Deciphering The Pattern

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

When the United States elects a President, the country does not seem to be interested in nominating, let alone electing someone who works at a university.

Instead, the country seems to choose people who went to good schools, are lawyers, became involved in politics, rose to US Senator or Governor prior to their nomination (with the exception of our current President)..

When a government agency hires a social worker, the agency usually hires someone with a degree in social work who has worked in an agency providing similar services to a population. Maybe the person is bilingual (Spanish-English is the norm in the US but to serve other populations, a different second language may be necessary), has a certain number of years experience and is willing to earn a certain amount of money.

If you work in technology and are at a project manager level, for example, an employer tries to hire someone who is at a project manager level and has experience where they have risen through the ranks from developer to project manager, has worked with technology, managed certain numbers of people, have worked for certain organizations where they achieved certain objectives. Perhaps, they achieved certain certifications. This is a simplification . . . you get the idea.

If we go back in time, they attended certain schools to have the opportunity to be hired by their first employer. They obtained certain grades in order to be considered for these jobs or companies. Along the way, they interned or worked part time at particular businesses . . .

There are patterns that you can discern in how companies choose people for particular jobs. Even now as an accomplished professional, you need to look at the patterns your target employers use to hire people and lay the foundation for the job change after this one with this one.

How does this opportunity jibe with where you want to be in three years? 10 years? In your career?

One of the things that recruiters are taught by their clients is not just what skills they want to hire but what experiences they are looking for and, thus, what firms to target who develop people that they hire.

You want to make CFO with a certain type of organization, find the pattern and follow it.

CTO or CIO? Do the same thing.

There are exceptions, but that’s what they are.

Exceptions.

It’s always easier to get where you want by swimming with the currents than against them.

© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. , Asheville, NC 2013, 2019, 2025

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