jibba jabba job
We are spending the day doing “outside of the box” job searching. Usually we just do a search for Mother’s specific job and apply with pretty much zero regard for location at this point. Sure we have ideals, but right now we will go ANYWHERE. Yes. I said that out loud. Sigh.
Have I mentioned that we have less than 2 months for this job to happen before the massive downsizing (aka moving into a less rent and less than desirable place) happens?
So today’s new approach, as decided by Mother in a rare wave of optimism last evening, is that we should pick a location and be less strident about the job. Meaning how would someone with her skills fit jobs that aren’t exactly what she has been doing for the last 20+ years. Expand the field day.
So we each selected a few cities that would be in the “awesome to live there” group* and are looking beyond “legal” categories. We are checking out education, business, government…pretty much everything else that might be a square hole for the round real estate skills peg.
A few minutes into the search and it is quite obvious that Mother and I are approaching things differently. I have always been a fly by the seat of my pants kind of job searcher. 99.99% of the jobs I have had came my way down a very meandering path. I also come from the fantastic world of theatre- where the first rule is “say yes” and the second rule is “if you can’t do it, lie”.
When I find a potential job for Mother I immediately get all Judy Garland/ Mickey Rooney and exclaim, “let’s go for it!!” So maybe they are looking for core requirements of X, Y, and Z and you can only vouch for the Y- I still get out my pom-poms and cheer her to apply.
But that doesn’t always mesh with Mother’s process. She approaches each possibility in terms of whether or not she can do ALL the stuff the prospective company is looking for. I am guessing her legal background, you know that need to be honest and not misrepresenting, comes into play here.
I am curious what your approach might be if in this situation. Not that I am looking to prove one way is better than the other, I am just wondering if I am one giant ball of annoying in how I dance around the peripheries of Mother’s job search. Forever a misplaced Pollyanna…
(*”awesome to live there” cities of the day: Baltimore, Providence, D.C., Boston, Philly)
W & Lolly on a job search break:
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i am finding this with nursing and it is making me INSANE. i have spoken with a nurse mgr where i work and was immediately turned down to be considered for ICU as a new grad. now, i am not a 22yr old new grad with no life experience…i am a 37-almost38 yrs old who has done a bazillion different things in the field of health care, not the least of which (IMHO) was being the daughter of a ICU patient who sat by his side while he died. SO…i think while i do not have the nursing *experience* of 1-2yrs wherever (does med-surg count for moving to critical care? i dont get that) i am not considerable for this job. but i have faith and hope that there is SOME supervisor out there who will hear *me* the gypsy who IS an icu nurse in her heart and to her bones and will train me from the start
so lots of love to lolly and prayers going up…
PS – baltimore is TOTALLY the best place.
Move to Philly. We just moved there so I need friends
As for job hunting – the worst thing is to not apply for a job because you don’t have 100% of what they want. You don’t have to fudge – merely say that you are very interested in that area, a fast learner and eager to do a job well. If you don’t apply you don’t get.
i totally endorse your approach to job searching with the disclaimer up front “in the spirit of full disclosure” when she finally speaks to a real person. i am certainly a huge proponent of not lying on your resume as it becomes an integrity issue so if she applies for something that she is not fully qualified for the hiring manager can look at her experience and decide whether they think that her skill set will be leverageable or not. that’s not “misrepresenting”, it’s just thining outside of the box as you suggested… still wishing you guys lots and lots of luck!!
I say, apply for it and be honest at the interview. Go for it!!
W…*le sigh* You should move to Cleveland. It’s not awesome, but I’d sure like to NOM on his thighs…
I’ve often applied for jobs (and gotten them) where I didn’t have all that much exact experience but I’ve had similar experiences. I tend to play up the great experience I have had and my ability to learn new things and adapt to most any environment.
If I think I can do it, or if I think the job is super awesome, I apply anyway. I don’t misrepresent myself, but if you look the right way, a lot of skills can be applied to non-traditional roles.
Take a look at the MA job listings on the MA dept of workforce development site
https://web.detma.org/Jobseeker/CM1.ASP
For my dad’s unemployment benefits he has to apply to a certain number of jobs a week, even if they’re not really applicable, since there aren’t that many philosophy professorships you know. So he just does.
Yes. I would. I have. If you can do A, a bit of B, and not C at all, apply. Usually when I’m hiring, I’m more interested in personality than skill set. As long as you have the basic credentials (i.e. don’t apply if you need a dentistry degree), I can teach you the specific crap, and I’m more interested in your attitude.
Philly! Yes! Then you could live near me.
I used to dabble in recruiting in a past life. I always looked beyond the resume. Sure, there might be a short list of req’d skills, but a lot more can be told by a person’s WANT to do things in their attitude.
I like the ideas from everyone else that say go ahead and apply and then explain further when interviewed. Some things can be learned quickly.
The more the better!
It depends how far off it is – Al applied for some shit that was totally out there (in addition to things that were what he was looking for) and I got really frustrated that he was wasting time on stuff that I figured he would never get.
Um, why is Indianapolis not on this list?!
I work in entertainment and there have been so many times that I’ve embellished my abilities, but I think it comes from a core belief that I can figure it out, no matter how difficult. So what if I’ve never done it before? I’m a fast learner! It’s led to a lot of adventures.
Also, coming from having worked in a management position recently, I have to agree with Shelli’s comment that the most important attributes a candidate can possess are being honest, dependable, reliable, easy to get along with, and a fast learner. If you have those things, and you do well in an interview, you are probably better off than someone who already meets the skill set but doesn’t have a good attitude or work ethic.
Hi Cali-
I am an HR Director, and frequently hire people that don’t have exact matches in job skills. In fact, my current direct report had zero HR experience– but she did have management experience, and I could see she had the raw skill set, so I made the decision to hire her and train her on the job. She’s doing beautifully. I’ve recently hired two other individuals who also were “they are smart and they can learn the job” types of candidates. Two companies in the DC area that take ‘smart people with interesting backgrounds’: Advisory Board and Corporate Executive Board. Your mom may see something interesting there….
PS My advice is to not embellish at all. If I see that (and I know this is true of most of my peers), I automatically decline the candidate. Or I fire them if I find out after they are already hired!
Don’t embellish, but DO apply. My company definitely puts more in the ads than we are necessarily looking for. If we find the “total” package, great, but we frequently hire less than that.
Hey I work at a pretty decent size firm in Philly. Send me her resume and I will circulate it.
PHILLY!!! We’ll be neighbors!
I do not think there is anything wrong with applying for a job when you meet less than all of the qualifications. As a lawyer myself, I had no experience at all in the areas I worked my last two jobs (I started out as a real estate lawyer, switched to corporate finance and now do contracts (mostly IT contracts)). Legal skills (other than going from litigation to transactional) are pretty much the same. If you are a great real estate lawyer, you’ll probably be a pretty good contract lawyer, etc. Just my two cents. Good luck.
I LOVE that picture!! I say apply for the jobs that look interesting and then be truthful in the interview. There are so many unwritten qualities that go into being a great employee and many of the technical skills can be learned.
job descriptions are not always 100% accurate; it’s very hard for an employer to describe what a job truly entails. Your mother is more than capable of learning new information (there is ramp time learning about the new firm, partners, etc, even if she stays in her specific field). However, the skills, experience and knowing how to think about and approach problems are the skills that reach across sub-fields and make her qualified for things “outside her field”.
Example: I have a doctorate in biochemistry, and am now working in research ethics and compliance at a major university. I’m now reviewing mostly social-behavioral studies–not at all in my field and not utilizing the body of information I spent years learning–but research is research and I know research. Your mother knows law and probably also knows business and other fields as well. I don’t consider it misrepresenting herself if she’s honest about her skills and experience. I suggest focusing on her “knowing how to think” skills and experience (i.e., analytical thinking, legal saavy, problem solving, researching) rather than focusing on specific fields of knowledge that can be learned (i.e., a specific branch of law).
Sorry if that’s not written very coherently. Today’s my bday (rolling over a new decade on the odometer) and I’m recuperating from all the celebrating
Good luck to you all!
When I worked as a career counselor, we used to tell our job searches that it is reasonably to apply for positions that you match 80% of what they are looking for in their ad. That is their “wish list” — not necessarily the description of the exact person they will hire. Good luck!
(And may I recommend Seattle as an attractive place to live?)
Oops, I meant job seekers, not job searches.
Here is my 2 cents: A job description is an employer’s wish list. The reality is that most of the times, they can’t find someone that fits all of their requirements. So your mom should apply for stuff that she can do, thinks she can do, or even better, she might find interesting and expand her experiences.
My other 98 cents: YESSSSSSSSSSSSS. Philly!
I think lots of other folks have given great advice here- so I’ll refrain from being repetitive and just say that Boston is AWESOME. Good luck to your mom!
This is just indicative of the market. There just ain’t enough money to go around. I had so much trouble with getting a job that I only got placement because of a temp agency. Thank the gods for that.
GOOD LUCK, Mother! Woohoo!
(Pee Ess – Might *I* suggest going to Austin? What, it may be Texas but it is SO COOL. Y’all would totally fit in!!)
I believe everyone on here has offered up some fantastic advice, and I will keep ya’ll in my thoughts. This is just so un-nerving to me that such a qualified, wonderful woman is having such a hard time finding a job. I applaud your efforts to think outside the box and can only hope that this may lead to something wonderful! And OMG!!!! There is nothing sweeter than a smiling sleeping baby. He looks so happy and loved… I wish I could hold him. Therefor in the interest of satisfying my need to be closer to you abd W I will second the motion for Seattle. Almost always sweater weather…. you know, I’m just saying. And you would only be a day’s drive away. So that’s my 2 cents. Love you!!!
My boss and I share the same value – you should always apply for any job that seems interesting, even if you’re not sure you’re (or the it’s) going to be a good fit. You can go through an interview and decide not to take a job, but why not apply and see where it goes?
Got an idea. Check out http://www.finra.org. There are lots of jobs where “analytical skills” are what they’re looking for, the legal background would be great, and there might be openings in all your top cities. Let me know what you think!