Job Hunting is like a High School Cafeteria
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The High School Cafeteria Analogy for Job Hunting
Picture a big cafeteria full of round tables, each with a group of people building something different — one’s working on a puzzle, another’s building a Lego structure, another’s sewing, etc. Consider these different companies / teams you might join.
Your goal in job hunting is most usually pretty straightforward. You ideally want to join a table where you…
are excited about what they’re building
enjoy working with the other people around the table
have unique value they need that you actually want to bring everyday
are set up for success and can work in a way that matches your lifestyle needs.
You could walk up to every table and say “hire me! I’m great!” - but in this market, you’ll likely be drowned out by the noise. There are too many applicants and too much risk. People are looking for applicants with specific skills that meet their specific needs right now. To stand out, you need to be intentional about who you’re reaching out to, build a strong message and brand about who you are and what you have to offer, and get to know people - connecting the dots between what they’re working on and what you want to offer.
Plus - if you become extremely popular in the cafeteria, you’ll more likely have people seeking you out or sending you opportunities that aren’t even posted yet. The dream.
Start with these two steps:
Part 1 - Get clear on what you want and what you have to offer first.
In this market, you can’t be a jack-of-all-trades ready to learn anything. Companies are hiring for what they need. And value people who are clear on that. Before you walk into the cafeteria and start having conversations, take a moment outside (maybe in a study room down the hall?) to get clear on what you want — the kind of work you enjoy, the type of people you like to collaborate with, what matters most to you in your next chapter, etc.
Develop a list of criteria - must haves and nice to haves about any job you’ll want next.
Practice a pitch to communicate clearly what you want.
Map out what tables you would explore first on a theory they’re most likely going to fit your criteria while also needing exactly what you like to offer.
Start researching who you’re connected to at those tables and how best to get connected.
All of this makes it much more likely your time in the cafeteria will be useful and maybe even a tad fun.
Part 2 - Have conversations and explore a mutual fit.
Then you step inside the cafeteria and start visiting tables intentionally. You’ve already done the research and have a sense of what they’re trying to build and what the person you’re talking to likely cares about most.
You sit down and explore, “Hey! I love what you’re doing. It really resonates with this part of me. I have a sense of what you’re building and I think I could really be helpful. I’d love to explore this with you.” Then ask them thoughtful questions. “What are you hoping to build in a dream world? Why is that important to you? What’s going really well? Where are you’re struggling / missing resources?”
Then help them. Offer a resource. Give them a tip. Workshop a problem with them. Start working alongside them now. It’ll showcase your value, build a relationship, and begin to test out if you like to working together. Do this without any attachment to getting anything in return.
Along the way, share what you’re great at, and how it could fit with them. Connect the dots of your special talents with the problem they’re solving right now. “It looks like you’re building a lego amusement part for mice! I noticed purple legos could be really helpful here and I’m really strong at purple legos - I’ve done it at my last two jobs in these specific examples. I’d love to explore if that’s useful here.” Workshop with them how you might be able to help them.
Make an ask and create follow-up steps. If you’re interested, the goal should be to have another conversation. If it’s not a fit, ask for a connection who might need the help you’re offering; or get more information about the industry / companies you’re excited about. Then go home and follow-up with value wherever you can.
Nurture - for people you felt connected to, stay in touch. For others, you can let them go and allocate your energy towards new connections.
If you follow this, you’ll soon tell if what they’re building excites you, if you like the people enough, and if you could see if their working style aligns with your lifestyle needs. If yes, keep exploring. If not, thank them, reflect on what you learned (maybe back in your study room), and move on to other tables a little bit more clear on what’s important to you. You're searching for a mutual fit.
In the next post, we’ll talk about Part 2.
High School Cafeteria Part 2: Turn Every Job Hunt Conversation Into Multiple Opportunities. Just having one conversation is fine. But what if you could turn every conversation into a node that connects you to other potential conversations that lead to opportunities that really meet what you’re looking for? Or what if each conversation built a stronger network of people working behind the scenes to send jobs your way, especially when they’re not even posted yet? You can also stay at level one and apply to one job at a time. But the goal is to increase chances of getting the job that truly meets what you’re looking for. And speed up the time it takes to find that.