Job Seekers: The Importance of a Balanced Search

I think I always knew that the Boy Scout motto was “Be Prepared.” I only recently learned that this is also the official Girl Scout motto as well, not “Do you want to buy cookies” as most of us non-scouts thought. Well boys and girls, regardless of gender, age or ability you grew up and forgot all about the “Be Prepared” thing. Every week I hear those looking for jobs trying to figure it all out. There is also a lot of conflicting advice thrown at job seekers about “the” most important aspect of a good job search. Just this week there was an article reporting on a survey that claimed that cultural fit is the most important aspect of hiring new talent. Others have been broadcasting that it is skills or personal brand that makes the most difference. Researching the meaning of the Scout motto I learned that it can be interpreted to be an abbreviation for “Be Prepared for Life.” In other words, be prepared for anything! Good advice.

1. Research Yourself First – Knowing and believing in yourself is the best way to present a case to employers that you are a best fit for the job. There is no relevant question that cannot be answered from the list of accomplishments from your life story. Making a total self inventory of events, skills and wants is the best preparation for being self assured in your presentation and appearing confident in your answers. Being prepared to talk about “self” is intuitively obvious because there is nobody else who can do it.
2. Polish Your Personal Brand – After self analysis is completed and locked down, the image that others have about you is probably the next step. While there is an abundant volume of information online about personal branding and how to do this, it really boils down to three things: Being aware of your brand, planning the image you want to project, and polishing the rough edges to portray the most honest and accurate representation of yourself. Throwing up a façade to cover the real you is very easy to penetrate by a skilled interviewer.
3. Prepare For a Dialog – Networking into a company is always a better way to be prepared because you get to ask questions of the individuals who know both you and the company. Honestly assessing skills vs. requirements is not simply to qualify or disqualify a position for a possible fit, but it is also useful in setting a path to acquire needed skills if that is will satisfy your chosen career direction. Listening is more important than talking. If your story sounds like a bland one-size-fits-all script there should be no surprises if the conversation sputters.  
4. Set Your Filters and Alarms – It is better to be prepared for possible outcomes in order to know how to respond. Cultural fit in an organization is important, but one danger is that being assimilated into a culture of clones will stifle imagination and creativity. There should be predetermined, non-negotiable set points that form the must-haves for a good job match. Likewise there has to be a point at which nothing would work to make this a good opportunity. Walking away from a bad opportunity is always a viable option.
5. Choose Advice Wisely – Not everyone who offers expert advice is an expert. In fact, the only expert on your current situation is you. Most well meaning helpers will only be able to speak from their own perspective. Open your mind to receive all advice without prejudice because it came from a perspective that you may not have considered. Also be prepared to be led astray by those more interested in the sound of their own voice rather than your best interests.

The most important aspect of finding balance is to be prepared for change. All of the touch points mentioned here are subject to variables that were not expected and must be re-evaluated based on changing situations. Interviewing is not a scripted performance as much as it is a learning experience. Taking the knowledge gained by the job search experience and incorporating that into preparedness is the way to maintain balance.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche