By Maureen Fitzgerald
Why do so many people begin their career search by looking at the job listings? They scan all the vacancies in the hopes that someone will hire them to do something. They start from the assumption that potential employers are in the driver’s seat and will either accept or reject them. Job searchers tend to see themselves as desperate and at the mercy of those hiring. This fundamental assumption is, in my opinion, the main reason why many applicants are unsuccessful at finding great jobs.
A recent marketing book titled, “Attracting the Perfect Customer” by Stacey Hall describes this situation perfectly. Imagine that you are a lighthouse. If you run up and down the beach looking for the perfect customer, you will not be there when those who really need you come looking. This book throws the old ideas about marketing yourself out the window. The authors suggested that rather than running after customers who may never need you, it is better to stand still. This means starting with a very clear understanding of 3 questions: 1) Who are you? 2) What do you love to do? and 3) What you wish to accomplish? – then go look for the perfect customer or job.
Question 1. Who are you?
Although most career professionals urge job searchers to look at their skills and interests before searching for a job, this is often not enough. Since every person is unbelievably unique, many of the tools used to identify job skills and interests simply do not reach deep enough. Often the journey of discovering who we really are is slow and requires contemplation, reflection and silence. Our logical minds and our social programming often limit our ability to allow our essence to shine through.
One way to delve deeper is by doing a metaphor exercise. Think about a metaphor that might describe you. Are you a tree? A boat? Tarzan in a jungle? What does this metaphor say about who you are and how you work? Is it rigid or flexible? Is it capable of growth and change? Draw it on a piece of paper and you will discover lots about how you are unique.
Question 2. What do you love to do?
I am continually surprised by how few people ask themselves this key question. Indeed, many people will not even entertain the question and think it is a very odd question. Most limit their thinking to the type of work that they would like to do and do not permit themselves to dream.
What do you really want to do? What would you do if you won a million dollars? To truly find a career that fits, you must disregard the programming that tells you that you can not make money doing what you love. Just suspend those thoughts for a while and allow yourself the permission to dream. After all, if you don’t who will?
How do you identify what you love to do? This is perhaps one of the most difficult steps because there are so many options. One easy way is by developing your own mission statement. To develop your mission, ask yourself the following three questions: 1) What action do you want to take? 2) Who is your audience? And 3) What change do you want to bring to your audience? My own mission is to empower (action) leaders (audience) to bring about positive change (accomplishment). The key is to describe how you wish to help a certain group of people. Your mission will shine a light on what you love and how you can make a unique contribution.
Question 3. What do you wish to accomplish?
There is an old saying: If you don’t know where you want to go, any direction will do. A clear sense of where you are heading is critical when job searching. You must create a vision of where you want to be in the future. This is your ideal life or your personal definition of success.
One easy way to do this is by describing your ideal day. See it as a wonderful place that is just on the horizon. Visualize how it would feel to be there. Smell it, taste it, hear it. What do you see yourself doing? Where are you living? How do you feel? From this write out a vision statement, share it with those close to you and read it every day. The more conscious you are of what you want, the more likely it will happen.
There is something quite wonderful and powerful that emerges when we allow ourselves to believe that we are the drivers of our own careers. If you know who you are, what you love to do and where you want to go, you will not only be able to find a great job, but you will gain a sense of purpose and direction.
If you believe that a career search involves simply finding a job that fits or an employer that wants you, you are seriously limiting your options. I urge you to see yourself as a lighthouse and stand firm in what you know about your unique self so that you can begin to attract the perfect job and career.
Note: These suggestions and more techniques are described in detail in Maureen’s book: Mission Possible.
Maureen F. Fitzgerald, B.Comm, LLB, LLM, is a lawyer and conflict & collaboration expert and a professional speaker. She helps boards, executives and teams engage in fierce conversations. Ms. Fitzgerald is the author of four books, including “Hiring, Managing and Keeping the Best” (McGraw Hill) and “Mission Possible – Creating a Mission for Work and Life.” She can be reached atwww.TheFitzgeraldGroup.ca