Everyone wants the perfect job that fulfills personal dreams and offers a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. Unfortunately, perfection is a condition not easily achievable when it comes to work and in life in general.
But what do you have to look for in a job ?
I believe that your efforts should be directed to find a job that connects with your greatest strengths, with your purpose, to what you really love to do.
Well, now it starts the hard work, finding your purpose, your WHY.
Everyone has a WHY. Your purpose that inspires you. It is the key to everything you do. Your WHY is whatever you want to have. Your WHY is whatever you want to be. If you don’t know what your WHY in life is; Look at the things you always dreamed to do. Look at the things you love doing.
Author and speaker Simon Sinek wrote in his book, “START WITH WHY” that great leaders inspire great things because they start with why they do what they do, instead of just focusing on what they do.
You can apply this strategy to your job search.
Getting a job, getting the ideal job, requires hard work, drive, passion, and creativity.
It’s important to start with your WHY. Why do you want the work you’re seeking?
And then you can follow the steps of the process as described by Sinek in his book:
1° WHY, 2° HOW, 3° WHAT
1° “WHY”
If I think about me, I love recruiting because on the one hand I enjoy solving hiring manager’s business needs and on the other hand I enjoy helping job applicants to find their career path landing your dream job. The satisfaction of a good match keeps me going. There’s nothing more rewarding than that.
I just give them both the opportunity to meet their needs.
That’s my WHY. And It’s for this reason that I’m a Recruiter.
But maybe your passion isn’t so. Maybe you’re passionate about numbers and making sure everything lines up and balances out. Or perhaps you really love interacting with people and making them smile. You could be passionate about coding and creating new High-tech startups.
Is That your why ? Start there.
2° “HOW”
Sinek next explains that once we’ve identified our WHY we can show or tell people HOW we make that WHY a reality.
In my case I get up every day to meet new candidates and to listen their stories trying to really know them. I do this, listening a lot and asking good questions, treating them with respect. I’m primarily focused on them and I’m curious and eager to learn how they think. Obviously I also create a climate of trust and confidence with the employers to really understand their needs to satisfying them.
In addition to this I act as a storyteller helping candidates imagine themselves as employees of the organization I’m working with.
Then I try to work like a detective and I’m not afraid to work outside my comfort zone and be open to exploring new ways and unchartered territories in doing recruiting.
Finally I believe that a good Recruiter is both born and made. He/she is predisposed with certain innate personality traits combined with emotional intelligence, and those traits need to be honed and nurtured. So I always try to improve myself personally and professionally.
All these aspects make my HOW, and You ? Are you thinking to your HOW ?
3° “WHAT”
Sinek points out that once we’ve established that why and how the WHAT becomes a simple matter; it’s just what you are looking for or what you do.
In Conclusion if you will complete the three steps of the process, improving your Self Awareness and discovering your Purpose for the Job Search, you will be able to put that into a solid answer to questions like “What kind of work are you looking for?”, “Tell me about yourself” or “Why Should we hire You?”.