I hate the saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
For one thing, it’s patronizing. Have you ever noticed that the person saying that is usually someone who still wants you to do the job perfectly? Or else it’s said by people who could stand to sweat a little more -- those who don’t appreciate the small stuff because someone else is always bailing them out. (“I don’t sweat the details and my projects go fine.” Arrgh!)
I could go on, but that would be overkill. Especially since the point of this particular column is to give the very advice I abhor: Don’t sweat the small stuff, at least when it comes to job search. No, really, I mean that.
Here are some examples of “small stuff” from the questions I regularly receive from readers and clients.
- Does it seem like pestering if I call to follow up after an interview? Answer: If they have a phone at work, then answering it is part of their job. Just make the call.
- Is it better to make a follow-up call in the morning or afternoon? Answer: Just make the call already. If no one answers, try the alternate time tomorrow.
- How soon should I call after sending my resume? Answer: Just make the call already. If it's too soon, you can always call back later.
- Do employers prefer resumes with objectives or summaries? Answer: Employers prefer resumes that arrive in a timely fashion. Just send it.
- I can't decide between the blue tie and the red tie. What do the studies on color psychology say? Answer: They say to quit obsessing and wear the tie that doesn't have a gravy stain.
- I'm going to need Christmas off next year -- how do I bring that up in the interview? Answer: You don't. That belongs in the negotiation after the offer is made. And anyway, you haven't had an interview yet.
If you see a pattern of impatience in my answers, I plead guilty. I’ve never had very much patience, particularly when I see how miserable people can make themselves over these details.
Of course, you can imagine me being just as imperious when I run into that handful of job seekers who seem to disregard all niceties and details -- those who put the wrong names on cover letters or arrive late at interviews because they couldn’t find the building. That’s not good, either!
Perhaps the best approach would be to watch those details that matter most, but let the other ones go in favor of efficiency. It certainly does matter who receives your letter or where the interview is located, so triple-checking those details makes sense. But sending your resume through multiple critique services to gather all possible viewpoints? That’s not job search; it’s some kind of delaying tactic or anxiety issue.
One factor that leads to so much redundancy -- dare I say perfectionism? -- is the sheer volume of advice available about job search. Everyone, it seems, wants to tell you to manage the process just so -- and of course, every adviser has a different version of what “just so” means.
Me, too. Here’s my version: Enough with the perfectionism. Don’t you know that doing job search perfectly is impossible? There are too many moving parts, and too many variables over which you have no control. Better instead to nail down the big picture (What kind of work do I want? Whom should I contact?) and revise your steps on the smaller things as you go along.
If you look at the people who have gotten jobs quickly, you’ll see that they didn’t spend hours revising their resumes or trying to time their calls to employers and contacts. They just jumped in.
This is a contact sport and a numbers game. If you don’t make the leap, you will always be the one who’s trying to improve a process that hasn’t even been launched yet. Better to get your job search under way, warts and all, than to think yourself into a paralyzed fog.
Which brings up another point: In the long run, perfectionism is really a way to stay in the same place. It feels safe to sit in front of the computer, but totally scary to jump into the game and start calling employers directly. Do it anyway. Recognize the fear, dump the perfectionism and get moving. Just be sure you’re calling them by the right name, and you will be sweating the right stuff.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102.
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