2008 Looking More Like 1929 Outside NYC Job Fair. Time To Invest In Yourself!

November 3, 2008 – 10:40 pm by Danny

Recently, I was walking down 6th Avenue in Chelsea and stumbled upon a tremendous line of people snaking around several blocks. I figured it was the line to try out for the next edition of American Idol, but I was wrong. It was the line to get into where I was heading, CareerBuilder.com’s New York Career Fair! Wow. Check out the photo below. The line was not full of recent college grads looking to land their first sales job. It was people of all ages, shapes and sizes. This economy clearly spares no one.

We know it is a competitive environment for today’s job-seekers. But it was competitive just to get into the career fair. Picture yourself in that line. A lot of qualified people out there. The person standing in front of you, they have an MBA. The person behind you, great job experience. The guy behind that guy–great cover letter.

So. Mr. or Ms. Job-Seeker, how can you make yourself stand out in a saturated market? That is the 7 billion dollar question. You need to figure out a way to climb to the top of the highest mountain and scream to the world that unlike most people, YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.

If this current economic crisis has taught us anything, it is that there can be no better investment than investing in yourself. Let me say that again, there is no better investment than investing in yourself. Things like extra education, night classes, investing in things to make you a better candidate — should not be thought of as expenses. Instead, they are investments in yourself, investments that pay way higher returns than some stock or bond you know nothing about.

Investing in things we don’t understand is what created this mess in the first place. And you know nothing in the world better than yourself. Do you think I can figure out another way to use “yourself” or “investing in yourself” a few more times in this paragraph.?

Have any ideas on how to stand out? Don’t hesitate to share it with us. We’d love to here how you are weathering the economic storm and what you are doing to distinguish yourself from the guy next to you. In fact, next time your in NYC, Shake Shack is on us.*

Disclaimer- Shake Shack closes for the season soon.