Finding the Right Employer Utilizing ABC’s “The Bachelor®” Method

I admit it - I watch The Bachelor® on ABC. But, not for the same reasons that other people watch it. You know, the "let's see if he really finds his true love" deal. No, I watch it for another reason.

By nature, I am a strategist and I like to observe how other people make decisions and try to figure out the psychology behind WHY they make the choices they do. To me, this show is fascinating because the audience is never really given a reason why The Bachelor sends people home. So, I like to put my own reasoning to the test.

Now, if you aren't familiar with how the show works, basically ABC chooses a Bachelor and then finds him 25 women (to start) from which he is supposedly going to find his true love. In the first episode, he meets with them at a cocktail party and gets to know something about each one by sitting down with her for a few minutes.

At the end of every show, there is a "Rose Ceremony" where he hands out roses to the women he wants to stay and continue in the process. Then, as the season progresses, he keeps choosing until he is down to the final two women. From 1 of these 2 women, he selects the person he will propose to, and then (supposedly) will end up marrying.

On this season of The Bachelor®, Jake Pavelka, a 31-year-old commercial airline pilot from Denton, Texas is looking for his true love. This season intrigued me more because I worked in the airline industry for 16 years. So, I decided I had to watch it.

Even though we are only three episodes into the season, there have been some interesting twists AND some great (and not so great) decisions made by Jake based upon limited information he gathers from the women.

Based upon some of his decisions, I began to think about his process from a job search perspective because there are some definite parallels between finding a job and spouse.

Here are the parallels I see and how they can be applied to searching for a job:

1. Start with a list of 25 employers (or find 25 positions) that fit your criteria. Unlike the show finding the women for Jake, no one chooses 25 companies for you. You have to do that on your own. However, Jake must have given ABC some criteria of what he was looking for in a potential spouse. So, think about what you want in your next employer and identify those companies that fit the bill.
2. Do your research on those companies. On the show, Jake gets to read the bios of the women before he meets them. While he probably doesn't have a lot of information to work with in the beginning, as a job seeker, you have the Internet, the library, company annual reports (if they are publicly held), and possibly "insiders" at the companies from your network. However, one of the best informational websites on companies is www.glassdoor.com, which provides "dirt" and "positive" information about companies anonymously supplied by employees.
3. Conduct "informational interviews." Jake gets to conduct "information gathering" sessions with each woman on every episode. This happens through "group" or "one-on-one" dates. His time is limited to make the right decision about the women. However, as a job seeker, you can conduct multiple, longer informational interviews with individuals who work for ypur targeted companies. However, do not approach these sessions as a way to "trick" employers into a real interview. Your sole mission is to gather "intelligence."
4. Take input from other people. On this season's first show, Jake had the opportunity to receive input from last season's couple, Ed and Jillian. He also got the "low-down" on one of the women he gave a rose to from the other ladies in the 3rd episode. They basically told him that she was a "different person" with him then she was with the other women. As a job search candidate, it is important to listen to what other people say, which leads us to my next point.
5. Evaluate the information you have received. On the first show, Jillian and Ed told Jake to eliminate a woman named Michelle. In my opinion, they gave him correct information. However, it was up to him to evaluate whether their opinion was accurate. In the job search, you will receive many opinions about companies and positions. My advice is to listen to what is being said, and if the same comments (good or bad) keep surfacing regarding a certain company, pay attention.
6. Decide which companies are a "true match" for you against your established criteria. Just as Jake needs to decide which woman is his "ultimate soulmate," as a job seeker you need to stay true to your values and find a job that fits at least 90% of your established criteria. If not, you will settle for any job, end up unhappy, and start job-hopping.
7. Eliminate those companies who aren't a good fit for you. In the 3rd episode, Jake eliminated two women BEFORE the Rose Ceremony. He realized that one of the women was just playing "games" with him and the other (Michelle, the one he was told to eliminate on the 1st show) was just not right for him. He wanted to focus on the women he was really interested in and give them a chance to stay on the show.  This same premise is true when you are evaluating companies. If there's a company that isn't a good match, walk away and focus on the companies that are right for you.

While Jake may or may not find the love of his life in six weeks with limited information, I believe that in the same amount of time, you can find a great job by utilizing the methods I have detailed above during your job search.