Job hunt is not that different from dating

Like many of you, I just got back from NSHMBA. Standing in one of many lines this weekend, I was suddenly struck by the similarity of the job hunt to another subject I’m very familiar with: dating. NSHMBA reminded me of a speed dating event I attended once: you pay to get in; you meet a lot of people in a short amount of time; you try to tell the person all the good things about yourself so they’ll want to see more of you.
I managed to think of a few more similarities during my time standing in line. Here they are: how job hunting is like dating.
- Interviewing is a lot like several first dates I’ve been on recently. You come away feeling really good—great rapport, natural conversation flow. You really felt like a connection. You’re totally getting a call back. Then…nothing. (At least with the job search you sometimes get a rejection email.)
- Your interest level for a particular company (or potential mate) sometimes depends on their interest level in you. Have you ever suddenly become interested in someone because they showed an interest in you? It’s the same in the job search. Now that the economy is tanking, you might want to reconsider that job offer from the “sweet spirit” company.
- A friend of mine called a company to tell them she was declining their internship offer. She said she really felt like she was breaking up with them. Think about it: You use traditional break-up phrases like “It’s not you. It’s me.” Or “I had a really good time but I just don’t think it’s going to work for us.”
- Once you have that job offer in hand, you may find yourself afflicted with a syndrome most commonly found among single people in Provo. It’s called Around-The-Corner Syndrome. You suddenly aren’t satisfied with what you have. You want to play the field a bit. See what else is out there. You never know—“The One” could be just around the corner.

As the recruiting season hits full stride, maybe we can leverage these similarities to our benefit. Married people: some of those techniques that helped you land your EC (Eternal Companion) might help you land your DJ (Dream Job). Single people: if you’ve had more success in the job hunt than in the spouse hunt, screening your dates with the behavioral and case interview questions you’re so familiar with now may help you prevent potential heartbreak later. “Tell me about a time when your girlfriend got emotional and how you reacted” or “Here’s a situation: I’m watching football with my buddies and you want to talk about our relationship….”