Landing a dream job can be daunting, from job hunting, to interview preparations and finally landing a job.
While some employers offer exquisite workspace, awesome remuneration, nice perks and more, these things will not provide an answer to the question “Why”. I mean why do you want the job in the first place.
Simon Sinek in 2009 published a book, “Start with Why”. He explains why the framework “the golden circle” works for every leader, and how every aspiring leader can incorporate it. As Simon emphasized throughout his book:
“People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.”
In this article, I will be sharing with you how this framework can help you answer the question “why” and also help you land your dream job.
But before then, let’s take a look at The Golden Circle in a bit.
The Golden Circle
Simon provides a useful framework for his approach to leadership: the Golden Circle. At the center of the Golden Circle is WHY. The next concentric circle is HOW. And finally, the outermost circle is WHAT
The Golden Circle: Why, How, What
Every leader and company know the WHAT. They can describe their products, their industry, and their competitors. Some companies also know HOW they do WHAT they do — their unique differentiators, their value proposition, and their values. But few companies know or articulate their WHY — their purpose, their cause or their belief. The WHY is their reason for being. And the WHY is why anyone should care.
This subject is beyond the scope of this article, however, you can learn more about this framework on Ameet Ranadive’s medium page here.
The What
Quite a number of people know what to do. Especially for folks who have been on the same job for over 4+ years. You have an idea of how things work already.
I have been privileged to interview a few software engineers. When it gets to the question, “Tell me about yourself”, I already know how the applicant would respond. Most job applicants have gotten used to talking about their achievements, skills, certifications they have unlocked and more. In fact, some folks will go as far as telling you how they had a handshake with Jack, CEO of Twitter. Lol
The truth is, you can have everything all figured out on paper: like you know what to do per time, that still doesn’t guarantee a job at Google in my opinion.
It’s great to know what to do…..but then there is more to that.
The How
I have over 10+ years of experience in developing web apps. Well done ma!
I’m a certified windows user. Oh wow, I’m blown away…
Phrases like these can impress some employers, no doubt. they are good punchlines, makes you feel good yeah?
Every company has a minimum requirement for every role, oftentimes, the recruiter must have reviewed your resume prior to sending you an interview invite. You are not receiving an invite to come and bore them with all the good stuff you can do, they have an idea already.
How you get stuff done is very key, however, we have a lot of people who know how to do cool stuff better than you do. They are also in the pool!
The Why
I have met a couple of experienced software engineers, UI/UX designers, and Project managers who have shared with me how unhappy they are at work. They constantly complain about the company’s processes and all, how the company’s priority is not in sync with theirs.
Your HOW and WHAT gets you the job, while your WHY keeps you in the job even when the remuneration isn’t making sense any longer.
Things you should know:
- You need to be able to identify your personal values. When your life is in great shape they are the things you are naturally drawn to. When you honor your personal values your work is effortless. If you are working in an environment, which has different values from yours, you have to work harder. Sometimes the values are just wrong for you and you feel your integrity is compromised.
- Identifying your core vision and mission is key. This will help you to quickly figure out why you want to work with your potential employer. Your vision and core values might not necessarily align 100%. But then, there should be some sort of sync.
Using the golden circle framework, I came up with this little something for a friend of mine:
I am Tomilayo, I believe that every human being deserves to live a healthy and sane life, they just need someone who has a keen interest in saving their lives. I have worked in hospitals my entire life, providing hands-on health care to patients by administering medications, observing and monitoring patients from time to time. I have dispensed comfort, compassion, and care without even a prescription. I’m currently looking for an opportunity in a hospital where I will be able to demonstrate my passion for building a healthy society.
Despite the difficulties that come with landing a dream job, the golden circle gives you an insight into “why” you do the things you do right now. If you haven’t yet figured out why you chose that career of yours, I suggest that you do that.
Don’t stop doing incredible things, you are on your way to becoming world-class!
PS: You can write a short pitch using the golden circle framework and share it in the comment section.
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