When you are searching for a job, your world is full of questions. Your family will face a lot of uncertainty and stress. Until a job offer is on the table, there are no answers. You find yourself waiting for decisions by HR and by hiring manages. If you are relocating, there is even more uncertainty in the equation. Fortunately, a classic American toy, the Magic 8 Ball from Mattel, has some of the answers. Those answers can, at least, temporarily relieve you of many job search anxieties.
The Magic 8 Ball is a larger than normal plastic billiard ball containing a 20-sided die immersed in a dark fluid. You look at the 8, ask it a question, and then flip it over to see the answer revealed in a transparent plastic window. The Magic 8 Ball is quick and it's all people had before Yahoo, Google, and Bing. It's a mysterious entity and there are a few guidelines that can help you get the most out of it:
1. Ask Yes/No Questions. When asking a question to the Magic 8 Ball, you must phrase your questions in the form of yes/no questions. Open-ended questions are not really the plastic oracle's strong point.
2. Ask questions that are about intuition, feelings, and actions beyond your control. The Magic 8 Ball seems to get insulted when asked questions that are better answered by online research. If you ask, the Magic 8 Ball if there are rattlesnakes in Austin, it may give you the wrong answer just out of spite. However, if you ask about whether a recruiter will call today or whether you'll get a move package, the Mattel version of the old Syco-Seer does much better.
3. Pay Attention to Your Own Desires. While the Magic 8 Ball reveals simple answers, if you pay attention and are self-aware, you might just learn a little something about yourself. For example, if you ask a question, you may realize that don't like the answer and re-phrase the question or shake twice for for a best two out of three answer. If you find yourself, playing for two out of three or rephrasing questions, it is very revealing of your own desires.
4. Know the Odds. According to Magic8ball.org, the Magic 8 Ball has twenty possible answers. 10 are positive, 5 are negative, and 5 are neutral. So the Magic 8 Ball is a generally positive and supportive entity.
I'm not sure that a Magic 8 Ball is a good replacement for a career coach. It's a random answer generator intended for entertainment purposes only. However, an answer from a Magic 8 Ball sure beats fretting and worrying about something beyond your control. That HR department will eventually call you.
