Job Search: Not a Fairy Tale

I have often said that I talk for a living.  Well, this week, it really has been true.  I talked to a lot of people over the past week.  Some of them were interesting. Others, not so much.

One of the really great stories came from a gentleman who had a long career in the world of finance and accounting.  He was really keen on a role that I have working on for one of my clients.

As he was recounting the chapters of his career, I stopped him. He had just mentioned taking something new after more than 10 years with an organization.

I asked him how that happened.  He said that he had been on the website for his professional association paying his dues when he decided to take a look at the careers page.

One of the postings caught his eye.  He decided to apply right then.  He did not go home to think about it or talk with a million people.  He just applied.

(Kudos to him for keeping his resume up to date so it was ready to go.)

He got a call the next week and met with the hiring team.  Everything went well.  He got an offer that he liked.  He resigned and the rest, as they say, is history.

This is not a fairy tale story. He was not an exceptional person.  He was nice and all but he did not have extra sparkle or a fancy pedigree. He saw a job, applied for it and got it.

When something catches your eye, take action.  You can always hit the brakes if something that smells bad in the process but you won’t be in the process if you don’t apply.