What You Want is More Important Than What “They” Think
By Andrea Kay — Gannett News Service
It seems every job hunter has a “what-will-they-say” or “how-it-will-look” phobia.
The typical job hunter worries, for example about what “they” will say about the fact that he or she hasn’t worked for two years and wants to get back into a particular field. Or the worker frets about “how it will look” that he or she is older than the average person in this field.
We need to put this phobia to rest right now. 
It’s pointless to put an ounce of energy into worrying about this. First, just who are the “they” you’re worried about? You could end up talking to most anyone in a job hunt - from former associates and vice presidents in your industry to neighbors and relatives. It’s impossible to pinpoint everyone you might have contact with.
And it’s impossible to predict what each person will say or how your goal will look to him or her. Some will think you’re over-the-hill or crazy. Others wouldn’t blink an eye. Your situation will look different to everyone.
Besides, who cares what they think? If you want to go into a particular field at your age or back to doing something you did five years ago, that’s your business.
Base your future on what you want, not what others might think. The only two questions to ask are: How do you want it to look? And what do you want them to say?
Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’re a 55-year-old marketing professional. How do you want that to look to others? You want there to be no question that you’re quite the catch.
You want to be seen as a vibrant, knowledgeable, innovative, results-oriented marketer. You want to convey the impression that you are a mature leader with hands-on experience and a phenomenal track record in introducing new products or services to the market, a skilled professional who can propel a company into the global marketplace or turn around a low-performing product line.
And you’re going to give them plenty of evidence to prove it. Like the time you developed and implemented a marketing strategy for a new product at your last company that led to first year sales of $8 million, 75 percent over the projected goal.
What do you want them to say? When they’re through talking to you, you want them to be so wowed they say, “Now that’s someone I’d like to hire. She’s got the energy, skills, expertise, experience and mindset we need.” Or, “I need to tell so-and-so about her.”
I’m not suggesting you don’t anticipate objections. For instance, you may be worried someone will say, “But you’ve been away from this field for five years.” You do want to have a reply ready, or bring it up before they do.
But this is not the first thing to focus on nor the reason you don’t follow through on what you want. It’s just comes with the territory. So get over it and get on to what matters most: How you want to be seen and what you’re going to tell them so they do.
Career consultant Andrea Kay is the author of “Greener Pastures: How To Find a Job In Another Place,” “Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want,” and “Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want.” Send questions to her at No. 133, 2692 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45208; www.andreakay.com. She can be e-mailed at: andrea(AT)andreakay.com.
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