What is a “fulcrum?” For present purposes, it’s the thing that makes the thing the thing. Best example, a pair of scissors. The screw above the blades, holding the two handles together, is a fulcrum. Another example, a see-saw. The pipe, the centerpiece, that allows the persons on either end of the board to rise or fall, as the case may be, is the fulcrum. It’s what makes a board a see-saw.

So what is the centerpiece that makes a job search successful? Most people will probably say something like this, all of which is true:

The cover letter gets the recipient to look at the resume. The resume gets the recipient to contact the applicant for an interview. The applicant’s interviewing skills are what gets them the job offer.

So, pick one. Is the cover letter the fulcrum? No. Is the resume the fulcrum? No? Are the applicant’s interviewing skills the fulcrum? Sort of, but you’ll have to keep reading.

Alright. Bruce is being difficult. So, what comes before the cover letter, etc.? Creating a plan. No. Networking. No. All are important, but they all form a whole. They are not the one thing. There’s only one fulcrum. Without the aforementioned screw, scissors are not scissors, only two sharp blades that no one would want to use to cut cloth, or anything else for that matter. The padded seats and handles are all necessary, but they don’t make a board a see-saw. A board balanced on a pipe may be an ugly and unsafe see-saw, but it is a see-saw.

The fulcrum of a successful job search is confidence. If the job seeker does not exude confidence while executing all stages of their plan, they will be unsuccessful. No one wants to recommend or hire someone who they believe is not sure of themselves.

Consider the handshake. When you meet someone, and they give you a firm handshake while looking in your eyes and smiling, what do you think about them? When they hand you what I like to call a “dead fish” and don’t make eye contact, what do you think about them? Who would you hire?

I hope the answer is the one with confidence because they are the one who will bring a fulcrum with them to work!

The Fulcrum of a Successful Job Search | Employment Edification (wordpress.com)