peeled horribly.

The author presented her alternative strategy:

Method 2

Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover eggs by one inch, but do not add eggs yet.  Bring water to a full boil.  Add eggs.  Reduce heat to medium and maintain a low boil/simmer for 11 -12  minutes.  After 11 minutes, remove eggs from sauce pan and cool eggs in a bowl of ice water.

Amazingly, this method delivered perfect eggs that were easy to peel. I shared this with Dan.

Surprisingly, this is the way I made eggs before but then I changed to the first method. You read that right. I had it right at first but I slipped into the wrong way!

Yet I wondered why the eggs were always hard to peel. Until he asked, I never thought about using another method for hard-boiled eggs.

Why using the same bad strategy over and over again gets the same results

Waiting for the job search connection? Here it is.

Job seekers do the same thing I did when making hard-boiled eggs.

They use the same strategy over-and-over and then complain when they get the same results.

For you to win, and anyone can win, you need to change your strategy.

If you are using the same old resume and expecting different results, it isn’t going to happen. Your resume needs to resonate with stories that show how you contributed. Not every person has stories bursting with sales wins or company takeovers but you have stories.

You contributed in your own way to make things better or keep the company alive. As a Finance Manager, perhaps you successfully rolled out the new Sage Fixed Asset System.

When I work with someone, I help them find those stories. I show them new ways to market themselves to get better results. I explain why the ATS system is only one way of applying to jobs and you need different resumes for different purposes. As we talk, we find ways to connect with people who can help them reach their goals.

It takes getting out of your comfort zone and doing things differently. However, when you try a different method, you get different results. Don’t expect different results if you keep doing things the same old way.

If you want help to get your job search to succeed and are willing to look at things a new way, let’s talk.