Overcome Job Market Saturation

Every once in a while, a news media outlet will post an article having to do with the job market. You will see phrases like “market oversaturation” and “unemployment rates.” For individuals down on their luck, seeing or hearing these sorts of words bring forth butterfly-shaped behemoths in their bellies. These monsters will flap their wings, causing windpipes to expand and contract as these people wallow in their misery, wondering if they will survive. The thought of becoming homeless is terrifying for most people. Among those living in an advanced society, it is rare for the jobless to be joyful. No job; no money. Life costs money.

With respect to an economy, job saturation means that there are more applicants than open positions. The term “over-saturation” is rather peculiar. Picture this. You are making pink lemonade Kool-Aid pouring one gallon of water, two of those packets, and then… a gallon of sugar into a large pitcher. Not only does the sugar fail to fully dissolve in the water, the sugar soaks up the water as if the water is in the sugar. This analogy exposes the exaggerated nature of the term “over-saturation.” In other words, “market oversaturation” does not exist. Media outlets love to sensationalize events, sensing the lingering stress they awaken within the masses.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world, some would say. Competition is fierce. You want a job to keep the roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on the table. More importantly, you take pride in making sure your children are cared for properly. In this way, humans and animals are alike. We all want to survive. Sharks scavenge for leftover scraps, striking each other to see who will rise to be the next CEO of the prestigious company. Snakes slither, lying through their tongues, lying on their résumés, saying sweet nothings during job interviews. Rats race each other on the freeway, trying not to be late for work. You fight for yourself and your family.

At this point, you wonder how you can escape the rat race. Is there any hope for you? Yes, there is. There are ways that you can slide past a saturated market.

First things first, you need a marketable skill that’s high in demand. Packaging items won’t cut it. Flipping patties won’t cut it. Bagging groceries won’t cut it. Why don’t those skills suffice? Just about anyone can perform them. Even children could do those jobs if they could legally be employed. The barrier to entry to be a warehouse associate at Amazon, a chef at Burger King, or a bagger at CVS is beneath the earth. You need better skills. Better skills pay the bills.

Or, perhaps, you already have a high-level skill. Maybe you’ve kept hitting the books for years and earned a master’s degree in psychology and your psychology license. Then you marched forth into a market that was saturated and an economy that was execrable. Markets fluctuate all the time. They can be unpredictable. You can’t find a job anywhere at any place. Non-profits, schools, and hospitals are all filled. Helping people fulfills you. For years, you dreamed of becoming a psychologist, and you dread the difficult job search. What’s your game plan now?

My suggestion would be to get any decent job you can and practice psychology on the side. Stay with your family or live with some roommates if you must. Bring in money. Then, in addition to working your day job, acquire the skills to market your services. Use your degree and license as a leverage to attract clients. Find people in real life or online that could use your services. Build a website that talks about your experiences as an up-and-coming psychologist, along with the lessons you learned. Learn about SEO. Familiarize yourself with Zoom or Google Meet. Learn how to collect payments using an invoicing service like Stripe. Learn about Google Ads. Learn learn learn.

Remember that many people in respectable industries are self-employed. That plumber you call when water springs out of your facet probably works for himself. That pharmacist just around the corner of your house that works in a building called “Smith’s Pharmacy” is self-employed. I’m not pulling any of this out of my rear. Look around; both in real life and on the interwebs.

Don’t get me wrong, creating a business is simple, but not easy. You will not “make millions” like the scammers say you will. It will likely take you months to get your first client. But, as said above, you have to market yourself. A pristine product that is marketed poorly won’t bring clients, just like a brilliantly blue peacock will fail to attract mates if they don’t know he exists.

Once your first client spreads the message that you’re competent at your skill, more people will come to you for your services. Your motivation will grow after earning your first dollar working for yourself. As more clients come to you, you will be able to charge more for your services. The law of supply and demand will work in your favor. Eventually, if you want, you’ll be able to replace your drab day job with your passion after years of hard work. This is how you overcome job saturation.

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