Part 2 of the series “How to Find the Perfect Next Job”

By Steve Moran

This is a really critical issue to think about but it starts with an “it depends.”  

Almost Broke

If you are out of work and broke — or near broke — the perfect job is almost . . . though not quite . . . anything you can get. This may seem obvious, but I have seen people pass on jobs they should have taken because it was really terrible.   

I was in this position a few years ago (before coming back to senior living). I was dipping into savings every month and when I saw the job posting that fit my skill set I was excited. When I realized the company I cringed. I knew the CEO who I would be reporting directly to (almost everyone did in this 100-person company) had a reputation for being one of the most unethical, brutal people in all of the sector of Silicon Valley I knew best.  

I needed a job.  

I interviewed.

I understood the job.

I knew that the last three guys who preceded me lasted exactly 12 months and figured that 12 months would be enough time to find another job. It was horrible, absolutely horrific and the only silver lining was that I actually made it 14 months . . . and for those 14 months, I received a paycheck.

As it turned out it was just the right amount of time I needed to transition back into senior living. Six weeks later I joined Vigil Health Solutions (a Senior Housing Forum partner) and started a blog called Senior Housing Forum.

Expert Advice

My goto expert on all things related to career advancement is Julie Rupenski , the founder of Medbest, a Senior Housing Forum partner. She offered 7 very specific ideas:

  1. Job hunting has a lot in common with dating and desperation is never attractive in either case. If you are desperate, tell people you know and trust, but you cannot let your prospective employer know. They will either hire you and take advantage of you or assume you are no good.  

  1. She also pointed out this is a great time to be looking for senior living positions. There is a severe shortage of candidates (or an overabundance of jobs).

  1. Be very careful not to overpromise. Saying over and over again “I did that” or “I can do that” or “That is easy”, will not win you points. Listen very carefully and talk about what you can do and what you don’t know. Your prospective employer will be more concerned that you can figure things out, than that you have all the answers.

  1. Use a recruiter and be honest with your recruiter about your financial situation. This will allow them to better help you. They will also be able to better coach you on the interview process.

  1. She also recommended that you reach out to your network. Not about how desperate you are, but rather about the kind of position you are looking for. Most of the best positions and placements happen because someone knows someone who knows someone.

  1. Don’t just blast out your resume to everyone. It is like waving a red flag that you are desperate and along those same lines don’t make your LinkedIn profile an online version of your resume. It is a place where you want to present the sizzle, not the whole steak.

  1. Don’t say crazy things: “I am desperate for a job”;  “I really need this job”; “I will do anything”; “I can do anything”.

If you are looking for a new position — desperate or not — reach out to Julie or her team.

Also, be sure to check out Part 1 of this series: “How How to Find a Perfect Next Job”

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