We’ve all heard it, the so-called “rule of thumb” that you can expect to add one month to your job search for every  $10,000 you make in salary. For instance, if you’ve been making $100,000 it will take you 10 months to find your next position.  I’ve been working with clients, specifically with more senior level professionals and executives, on their job searches for more than a decade and I can tell you that that’s just not true.

For example, I was recently working with a Vice President who was making $250,000 in base salary. We started working together in mid-July, 2011 and by the end of November, 2011 he had an offer with a company he’s very excited about. So according to the aforementioned “rule of thumb”, instead of the five months his job search took, it should have taken five times as long, or 25 months (over two years).

I know what you’re thinking, in the current economy and tight job market, he must have accepted a lower base salary. In actuality, we worked on the negotiation together and he ended up with not only a higher base salary, but a better overall compensation package for a new, more challenging and appealing position.

Another six-figure executive I was working with found his COO position within one month of beginning his search. Now, I will say that such a short turnaround is very unusual, but he was obviously in the right place at the right time. Of course, sometimes a search can go on much longer.

There are many factors involved that can impact the length of a job search like industry, geography and level of expertise as well as individual preferences such as opportunity for growth, challenge, or the ability to “give back”.  Some people want to take their time and find the perfect fit, while others may not have that luxury. Another consideration is the amount of time and energy a person is willing to invest in their career transition. Because of these many variables, there is no average time for a job search and there are certainly no rules about how long it will take.

I don’t know who first introduced that “rule of thumb” or how it became an urban legend, but it’s just not the case. The bottom line, running a successful job search involves hard work, applying proven job search strategies, ensuring you’re presenting the best representation of your career with an attention grabbing resume, biography and cover letter,  and yes . . . a little luck and timing.

~Linda