Don’t we all dream of the perfect job? A well-paying, emotionally satisfying career that caters to our passions and our joys. A profession we feel uses our skills and talents. And of course, a job that only requires us to work a few hours per week!
The unfortunate reality for most of us is that this will never quite happen. Sure, there are a handful of incredibly successful entrepreneurs out there who have set themselves up for life. But that’s a another story. And you’re probably not looking to start from scratch and build an empire working only 4 hours per week. You’re after a great job that makes you happy and successful. Fortunately, this does exist! It’s the “perfect job” that doesn’t. Let’s look at the important divide between a perfect and an imperfect job and discover why the latter is a much better goal to pursue.
The Pain of Perfection
As people, it is completely natural to wish for perfection. The perfect house, the perfect career, the perfect life: it sounds like a world devoid of stress and worry. Yet, if perfection were possible, would it even be worth it?
If you’re a perfectionist, you know the anxiety that can come from trying to get every detail exactly right. Striving for perfection forces us to place our endpoint at unrealistic and unattainable heights. We are imperfect people, so we naturally will fall short. This results in a continuous feeling of failure, and the impression of never being “good enough.” Talk about pressure.
If you’re searching for the perfect job, every result will pale in comparison to your ideal. You’ll either end up dissatisfied or jobless! Wouldn’t you rather have the career that’s right for you?
Room for Growth
In truth, the perfect job would quickly grow boring. You’d never experience the thrill of overcoming challenges or winning over a tough client. It’s the obstacles and difficulties in the workplace that allow employees to obtain a sense of satisfaction. There is room to make mistakes, so workers can feel free to take chances and take initiative. When the ideas work out, it’s an amazing feeling. But if they don’t, errors are okay, too. In fact, some of the very best ideas are born from mistakes. Imperfection allows for this.
In imperfect jobs, there is opportunity for personal growth and development, too. Challenges build character and motivate improvement. Imperfect jobs adapt with you. Human beings are not static, we are dynamic. Over the years your ambitions, interests, and even your attitude may change. Soon, the perfect job would no longer be perfect, but it would be hard to walk away from. The imperfect job, however, can be tweaked and transformed to align with your needs. And if it no longer serves you, another imperfect job awaits.
Adjusting Your Expectations
No job will offer every quality you want, just as no employee meets a company’s every need. It’s reasonable to adjust your expectations and allow for some flexibility in your job search. Working with a recruitment agency can really help with this. What if there’s a job that offers a top salary, great location, and a field you’re passionate about? A recruiter can identify that opportunity for you—one which you may have ignored because it didn’t fit one or two of your precise specifications. A recruiter can introduce you to the possibilities. Becoming more flexible with your expectations just might unearth some fantastic potential jobs you’d never have considered.
The Perfect Match
If you haven’t guessed it yet, the imperfect job actually is the perfect job. The pressure is off. You don’t have to search high and low for a position that meets 100% of your requirements; there are plenty of great, unique opportunities out there that will support your goals and fulfill your needs.
At On Line Recruitment and Labour Hire, we believe it’s not about the perfect job, but about the nearly-perfect match between employer and employee. With our long-standing connections with employers and our significant experience serving the Australian job market, we’re experts at pairing outstanding candidates with great places to work. Creating matches such as these brings satisfaction to both parties and, hopefully, comes as close to perfection as one could hope. We’d love to help you find that perfectly imperfect role.
Want to give it a go? Our services for job seekers are completely free. Get in touch and we’ll get started today.
