Stating your 'ideal job' now is harder than before

Question

Does anyone else struggle to say what kind of position they are going for right now? I feel I have to remain open to different paths/categories of jobs in order to increase my odds of finding employment again, so I list 3-4 different categories of jobs, but I fear it might also make me come off as being unfocused/too general. Does anyone else feel the same?

Therese Lyons · Answer

As someone who is also on the job hunt, I understand the desire to “cover your bases” and continue to experience that from time to time myself. Where you may find more confidence and resilience is first focusing on your transferable skills (rather than types of jobs) and especially those skills that you really enjoy using. Many skills from organizational to project management to EQ (and many others!) are vital to a “job well done” in all types of jobs and industries. And by focusing on the skills that you enjoy using, you may start to feel a shift away from fear (i.e., “increasing the odds”) into confidence (focusing on something you enjoy) which will in turn open you up to more possibilities and networking opportunities leading you to not only a job but also a job that you enjoy.

Andrea Parrish Renner · Answer

I have to say that having been unemployed now since late April, I tried focusing on a specific niche, and honestly wasn't getting any responses. I'm now casting a wider net, and am finally getting responses.  It's an interesting job market out there, and the theme I keep picking up on is that - it's all about marketing yourself as a product.

J Acharya · Answer

Definitely! I have the same issue, though my reason is different - I’m just not sure what I want to do long term, especially given how rapidly the job market is changing! Instead of answering this type of question with specific jobs, I instead describe attributes of my dream job. I say something like - “The IT landscape is changing so rapidly that it’s hard to say what specific role I want to be in five years from now - it’s possibly that role isn’t even created yet - and I wouldn’t want to limit myself by working towards only one role. I see myself in a leadership and management  role, someone who works with people a lot and executes company strategy. I also really enjoy work related to data and analytics so I’d love to continue working in that space.”

By describing specific attributes of your ideal job you can keep it a bit more open and vague when it comes to the actual role, without sounding unfocused. Hope that helps!

Kelli · Answer

Hi Heartie - have you done a deep self-discovery dive to figure out what you really want to be doing? I would try that first. Once you have that in your head, you'll be able to focus your efforts in a more niche area. Yes, while there are a lot of companies/areas not hiring, there are many that are. Take some time to figure out your true calling and then jump back in to find the right roles...that way you won't be in this same position a year from now.

Denise Lennon · Answer

I believe it shows you're flexible and easily adapted to change. This is a great considerating industries are needing candidates that can showcase their varying talents.

jylewis77 · Answer

I'm in school now working on a BS in Business Admin w/ a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  The first thing everyone wants to know is what kind of work am I trying to get with that degree.  I don't know.  I didn't choose the major with a specific career in mind, just an idea of the kinds of things I like to do...and those things can be done at any job.  As I work on my resume I'm trying to focus on transferable skills rather than specific positions.

Jen Flanagan · Answer

I'm experiencing this same feeling, and I appreciate you sharing this and being open about it. Your emotions are valid and I personally don't think you will appeared unfocused. In fact, I think you will appear even more focused because you're showing flexibility, adaptability and ambition during what is such an emotional and uncertain time. Good luck!

Elianet Oliva · Answer

Yes, I totally feel the same, I have been an financial analyst, a sr business intelligence analyst and  operations manager, everyone of these experiences are in different parts of the business. I have an MBA, which is kind of a very broad term for everything business, but find it hard to just say I want operations, cause I really don't like the operations lifestyle, if I look for finance positions, the feedback is I wasn't in finance in my last position. I was watching a video the other day that described this as a spork, and recruiters don't like sporks, they like forks or spoons. 
:( I feel I have a lot to give in any of those fields and any other as well.

Rebecca Lee V · Answer

I know what you mean. I feel like I've hit a wall and really don't know what to do. I have revised my resume repeatedly, and I can do it again, but I'm starting to feel like I'm wasting my time. I'm focusing on specific jobs with specific skills and getting nothing back even when my resume is a match.

Stating your "ideal job" now is harder than before

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.