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Job Hunting – Can we learn from John & Edward?

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Yes I freely watch X Factor and yes I think John & Edward are great. I don’t think their greatness is singing ability but even they agree that they weren’t top of the queue when God was giving out singing voices. I do however admire many other attributes and I think we can all learn from them. I have outlined some points where jobseekers can learn from the twins.

Understand and play to your strengths

John & Edward understand their strengths and limitations and are very much playing to their strengths on the show – personality, likeability, energy and fun attitude. Many jobseekers have never truly analysed themselves to identify strengths or limitations. This exploration is the foundation for any good job search. Lack of clarity will lead to targeting the wrong opportunities or inability to communicate true value to potential employers.

Position yourself and develop a strategy

John & Edward realise they are not the most talented singers and positioned themselves to help differentiate. Many jobseekers have not identified how they differentiate from the competition and get lost in the crowd. John & Edward choose an appropriate strategy – X Factor. Did they sit in Lucan sending out singing demos? Absolutely not!! They realised they had to be seen to succeed. Many jobseekers limit themselves by relying on the wrong strategies like sending a CV when a CV does not tell the true story.

Attitude – hard work, positivity and determination

These two guys have a tremendous attitude. They have faced negativity and booing each week but they maintain positivity and focus. They don’t let rejection or negativity stop them and they probably work twice as hard to make up for their lack of singing ability. We face a tough job market and if you take anything away from watching these guys it is their attitude.

Visibility – help opportunities find you

John & Edward put themselves on the map by taking risk and increasing visibility. They are now household names and job opportunities will follow. We don’t have an X Factor for jobseekers but there are many options available to increase visibility. It’s about moving out of the comfort zone and giving it a shot like John & Edward.

Finally a question for X Factor viewers – Is it just me or does Louis Walsh have the weirdest clap? For those of you who don’t waste time with X Factor and participate in more constructive activities why not join Measurability Careers & Jobs Club on Linkedin.

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The Author:

Career expert with deep and current knowledge (self-marketing, CVs, job search, interviews & social media). Business owner and therefore a jobseeker - I’ve been hunting jobs daily for the last decade - I walk the talk. http://www.measurability.ie

Add Your Comment

  • paulmullan
    thanks ellie -- glad you liked it!!
  • elliedoyle
    that's a great article Paul! Love the Jedward analogy :-) Keep the good articles coming.
  • paulmullan
    thanks shane - i am from the "make your own luck" school of thought
  • Nice post Paul, one factor that John & Edward have exploited is "Luck", they were lucky that Louis got the groups, but, the key is to position yourself to exploit a break when it comes along- ie, "make your own luck"
  • LovinaNnadi
    Absolutely Paul, you are right. JEdward are not the best singers but they differntiated themselves in a fun, entertaining and rib cracking way. That 's the strategy that they adopted and viewers stay glue to watch them perform. They never allowed negativity comments deter them because they are very focused.
    I think every jobseekers out there should learn a lesson from them and not be despair or dismayed by the number of rejection letters received each week from recruiters. We should all analyse our strengths and position ourselves to success by identifying our biggest impact to employers.
  • paulmullan
    Barney
    Glad you liked the post. Very true point you make.
    Paul
  • barneyausten
    Hi Paul. Just getting to read this now. I like the straightforward analogy that you have used - you get the point across well. I would agree with the last piece particularly. Many people looking for work focus too narrowly into their specific comfort zones instead of looking at other areas which might be of relevance or interest. Most people have experiences that apply to roles totally outside their known areas, it's just a question of applying that experience correctly and being willing to learn something new. Who knows - they might even enjoy it more!
  • paulmullan
    Thanks for the nice comments

    P
  • Brilliant!!! Great points made
  • unacoleman
    Nice analogy Paul.
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