People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
This is the premise of Simon Sinek’s excellent book, Start With Why.
He wrote the book and gave the Ted talk to convince companies to focus not on what product or service they sell, but on why they make or do the thing in the first place.
He argues that people connect with passion. They will resonate with what you do and buy what you offer (all things being equal) if they share your belief about what you’re doing.
This philosophy rings true for the job search as well.
Employers are looking for passion. They want to bring on somebody who is about more than the paycheck. They will likely even ask you in the interview: Why us? Why do you want to work for us? and: Why you? Why should we hire you?
These questions are meant to get at your passion for the work, and moreover, your passion to work for their specific organization.
(Women, please be careful here, though, and avoid overly emotional language.)
The other day, a client was dragging her feet to write a resume. She just wasn’t excited about the opportunity. As we discussed her resistance, she said, “I know I need to write this for the paycheck.”
We stopped right there and thought about other paths for her.
Every employer – from the corner sandwich shop to the World Bank – wants to know you care about the work they do.
Nobody wants to hire a person who’s motivated by the paycheck.
You can’t differentiate yourself by wanting money – we all need to earn income – and nobody wants to live like that, either.
Take the time to figure out WHY you want the job or the career that you do (besides a paycheck, which will be even better once you care about the work), and you and whomever you work for will be glad you did.
(For a few ideas on getting to your “why,” check out the Centered Career Resources page.)
