So what is the link between job postings and romance novels?
I have been reading a lot of romance novels. Don’t hate me. They are really are lovely. They are not too long and they always resolve in such a nice, neat package – very appealing.
The problem is that I have now started to day dream about a rich, handsome guy showing up at work or on the train to sweep me off my feet. Not just any rich, handsome guy. No, this guy has chiseled abs, just the right amount of stubble and a home in Sardinia.
I can wish all I want, but I have already been swept off my feet. He has the stubble, but alas, no home in a sunny, warm locale.
And wishing is not going to change that.
I tried to explain that to a few candidates this week. Not the part about getting a new husband, but the part about wishing for a new role that’s a departure from where you are today.
It’s not that a major career move is not possible. It is just that you need to be rational.
I had someone try to convince me that they would be ideally suited to sell medical devices because their neighbour was a doctor and they had spent a lot of time together building a fence. He honestly thought that having a beer with a doctor imparted enough knowledge to make him a legitimate candidate for the role. Come on!
It is fine to daydream about a job when you read a posting on monster, but give your head a shake. Read the list of requirements. Can you honestly say yes to at least half of them? It does not matter whether you agree with them, nor does it matter that you think you have a better list of requirements. The employer has put them there for a reason. Respect it.
If the job posting says “living, breathing human”, then by all means, go ahead and apply but if it says “have a degree in mechanical engineering”, then going on a date with an engineer is not going to cut it.
But if you see a place in Sardinia, could you let me know?