Why Your Job Search is Like Career Tinder

Whether it is romance or a new job – finding “the one” is difficult if you go into it blind or unprepared.  Here are some tips to consider when you are searching:

YOU SHOULD ONLY USE CREDIBLE SOURCES

Firstly – many job searches begin online as do (apparently!) many modern day romances.  Getting this right is crucial as there are dating sites which you definitely don’t want your profile on!  In your job search you also should be wary of what sites you use and upload your profile to.  Call me an old fashioned gal, but I’m pretty wary about personal details being there for all to see.  It surprises me how many people don’t understand that when they load up their profile onto a job board you no longer control your private information.

WHAT YOU SEE ISN’T NECESSARILY WHAT YOU GET

Technology can make us all supermodels.  While this is great in an online world – we are still just us in real time.  It’s the same with jobs and companies – no one ever wrote a job ad with the boring or average stuff you’ll have to do (and every job has that stuff!) – so keep in mind when you search that there are likely less glamorous aspects to your date and to your new job.  Which is okay because you are probably only showing your beautiful, shiny self and not the you that sometimes needs 10 coffees to get moving in the morning…

THE WHOLE PROCESS IS A WEIRD DANCE

Online dating is a skill.  Some people look and sound amazing and tick all your boxes but after 2 months you’re left wondering what you ever saw in them.  The job interview process is the same.  Employers often get fooled by candidates who are great at the interview, but horrible at their jobs.  Often ‘the one’ is often not the most polished and put together person, but they are the solid, dependable person who will be loyal through good and bad.  

Make sure you at least know the dance steps that will help you navigate love and career more successfully.

IT CAN BE COSTLY

Dating the wrong person is expensive!  Considering the wrong roles has huge costs too – time off for interviews, distraction from your day to day job, not to mention the perfect job might pass you by.  Make sure you have done self analysis first – what do you stand for, what is important for you and what does your future look like.  Success in dating and a job search begins with knowing yourself very well.

YOU ARE PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE

Dating and job searching are tough.  You’ve put yourself in a vulnerable position and one where you are (like it or not) being assessed on everything. Sometimes, that assessment is harsh and unfair – but you shouldn’t let that define you.  Now is the time to call in your true friends for support but also remind yourself that whether it is dating or a job search – it doesn’t define who you are.

Trust in the big picture and learn from the experience.  It all turns out right in the end.

Disclaimer:  Whilst all reasonable efforts have gone into writing this blog, the fact is I am happily married and have been for 12 years – so thanks to some of my colleagues who contributed to my research on this topic – you know who you are!!