antipattern

I am looking for a new job. I am fortunate that there are both an abundance of jobs around me, and that there is interest in my skills, however eclectic. The bunch of keywords on my resume seem to be working well, and very nice recruiters are bringing me all sorts of leads.

Like shopping for breakfast cereal, I have to make a decision what to do next, based on a huge selection where I am not sure what is inside the box is going to be any good or not.

So I am thinking a lot about what this new job should be like. Now I should admit that there is no real rush to make a decision, so the situation probably does not translate to many other folks. I now have the luxury to dream what I can do next, at least until a panic sets in.

I can do whatever I do the very best, and have done many times before. It involves sitting in front of a computer for many months.

I not am happy with those terms any more. I want to negotiate the terms of my future commitments and contentment.

The notion of me being a person that can just do X is totally stupid. I can learn other things, and have done so many times in the past. This is nothing strange to me, but it seems to be a obstacle in the thinking of others. I see all these job postings with incredibly detailed requirements. Stuff most people have never heard of before. The companies are all asking for somebody very specific, instead of asking for somebody that can learn anything.

At first I was intimidated, and rejected companies based on their requirements. Yeah, I pretty much end up rejecting myself before they even talked to me.

I now find it very silly.

I adopted a strategy where I apply to companies that I think have a purpose, and I might like. I now ignore the job requirements. I apply to jobs in areas I know nothing about.

This of course can create confusion. Some folks cannot think out of their little box, so I get spurned, but I am thinking: that was a close call, not much imagination there.

Other folks seem to take this in their stride. They say, oh OK, I see you might be able to do something else for me. Typically not an open position they have. I am thinking: great coincidence, this might just work out.

I am not sure they always believe me when I say I can learn whatever esoteric technology they want to use. But I stick to my guns. If I don't know something, I just tell them so.

I keep on giving more requirements to the recruiters. They take it in their stride. I guess they tell this to their companies too, but who knows.

I give some pretty direct feedback to some of the companies I talk to. Like this is likely not going to work for you. Or your business model sucks. When they take it in their stride, I think, yeah, this might be interesting. When it blows up, I think, close call.

I ask a lot of question. I interview them. I ask for things I think they would probably not agree too, but if they did, it would be really great thing.

I am setting my terms.