Getting A Job Versus The Job

You may need a job now, but is it the job you really want?

The bills don’t stop when you lose a job. You can’t pay rent in tears. This reality has all of us thinking about getting a job versus the job.

Getting A Job

A job is a quick win, found fast, and usually through friends and without a resume.

A job is something to pay the bills. To bring in income. To give you structure in the day. It’s also a clear signal that you’re back from the darkness of unemployment. From professional death.

A job can be anything. I am seriously considering being a bartender at my local bar. The pay is 1/4 of what I was making before but infinitely more than zero. A job could be renting out your basement on Airbnb - what one person is doing - or driving for Uber.

There is no shame in taking a job now if you need the income, structure, and purpose.

And while you’re working a job, you can buy yourself more time to focus on getting the job (see below).

Getting The Job

Now, getting a job like the one you had on January 19 is a different challenge. Our industry is gone.

There are seven steps we must follow.

We’ll need to take time to reflect on what we do well, what we want to do, and which industry and company we want to do it with. We then need to network with those in that industry to confirm our expectations and learn who to work with and for.

Most research shows that getting the job will take 3-6 months.

You can shorten that time frame through Job Search Councils to 3-4 months, but thinking you’ll get the job in 1 month isn’t realistic. If you do not have the financial ability to put in 3-4 months of unpaid job searching, see above about getting a job.

Again, there is no shame in whichever path you take. There is no shame in taking a job that supports you or your family now, even if it doesn't fully align with your career goals or feel like the ideal fit right now.

We all have our own paths to follow.

We can dream of getting the job. This is our goal. Just be sure you know the difference between the two. Recruiters for the job sure will.