Tristan Layfield talks about considering imperfect jobs in your job search. We’ve all heard the phrase “dream job.” It’s usually used in conjunction with the quote, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The problem with these two things is that they romanticize working. Listen to the full tip to learn about why you should consider that maybe not-so-perfect job.
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TRANSCRIPT
Tristan: What’s going on, Living Corporate? It’s Tristan, and I want to thank you for tapping back in with me as I provide some tips and advice for professionals. Today, let’s talk about considering imperfect jobs in your job search. We’ve all heard the phrase “dream job.” Essentially it’s just a job that mixes your passion with your skillset. It’s usually used in conjunction with the quote, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The problem with these two things is that they romanticize working. I don’t know about you, but I don’t dream of working. Also, the reality is that no job will be perfect; you aren’t going to love it every day. But instead, I suggest focusing on roles that will allow you to learn and grow. This is why you need to consider the not-so-perfect job, but you need to have a set of criteria to measure it by. I suggest you create what I call the ideal job description. This is a list of 8 – 10 things you want from your next role. While it may include some of the tasks you want to do more of or that you want to learn, try to think beyond just the tasks. Consider key characteristics and attributes, like autonomy, less bureaucracy, certain benefits, salary level, mission, or even creativity. Don’t just list the characteristic or attribute, but write a short sentence or two on what that looks like in action for you. From there, identify the top 3 – 5 things that are non-negotiable. It’s essential that you don’t go beyond those 3 – 5 things, so you need to be realistic here. Everything cannot be non-negotiable, you need to have a few things you can bend on. As you begin looking for roles, you now have a rubric to evaluate positions that you’re looking at. Between the job descriptions, informational interviews with employees of the company, and questions you ask in the interview, you should be able to gauge if they can meet your non-negotiable items and how many of the other characteristics and attributes they may also be able to offer. These criteria, along with your gut feeling, should help you decide to accept or reject that MAYBE no-so-perfect job. This tip is brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn.
