Seth Godin’s blog post this morning, Trying to Please, reminded me of several posts I’ve written about this topic regarding the spaghetti strategy, I mean job search strategy.
Who is your marketing or your product or your effort trying to please?
A clear target audience is so important!
And that’s precisely why the job board game is so ineffective. Job postings are about trying to make (or remake) yourself into something someone else thinks they want or need. It’s why job postings are fiercely competitive and woefully ineffective.
Trying to be all things to all people is akin to a strategy of aim, ready, set.
Be clear about your strengths, who needs them, and then focus your search. Less is more might seem counterintuitive, but it is more effective.
I agree completely, Cindy. And I love how with “aim, ready, set” the word “go” is missing. It’s fitting since people with this type of strategy rarely go anywhere.
By the way, to bolster your less is more argument, one woman I had the good fortune to meet and work with recently had a laser focus on where she was going with her search. In several months of being unemployed she only interviewed with one company. They hired her. Now, I’m not advocating people pursue employers one at a time, but I definitely believe those who focus on winning where they have advantages do much better than those who spread themselves around to all sorts of misfit opportunities and cross their fingers.
Love that Lisa … people with this type of strategy rarely go anywhere. So very true. Thanks!