The Hunt.

Thanks goes out to Kory; while she did not inspire this post, the timing of her 1996 reprisal as the Dancing Banana comes in a timely moment.Looking for a job is a lot like dating. There are three basic approaches to either:

You do your research based on your prior experiences and desire for the future to seek out the best possible match and then hope and pray they look your way. You submit your resume of interest and wait. You know you're qualified. You know they'll want you, if only they'd just look your way! There's not much more you can do without inspiring a restraining order if you're really trying to go for it. There may be back-door entries such as mailing your resume via FedEx so you can be sure the one you want gets the message and it's not thrown out by a jealous or territorial "assistant." Perhaps lurking outside the parking lot during lunch and hoping your qualified decision-maker-paramour might recognize you without looking like a stalker.You ask friends about connections, opportunities to network or job fair parties where you might come across "The One." And still, the most you can do is remind them about who you are and that you're still interested if there's ever a place for you in their company.

Another approach is to seek anything anywhere- you throw your nets out with maybe a few desired requirements, but let's be honest: You're desperate and you'll settle for anything short of donating your own bodily fluids. It may just be a "for now" to get you by while you keep an eye out for something better, or you may go into that retail shop full-well knowing you're planning to bounce the second a pharmaceutical job returns your call, but either way, you'll pretend it's enough to satisfy you. Just for now. This is how we all end up working dead-end temp jobs that become permanent- sometimes it's just enough to get by on and that can be comfort enough. Just don't lose sight of your end goal, or you'll turn around in 5 years wondering how the hell this loser wasted the best years of your life.

Finally, there's the hardest way. You know exactly what you want and what it will take to get it. You need to make some deep considerations on if this is what's best for you and have to consider the costs of putting it all on the line- mind, heart, body and soul. It may take humility, it may take more than 80 hours a week of invested time, but the passion and desire for this means you will sacrifice whatever it takes to get whatever experience you may need to be ready and qualified when the right spot opens up for you. You are preparing and keeping yourself ready and worthy to move up to the next level by doing everything you can right now so that, when the time is right, you can move forward with the utmost confidence and satisfaction in knowing that this is what you've always wanted.

Either way, all choices require that you consider what it is that YOU want. Sure, any job can approach you first- it happens to me every time I go shopping. The question is not so much if they want you, but if you want them. So prepare yourself, take inventory of who you are, what you have to offer and what your end goal is, so when The One comes along, not only will they want you, but you'll be ready for them.