Life Is Like an Imperfect Pool Table
Posted by TestOut Staff on
Last week I played pool with a colleague and learned a valuable lesson about seeking employment. We played on a table that neither of us had ever played on. It didn’t take us long to realize this table was very unique. The cushion on the rails of the table had become separated from the wood in various places around the table. This created dead spots which caused any connecting ball to rebound in an unexpected manner.
Near one end of the table, the bed was not flat, but concave in a manner that caused a softly struck ball to curve almost 180 degrees. These table “alterations” caused my colleague and I to change the way we played the game. Finesse was no longer an option, it had to be all power.
The IT sector recorded modest growth in amount of available jobs in September, according to CompTIA. The employment landscape in the IT world is ever changing and there are a number of different IT specializations within the field. With so much variation, one can compare the IT employment landscape to an uneven pool table.
Because of the condition of the pool table we were playing on, my colleague and I scratched on what seemed to be every other try. (And yes, we’re blaming this on the table.) Neither of us won by putting the eight ball into a designated pocket; victory was only found through your opponent’s scratch, forfeiting their victory.
Finding a job in the IT industry is going to take persistence, and there is no surefire way to land the job you want. You may have a perfect shot at a job you are more than qualified for — before the market pulls a 180 and that job becomes out of reach.
You have to power through the concaves of the employment pool table if you ever want to strike the desired job. Failure is inevitable and must be embraced. It doesn’t matter how many times you scratch after hitting the ball into the dead spot on the cushion. If you persist, and power through, you will eventually come away with a victory.
With that being said, IT employment as a whole is on the rise. Jobs are opening and being posted more frequently than ever. You’re in the right place, just don’t get scared off by the uneven table.
About the Author — Jake Slater is the social media manager for GoCertify and a graduate of Brigham Young University. When it comes to rockin' a pool cue, Jake is the Minnesota Fats of his office.