Ever feel like a job description all but had your name on it, only to see it go to someone else? That might be because it actually was written for someone else. That might be because it was. Jobs are hand written for specific people all the time. You won’t see statistics on this and in some cases hiring managers may not be fully aware they are doing it. While it can be frustrating to know that not every job that’s posted is actually available to you, you can take control and make it work to your advantage in getting your dream job. Rather have a conversation on this? Click here and join me on YouTube for all the good stuff!
Did your dream job go to Tom?
In college I took a class on business writing it covered all aspects of writing in the work world, including following up on interviews and responding to rejection. During one class we were talking about applying and interviewing for jobs. We, the class, naively assumed that if you were the most qualified for the position, you’d get the job.Our professor said that’s true, sometimes. “Sometimes you’ll get an offer, and sometimes you won’t be qualified” We all understood that, but he continued. “Sometimes you’ll be over qualified.” While that seemed far off for a bunch of college students it made sense. Then he said, “Sometimes you won’t be named Tom.” That last one sounded crazy at the time but in hindsight it is so true.
Like it or not there is bureaucracy in any business and sometimes they write a job description with the exact candidate they want in mind, and just leave off the name. They know they’re going to hire Tom, Tom knows they’re going to hire Tom, they just don’t tell anyone else they’re going to hire Tom.The exciting part is that you can actually be Tom. You can have a job description written specifically with you in mind. Where everyone involved knows they are hiring you, they just don’t tell the other candidates. That is because Tom actually influenced the creation of his dream job, and you can too.
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So, how do you influence the creation of your dream job?
You know your skills and strengths.You listen to what they need. You showcase how you could fill that need.
I’ve had positions created for me standing on these exact points and I’ve helped clients do the same because at the end of the day, employers just want to fill a need. Regardless of what your boss says when you ask what it will take to get promoted, it’s not about the years of experience, certifications, or management presence, it’s about filling a need that they may (or may not) know they have.
You have the exact talents you need right now to get the exact job of your dreams.
You can stop chasing more letters after your name, and start putting energy into the talents you have to develop the strengths you need. Michael Jordan was never known to be a great passer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t pass the ball, it just didn’t put the energy into assessing the court that way and driving up his assists. Instead, he focused on shooting. Mid-range shots mostly. Even in his specific zone of genius, basketball, he didn’t pour into every skill and stat. He wasn’t trying to drive every number. He just got incredible at what he did best. Even though he retired from it 20 years ago he’s still reaping the rewards of that focus and effort.
Start listening for the needs
Stop trying to tell your boss, or whomever you’re wanting to work for, what they need. Even if you’re 100% sure you know, please stop. You need to listen. When you listen, really listen, you’ll find out so much more about what they want, how they feel, and yes, what they need than you ever even realized.
I worked with one client who wanted the two sides of IT to talk better. For lack of technical terms we’ll call it break/fix side and innovation/project. Innovation was working on projects that would revolutionize the customer’s experience on the website. In doing so, they created a lot of bugs. The break/fix side had to prioritize and work on those bugs. My client knew they needed to communicate more. Cool,that’s a great start. But, it’s not enough.
We worked on questions that promoted her curiosity. She found out that the root cause was the CIO giving inconsistent directives to both sides. He was expecting innovation to get something new off the ground each quarter. He was also expecting break/fix to keep their tickets low. So yes, my client was right in communication. However, it wasn’t the two departments that needed open dialogue. It was the directors over the two areas that needed an aligned plan to take to the CIO. Getting curious and listening identified the facts. They were frustrated, tired, and wanted to work together but were getting pushed in different directions.
If we just stopped here, knowing your talents and the importance of building them into strengths and listening to better understand the root cause, we’d have a passive stagnant pile of information.
There is one more step to getting your dream job; showcasing
I hope you know stagnation does not get you the dream job. You need to highlight your value. Showcasing the value you can bring gets that job description written especially for you. To prove it to you, let’s bring Tom back in.
Tom worked in commercial insurance as an operations consultant for the WC side of the business. He had counterparts working for directors in each of the other lines of business. His boss complained that the other consultants didn’t do as much as Tom. The VP (his boss’ boss) was concerned that they weren’t seeing consistent progress in each line of business. Tom knew what he brought to the table. He could lead, influence, and manage people. He seeded the idea of a specific team handling operations. When that job description was written, it all but had Tom’s name on it.
On their own, building your strengths and understanding the greater need have merit. Without showcasing how you can fill the need, you’ll be a really insightful version of your exact role today. By drawing the through line you highlight yourself as the solution to their problem.
You can create your own dream job
Dream jobs are created every single day. Even when expenses are tight. Even when there is a hiring freeze. Companies create opportunities to add the value they need. You can be the one who creates the value and steps into that dream job. I can just see you now, getting called to the boss’s office for a ‘quick chat’. Where that pit of dread in your stomach used to be, you now have anticipation for the conversation. That’s because you know what you bring to the table. You know how you can add value. You’re so glad you put in the strategic work to be the exact solution they are looking for.