Be the Buyer, Not the Seller: Unlock the Key to Finding Your Perfect Job
Are you contemplating a new job? Have you been impacted by a layoff and are anxious to land your next role? Are you currently interviewing and in need of some tips? Or maybe you’ve been offered a job and want to make sure you don’t make a bad decision.
I’ve coached and advised countless leaders through career exploration, job searches, interviewing, and offer negotiations, helping them find and land the role that is right for them.
Time and again, I see even the most accomplished, competent, and confident leaders fall into the same trap. They approach their job search with a singular focus: to get a job. But what's the problem, you ask? Isn't that the point?
Rushing Into a Job Is a Bad Idea
The problem is that the desire for any job is different from the desire for the right job. Wanting just any job shifts the focus away from your wants and needs and places it squarely on the wants and needs of a potential employer. This limited perspective diminishes your power and may lead you to accept a job that isn't the right fit for you.
Accepting a job that isn't the right fit can have several negative consequences. It can lead to frustration, disappointment, and a lack of progression towards your goals. It can even set you back professionally. It puts you in the position of a "seller." What if you approached your job search as a "buyer"?
Change Your Mindset, Change Your Outcome
Let's consider Jane. Jane's role was eliminated when her company went through a restructuring. Losing her job had nothing to do with her performance—she was a strong performer who was liked and respected by her colleagues.
Jane was anxious to get a new job. When she was approached with an opportunity to interview for a role similar to the one she had just left, she was excited (and relieved). She spent hours researching the company and carefully crafting answers to questions she anticipated.
After a day of interviews where she met with the hiring manager, several senior leaders, and the team she would be managing, I asked her what she had learned. She said, "I think I'll get an offer. I had stories and examples to answer all of their questions. They seemed impressed." I tried again. "That's great. It sounds like they learned a lot about you."
"What did you learn about them?”
After reflecting, she realized that she liked the people she met, that they had a diverse and inclusive team, and that they supported occasional remote work, which was important to her.
“How will this job advance your career and get you closer to your long-term goals,” I asked.
Jane realized that she was so busy convincing them to hire her—selling herself—that she didn’t get enough information to evaluate the opportunity in the context of her goals. She wasn’t evaluating the opportunity as a buyer.
She started to wonder if taking a job where she would be doing the same things as in her last role would advance her career at all. She realized she had some work to do. Together, we developed a framework she could use to evaluate opportunities and a list of questions that would help her gather the information she needed.
Jane positioned herself as a buyer. She went back to the company and requested additional meetings with the hiring manager and a key stakeholder. She was clear about her intent to understand the opportunity in the context of her career aspirations and the company's pressing business needs. The company happily obliged.
Ultimately, they did make her an offer, but for a different job—a job that she and the hiring manager co-created. It was a job with an expanded remit that met both her objectives and the company's needs.
The odds of getting the right job go up exponentially when you position yourself as the buyer not the seller.
Don't get me wrong, it's critical to demonstrate your qualifications and experience in the interview. Of course, you want them to want to hire you. Of course, you should prepare for the behavioral interview questions you are sure to get. Of course, you should be friendly and courteous.
Just remember that it's equally important to evaluate the company and the job in the context of your aspirations. Be the buyer, not the seller.
Answer These 3 Questions To Take Control of Your Career
What do I want to be doing in 5 years? 10 years?
What skills, experiences, and connections do I need to get there?
What would need to be true about my next job and my next company to help achieve my future goals?
Answering these questions will give you clarity on your aspirations and help you adopt the mindset of a buyer. You'll have the information required to build a framework to evaluate potential opportunities. Your framework will serve as a filtering mechanism to narrow down roles and companies that are the right fit for you. It will also guide the questions to ask during job interviews. Approaching your job search as a buyer will give you confidence and purpose. From a hiring manager's perspective, that will translate into a leader who is thoughtful, intentional, and goal-oriented. Who wouldn't want to hire someone like that?
