Make it a Match

Are you a part of the Great Resignation? 4.4 million people quit their job in September. Maybe you haven’t hopped, but if all the news headlines are correct, well, you sure might be thinking about it. So I want to remind you of something that is easy to forget: the win isn’t getting the job, the win is getting the job that is a match. A mutual match. 

I mean – for sure – you can win the game of getting a job. You are motivated, talented, on top of the search – you’ll land one. And, for a moment, you’ll get the rush – yes! I did it! Success! They picked ME – ta da! We both know you can do it. I got tons of belief in you.

Before you get going though I really want to retell you a bunch of stuff that I know you know – because I really want you to remember. I’ve found it is helpful to restate the obvious. Here goes: you know that the best jobs align what you want and need with what an organization wants and needs.  And, we’ve all been swept up in the addictive thrill of the hunt that can distract us from our actual quest: the match we deserve. 

So, please don’t contort: muscles get hurt that way. When we twist ourselves into new shapes so that we match what the employer wants, well, we likely can’t hold that posture. Maybe this new shape actually suits us or we adapt and it works out. Chances are higher though that the role isn’t a long-term match. Might it be a short-term move? Maybe. Capture the learning. And be ‘eyes wide open’. 

Please prepare by spending time getting clear on you. You can’t recognize the right match without having some professional clarity – knowing the way you want to work, what you want to be doing all day, what you care about – what matters. And then using that knowledge as a filter to determine whether a role holds potential for you. Coaching conversations and tools are great ways to get this clarity. Previous posts on my blog have suggestions and tools (try April 2021). 

Now – hear this – walk away when there’s not a match. I hear you saying, “Walk away?!”. Yes please. Amazing outcome to let a wrong match pass you by. Don’t get me wrong – there’s territory in between perfect and wrong (there always is space between, btw), and oftentimes we do some flexing. The trick is to consciously choose our compromises. And it must be said that there are times when our circumstances require us to go for the ‘win’ regardless of fit. However, when we have the possibility to aim for a closer fit, the return is always worth it. 

Why not celebrate the mismatch. When you walk away from an interview having both learned, “we should NOT work together,” pop the champagne. What’s to celebrate? This kind of move  is only possible when there’s mutual clarity. So it reflects the hard work of getting clear, and the powerful dodge of a lot of wasted energy.  

Please be you. That’s who is going to go do that job every day. Don’t leave you on the sidelines. You are not the right fit for every job you apply to. Remember that your clarity will create your reality. Be open, curious and clear. 

If you think career coaching might accelerate your process and want to learn more, let’s talk. Or you can start by reading this recent NYT article about the industry and approaches. Great stuff in there.