Opportunity is out there, if you want it. The kicker is that there is a difference between wants and needs. When analyzing your options during a job search in a hurting market such as the one we’ve had over the last year, it’s important to understand the opportunities in front of you and how they line up with what’s truly important.

For some people, a job search is extremely time sensitive, making needs more of a factor than wants. This happens when a job is lost and there is a mortgage or rent to pay and you have other people depending on you to provide. In this case, you need to get a job – any job – fast. If you are lucky enough to have a bit of a financial cushion to help soften the blow, your wants will become more of a factor. Examples of wants include: type/size of company, product being sold, position status, location of office, benefits, corporate culture, etc. The more time and money you have available, the greater the emphasis is put on wants rather than needs. This is where opportunity comes into play.

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity – Albert Einstein

When given the unexpected opportunity to conduct a job search recently, I found myself immediately thinking about the needs in my life. I thought of my two young daughters and their future, my wife and our happiness, and I thought of my mortgage. These are my needs and they take precedent over everything else.   After assessing the security status of my needs, I was able to map out how much time I had to dedicate to a job search. This then presented the opportunity to focus more on my wants rather than just my needs.

WANTS VS. NEEDS

I’m lucky. I have a little time at least to decide which direction I want my career path to take. I have the opportunity to improve my family’s future and secure our needs by focusing on my wants.  So whether you are in a secure position or in the middle of a job search, ask yourself, “What are my needs? What are my wants? What opportunities are available to me? ”.  Answering these questions will allow you to prioritize what’s important and what you need to focus on when looking for a new job (or your next opportunity).