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Most employees suffer because they don't look at the bigger picture. Employees match themselves to roles based on their competence, salary expectations, maybe the distance between the job and home, and benefits. These are first-level matching.
The second level is the one that makes or breaks an employee and nobody is paying attention to it. Problems start to surface when we ignore the environment we end up in because it will have an impact on everything.
So what are the other areas of employment you need to match yourself with?
If your understanding of ambition is title don't work for small or mid-size companies as your options are limited.
But if your understanding of ambition is professional growth as an expert do find a small or mid-size company because there you can focus on developing that. Also, large companies don't need experts they just need a bunch of people who do as they are told.
If you are a retired "A" player and now want to take it easy find a place where you can do that instead of a place where you have to work 60-80 hours a week because that's just the nature of that place.
If you don't like to be micromanaged find a boss that doesn't do that.
If you like to make a change and turn companies around find a place where they need you to do that. If you join a company that only needs to be run you will feel bored.
If you are a learner type, curious and open-minded find a place full of smart people on your team. If you are an intellect and end up in an industry that requires average people you will be bored and feel out of place. This is the strengths-based approach and I struggled with it for years. I never understood why I thought corporate trainers were below par. I cannot stand them! I never knew why I got bored so quickly. My top strengths are Intellect, Learner, and Input. I learn from academics and I need a place where I am surrounded by smarter people whom I can learn from. Places where I have to teach others constantly demotivate me immediately. See below how you can find out about your strengths profile.
If your ethics run high make sure to research the place before you join because that will cause problems quickly.
If you have ADHD or ADD (here im generalising but it is true for many) large company structures are possibly the worst environment for you. They will not cater for your specific needs because the mindset is to treat everyone the same. They will not understand that you might have been late but figured out something that nobody could and solved a really important problem for all. To them showing up on time is important.
If you operate on relationships make sure that there is a definite match between you and your immediate team. Many struggle with that. For you, it is important more than the actual business result.
If you don't like to be told what to do but like to figure the way out, and need a lot of freedom because you are creative find a startup. Do not go to big companies unless they specifically hire you for your creativity and will give you space to make a change.
If you can only operate within an existing structure, set rules and policies don't look for startup, small or mid-size companies. Go with large companies they will tell you how to think, what to feel and do.
If you like establishing structure go and find a place where there is none. Don't go for big companies with well-established and unchangeable structures.
Finally, if you don't like working for people, playing office politics, and if you don't want to court your incompetent boss to get along or to put you up for a promotion it is a very clear sign that you should not be looking for employment but start your own thing.
Employees need to start analysing and understanding themselves if they want to stop their suffering. Matching yourself based on competence and salary is a good start but you are more complex than that.
During hotel intern recruitment candidates were often confused about where should they go for internship, London, Macau, the US, Dubai etc. I always told them the same. It is not the geographical location you should be looking at first. You should ask these questions:
Am I a small or large hotel person?
Am I a resort or a city hotel person?
Am I a lifestyle, boutique or a standard hotel person?
They all require different personalities and styles. If you put me in a resort or a small property I immediately die because I need a flow of people, movement, and things to happen. I don't like the hassle that comes with personalised service to me it is babysitting and doing things for guests they should be doing for themselves. So I never go near small, boutique or lifestyle hotels. I know myself. I would get upset on the first day the moment Mr Smith asked me to change his flight. I am the worst match for this job. But if you ask me to check in 500 rooms it will be the best organised and smoothest group check-in you have ever seen. This is where I thrive.
The first step to finding out what suits your style can be done through a strengths assessment. This course guides you through the whole process of self-discovery. Enjoy!
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