My newly single friend, Mary, was determined to find a great guy to date and was even up for Mr. Right…so she made her top ten list of “must haves” in the perfect guy:
- Taller than her
- Creative
- Sense of humor
- Denver guy
- Spiritual
- Stable financially
You get the idea... she was intent on imagining this guy into being. You know the Power of Intention, Spiritual Guru, Wayne Dyer, kind of imagining that would make Mr. Perfect appear.
After putting this list out into the universe in meditations, to friends and family, and of course, on a Match.com posting, Mary was floored when a guy showed up that met only one of her criteria: Denver guy. Mary fell madly in love with this short engineer, who was exceedingly sweet and kind, despite the fact that he was neither especially funny nor creative. What’s up with that? She still doesn’t understand this phenomenon, but is just enjoying the bliss and romance with her new man.
Similarly, as a career coach, I’ve found that what you think you want is often not what comes to you or even what works for you!
That’s because finding the right fit in a career can just happen!
You start by making your own “must haves” list for your perfect company and job. Your list might look like this:
- Denver company-DTC or Downtown
- Allows telecommuting
- Smaller-entrepreneurial culture
- Allows me to use my core skills and talents in marketing research
- Etc.
Then you might craft a targeted resume highlighting your skills and update your LinkedIn profile. You attend a multitude of networking groups all around town and craft your focus “elevator speech” into the perfect representation of what you are looking for in your next position.
Three months later, with four job interviews down, there is no progress – nada—nothing but a brick wall!! Your unemployment is running out, so you reluctantly agree to help your friend improve the business processes at her new start-up. Suddenly, you become the answer to her problems. This opportunity came out of left field and was not anything like you wanted, but you’re loving it.
What is the take-away here? Sometimes it’s better to act first and reflect later. Sometimes, if nothing is happening fast, it’s good to stop pushing the rock up the hill. Forget the lists, the traditional job search tools, and just go with what’s right in front of you. You never know, you might just stumble onto something fabulous that brings out another side of you that you never thought existed. Just remember to be open to the unexpected.
