Re: Adjusting Your Timeline

On average it is supposed to take six weeks to find a job. That is the average, which means the range will be much longer for most of us. And that six weeks is to get the offer.  If you have taken on a new job recently you know that between background checks and tiers of interviews, other people's schedules, the occasional drug test and background screening, it can take another three weeks before your first day and that means it can take up to another two weeks after that for your first paycheck. It might take even longer than that to start receiving benefits. By the way, there is a very unscientific rumor that this time period becomes even longer proportionally to the level of employment and the salary you want. One recruiter told me that if you wanted to be Director level or above and you wanted a salary of starting at the six figures, you were looking at ten months of unemployment. And from there it was an additional month for every additional ten thousand dollars a year you were seeking. Keep in mind that is pure conjecture, but it is nevertheless disconcerting.

Let me break it down the average unemployment timeline for you:

Time from application to first contact         2-6 weeks                         

Phone screen                1-2 weeks                                                             

Interview, round one             2 weeks                                                       

Interview, round two              2 weeks                                                          

Interview, round three                               2 weeks                                    

Offer                                                                  2-3 weeks                         

Official offer letter                                1-2 weeks                                            

Background check                       2 weeks                                                  

Drug screening                                   2 weeks                                          

Scheduling of first day                                               2 weeks                    

Total                                                         (Approx.)    22 weeks

All of this can take anywhere from 11 to 22 weeks from the initial application to the First Day of Work. And figure that this is just to get you to the first day of work. Getting you to your first paycheck can be even longer. Whether your new company pays in real-time or when the payday sits on the calendar all depends upon their schedule. I once worked for an organization that paid on the first of each month. I started with them on the 5th of the month and that meant that it took over three weeks for me to see a paycheck. These are all things you need to take into account as you strategize your unemployment period. In retrospect, when I lost my job, I should have spent every waking moment and taken every effort possible to find a job, immediately. I discovered that as the process continued, I was able to find that downtime for home projects, professional development, and leisure activities such as reading. My focus should have been on getting my house in order and looking for work. When I say getting my house in order, I mean take the time to make sure that my healthcare and finances were ready for the upcoming storm of unemployment, and then making sure I put my focus on determining what type of role I was looking for and getting my resume together. And then, once I was properly prepared, looking for a job was priority #1.

After you have lost your job, hearing that you are three or more months away from a paycheck is one of the last things you want to hear. But knowing this also helps you to prepare.