Seven years ago, I had the opportunity to meet an exceptional individual with the right education, a great track record of successful work experience, and they were finding it difficult to find a career that fit who they were and gave them the opportunity to develop. He had a problem. His messaging was broken and the means he was using to deliver the message were not effective.
I asked him what he was doing to find a new career, and here’s what he said:
- I’m applying everywhere I can online for anything remotely close (shotgun apply&pray approach)
- I have spoken to everyone I can think of that may be hiring for any role (Hail Mary ‘just pray’ approach)
- I have asked a few friends to give me feedback on my resume. (Cheerleader approach – too subjective)
Then I asked him what he thought was preventing him from getting to where he wanted to be, and…:
- No one he knew was hiring.
- There were not enough jobs that fit his experience and his goals
- He was applying for jobs that he was overqualified
- Too many applicants for each job
I asked him him to think of this challenge as a business development exercise with him as the product to sell. He needed to identify the market, create and validate the proper marketing tools, deliver the message in the most compelling way, and deliver the message to the right people in an unconventional way. He didn’t know where to begin, and asked me for my help. We built the tools, identified the target, and delivered the message to just one company. He is still there to this day, and that is how the Pursue Greatness Career Marketing Program was born.
No matter whether you do it yourself or ask for outside help, thinking about your career in this light will make a difference and lead you faster to a better fitting career.
