Wait for What You Want
Win-Win is more than just a job offer
I recently had a call with a friend who has been recruiting for jobs in her home country. When she gets an offer, she calls me and I do things like:
Tell her if the school is financially healthy
Give her feedback on the balance between administrators and teachers
Evaluate the growth and sustainability of enrollment
Help her to calculate the cost of living and savings potential with regard to the offer she received
Make sure she practices with me if she wants to go for a raise or add a point of negotiation
This call was the third one we had in the last month. The job in question was outstanding. She used a very good technique to not only get more money but add an additional tuition benefit for her children. The cost of living was also lower than her current location.
So I asked her, “Why aren’t you happy? This job is perfect.”
Here is what was and is going on with her recruitment.
She is an amazing candidate. I would employ her for numerous roles, she is outstanding and full of energy and enthusiasm. She interviews well.
She is attracting schools without too much effort, but, the schools she is attracting are not the ones she wants.
The truth is, she is relocating back to her home country to be closer to her family. This means that unless she finds something that makes that main goal possible, she will burn out on interviews with jobs she does not want.
You can burnout, even if you are getting offers (another topic for another time).
I highly advise everyone to take some interviews for practice. This is essential for developing your technique to nail the job you want.
But, to get a true Win-Win where you are happy and the employer is happy, you have to know what you want.
My friend asked me, “Should I take this job?”
I said, “Do you have any upcoming interviews with a job(s) closer to your family?”
She said, “Yes. I have one.”
I encouraged her to contact the school with the current offer and request a few more days to consider everything. That would allow her to do the next interview, which is a second interview, and then decide.
I reminded her that if she takes the good offer, and the family issue remains, she is likely to be looking for jobs again in two years. Except this time, the offers will be fewer because the number of schools stays fairly static. They will remember she had just interviewed for a job with them and will wonder why the position she accepted didn’t work out well.
Education is like that.
Set your goals first.
If your main goal is to travel and see the world, your best option is probably the Middle East or somewhere close to a high percentage of travel destinations.
If your main goal is to save money, you probably need to avoid Europe and countries with a high local tax.
If you want to permanently relocate and gain residency, then you have to find countries that allow that to happen, and hopefully, without giving up your passport.
Articulating your goals clearly in interviews empowers you. The interviewer may not align with your goals, but they can align with that fact that you are a strategic thinker who reflects on their life with some purpose.
Alignment helps to build that initial trust and gives the future employer confidence they have made a good decision.
Remember, if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.
If you SUBSCRIBE to the PancakeOnAStick Newsletter, you will get weekly jobs first. They will be delivered weekly to your inbox.
—————————————————————————————————————
Why is this SubStack called, Pancake on a Stick?
Pancake on a Stick is the single funniest story I have ever heard in my life. In about a year from now, the event will be reenacted and recorded. I named the SubStack after the story, because every time I think of the name, I smile and laugh. This helps with my writing and tone, and makes me always remember the most important things in life.
_________________________________________________________________________
Most social media is dead to me, but you can find me on LinkedIn and Youtube.
LinkedIn (A bastion of boredom but mostly on mission)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdeprato/
Email
info@tonydeprato.com
My video series on Expat Recruitment is BORING but useful Listen or Watch and you can master this process.