JOBSEEKERS: THE 'PERFECT JOB' DOESN’T EXIST
Ever since we were kids, the idea of a ‘dream job’ was seen as one of the ultimate goals in life.
A perfect job could be measured by:
How passionate you are
How much money you make
Your work-life balance
The people you work with
But although you should be passionate, you should earn a good salary, you should have time outside of work, and you should love your team - perfection is unreachable.
You can have an amazing career without the pressure of feeling like it needs to be perfect.
NO JOB IS PERFECT
At enable, our goal each and every day is to help people find jobs they’re passionate about, find jobs that pay them fairly, find jobs that have a work schedule that suits them, and find jobs that have a great company culture.
But even if we ticked all those boxes – we can’t guarantee perfection.
Why?
Because there will always be things that don’t go smoothly.
There will be a task you find mundane, or a decision you don’t agree with, and if you seek greatness, these things won’t bother you. But if you seek perfection, you’ll begin to pick at the little things that won’t mean anything to your career in the long run.
If you can find a job you enjoy – you’re doing far better than the rest…
Gallup reported in 2017 that 85% of full-time employees, do not find their jobs engaging.
When looking for a new job, especially if you’re ambitious, you’re going to have your standards high. But high standards don’t mean unreachable standards.
There are 3 things you should always have in mind when job hunting:
Know your worth
Have a clear idea of the sort of career you’re wanting to build for yourself
Think hard about every opportunity that comes to you
The mistake a lot of people make is only focusing on the first two. They show incredible self-assurance and determination for success, but they end up missing out on opportunities because as soon as there’s something not quite up to standard, they switch off.
Now, if that ‘something’ is a sign of toxicity, discrimination, or overworking, then never ignore that. But most times, the problem is details about the company or job role that they hadn’t thought of… use the interview process to think about it.
Ask questions, do research, and be present, because you might shock yourself.
HARD WORK IS ALWAYS REQUIRED
Let’s go back to the ‘dream job’ idea from our childhood.
The dreams originated from subjects we were good at, jobs we’d seen on TV or in magazines, and things we enjoyed doing in our free time.
Our dream jobs originated from hobbies. Although adults have a far better understanding of the working world than they did when they were 5, when asked to picture a ‘dream job’, they might not picture a job at all, but a hobby. Something that they don’t do for financial gain, but for personal gain. Whether that’s for fun, for unwinding, or for self-development.
Merriam-Webster defines a ‘job’ to be “a specific duty, role, or function”, or “something that has to be done”. And a ‘line of work’ is defined as “the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money”.
Work is a commitment and it requires effort and sacrifice.
We’re fortunate enough to be in a society where there are so many roles to choose from, with many linking to the things we enjoy doing in our personal time, but even the most amazing job will not be bliss because you still have to work.
YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT MIGHT LIMIT OPPORTUNITIES
This relates to the point made about ‘thinking hard about every opportunity that comes to you’.
Maybe you’re just starting your career, or you’re looking to progress and there’s one sort of role you’ve had your eye on. It compliments your skills and experience well and you’ve made your mind up that that is the next step for you.
It’s great to have an idea in mind, but what if that idea stops you from seeing other opportunities that can also help you:
To progress
Develop your skills
Work in exciting industries
Do something you’re passionate about
Have a great work-life balance
Earn money
My advice to candidates is to always be open.
Go through the interview processes and ask lots of questions. That way, when you come to accepting an offer, you’ve weighed out all the pros and cons, rather than just concluding that “this role isn’t for me”, or “this role is for me”, based purely on your initial desires of a job.
There’s a world of opportunities out there – don’t limit yourself!
- Written by Shannon Matthews
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If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the South West and South Wales looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.