Job seekers become excessively focused on “checking all the boxes” before applying for any job, making sure they meet each and every job requirement and qualification, it almost becomes an obsession. Frustration builds as they come up against what they call the “purple squirrel” which is a combination of job requirements that no true mortal could possibly fulfill. Even when they get in the door and into the interview room they work tirelessly to convince an employer that they meet each and every qualification of the job.
Ironically what is often overlooked is the power of likeability. It is how they connect and engage with the prospective employer. It is how they convey they can be trusted and fit in seamlessly with the existing team. What they often forget is that people hire who they like and trust above all else, even all the “must have’s” on the job description.
We have seen this play true even for the biggest most important jobs in the country. As the new President elect selects his cabinet, team and advisors, qualifications and credentials have become secondary to the power of the likeability. Politics aside, this is a lesson and good reminder to all job seekers, likeability is truly what gets people the job.
A Top New Year’s Resolution- New Job!
It never fails, when the calendar turns over into a new year general optimism is at its prime. Most people are optimistic or at least hopeful that this new year will be better than the last. They vow to be fitter, trimmer, more organized and more financially responsible and hands down happier in their jobs and careers.
This is the year they vow that things at work will be different, things will be better. They promise themselves and their families that they will balance work and life demands better, find their passion or leave an all-consuming job. They have been down this road before. They have secretly made these promises to themselves throughout the year and even envisioned what a better job or career looks like. Now it’s the new year and now is the perfect time to take action.
So where should they begin? The first step is to clarify for yourself what “better” means. Is it a job or role that better aligns with your strengths, or is it a place that feels like a better fit, or is it making a bigger difference, or is it rediscovering a fire in your belly that makes you excited to get up and go to work? Maybe its many or all of these things.
Next is asking yourself, what are you willing to do about it to make things better? Are you willing to commit to the time to gather information, enlist resources, assess your options, and create a plan? Change requires a commitment to do the work to make it happen. Without it getting a better job will only show up again on next year’s list of resolutions.