Taft, What Sort of Job Do You Want?

I'm glad you asked. This is a question that I get a lot, but I find it difficult to answer. Not because I am indecisive, but because I am unwilling to limit myself to a narrow search. My law enforcement experience has made me a well-rounded and disciplined worker who could succeed in many different positions. Although this may limit my ability to attract the attention of corporate recruiters, who collectively seem to be focused on industry-specific and job-specific experience, I am much more focused on finding the right organization.

That said, I do have focus – it's just not as narrow as most recruiters want. I am looking for a job in marketing or sales. My skills and experience are an excellent fit for both fields. Don't be fooled by TV shows and movies; my job requires that I spend a lot of time cold-calling, finding creative solutions to problems, and making sales.

That's right – I am a salesman, but not in the conventional sense. One cannot succeed as a criminal investigator without the ability to read people, just like a salesman. In fact, one of the most important facets of my job is to make the toughest sale of all. I have to convince a suspect to tell me exactly what I need to know to send them to prison. Unlike what you see on TV and in the movies, I don't accomplish this through intimidation or violence. I listen to them and decide what they want from me. After that, I simply find a way to give it to them, in exchange for information about their crime. Some find this hard to believe (even me sometimes), but suspects often leave happy after confessing to a crime. If that's not sales, then I don't know what is.

I am not looking for any sales or marketing job, though. As I mentioned before, my primary focus is on finding the right work environment. I am confident that I would not be a successful investigator were it not for the fact that my department is a great organization. I am equally confident that finding the right company is much more important than finding the right job title.

So what does the right company look like? The right company will have some or all of these qualities:

• A fun and energetic workplace and a group of people that works well together. I would like to work for a company that is more concerned with productivity and effectiveness than with strict adherence to rules and policy. The perfect company is a place where employees are allowed (maybe even urged) to question conventional thinking and find creative ways to approach problems.

• A great product! This is an important quality. I attribute much of my success in law enforcement to the fact that I believe in what I am doing. As a member or a sales or marketing team, I want to believe in the product that I represent.

• A young and growing organization (but not necessarily a small business). The early years are an exciting time for any organization, and I would love to be a part of that. This would allow me the opportunity to grow professionally and financially with the business as well as the opportunity to help shape the future of a the business.

• A great location. One of my primary motivations for leaving my current agency is the fact that the area in which it is located is a difficult place for me to meet friends.  I have some amazing friends here, but it is nearly impossible to expand my current circle.  I have very little in common with the few people my age in this area. Over 50 of my fellow officers are over the age of 25. I am one of three who is single and without children. Unfortunately for me, those numbers are representative of the entire county.

Bear in mind that these qualities are meant to serve as a general guide, not strict requirements. I am open to suggestions and willing to consider almost any organization.

In the coming weeks, I will be publishing some posts that discuss my Dream Jobs. These will be specific examples of companies that may help me explain the type of job that I want.

I urge you to post any ideas or suggestions of organizations that might be a good fit. Do you know of any open marketing or sales jobs? Are you looking for a young, aggressive, and creative sales or marketing employee? Don't be shy.

Until next time.

-Taft