FIT
“A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.” ~ Mark Twain
Sometimes you have to get in the thick of things to see what is really happening, and that’s what I’ve been doing the past few weeks for a new local start up organization. Interviewing…and interviewing some more, for 20 new positions.
What I am about to share with you reconfirms what I have written about in the past. The issue is FIT. I’ve always advocated figuring out what you are good at; the skills, attributes and expertise you can bring to the table, and then going after job opportunities by applying to positions you 1) currently have qualifications for, or 2) you have a desire to do.
I often hear, “I can’t apply for that, because I don’t have the experience” or “They will never interview me, because they are looking for someone who has done that before.”, or “I’m certain someone will be a better fit.”
I’m here to tell you that the people hired for the position I was interviewing these past few weeks, were a mixed bag….and almost all of them did NOT have the experience listed in the job posting!
How did they get hired? They were interesting, informed, presentable, and passionate about the job and industry they were interviewing for and it showed up big time in the interview. They talked about their travels and life experiences, and how their knowledge could help them be more effective in the position. Most of all, each one of the applicants had a vision for where the opportunity could take them, and they were not afraid to share this vision with the recruiter. Did I mention they were interesting????
The moral to this story is to not worry today if you are not an absolute “fit” for a job posting. If you want the job, apply. Stop setting self-imposed limitations, and you might be surprised what will open up for you. Don’t worry if you don’t fit every single element of the job description. Just go for it, but only go for it if you can profess a passion for the position in the interview.
GOOD NEWS: The news on the job front is positive for the month of February. Straight growth in lower unemployment and higher number of job openings (remember, I have just filled nearly 20). Growth is happening and continues to move forward in small steps, but forward nonetheless. Continue to seek out opportunities on aggregate sites like http://www.simplyhired.com/ or http://www.indeed.com/.
CONGRATULATIONS: Heard from a couple of you about interviews set for last week and the upcoming week. Good luck and please let me know how things go.
BACTS FACT: “Come to the interview with amazing confidence to demonstrate that you are the one for the job and make the recruiter forget you are missing elements of the job posting!” ~J. Smith
THAT'S IT: So often we see ourselves in one way and one way only and don’t open our minds to the possibility that others will see us differently. It’s not until you can offer alternatives to yourself that others might agree with you! Expand your job search. Enter terms on online job searches for jobs you have a passion for (but haven’t done before) and see what the search offers.
“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” ~ Terry Josephson
Good luck on the job search this week,Jan
“A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.” ~ Mark Twain
Sometimes you have to get in the thick of things to see what is really happening, and that’s what I’ve been doing the past few weeks for a new local start up organization. Interviewing…and interviewing some more, for 20 new positions.
What I am about to share with you reconfirms what I have written about in the past. The issue is FIT. I’ve always advocated figuring out what you are good at; the skills, attributes and expertise you can bring to the table, and then going after job opportunities by applying to positions you 1) currently have qualifications for, or 2) you have a desire to do.
I often hear, “I can’t apply for that, because I don’t have the experience” or “They will never interview me, because they are looking for someone who has done that before.”, or “I’m certain someone will be a better fit.”
I’m here to tell you that the people hired for the position I was interviewing these past few weeks, were a mixed bag….and almost all of them did NOT have the experience listed in the job posting!
How did they get hired? They were interesting, informed, presentable, and passionate about the job and industry they were interviewing for and it showed up big time in the interview. They talked about their travels and life experiences, and how their knowledge could help them be more effective in the position. Most of all, each one of the applicants had a vision for where the opportunity could take them, and they were not afraid to share this vision with the recruiter. Did I mention they were interesting????
The moral to this story is to not worry today if you are not an absolute “fit” for a job posting. If you want the job, apply. Stop setting self-imposed limitations, and you might be surprised what will open up for you. Don’t worry if you don’t fit every single element of the job description. Just go for it, but only go for it if you can profess a passion for the position in the interview.
GOOD NEWS: The news on the job front is positive for the month of February. Straight growth in lower unemployment and higher number of job openings (remember, I have just filled nearly 20). Growth is happening and continues to move forward in small steps, but forward nonetheless. Continue to seek out opportunities on aggregate sites like http://www.simplyhired.com/ or http://www.indeed.com/.
CONGRATULATIONS: Heard from a couple of you about interviews set for last week and the upcoming week. Good luck and please let me know how things go.
BACTS FACT: “Come to the interview with amazing confidence to demonstrate that you are the one for the job and make the recruiter forget you are missing elements of the job posting!” ~J. Smith
THAT'S IT: So often we see ourselves in one way and one way only and don’t open our minds to the possibility that others will see us differently. It’s not until you can offer alternatives to yourself that others might agree with you! Expand your job search. Enter terms on online job searches for jobs you have a passion for (but haven’t done before) and see what the search offers.
“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” ~ Terry Josephson
Good luck on the job search this week,Jan
Jan M. Smith
Inland Management Group
Human Resource Consulting & Support to the Service Industry
(951) 302-6483http://www.inlandmgtgroup.com/
http://www.janmsmith.com/
Twitter: @temecula_hr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/InlandManagementGroup
LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/janmsmith
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