In recent weeks, I’ve been approached by a number of students seeking jobs, including recent graduates of our MBA supply chain program, executives transitioning from another job to a new region or firm, undergraduates looking for their first job, and even high school students interested in learning about a career in supply chain management. Some of our graduates landed a job, which was then rescinded after the “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced. Many students contact me hoping for a magic bullet, or are seeking advice on how to find employment in this environment. Times are tough at the moment for job seekers, as the turmoil in the global economy has led many firms to pause hiring, put all major capital projects and information system upgrades on hold, and waiting to see what happens in the next quarter as the impact of the tariffs begins to make its way into the US economy.

After returning from a fly fishing vacation in Newfoundland on the Serpentine River pursuing the elusive and beautiful Atlantic salmon, it suddenly hit me that any type of job seeking activity has a number of parallels with fly fishing. Let me explain a bit more, and I hope you’ll agree with me.

When fly fishing, you have to start by being in the right pool. Knowing which pool on the river to begin with is something that an amateur like myself can never figure out, and I rely on a guide. The guide will usually tell me which pool to fish, and how to fish it – usually saying start at the top of the pool, and make your way into it, taking a 1 foot step down after several casts. You need to cover the entire pool with your casts, and have to find the fish – they won’t come to you! The parallel of course is that one needs to think about what type of job they ultimately want to catch! And having a guide, in other words a mentor, is also essential. The mentor can offer encouragement, advice, and also help to introduce you to other people (more on that later). Rather than wandering around looking at any job that pops up on Linked In, one needs to focus on the types of skills that recruiters are looking for. And you need to think about what industry you are looking for a job in – supply chain is a very big field, and you can’t apply for generic supply chain jobs. Think about whether you want to work in planning, procurement, transportation, distribution, warehouse management, systems, etc. And even within each of these areas, you need to get more granular, and identify the specific types of jobs. For instance in procurement, do you want to work in procurement payment systems, supplier management, category management, supplier quality, supplier development, supplier evaluation…. you get it, the list goes on and on. And once you decide on the pool, you need to fish it… every inch of it! That means doing your research, step by step, and exploring what is going on in that industry, and in that job category.

Next, when fly fishing, I had to decide what type of fly to use. First off, I had to decide whether to tie on a “wet fly” (one that doesn’t float), or a “dry fly”, (one that floats, which is sometimes called a “bomber”). Within these categories, I had to decide what type of fly. Was I going to use a wet “Shady Lady” or a “Green Machine”? Was I going to use a brown bomber or an orange one? And was I going to add “gink” to the dry fly to make it float better? Depending on the fly, I will want to fish it downsteam into the pool, or upstream going up into the pool. Adjusting your resume is like choosing a fly. Your resume has to be tailored to the job description you are applying for. Many applicants load up their resume with every cool adjective they think is popular: “collaborative”, “leader”, “outstanding performer”, etc. This doesn’t tell the recruiter very much about you. Rather, it is important to describe in detail the work you’ve done, and who you did it with. Sell them one who you really are, not what you think they want to hear. Authenticity is key, and this is an important part of increasing the likelihood your resume will stand out from the hundreds of others flooding the recruiters inbox.

When fly fishing, you may see fish jump, literally two feet out of the water! This is both exciting and creates hope that you can land one of them. However, appearances can be deceiving. On this trip, I was in pools where many fish were jumping, but not a single one of them was interested in taking a fly. No one knows why fish jump, nor does anyone really know when they are in the mood to take a fly or not. Similarly, a job seeker never really knows how or when they will get a job interview. It is thus important to persevere… if your fly isn’t in the water, then you are guaranteed not to catch a fish. Sometimes you are hoping to land a big salmon, but you might just get a small trout. This can be disappointing, and one has to accept that repeated failure is inevitable, and that landing that salmon takes time. In fact, job seeking is essentially a full-time job!

At the end of each day fishing, I would return to camp, and have a drink with the other guides and the other fishermen. This was essential to learning where and how to fish the next day. Some of the other fishermen had caught a salmon or several trout, while others had caught nothing. In any event, we all discussed our experiences, and shared lessons learned. What worked, what didn’t work, what flies worked, unexpected discoveries, where fish were laying and were biting, what time of day…. you get the idea. Having a network is also essential to landing a job. You need to go to community events, volunteer at charitable organizations, go to professional meetings, and put yourself in with as many people as possible. The chances that you will meet someone who will offer you a job is very, very low. However, you will likely meet someone, who will introduce you to someone else. That someone else may know another individual who is currently recruiting for a role that just happens to fit your qualifications! So it is somebody you meet who introduces you to somebody else, who will introduce you to somebody else, will be the most likely way of getting a job interview.

After multiple casts, you may finally feel that tug on your line, indicating a fish has finally taken the fly. But unless you yank upwards on your rod in the right manner, the fish may spit the fly out. Even if you do everything right, you may still miss the fish. The same goes for an interview. An interview does not guarantee a job, but you can increase your chances by doing your homework, and researching everything about that company, the people you will be meeting with, and the job role as much as possible. This can increase your chances of landing the fish. But if you don’t get the job, don’t despair. There are many other fish in the river!

Good luck fishing!