We are a world of winning and losing and while there are many wonderful things about enjoying watching our teams win, answering Wordle in two words, and winning a game in our family, there are also downsides to seeing the world through a win/lose lens.

We see one of those downsides in our work with people who are looking for a job or a job change.

When looking through the win/lose lens, getting the job is a win – the prize of competition. Going for that win often keeps job seekers from taking a closer look at whether they actually want the job.

When you’re looking for work, do you think about the day-to-day expectations of the role, the particular culture you may be entering, and whether the specific leaders are going to provide the opportunity to engage, contribute, and grow in ways that are meaningful to you? These are all important.

Because so many people have learned that the job offer is the prize, they often find themselves in roles that are disappointing at best and undermining to their confidence and competence at worst.

What we’ve seen from our clients over the last 20+ years, is that the people who feel the most successful and satisfied in their work, are those who know how they want work to fit into the whole of their lives.

They’ve identified:

  • their priorities
  • the skills that they love using
  • the day-to-day working conditions where they’ll thrive

They’ve taken that information and use it to look for opportunities to do work that they love, in an environment that’s right for them, and at a company that allows them to live their life’s priorities.

What we’re saying is, the clearer you are
about what you’re looking for,
the more likely you’ll find work that’s good for you
and where you’re good for your employer.

To help you think about this, we’ve put together some key steps in the career strategy journey to show you the difference between how a typical job search looks compared to our approach.

As you look through the steps above, think about the whole of you. What pieces are you missing as you consider the type of work and environment that could be next for you?
 
Let us know what you find!