It’s not often that I reference an article for hiring managers within a blog post for job seekers and candidates, but this is an appropriate time to do so.
The article I want to reference is, “Presenting the ‘X Factor’ for Hiring Superstar Candidates.”The reason that I’m referencing it is because that “X Factor” is passion. Below is an excerpt from the article:
If an employee does not have passion for what they’re doing, they won’t become a top performer or a high achiever with your company. Sure, they might possess all of the tangible traits integral for success, but without the intangible “X Factor” of passion, they’ll fall short.
So if passion is this important from the perspective of hiring authorities . . . then it follows that it should be as equally important from the perspective of the job seeker or candidate. And when you’re passionate about something, you care about it. A lot.
So what exactly is it that you should be passionate about? The answer is your career. Potential new employers, including the top organizations within the industry, want to hire candidates who are passionate about their careers.
The good news . . . and the good news
This is actually good news in multiple ways. First, it’s good to identify what is important to hiring managers. Surely you agree that passion is an important consideration, and in many cases, it could be the deciding factor during the hiring process.
Second, the fact of the matter is that the person who cares the most about your career is . . . you. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. However, some professionals fail to take the initiative in helping to grow their careers. Based upon what they’ve done (and haven’t done), you might be tempted to believe that they don’t care that much about their career.
So the person who cares the most about your career is you.
When you care about your career, you’re passionate about it and that passion is evident in everything that you do professionally. Hiring managers want to see job seekers and candidates who are passionate about what they do and about their careers.
You can see how all of this translates into good news. When you care about your career and are passionate about it, two very important things happen:
- You do the things that are necessary to grow your career AND
- You become more attractive to potential employers at the same time.
This is truly a win-win situation. That’s because what can help you to become more successful in your career is the very same thing that increases the chances that hiring managers will make an offer of employment to you. In the strictest sense, there is no downside to being passionate about your career. It’s not just the “X Factor” for hiring managers. It’s the “X Factor” for you, as well.
Taking appropriate action
Recognizing who cares most about your career is the first step. The second step? Taking ownership of your career. What does that mean, exactly? Well, a few things, for starters:
- You take responsibility for everything that you do in regards to your career.
- You take responsibility for everything you don’t do in regards to your career.
- You don’t blame anybody or anything else for where you are in your career.
- You don’t make excuses regarding your career.
For some people, this type of approach might constitute a “reality check.” Perhaps they haven’t viewed their career in such a way before. Recognition and ownership are the first and second steps, respectively. The third step is to take appropriate action. There is plenty of action that you can take, starting with the following three steps:
#1—Be proactive and not reactive.
Before you can take action, you have to be prepared to take action. That requires a shift in mindset. That shift entails the desire to make things happen, rather than the willingness to simply respond to the things that happen around you (or TO you). Taking ownership means being proactive in both attitude and action.
When you’re proactive, you’re operating from a position of strength. When you’re reactive, you’re operating from a position of weakness. It really is that simple. Those who operate from a position of strength are much more likely to enjoy career success and enjoyment.
#2—Expand your network.
We’ve touched upon this previously, but the fact that we’re mentioning it again underscores how important it is. When you proactively work to expand your network, you’re positioning yourself for more and greater opportunities.
Once again, it’s not just what you know, but who you know. That’s why it’s a good idea to know more people, especially those who are likely to know about opportunities about which you would not be privy otherwise.
#3—Engage in continuous training and education.
Ultimately, your career is only worth as much as the value that you can offer to employers. Consequently, you must always be adding to the value that you offer. That means increasing existing skills and abilities and adding new ones.
The way that you accomplish this is through continuous training and education, which can take many forms. You could attend conferences and seminars, sign up for webinars, register for online training, and even read books. (Yes . . . people still read books. And reading them on your smartphone or Kindle still counts.)
Here’s the best news in all of this: you have the power to change your career and your destiny!
Your future is not out of your control. There are things that you can do, starting today, to build a better career and a brighter future. However, you must be willing to do them.
Don’t make excuses. Don’t point fingers. Be proactive, take ownership, take action, and do whatever’s necessary to set yourself apart from the masses and set a course for career fulfillment
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of organizations. If this is something you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.