*SPOILER ALERT* As much as I’d love to say this is a love story chock full of steamy, page turning verbiage, this is NOT one. And, as much as I’d love to say I found love through Tinder, I haven’t. Never used it. Before my time. Grrrrr. But, I digress…

This IS, however, a story for all of those *job seekers* out there looking for love (a new job that is). It’s a story for those who want to change their luck and trajectory. After all, as Mom & Dad would ask, are you “looking for love in all the wrong places?”

I can’t tell you how many people thank me for sending them out on interviews that end up being “the one” after they thought there was a slim chance (*at best*) that the company or job was for them. I also can’t tell you how many people tell me that the company they had pegged as their #1 choice going in, was their last choice coming out…or vice versa. Ummmmm….DUH!!! In all areas of life, rarely is anything 100% the way it appears at first glance.

Did we learn anything from the adage: “Never judge a book by its cover?”

In a world where it’s so easy (actually, TOO easy) to adjust & narrow search criteria & filters through simplified drop down menus, I think we’ve all gotten a little lazy. There, I said it. We’re LAZY. AND - super high maintenance to boot. Are we really to think that the ONLY jobs out there that can lead us to greener pastures are the ones that hit ALL (or most) of our criteria up front? Are we really to think the “perfect job” for us is 5-10 miles away (or less), with a startup company (but not a NEW startup company - they’re too risky, we want an ESTABLISHED startup), with a salary 20% more than you’re earning (because you’re worth it right?), working for the perfect boss, having the most amazing job title (so we can sound really important, or at least more important than we do now), pulling the most amazing benefits, all while working in a corner office overlooking the water?

*Silence*

C’MON. Snap out of it!!! We’re back in reality now.

Many times, the Tinder date you were reluctant about going on, swiftly becomes your husband or wife. “Much better in person” you may say. And, many times, that beautiful, funny, jovial, intelligent man or woman you met online, turns out to be a total dud, with misrepresented photos or credentials, or even worse, a complete fabrication of the truth. If we approach dating or trying to find a significant other this way (whether it be for life or merely for the night), why are we so damn stubborn when it comes to looking at jobs? The answer to that escapes me…

Cast the net wider! Take a chance! Maybe there’s a diamond right in front of you that just needs some polishing.

I’ve found all too often that just like people have poorly written resumes that do a sub-par job in deciphering who they TRULY are and how qualified they may be for a particular job, many times companies have poorly written job specs, crappy/old websites, unfair reviews on Glassdoor (not an advocate of that site - more on that later), the wrong people on the front lines in HR, or just inaccurate press swirling around them. How do you REALLY know if something is for you unless you explore it fully? You don’t!

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. You just may be pleasantly surprised.

At almost every company I know of, there are people that love their jobs and ones right next to them that hate their jobs. It’s a matter of preference. People look for different things. Every single person in this world is different than the other. If you truly want to change course and feel like you did a thorough job evaluating things during your next job change, take some chances! Sprinkle some “not so sure about that one” positions into the mix. Sprinkle in that company you’ve never heard of - after all, all the big names out there now were nobodies at one point in history. [cue the picture of every company that started in garage!] And, many times, a good recruiter can break down the pros & cons of various positions & companies for you to help make the process even easier on you (not that I would know anyone good who does that for a living).

It goes without saying that the perfect job many times can come with a weird or atypical job title, in a no frills office environment, with a company you may have never heard of before, with just “okay” benefits, located 25 miles away…JUST LIKE that Tinder date may take you by surprise in a good way….who may have been smaller/taller than what you were really after (or THOUGHT you were after), or located in the next town over, with brown hair instead of blonde.

So - as you navigate this crazy world of job postings and interviews, take my advice. SWIPE RIGHT more than you swipe left, and I bet you something really great just may happen. You deserve it. Sure, you may kiss a few frogs along the way, but I bet it gets you closer to the prince or princess you’re ultimately searching for.

Get after it -

MJB

Michael J. Butti hails from the Philadelphia suburbs, and is a highly regarded technology staffing expert, who has helped companies large & small solve their most complex staffing problems and has helped shape the Delaware Valley technology landscape since 1997. Michael is Co-founder and VP of Staffing at TripleScreen Search & Staffing, based in Downingtown, PA.

Follow him on Instagram @mikebuttiphilly