I've always been one to draw analogies from real-life experiences and link everyday scenarios to career-management challenges and efforts. Now in my second year of graduate school at a liberal arts university pursuing a master's in humanities, I followed the suggestion of my advisor (while meeting degree requirements) and am pushing the envelope with a class in the science discipline. There, with just one other humanities major, I am surrounded by pretty intense (and knowledgeable) math and science majors. The class is Forest Ecology. Not to be cute, but I came into this class totally green, a novice when it comes to nearly anything related to the physical sciences (with the sole exception of meteorology: I'm a buff for any- and everything weather-related, especially the study of hurricanes, my lifelong passion). Trees? Ecosystems? Species? I had rudimentary knowledge at best, my only qualification being I live on a woodsy five-acre parcel in a rural community. And I like trees.
Halfway into the semester with a challenging mid-term exam now behind me as well as two exciting field trips, it occurs to me that much of what I'm discovering relates well to the world of job seekers. According to Chad Oliver (a present-day silviculturist), there are five classes of "crown dominance" in any given forest, called stand development: Emergent, Dominant, Co-dominant, Intermediate, and Suppressed. What are known as lollipop diagrams are useful in depicting their spatial relationship to one another. I won't dwell on that, but relating it to you and your job-search efforts, the similarities became clear to me.
At the highest spatial level within a forest, the emergent specimen reigns supreme above all other classes in the canopy--it's that lone white pine you see against a canopy of hardwoods and conifers marching up a mountainside in Vermont. It's the job seeker who is really out there advancing her candidacy, taking solid initiatives in creating networking opportunities, ensuring she is vetted as a candidate for as many positions as possible that match her interests and qualifications, following up on all leads, social-networking on professional sites (twitter, linkedin, ziggs, zoominfo, etc.), developing 90-day business plans, managing relationships.
Dominant species are those high-achievers among the tree stand in the forest. They're the light-seeking specimens that have optimized their growing space, fully able to extend their crowns. Folks in this realm are masterful at seeking opportunities and maximizing those that are presented to them--they stand out among other candidates for their accomplishments and know how to effectively promote themselves.
Co-dominant describes those specimens that compete well with others at the top of the canopy--able to garner their share of available nutrients, light, etc., but are limited physically in growth at the sides of their crowns. In job-seeking, this candidate knows there is competition for the best available opportunities. He knows how to leverage his resources, tap recommendations from those with the greatest spheres of influence, and really make inroads through consistent search practices. But perhaps this candidate isn't fully tapping into every resource out there and maybe isn't making all the connections he could to advance his search efforts.
Moving spatially into what's known as the forest midstory are the two remaining types. Intermediate describes those specimens, ecologically speaking, that have comfortably found their own place beneath the upper-most canopy, they are shorter and they, too, are restricted in their growth--both with regard to height and width. In a hardwood stand, for instance, this might be the shade-tolerant maple under a hardy, light-seeking array of dominant oaks. In job-seeking, I'd relate this example to the individual who maybe isn't as motivated to make a change (clearly someone who is currently employed, possibly underemployed, but not so miserable as to be aggressively trying to climb to the upper canopy in terms of visibility). This steady performer is content on some level to exist with other, more aggressive candidates tracking down and successfully killing the best job opportunities--and willing to take longer to 'maybe make a change.'
Finally, we have the suppressed trees. As the name suggests, these poor guys are being crowded out by everyone else in the mid- and upper stories of the forest stand. They're not happy where they are, but are definitely limited through space, resources, etc. Their crowns are completely overtopped by all adjacent trees. Underachieving might come to mind, but it's not always deliberate. However, using survival of the fittest as a metaphor, and linking this to job seeking, suppressed candidates probably aren't going to win in the game of optimal job search. They're not adequately promoting their strengths, defining their value proposition, and making a place for themselves where they can emerge as truly viable candidates for the best opportunities.
Where in the forest of job search do you see yourself?
Posted by Jan Melnik.
I'm Louise Fletcher. As President of 
