Finding the Perfect Job 

By Donald Brezinski

Director

Miller Center for Career Services

Bentley College

 

When one starts to think about how to “find the perfect job,” it makes a lot of sense to ask, “Is there really such a thing as the ‘perfect job?'” If so, what makes a job “perfect?” If one means by perfect a job that it is the end-all of jobs, it is best argued that there is no such thing as the perfect job, for any given job should be viewed as a rung on the career ladder that will enable you to move up to the next step. The job that can best do that for you is the one best described as being “perfect.”

What you are really asking, then, is what kind of career path do you want to be on, and what are the best jobs to enable you to move along that path. As you ask these things, you should also keep in mind that the path itself might diverge as your interests and skills change over time.

In order to identify the perfect job that will contribute to the best career path for you, you first need to reflect on what it is that you like to do, and in what context you would most prefer to do whatever that thing is. Figuring that out is often the biggest challenge of all, and takes a great deal of thought.

Fortunately for college students, you have the luxury of time and the ability to experiment with options. After identifying your skills and interests, be open-minded to explore widely what career options you might have. One of the best resources any college can offer is a network of alumni who can offer informational interviews to help you understand the technical skills and personal attributes that are required to be successful in a given field. Go on as many of these as you can, recording the answers to questions like, “What are the most important skills and personal attributes necessary for success in this field?”

One thing will become very clear from these meetings, which is that few people have had a career path that was perfectly straight up in an organization or field. By mid-career, most people have changed jobs and even careers numerous times, taking advantage of transferable skills.

So, how do you find that “perfect” job? Here is my list of ten items for an action plan:

1. Start with yourself. Take an inventory of the skills you have, the skills you want to develop, and the things that interest you the most.

2. Keep an open mind. Too many people assume that people need to work at jobs that are anything but fun. You can pursue your interests and take advantage of your skills… whatever they are. There are countless jobs out there you have never heard of, so be creative and open-minded!

3. Investigate your options. Think about who cares about what you care about. Any issue of which you find interesting is bound to have a job attached to it. If not, you may have found an entrepreneurial moment!

4. Build a network of people who can either help you identify the job right for you, or at least provide you with information on what that job might be. Your college's career office ought to be able to provide you with opportunities for informational interviews.

5. Once you have identified that job and the skills required to do it well, seek out an internship or volunteer activity that can help you start building those skill sets. For example, if you believe you would like a job in consultative sales, get involved with campus activities that expose you to things like problem solving and public speaking.

6. Think broadly. Have a plan A job, and then a series of plan B job options.

7. Research. You can never know too much about the culture of a company and the kind of work that is done day to day, assuming that is the company for which you would like to work.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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