I’m not sure whether or not this analogy is politically correct, but I also can’t think of an analogy that’s more perfectly apropos: finding a job is like dating. It’s a matter of finding the right match.
I started thinking about this after seeing a Facebook memory not long ago, saying that I had been let go from a job on that day about a year ago. Now, I don’t consider myself a job hopper. I am not one to change job every few years, much less, every year, so I was hoping to stick it out for at least a couple of years. As it turned out, my (now previous) employer did me a favor. By trying to hold out as long as I could, I was hiding from myself the fact that I wasn’t all that happy with where I was working. It wasn’t necessarily a bad job; it was just not the right fit, and I was masking the fact that something was a bit off. I probably should’ve broken it off, but truth be told, the company did me a favor when they let me go. I ended up landing a position which is a much better fit and where I am much happier.
Let me run with the dating analogy for a little bit. How many relationships have you had where it didn’t quite work out? Maybe you didn’t mesh with your partner’s personality. Maybe (s)he had some kind of characteristic that you just couldn’t deal with. Maybe there was a total lack of communication. Maybe you and your partner had incompatible interests. Whatever the reason, there are countless reasons why a relationship doesn’t quite work out.
The same holds true for jobs. Maybe the job wasn’t quite what you’d expected. Maybe your employer had different expectations of you. There is a myriad of reasons as to why a job doesn’t quite work out for you; I could go on and on about all the different reasons (you’ll likely be relieved to hear that I won’t do so). Many of us have been there and done that.
No relationship — whether it’s a job or a partnership — is ever perfect. Sure, there are things about my wife that can drive me crazy (I’m sure that she thinks the same about me), and likewise, there are aspects of my job that I don’t always agree with. However, as Robin Williams’ character in Good Will Hunting asks, the question is, is she right for you? Sure, my relationships have a number of rough edges, but the positives far outweigh the negatives, and the bumps that come with the territory are things that I’m willing to live with.
There are a number of things that I mention in my job hunt presentation that are directly related to this. For starters, I talk about doing a self-inventory. If you’re in the job market, sit down with a blank sheet of paper and write a list for yourself. What are your strengths, and what do you need to improve upon? What do you enjoy doing, and what puts you to sleep? What industries do you like? What type of environment do you enjoy working in? What is and isn’t important to you? Once I compiled this self-inventory, it clarified what I felt what I should pursue and provided a clear direction in which I should go.
It also gave me more focus when applying and interviewing for positions. What jobs seemed like they’d be the best fit? What should I look for when going on interviews? What questions should I ask? What are my potential coworkers like? Is it an environment in which I’ll be happy spending most of my waking time? As I mature throughout my professional life, there are things that matter to me, not to mention that there are certain aspects about myself that I can use to benefit an organization. Just like a relationship, a job is a two-way street. Your employer is getting something from you, while you’re getting something from your employer.
A job is a relationship; you are in a relationship with your employer. As long as the dynamics between the two sides are working well, chances are the job will be a rewarding experience. If your job is the right fit, chances are that you’ll have a good professional working experience for a long time.
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