As a Job Seeker, Is it Possible to Ever Get What You Really Want?

Recently I met with a job seeker whose career passion was to be an EMT; however, she was willing to take a job as an administrative assistant or warehouse worker. Her résumé reflected this disconnect.

The next day I received a call from a woman who was passionate about making a career change. She had embarked on a path that would lead her away from real estate sales to a new career as a healthcare advocate for the elderly. When she got to the interview, her confidence began to wane and the employer threw a wet blanket on her passion. “Perhaps I should go back to real estate sales,” she told me.

A recent college graduate contacted me to write his résumé and when I asked him to describe what type of job he was targeting; he said he would “take anything.” How many tens-of-thousands of dollars did he (and/or his parents) invest in college to graduate with a willingness to “take anything”?

These three job seekers had one thing in common: they all believed in the fallacy that the more flexible you are – the more willing you are to “take anything” – the quicker you will be employed. Unfortunately, being flexible has just the opposite effect.

Imagine for a moment that you and a friend are each given blank checks to purchase a new vehicle. You are really excited about this windfall and set out to make your purchase with a willingness to “buy anything.” So, you wander from dealership to dealership looking at every make and model on the lot, test driving a few, and always wondering if something else might appeal to you more. With thousands of dealerships and millions of cars, trucks, and SVUs out there to choose from your search continues week after week and month after month.

On the other hand, your friend knows that he wants a 2009 Toyota Corolla… four-door… silver…five-speed manual transmission… power-slide moonroof….16-inch alloy wheels…Bluetooth wireless technology… and the desired options go on and on. The image of that car is so clear in his mind that he can almost feel the steering wheel in his hands! With a clear picture of what he wants, he knows exactly where to spend his time looking and his search time is dramatically reduced. Why? Because he knew what he wanted and he went after it!

The same principles hold true for finding a job. You can spend your time wandering the Internet, reading job postings, and applying for anything you “could do.” You can create a résumé that tells the prospective employer everything you have ever done in your career and hope he will put the pieces together, read between the lines, and figure out what you can do for him. You can go to interviews and back down when the employer asks “Why should we hire you?” Or, you can do like your friend who is now cruising the highway in his brand new Corolla and create a crystal clear image of what that ideal job looks like.

I guarantee that if you are clear about what type of industry/company/career/job you are seeking, you will more quickly find it. When you know what you want, your résumé will reflect this and will quickly capture a prospective employer’s attention by stating “this is who I am, this is what I do, and this is what I can do for you!” When you know what you want, you will know which web sites to surf and you will not be aimlessly clicking from site to site (or equally futile, posting your résumé on a generic job board, with hopes that someone will find you and tell you what you can do for them.) When you know what you want, you will not waste your time going to interviews for jobs that are not a good fit, with employers who want you to give up your life in exchange for a salary that barely meets your basic needs.

Yes, you can have what you really want – but only if you know what that is and are able to clearly and confidently communicate it on paper – over the Internet – and in person.