Finding your “Dream Job”
I hate the term Dream Job. Every time I hear the term, it makes me cringe. If you asked me about my Dream Job, it would involve getting paid to travel the world with my close family and friends. Since I was not born a Kardashian, and I would hardly call that a life of fulfillment, it is not a realistic pursuit for me to invest my time and effort into. There are, however, many roles that have a marriage between our personal interests and our professional skills. We just need to find them. For my own sanity, we can call these roles “Awesome Jobs.”
Have a Game Plan. I hope this article convinces you that navigating your way to a job that is not only personally fulfilling but professionally suitable, is a worthy and realistic pursuit. I know this is a realistic pursuit; I have seen this done, time and time again, throughout my career. I have analyzed the intentional actions that have led people to find these opportunities and will provide you with an outline that will help you do the same.
Finding Your Awesome Jobs. Start by identifying your passions. This may seem obvious, to some, but it is not easy for people who spend most of their life working or taking care of family. We get so caught up in our daily lives, that often our passions and interests take a backseat.
Ask yourself: If I had an hour or two of spare time in my day, what would I enjoy doing? Cycling. Working on cars. Woodworking. Cooking. Investment research. Brewing beer. Playing with your pets. Just to name a few examples. Make a list. Settle on one or two.
Identify your professional strengths. If you have read any of my previous articles, you have already seen my strategy around brand development. As part of that strategy, we first need to identify our professional strengths.
Ask yourself: If I were to start a consulting company tomorrow, what services would I offer? Product development. Data science. Solution architecture. Business process optimization. Leadership training. Think about it as if you were a product heading to market. Write down 1-3 services/strengths.
Marry your passions and your strengths with companies/industry through market research.
This might take some time, but it is a really fun exercise. Let's say you settled on cycling and brewing beer for your passions. Let's also say that you settled on data science and leadership development for your professional strengths.
So, we are looking for a data science leadership position for a company that develops bicycles and brews their own beer? As cool as that sounds, you may be hard pressed to find that company (Although, as strange as it sounds, I am sure it is out there in some way shape or form). You are trying to determine if there is a market out there that marries one or more of your passions with your strengths. For example, if I am a Data Scientist who is passionate about leadership development, who happens to enjoy cycling in my spare time, then I likely know a handful of companies that develop products that I use for cycling every day. Clothes, helmets, shoes, bikes, workout programs, cycle studios, etc. If I can't think of many, ask your friend Google.
As I am writing this, I just did a quick Google search for Top Cycling Companies. One link (3rd one from the top) advertised a list of the Top 25 Companies for Cyclists. (Wow, that's a thing?) LOW AND BEHOLD, the first company on the list was New Belgium BREWING! A brewing company who advertises, It’s hard to beat a company that gives employees a cruiser bike on their one-year anniversary. Plus there’s the free beer: one 12-pack a week plus a shift beer a day. Jackpot! But there were still 24 other companies on that list who breed a culture that is friendly towards people who enjoy cycling. Not all of them have shift beers, but beggars can't be choosers. Some of those companies include:
Clif Bar & Company - Those semi-tasty meal supplement bars…Show me the money! It offers employees up to $765 a year in rewards for commuting by bike, $500 toward a bike every six years, and $350 annually to cover race entry fees. Apparently, the bar business is booming.
Garmin International - Those GPSs that everyone use to have…You can park your bike at your desk, have daily lunch rides, and have pro cyclists stop by the office…I am not a huge cycling guy, but that seems pretty sweet!
Goodyear - Those expensive tires…Turns out their CEO, Rich Kramer, is an avid cyclist. The company’s Goodyear Cardio Challenge is an exercise incentive program that has produced over 340,000 miles of riding within a 16-week period.
So, after a quick Google search, we now have a nutritional bar company, a GPS company, and a tire company that we have identified as awesome places to work for people that love cycling. If you do a little more market research, I am confident that you can find a lot more than those 25 companies that are on that list. Through some simple research, we have identified that there is a market out there for a data science leaders who love cycling…and beer.
Now, it’s time to execute. Navigating your way to your Awesome Job does not happen overnight. However, you can easily dive into your networking and branding strategy. The key shift here is picking one of your passions and looping that into your personal brand. Don't make your central focus that single passion, but there are simple ways to make that portion of your overall brand.
Example
Name: Lance Armstrong
Headline on LinkedIn: Data Science | Leadership Development | Avid Cyclist
If I was a data science leader who loved cycling and was trying to navigate my way to an Awesome Job, I would post content and engage with content about data science and leadership. I would also start analyzing data and post my findings on the benefits of regular cycling activity, or trends showing how the sport has grown worldwide, or detailed analysis of the impact of drafting another cyclist while on a long ride. I would research how Peloton is leveraging advanced analytics within their organization and share that with my network. I would post articles on why I think cycling has made me a better leader. In order to not appear weird and obsessive about cycling, I would probably try to limit cycle-centric content (never thought I would use that phrase) to no more than 25% of the time…just my recommendation.
This accomplishes a few things:
You will organically attract like-minded cycle enthusiasts to your page, and they are likely to connect with you. People with mutual interests are far more likely to engage in a meaningful way. There are 500 million users on LinkedIn. Imagine if you were connected to everyone on LinkedIn who loved cycling. Remember, we are not trying to appease everyone on the platform. I am no Data Scientist, but my guess is that number would equate to hundreds of thousands of meaningful connections because there is inherent commonality.
Imagine that I am a hiring manager. I work for one of the companies on the list for Top Companies for Cyclists. I get two referrals for a Data Scientist opening that was posted online. Both have strong backgrounds for the position. I visit both LinkedIn pages, and it looks like Lance Armstrong (example from earlier) is an avid cycler. Oh, Wow! Lance also posts content about analytics in cycling, leadership and data science. I must talk to this guy!
Lance didn't beat out the other guy because of his love for cycling, that is simply what got the manager’s attention. Lance beat him out because he produced content that showed off his professional skillset, and he was taking PEDs. (Just kidding…)
Branding yourself for your Awesome Job will help you organically attract like-minded people to your network on LinkedIn. Like-minded people who have an entire network that you can potentially tap into. These are people who appreciate your content, and if you make it professional and valuable content, they will also appreciate your professional skillset. It will also help you stand out from the pack, if you are targeting companies that would appreciate your passion…which you are.
Over the years, I have seen software developers who have a passion for home-remodeling get a job on the new product development team at Home Depot. I have seen Data Scientists who have a passion for sports land jobs with a consulting firm that works with the MLB. I have seen Sustainability Leaders who LOVE to travel navigate their way into Booking.com. I have also seen people eventually spin off and start their own company through the network and relationships that they created; all because they took intentional action and had a well-refined networking and branding strategy.
The stories above are easier said than done. If you are a Sustainability Leader (people leader or thought leader) and would like some help navigating your way to your Awesome Job, let's connect.
Happy Hunting!
Bobby Hite
