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Finding the perfect match
Finding that elusive, perfect job is much like finding your perfect partner. Many of us long for a job that makes us want to sing out loud, skip and smile inanely at the end of a long day - not bolt out the door the moment the home time bell rings.
In essence what we're looking for in both our personal and work-based relationships are for all our boxes to be ticked. But what exactly are those boxes?
Well, relationship gurus will tell you that there are three key factors when looking for your perfect mate.
- Intimacy - can you connect, talk, and reveal your thoughts and feelings with one another
- Passion - is the relationship fun? Do you feel strongly, enthused and a fondness for one another?
- Commitment - are you both committed? Do you see a future together?
And when you think about it, we can apply these same principles to hunting for that perfect job.
Intimacy
Find a job/company that connects with you, that either utilises or complements your existing skills. This could be a brand name that you have an affinity with, or even something like a sports team you support. If you have no idea what your existing skills might be, take a look at totaljobs' psychometric questionnaire. It should help you figure out where your strengths lie and the environment you'll thrive in. And be honest at interview, first impressions and gut instinct - on your part, not just the interviewers' - count for a lot. Finding a boss you can confide in, trust and hopefully respect makes for a happy work life.
Passion
Is the job you're applying for something that you're actually interested in? Is it an area that will challenge and motivate you? You need to think about whether the job itself is motivation enough or whether your passion will be fuelled by other factors (think attractive package of add-ons like bonuses, pension plans, holiday entitlement etc). The dream scenario would of course be to find a job you both enjoy and meets your practical requirements. Think about what you enjoy doing in your spare time, or what aspects of your current job you enjoy and try to capitalise on them. It's even possible to turn your hobby into a career.
Commitment
Identify your long term goals. Does the position offer training and development? Is the job just a stop gap whilst waiting for something else, or are you thinking long term career? You should be clear on what you want and whether the job matches up with the bigger picture you have in mind.
Meet your match
In the same way as having 'your type', knowing what you want in a job can make it easier to refine your search. If you've managed to identify exactly where you're headed - great! It means you can apply those criteria to searching for a job online. The more specific you can be in terms of salary, location and industry, the more likely you'll be to find that dream position in as few clicks as possible. And, if you don't have the time to spend hours scouring the site you can set up an Instant Job Match on totaljobs.com that will match what you're looking for with jobs on the site, sending them direct to your inbox with minimum effort on your part. Just log in to your My totaljobs account to find out how.
Ultimately, we all deserve and strive to find a job that is as well suited to us as possible. We wouldn't settle for second best in a personal relationship, so why should we in a work one?
With that said, it's important to be realistic and honest with yourself. We all want the dream job with great pay, conditions and job satisfaction, but unlike love we sometimes have to compromise in the name of paying the bills. Following the above and aiming as high as possible will hopefully help you find the job that best suits you; if not you will find something you can live with in the meantime while you wait for love at first sight to hit you.
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Totaljobs.com > Career advice > Jobseeking plus > Finding the perfect match
