The Job Search Dial: Finding Your Career Intensity Setting

When you are looking for work, especially if your search is lasting longer than you ever imagined it would, it becomes easy to believe that you need to crank it to 11 to get better results. You think, "just ten more applications and ten more LinkedIn messages every week and interviews are sure to follow."

It is understandable. It is a perfectly human response. More equals better. More shows determination. More also demonstrates activity which can validate your efforts to others and perhaps even more importantly to yourself.

But in the words of Admiral Ackbar, "It's a trap!"

The first part of the R.I.S.E.E. framework is the practical and tactical side of your current job search. Research is about understanding the market, the industries, and companies you're interested in. Implementation is ensuring you have the right tools from a refreshed resume to an audience-specific elevator pitch. And of course Simulation is about practice and getting ready for interviews and networking. Engagement is really about shifting your mindset as it relates to the strategy of looking for work.

Historically when cradle-to-grave employment was more of a thing, the job search process could best be described as a switch. When you needed a new role, it was on. And when you didn't, it was off.

But should it? Let's consider today's marketplace.

Think of it this way: If the career world were a movie, it used to be a calm, steady drama with a clear plot. As the main character, all you had to do was work hard, stay loyal, and you would get the rolex, the retirement party and the pension. Now? It’s more like a Netflix series where plot twists include layoffs, industry shifts, AI disruptions, and mysterious resume black holes.

The charts below? Think of them as your episode recaps in this streaming-era career arc. One illustrates a steady decline in decade-over-decade job growth, meaning there's less runway for career lift-off. The other reveals a less obvious truth: while unemployment may seem low today, the time it takes to land a new role remains much higher than it was in the early 2000s.

The first chart underscores how opportunity hasn’t disappeared. It has just slowed. Professional and business services, which broadly includes roles in consulting, tech, HR, law, accounting, marketing, and administrative support, are still growing, but at nearly half the rate seen in the 1990s and early 2000s. For job seekers, this means more competition, slower momentum, and the need for smarter engagement.

The second chart puts current unemployment duration in context. Sure, 9.5 weeks may seem short, until you realize that before the 2010 spike, durations averaged just 7 to 8 weeks. Since the Great Recession, recovery time hasn’t fully rebounded. Even now, we’re living in the long tail of a disrupted labor market.

The market has changed and it's unlikely to return to what it once was. The way we think about career readiness needs to evolve just as dramatically. Long-term employment is the exception, not the norm. Job searches last longer. Economic growth is slower. And the idea of flipping a switch only when you need a job no longer reflects how careers really work. That's why the old on/off model has to go. You need something more responsive. More adaptive.

You need a dial.

And no, not to 11.

Instead of an on/off switch, think of your job search as a dial with two key functions: marketing and branding.

When you’re unemployed or urgently seeking, you dial it up to 10. That’s marketing. You’re actively promoting yourself by applying, networking, pitching, and pursuing opportunities with focused intent.

But even when you’re not actively looking, the dial shouldn’t be at zero. At 1, you're investing in your personal brand. You're commenting on posts, keeping your profile current, and remaining visible. That’s branding. It keeps your name circulating, your skills fresh, and your career resilient even when you’re not “in the market.”

And here's the nuance that often gets overlooked: the numbers between 1 and 10 matter. Think of the dial not as an either/or tool (umm that would be a switch!) but a spectrum that reflects how much career energy you're putting into visibility versus direct outreach.

If 1 is minimal branding and 10 is full-throttle marketing, then the space in between is where most professionals should be operating most of the time. Maybe your dial is at 3 because you're casually reconnecting with old contacts. Or maybe it's at 6 because you're attending virtual industry events, updating your resume, and keeping an eye on the market without applying just yet.

These mid-dial activities don't directly relate to applying for a specific job. Instead, they create the conditions for the opportunity to find you. Everyone’s threshold is different, but maintaining some level of engagement ensures you’re never caught flat-footed when change comes.

And here's where our trusty job search partner ChatGPT comes in. Whether you're dialing things up to market yourself or keeping it low and steady to maintain your brand presence, here are two copy-and-paste prompts to help:

When you're in marketing mode (dial at 10): "I'm actively job searching and want to market myself effectively. Based on my background in [insert your field], what are five strategies I can use to increase my visibility to recruiters and hiring managers over the next 30 days? Include ideas for outreach, networking, and personal presentation."

When you're in branding mode (dial at 1): "I'm currently employed but want to maintain a strong professional brand. Based on my role in [insert your field], what are three low-effort, high-impact ways to stay visible and relevant in my industry over the next 30 days? Include ideas for social media, content sharing, or light networking."

The "Job Search" Dial of Destiny

Everyone has their opinion on the last Indiana Jones. But if you're someone thinking about your own career dial, one of its themes should resonate with you as a job seeker today. It is the battle of adaptation versus nostalgia. The marketplace has changed just as Indy's place in the world had. It would be easy to focus on what was, rather than what is. The professional today needs to understand that they are the architect of their own career. That might mean choosing to attend one industry event a quarter, updating your LinkedIn headline to reflect your future focus, or setting aside 30 minutes a week to reconnect with someone in your network. These aren’t grand gestures. They’re small, deliberate moves that compound over time. It is the small incremental decision that gets made every career minute that informs what could happen next.

Recognizing when to dial it up to 10, ease it back to 1, or find your personal sweet spot somewhere in between takes awareness, intention, and a willingness to reassess as your career context evolves. You won’t always get it perfect, but remember it's about progress.

And don’t forget, you’re not alone. Think of the R.I.S.E.E. job search framework as your trusty fedora and bullwhip. They are tools not just for surviving the adventure, but for navigating it with confidence, flexibility, and just a little flair. <cue John Williams>