Grab Your Parachute & Land Your Dream Job
A few months ago, I realized it was time for me to start my next job search after lacking both alignment and fulfillment in my current role. I was prepared for a dreadful, uncomfortable, emotional roller coaster ride. The perspective of looking for something new during a pandemic wasn’t especially attractive, yet it felt slightly less overwhelming knowing I could run the search from the comfort of my own home, as I was working remote.
I dove into the equally thrilling and terrifying exercise of browsing hundreds of job posts, combing through Careers pages and making my laptop sweat with my endless amount of tabs. I automatically started on a rather ‘traditional’ job search path, but found the process limiting and discouraging. I then had the urge to look back into a book recommended by a friend a couple of years back, called “What Color Is Your Parachute?” by Richard N. Bolles. For the purists, the book itself (a best-seller) is a good read and a reference when it comes to Job Hunting and Career change manuals.
At this point in my life, I decided to select the principles from the book that spoke to me most and that I felt confident I could apply in my current situation. That selection focused on Chapter 9, and the idea that ultimately You Get To Decide Where You Work. You may be thinking “if only”, but the theory finds roots in the millions of job offers out there, all written with predefined elements that may or may not ignite a variety of inner switches in each of us. In sorting through those countless bullet points, requirements and criterias, chances are you will train your brain into measuring your worth against every possible element, oftentimes resulting in lowered self-esteem. As women we naturally undersell our talents and are immediately disadvantaged in this regard. I was enlightened by the Parachute concept of reversing the traditional role of job seeker to instead elevate myself to a position of confidence, enablement and the power to choose.
The method starts with a self-inventory of your skills and achievements (I am a person who…), your values & purpose, your workspace preferences, and many more. From there, it prompts you to create the job description that would excite you the most. Next, it is about going out there and reaching out to companies that you feel would align with the core values and ambitions you incorporated into your dream job description. Of course, this method is more work than the traditional approach. It requires hard thinking and self-reflection, but this is precisely why it’s so valuable. For many of you who may be currently on furlough, this is a rare opportunity to do the groundwork and may already be underway. In sorting through what you would and would not like from a job, you bypass countless barriers and disappointments that could come your way with a more classic job hunt. This method encourages you to find not just work, but work you really want to do.
Going back to my recent experience, I went through this process of thinking hard about what I really wanted to be doing: what had made me happy at the end of a work day; what had defeated me, leaving me feeling drained and discontented. In drafting my ideal job description, I came up with a few companies that I knew would benefit from having my skills and profile joining their team. I reached out to the top 3 companies I had identified as a potential match, and found myself conversing with the first one, gathering a wealth of useful information in the process that I could then use for my own reflection. From these conversations it became obvious I would be the best ‘hybrid’ person to fill in the gaps they did have, with a role that did not yet exist. In pro-actively reaching out and submitting an organized proposal of who I am and what I wanted to be doing for them, I secured their interest and created my own job opportunity, in alignment with their goals and growth ambitions.
Around the same time as these discussions, I ended up receiving another offer from a different company - one that came with a more traditional job description and pre-established set of duties. That other offer was slightly better from a salary & perks perspective, yet I chose the “Parachute” opportunity as I was confident no role could be better than the one I had ultimately forged for myself.
As part of this journey, it is crucial to acknowledge that looking for a new role comes with an array of emotional colors, some darker than others, likely to blend in complex arrangements. On this point, I always like to remind myself that facts are neutral, while emotions will determine how you feel. For example, a Thank You email left unanswered after a first interview is a neutral fact. The reaction you exert on this factual event is where the variations come in: one could feel stress and self-doubt (is my message too casual? Too formal? Did I send it too late?), while someone else could simply consider the Thank You email a ticked item on their to-do list and move on, patiently waiting for a reply from the company. The truth is, having one reaction over another will have zero effect on the outcome chosen by the people you are waiting to hear from.
Job hunting puts a strain on the mind and body, tickles your impatience, rallies against your self-confidence and plays with your nerves. Preserving your energy during this uncertain process is key to sustain a healthy mental state, acknowledging it could stretch in time. Rationing your strength and taking days ‘off’ can be a good idea if you feel the search is taking a hit on your balance.
The idea behind the parachute approach merely suggests there is a different way of going about the journey, for those who feel they can afford to try out something new or are not having luck with the traditional job search. This may not be for everyone, depending on the necessity of finding work and your present situation. However, the approach can also serve as a complement to traditional job search efforts. Consider how it could boost your outcomes, and at the very least, guide you through some insightful self-reflection exercises that will help you be clear on what you want and the value you bring. Remember, you have your own unique gifts and deserve to find work you really want to do.
Resources & References
Book: What Color Is Your Parachute? - Richard N. Bolles