The Next Game

Imagine you are a kid, wondering around your neighborhood, looking for friends to play with. You have many choices to approach this situation:

• You can knock on your neighbors’ doors, to see if they have kids your age, and ask them to go out and play with you. Then you can propose a game or ask them what they’d like to do. Or perhaps just get inspired and create a fun time as you play.

• You can look for kids who are already playing together. You can ask to join in if they are doing something that’s fun for you or you can try to get them play your game.
  
• You can also start playing alone and maybe you’ll realize that more and more kids are joining you, because they like what you are doing.

It’s the same with a job search. There are many different ways to go about finding work that doesn’t just pay well, but also fulfills you. Some ways are more passive, others more active. You can be a leader, or a follower. You have many choices. Unfortunately, people spend most of the time on a single approach - searching for a predefined empty spot that is out there waiting to be filled by the a perfectly matching individual. That’s like searching for a group of kids who have been looking for someone exactly like you to have more fun. What are the odds?

We forget that games and businesses have a lot in common. They are created and evolve over time because people talk, ideas get born, and needs follow those ideas. Do you really want to passively wait and then simply fill that need? Maybe you do.

But consider another option. The one where you get inspired by something, where you tell all the people around you about your passion, and follow up with those who want to talk to you more. It may lead you to a group of individuals who are excited about the same topics, or a company that has a vision aligned with yours. As you talk more, you start exploring the possibilities of doing something together. You offer all of yourself (your skills, experiences, interests, energy, personality) and you get curious about what direction they would like to grow in. You fill the air with possibilities and listen to what resonates the most.

I believe in job creation rather than job search. In putting our heads, hearts, and hands together to imagine something new, something that would energize all the parties, something you can create together, something that would not only be mutually beneficial, but also valuable for others around us.

What game you like to play right now? Who can you talk to?