Data Driven Insights On Landing Your Dream Job
You’ve spent most of your early life
learning how to fit in. It’s a process called socialization –- we all want to
belong, we all want to be a part of something, we all want to be accepted at
some level. It’s a basic human need.
Now, all of a sudden you find
yourself in a situation where you want a certain job. The problem is, so does
everybody else.
You've done pretty well so far. But
for the first time in your life, you have to learn how to stand out. One way to
do this is to highlight your characteristics and traits that will help you land
the job of your dreams.
All the hard work you put in
learning the requisite skills needed to land your dream job are really just the
tickets to admission. They may get you into the gym, but they won’t always get
you a spot on a team.
And I’m not talking about the skills
you’d normally see on a résumé. In fact, you’ve most likely assembled a résumé
that spotlights everything you have learned and done. But what does it say
about things such as the qualities that define you? That make you unique?
I’m a behavioral scientist, and the
more I watch, the more I have learned that those abilities you mastered in
school--programming or accounting, marketing or medicine--are not the only
factors you need to worry about in landing that offer letter and, even more
important, starting a satisfying and successful career. There are also those
intangible things that define you and could work to your advantage if you only
knew what employers really need.
Every company and position is unique
and, as such, you should be looking to emphasize things specific to that mold.
Those who are able to do that will be successful at the company and will be
able to make a difference.
Here’s another way to think about
this. All the hard work you put into learning the requisite skills needed to
land your dream job are really just the tickets to admission. They may get you
into the gym, but they won’t always get you a spot on a team.
If you want that interview to result
in a job, you may want to seize the opportunity to showcase the characteristics
that truly distinguish you from the crowd, and play to what it takes to do well
in that job.
As part of my work, I examine Big
Data, specifically as it pertains to the workforce. Essentially we work with
companies to study what employees are saying, whether it’s through surveys,
assessments or discussions on social media sites. We help determine what kind
of information that businesses can use to better engage teams, and to get
employees motivated and committed to staying longer.
This data also uncovers the main
characteristics that make people successful in different types of jobs. What
we’ve learned may surprise you.
We’ve all been told that certain
jobs require certain characteristics in order to succeed in the workplace.
These general assumptions have become accepted truths; they’re practically
folklore.
For instance, you need an outgoing,
friendly personality to be a good salesperson. The best teachers are the best
maintain to strict control of the classroom. I could go on all day, but you get
the point.
Now, what if I tell you these
“accepted” characteristics may not be the best indicator of success at work?
Let’s take a look at teachers. The
general assumption about teachers is that their top challenge is maintaining
discipline in the classroom, so the thinking goes the best teachers are the
smart disciplinarians who have a strong desire to be in control. But in fact,
the best teachers don’t talk much about discipline. They’re strong suit is
building relationships, motivating their students, getting kids involved in new
things and getting them to learn about things they once didn’t care about. Many
teachers don’t focus on discipline problems nearly as much as you think because
they simply don’t need to.
Consider salespeople. The popular
belief is that the most important characteristics for this group to have is an
outgoing, gregarious personality. Well, the truth of the matter is that
outgoing and gregarious people are that way because they need to feel liked by
everyone. As a matter of fact, salespeople hear the word “no” a lot more than
"yes." Many times, in sales roles, people who want to be liked have a
difficult time dealing with all the rejection sellers have to endure.
In reality, the most important
characteristic for salespeople is to have courage. Courage can be seen in the
ability to handle rejection and keep going, by persuading people to accept
their point of view, or by leading customers down a path that they feel is
right. That’s where determination and courage come into play.
So you need to think twice about
what characteristics you emphasize when you’re hunting for a job. One of the
worst mistakes you can make is to downplay a strength by misjudging what it
takes to be successful. So how do you avoid that? Talk to people, especially
those in a similar line of work, and figure out what makes them effective.
Research potential companies you want to work for and discover what makes
people successful there.
And as you prepare to take your next
career move, step outside your résumé and your skills, and into you--the
person. Do you highlight your characteristics that make you rise above other
applicants? It may be what helps you find a perfect match and vaults you into
the job that will be most fulfilling to you.
By: Bill Erickson
http://www.fastcompany.com/3020138/dialed/data-driven-insights-on-landing-your-dream-job?partner=newsletter
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