Dating vs. Job Hunting
Ready your romantic resume, advertise your talents and availability, and sign on with the best partner.
Have you ever considered how similar dating is to job hunting? From promoting yourself to looking for opportunities, the two tasks have much in common.
Is dating just like looking for that dream job? In job-hunting do you employ the same tactics you do when seeking a date, and/or a mate?
Allow me to illustrate my point with just a few simple examples and comparisons. I have come to the conclusion the two are more interrelated than perhaps we previously realized!
If you are seeking a boyfriend/girlfriend/mate, you put yourself out there. You may do certain things to let people know you are available and interested in a relationship, including but not limited too: going out to the bars with your friends and trying to meet new people, telling your friends, co-workers and maybe even family that you are looking to meet someone new.
You will give your "specs" to them, as in your wish list of ideal qualities, interests, and physical attributes.
Consider what you do when in the job market. You may network by letting friends, family, neighbors, and business contacts know you are available or interested in making a company/career switch. You will also explain to them specifically what you are seeking. You begin to watch the classifieds, search online sites and maybe even proactively post your resume on them so that employers looking for people with your expertise can find you.
If, at the bar, or in casual conversation, you hear of someone available who matches your 'search criteria,' you plan your strategy and see what happens. The same is true in a job hunt; if your neighbor tells you about a job you will send your resume covered with a letter of application and hope that it leads to further communication with Human Resources.
In both you put your best foot forward and are completely prepared with your best outfit and best stories that paint you in a flattering light to market . . yourself!
You do not tell a prospective employer the stories of the failures you've had in previous positions just like you do not tell a date about your old partners and why those relationships did not work out. You try to appear witty, confident, intelligent and attempt to pique the curiosity of the person you have spent time with, just enough, to make them want more.
When you get the job, it is like beginning a new relationship. You meet co-workers much like you would meet your partner's friends and family. You settle in, and begin to grow . . comfortable. You reveal much more of your true self.
Your guard is still up if you are on a probationary period with an employer, much like you wait until a new relationship is aged to a certain degree before you share specific details and intimate secrets and stories about yourself.
Keep your resume up-to-date and handy . . . you never know when it will need to be dusted off or you will re-enter the market!
