Job Hunter or Career Seeker?

June 2008

Job Hunter or Career Seeker

Which are you? I think most of us have realised that the “job for life” has gone or at least slowly slipping away. How great does the idea seem now when women who worked in the civil service had to give up their job as soon as they married. To an extent it was ok then as men were given good benefits and generally a nice pension to live off on retirement. Not the case these days as both men and women work hard to earn a good standard of living and in some situations not a sign of a pension. Property is the new pension.

So getting back to the question, job hunter or career seeker? What’s the difference? The difference is the job hunter simply wants a job to pay the bills and have his/her “beer” money at the end of the week. The career seeker genuinely wants to progress. They usually try to improve their education in order to enhance their prospects and look for jobs that offer progression and training. Unfortunately sometimes the job hunter thinks he is the career person, convinces himself and everyone around him that this is where he wants to be. He comes on board and is enthusiastic in the first month or two whilst getting to grips with the new job and getting on side with his fellow workers but then he realises that it is starting to get a bit harder. He actually has to work for his wage. His experience is not as strong as he stated in his interview. His bosses have expectations of him. It all is getting a bit too difficult so to deal with the problem he has found himself in, so he deals with it by creating a negative atmosphere around him, gets some similar minded individuals on board with him. Sick leave occurs or days of unexplained absences. Then he resigns. The longevity of this person is anywhere between 6 months to 16 months. It is highly likely that this pattern will continue for some years.

What the job hunter should realise is that it is ok not to want the “big career”. There is a good choice of jobs in the market. Consider doing temporary or fixed term contracts instead of making a commitment to a permanent role. Not everybody knows what they want to do when they leave full time education. If you want a career make sure you have set objectives in place. Make sure you are in a position to make a commitment to achieving that goal. It’s an important decision so take a bit of time to think about what you want and what is available. Get advice. Your career is not achieved in a 14 month stint. Lawyers, Accountants, Doctors for example spend years studying and working in training roles before they qualify. It takes time and determination. Unless we win the lotto or come into money most of us will be working for at least 40 years. Don’t waste time in a role that might jeopardise the chance of a better position through poor performance and attitude.

Most employers want their staff to stay for a good number of years where they can progress them – each gaining what they need to make either their career successful or the company doing well. Take time to think about your next job. Be honest about your circumstances and capabilities. You never know you might actually find what you are looking for!