068 Balancing Cultural Fit With Urgent Need For Employment

00:00:02 – 00:05:05

welcome to job seekers radio. I’m Andrew and I’m Scott. This production is meant to provide you the listener meaningful support to fight great careers careers faster. And that’s whether you are working or not by the way. This episode today is brought to you by the anatomy of a networking conversation. It’s an e-book and a free resource that you can download at job seekers radio DOT COM in today’s show we talk about balance balancing cultural fit and the urgent need for for income not uncommon very common. Both of us have had situations where income was necessary very very interesting. I think that’s true of most Savar. Listening to income is necessary I. It’s just the urgency. That may or may not be really a driver for some people. I think one person that I know who decided to move to Portland for whatever reason he was between jobs and he and his family decided to move all the way across the country to settle here in Portland. Income was not really eighty. Something he needed urgently he had enough in savings that he knew he’d be safe for while still it doesn’t last forever. He wasn’t in the one percent that isn’t able to spend and all the money’s making on interest so you know a job is needed but then was also talking to someone recently who is badly under employed at the moment and she she is running out of money and so the the the need to get a full time job where she’s really supporting herself is urgent and she’s finding herself looking at potential jobs that are beneath her skill. Set that pay less than what she’s looking for and there’s a lot of other stuff going on that really digs into herself confidence. So that’s part of what is driving this discussion today. Whether you’re employed or unemployed the need for money Israel your many people if you have obligations and you’re staring down at your bank account balance and you need a job then take the next job. Right comes along and there’s really nothing wrong with that. I realized that nobody wants to take a job. They’re not going to enjoy and I think that’s healthy perspective. In fact I think that’s healthier here than those who say. Oh well I can just work any job. And they don’t really care they they may not care as an employer. I want them to care. How do you balance that? I really think that this this conversation begins with knowing what you want in the first place. What do you want an employer and even if you are feeling that urgency that you just have to get a job Bob? It’s critical that you spend the time to decide. What is it that you actually want to many times? I hear people talk about. Oh well you know I. I have transferable skills I can work for anyone. It’s not industry specific. And so why are they hiring me and when I asked him well what do you want to an employer that well any employer is fine as long as an. I’m thinking wait a minute. They haven’t done any research they haven’t made. They haven’t documented any of their desires. How then can can you express your enthusiasm for job that you’re implying for if you don’t even know what you want? Take that time. What is it about the employers that you’ve enjoyed enjoyed that help? You enjoy them and even if you’re the type where when you start you love the company and when you leave you hate the company every single time and. I know that it doesn’t always happen that way. Let’s just say that’s worse case scenario. What were the things that you enjoy when you began those kinds of cultural fit type of concepts that that you need to be aware of? Why did it work for you? How did that fit your own style? How did that fit your sense of pace at work? It was doing the kind kind of thing that helps you feel like hey I want to get up in the morning and do that some more today. If you are aware of those now you can start matching the companies ace who profess those sorts of cultural concepts and that is where this conversation begins. You’ve got to do that research. It gives you focus. It does and if you are just going to be taking the next job that comes along shouldn’t it at minimum be ones that you’ve chosen not ones that were forced on you and if you look at the menu order from the menu. You’re the only one to blame. If you get indigestion especially if you know when you eat that thing you’re gonNA be getting it. I mean here’s the thing thing I’ve seen this so many times is that you choose which opportunities you go after even if you need work now that’s beneath you you still have choices and even though there’s probably millions of job postings and you’re just gonNa hit them shotgun which I don’t recommend it is probably better to identify the kinds of the things that you stand for. I heard it said once to where you stand were will ultimately determine where you sit and where you sit will ultimately determine where you stand and I I always take that with me as if I don’t stand for something that I’m going to sit where I don’t WanNa sit. It’s interesting to me because I had this conversation with someone with people who really currently need work and they feel like I can’t pick and choose.

00:05:05 – 00:10:13

I have to take the next job that comes along. Well you are picking and choosing using if you weren’t you would probably get that job whether it’s at the local grocery store or some other minimum wage entry level position there are. Are those jobs out there. Picking fruit in the fields. Whatever we don’t take those jobs because we’re judging them right so you really are making a choice? Let’s not not beat ourselves up over that there’s a good reason why we’re making these choices. You have your reasons stick with them so much healthier position to be in. If you’re we’re looking at a need it is an urgent need. You need to take the first job coming along. Then it’s also your choice to look at what that job can do for you. That is positive positive. This is not your career goal to take a receptionist position. It’s not your career goal to work at a McDonald’s so what if you can find good good things about that role that’s going to bring the income. It can be a gap job the job. You’re you take. That will buy time to get the job you really want. They’re still something positive. You can get from that and I’ve been there. I’ve taken those kinds of jobs and the only time I ever left a job like that because because it wasn’t something that I could do when that something was physical when I physically could not sustain the effort needed and this was just a an additional job job that I was doing for a holiday income and physically just couldn’t keep up the way I could have twenty five years ago with something else I learned from it. That was very positive. Take the time you need aide understand what income you need. What is this all going to look like? Then look at. The positive is that it can bring whether you think you’re above this job or not. Don’t overlook the value of actually presenting your unique bestself to the marketplace. Because what you’re thinking what. You’re feeling the emotions that you have if if you’re presenting that to the marketplace I’ll take any job that comes along then it’s harder for me as a coach or even Lawyer end or anybody to help you as a person who’s I dunno fairly well connected in Portland. I’m not GonNa Brag about it but I know a lot of people and I’m happy to introduce people cool to anybody and you see this at breakfast club. We asked people what. What is it that you want to do that? We’re not there to uncover their their shame or or to put them in a position in of despair. It’s help them connect with what they want. It was really interesting and one of the breakfast club meetings. There was someone there who was really feeling pulling down because she hadn’t gotten a good job in a long time and she was coming to this group to to get some new ideas and I think you were the one that asked her the question. What what she wanted to do and she started to talk very specifically about the things that she really enjoyed doing and she was a different person in that moment she showed up completely completely differently with confidence and with a certain eloquence that if she could bring that into every conversation she ever had? I am convinced vinced that she would have a job at this point or she would have found one very quickly she was in this mode of. I need a job. I need a job any job. And and we couldn’t seem to get to that sense of accomplishment and self confidence in the same way after that one moment so to your point mindset is a lot so as we’re thinking of you know. Do I take this job. Well look at it for what it offers look at the benefits. Take the the gap job that you need. Don’t stop networking. Keep that part of your efforts going beyond this this job or career shift. Whatever that is too I totally give up my career? Well not if you feel that strongly about it may need to take a gap job keep networking not to talk about finances or anything but you could always find ways to lower your cost of living. I know I’ve done it. I’ve gotten rid of automobiles that it had large payments you know. Let’s not overlook that side either. Is that if you’re in a position where you know you’re burn rate is pretty high. You can always do things this in some fashion to reduce the burn rate of. Have a friend. Actually going through this right now. Who is car just broke down at repair? Costs are beyond what he can pay. So he’s in the process right now choosing whether or not to keep the car and he said to me that he could save almost a thousand dollars a month if he would give up the car a thousand dollars a month when you think about the gas repairs that he’s been putting in yeah. He said he’d he’d already put on a total over the last couple of years. Four thousand on his credit card took pay for the repairs on the car and unflagging. Well that’s a really hefty down payment. But of course you know you don’t know what what’s coming up and he doesn’t have a car payment right now with this car so okay grant that he could save nine hundred and something dollars a month if he just got rid of the car altogether and he he just moved into an apartment that is downtown.

00:10:13 – 00:15:30

He’s currently walking to work. He can walk to the grocery store. He can take public transit anywhere anywhere he needs to go. Why wouldn’t you now? I understand one of the responses to that question is while I have my independence when I have my car totally really get that. Do you need that independence or is that a preference because if it’s truly need then you need to make sure that you’re fulfilling. Oh filling that need but if it’s a preference what are all the advantages of choosing ticket rid of that car so now all of a sudden you totally changed your income companies just by turning the key on one thing and what you’ve done is you’ve created distance between virtue and despair and you’ve kind of separated these two things where it’s like. Hey all I’ve seen is despair now pushing that away and I’ve seen virtue I’m seeing possibility. I’m seeing potential. I’m seeing hope and just these little things that you’d never the thought would have that advantage to your. I call it the spirit. Whatever you WANNA call it to your soul I mean each has one hopefully? Why are you looking at me that way? No I completely agree. And it’s giving yourself permission to make the choices this you need to make without losing the hope that comes through that networking looking through different lenses. And maybe it is taking a lower job. You’re giving yourself permission. Just do what you need to right now so things don’t become a problem because you’re boring them and still we come back to that idea. How do I balance cultural fit to the need for income when you are doing the things that bring you that sense of hope you are far more likely to recognize the companies that are going to give view the things you need? Because you’re in that head space right now and as you said before if instead you’re going to the interview table with I need this job I’m desperate you’re going to show show up differently. They’re going to read you differently and having gone through interviews as long as I have. I’m telling you you will show up differently. I will notice. I may not put my finger on so you are not going to show up as your best most confident. Self keep looking keep applying keep networking. Yes it’s a grind we get at and and you can actually listen to all of the job seekers radio episodes and you’re likely to get a little bit of understanding of how to build some resilience and how to use some of these tools talking about. If you haven’t done so already I would go back and listen to some of those episodes that we have where we highlight resilience. And how are we build the muscle. Stay with it because it it can be this escape right. We’re just trying to escape hopelessness or even helplessness or despair. Despair over time. Your standards of what quality job is for you. We’ll go down as your needs for income increase and that means you’re gonNA sacrifice your principles and I see that happening. I know I’ve been in those types of situations myself. There’s also something to be said I can keep my standards. Sanders had can keep the things that I find. Most important to me I can keep those at the forefront while still may be taking that gap job or maybe taking a you know getting into the company I wanted but not really at the level or in the position that I wanted to. And that curtails my ability to get out and do as much networking Zygi ed or to do the kinds of have the kinds of conversations. I’ve enjoyed in the past what that does in my own decision making process then is to help me me. Focus on keeping the quality of those networking conversations. Maybe it takes more effort to find them at the Times that I’m able to do it and that’s okay right because I will keep my focus on what’s important to me despite having a gap job I’m still going to be able to talk to other people about what it is. That is important and to me. What drives me? And that is the part. That doesn’t change in terms of personal branding and having some kind of ability to talk about it effectively. It’s not uncommon. Common that many of our listeners can be their own worst critic and it just perpetuates disorientation or whatever you WanNa call it where we need to really latch onto something. The thing I would refer to as despair avoidance principles and. Maybe that’s maybe I just need to get out and exercise. Maybe I just need to do some different for its series of activities. I just saw this morning. That talked about how just getting out in nature makes people feel better at it helps their blood pressure sure. It helps their cognitive abilities. Just to take a walk through the woods if you have someplace where you can take that kind of getting out and doing something that feels feels good will help you far more than just grinding through online applications hour after hour you may think that’s counter intuitive in our experience pairing citizens we see the benefits of all the time whenever we’re talking to somebody who uses them it helps you maintain some sort of disciplined consistency resilience all those qualities that we talk about when we’re in a situation like now I think about the book the power of now and the focus on what is happening right this minute.

00:15:30 – 00:19:42

You can’t do anything about the past and you actually can’t do anything about the future. I laugh because of course we all plan for the future to some degree. The only thing you can actually do something in with is what’s happening right now. The question then in this book is is it really a problem if it’s a problem that’s what you deal with. It isn’t a problem now. You have choices that itself puts us in a different frame of mind that actually the hopelessness may not be so hopeless. Yeah is it really hopeless right and we actually did an episode not too long ago. How about the questions we ask ourselves and the quality of our questions are going to determine the quality of our outcomes and our perspectives? Ask yourself better questions it matters and yes ask you have not found it yet. You may not have found the perfect job yet. So don’t think you’re stuck where you are in the ear and a circumstance that can’t be changed and don’t ask people for for advice. Who Only give you platitudes? Oh that job is just around the corner. I find that to be incredibly frustrating. It’s patronizing instead had talked to the people who actually challenge you. Who ask you questions? Have you thought about this. Have you considered that and do everything you can to keep keep from saying. Oh Yeah I tried that but because you never know how it might change if you try it again. I tried that and maybe I did it wrong. That would be a much better response than Oh oh I tried that I. It doesn’t work or yes. I tried that before. And maybe there’s something I can do differently to make an adjustment to make an adjustment. Yeah never takes no. I know that you have choices. And those choices will suggest empowerment and when you feel empowered you will make better choices. Choose US decide. These are great words. Make sure that you’re doing everything you can to look at the choices that matter to you. Based on in this case cultural fed ahead but to find that define what that is determined the cultural fit is and then go look for. It’s not something that can be found always on the Internet and don’t think that a company that doesn’t you do what your past companies do are out of bounds. It could be very well that what you do is done in some fashion within the company that actually possesses the qualities that you are looking for look there first and talking about having some a habitual activities like exercise or walking. If you enjoy doing research you probably will really enjoy looking for those companies that fit your values that create that cultural fit. If you’re like like me where research is not necessarily my strongest suit. I have learned to enjoy that because now I get to find out about people because I’m not a process driven guy when I you can find out more about the people side of business. I actually am looking at this from a lens that excites me. That gives me energy so right there. It’s a different different point of view. A different mindset speaking of people and process. That’s why we created the Anatomy of networking conversation for those of you listening to this episode sewed. And you’re wondering what is this whole networking thing for jobs all about. We have a free resource for you. Available on our website. JOBSEEKER’S RADIO DOT COM forward forward slash zero six eight. You’ll get all the show notes in resources from that Web page. Can you believe that that is really quite the bargain. And it’s free free. I love love free. No charge all right. Well thanks everybody for joining us for this episode of Job Seekers Radio We want to acknowledge investment of time. And your attention. We we really really are grateful for it head on over to itunes if you’re on. IOS device the IPHONE and subscribe to get future episodes. While you’re there just give us a quick rate and review. We appreciate the feedback. We want to spread the message of what we’re trying to do here on job seekers radio and would appreciate your efforts in in making that a reality absolutely and if you have questions that’s a good spot for questions as to as well we enjoy doing those question answer episodes and there will be more of those in the future while I’m Andrew and I’m Scott got it in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside exciting? You make it happen everybody lakes.