To Pay or Not To Pay, That is the question

To Pay or Not To Pay, That is the question My general advice to job seekers is not to pay for something you can do for yourself. This is what I mean. There are literally thousands of free and reputable resources for job seeking advice. Find them and use them. That is part of what my blog is for. Never pay for someone else to find you a job Never pay money to have someone email your resume to 100s of companies Dont pay to access jobs paying $100K+ Dont pay someone to write your resume The old saying, if it sounds to good to be true then it probably is applies. We look for shortcuts- ways around doing the painful acts associated with job search. Paying someone else doesnt make the situation immediately better, you are still out whatever you paid and still not in the dream job. The journey through job search is a valuable life lesson. Something you will undoubtedly experience again in your life (sorry, sad but true). It is also a life skill that you need to pass along to your children, no matter their age. There are some things you MUST pay for. Your own personal development. Dont become stagnant. Invest in you and the rewards are much greater. I was overseeing a workshop this week and a woman expressed her concern over not being able to get into a free workshop. I empathized with her and told her she could get similar training for $25 which included lunch. She shook her head and said she didnt want to pay the money. I then offered her the names of some books that also addressed the topic she was interested in, she didnt write them down and seemed less than interested. Oh well. How badly did she really want the skills from the workshop if she wasnt willing to work at it. When was the last time you attended a professional development workshop? A seminar related to your occupation or industry? Shut up, that long ago Your development is definitely worth paying for!