I spent the long weekend exploring colleges with my younger daughter. Having just gone through this process with my older child, I should have remembered the pain and stress that goes along with this. At the risk of dating myself, when I was in high school, as long as you got good grades, took part in a sport and activity or two, you got the opportunity to attend a great school. It was competitive, but not insane. Today, these kids work so hard, and then load up any free time they have with so many extra curriculars it’s almost inhumane. Then, after years of working hard, they tackle standardized tests that can make or break that whole resume they spent years curating. And then you pile on the questions like “where will I fit in best?” with “how the hell can I afford this without being in debt until I’m 50?” and it’s no wonder the stress levels for both kids and parents skyrocket.
As I sat in the information sessions with her listening to every school showcase its merits, I was struck by one thing. While they have to sort through thousands of submissions, ultimately, each student seeks to stand out and highlight what is unique about themselves in hopes of finding a great match. In other words, it’s not unlike a job search. If we are fortunate enough to have multiple options to choose from, then where we choose should ultimately be based on where we believe we will thrive (not who has the best perks, or who will give you a few extra dollars.) In school, as in life, we find those who have found an environment that allows them to be the best version of themselves ultimately to be the most successful.
How do you figure out where you fit though? I can’t tell you how many people approach me with, “Hey, I know Rapid7 has won multiple Best Places to Work awards...so I’d love to work there.” Yes, I happen to think this is a great company that provides a multitude of people to create amazing careers. That said, have you ever looked at the list of companies that make those lists? To the people who work there, each of the companies are in fact the best. But each of those employee populations are different, as are the companies. Just like in high school, just because your best friend is super excited about a school doesn’t mean it is the right fit for you. Understanding your motivators is just as important as trying to narrow down to a company (or school, or whatever you seek to join) as the basics of “will they have me.” Equally important, I’d argue, is “will I have them?”
I’m not a psychologist, but I have a pretty decent understanding of human behavior. Throughout my career, I’ve been exposed to a multitude of assessments, all targeting deeper insights into personality, motivators and drivers, leadership capabilities, etc. Candidly, I am rarely surprised with the results when I participate in one. I’ve been doing this long enough that I am fairly self aware at this point; I know my strengths, and I embrace my challenge areas. The one thing I’m also clear on is how important authenticity is to me. For me, I thrive in an environment where I can be myself, and be surrounded by others who parlay their unique contributions into a phenomenal collaborative solution. There are plenty of exceptional companies out there; I just know myself well enough to know I’d likely not thrive in many of them.
How does one do this? It’s actually a simple two part process:
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KNOW THYSELF. Basic google searches will lead you to a variety of different indicators, most of them free. If something resonates with you and you find value in the approach and content, you can always invest more time, research and energy learning more. The goal isn’t to try to achieve a certain result; it’s to understand yourself. Of course, perhaps along the way you’ll learn more about your strengths, weaknesses, motivators and distractions, etc. However, when you take the time to truly get a holistic picture of who you are and what drives you, you are far better positioned to move to step 2.
Some insightful ones you can check out for FREE
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Predictive Index - Positioned as a pre-employment personality test. It aims to measure a candidate's suitability to a specific position or employer.
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Myers Briggs - Based on 16 different patterns, helps to zero in on your unique personality type.
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The Whole Shebang|Crystal - A holistic set of tools to check out with the goal of aiding you in building out a comprehensive personality profile for yourself. By investing the time in taking a few tests, you’ll learn more about how to communicate and engage with others in the most effective way.
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ALIGN YOURSELF. When we want to determine the best fit for ourselves, whether it is to pulse check our current situation or begin to explore a new one, start with the insights collected from above. So often, we fixate on who will want us, contorting ourselves to ensure we look as desirable as possible to the those in the position to choose. We can’t forget that we get a say in this process as well. Like any relationship, there is give and take on both sides required to make it work. If we are just positioning ourselves to look “perfect” to the company of choice, but we aren’t truly optimizing to our biggest motivators, it might turn out to be an epic fail. I know so many people who have taken roles at companies because they are determined to get a certain title, or a few extra dollars in their check. What they fail to contemplate is how the job itself will play out once they are there. Either they don’t follow a common belief system, or perhaps have different expectations about what it means to have autonomy, etc. Bottom line, doing diligence on a company shouldn’t just be about who made a list or having a friend tell you how amazing the company is...you’ve got to understand yourself before you can explore them.
No matter what role you play, every company wants to find people who will add impact and value. There are a variety of different types of environments in which this can be done, and it requires each of us to take the time to really understand ourselves to make sure we are truly positioned to achieve that in whatever place we choose. I challenge everyone to think more broadly, and not just seek to find the “perfect job.” Instead, stretch yourself to invest enough in knowing yourself to find “the perfect job for YOU.”
Christina Luconi is Chief People Officer for Rapid7. Follow her on Twitter: @peopleinnovator.