Week 2 Foundation & Focus: Career Clarity, The 30-Day Job Search Kickstart
The Missing Piece
Job searching without clarity is like digging through a puzzle box without knowing what piece you’re looking for. You keep trying to jam yourself into roles that almost fit—but not quite.
Your ideal job description is that missing piece. By defining it—title, responsibilities, skills, values, and impact—you stop forcing yourself into the wrong spaces and start recognizing the right fit when you see it. And sometimes? You discover companies willing to create a role that matches the piece you bring to the table.
Coaching Story: The Job That Wasn’t Posted
One alum I coached—let’s call her Jenna—wanted to pivot into healthcare tech. But the postings she found didn’t match her mix of analytics and project leadership skills.
So she wrote her own “ideal job description”—with must-have responsibilities, the skills she wanted to use daily, and the impact she hoped to make.
When she used this description as a conversation guide in networking, one hiring manager said, “That’s not a job we have listed, but it’s exactly what we need.” They created the role and hired her.
Sometimes the right opportunity isn’t in the box. It’s the piece you bring.
For New Grads & Seasoned Pros
New Grads: Writing your ideal job description keeps you from chasing every shiny posting. Instead of bending yourself to fit any role, you’ll spot the opportunities that actually help you grow in the direction you want.
Seasoned Pros: After years in the workforce, it’s easy to assume you must fit into existing titles. But many mid- to senior-level roles are shaped around the right person. Your ideal description becomes a tool to influence and shape conversations, instead of passively reacting to job ads.
✅ Action Steps for Today: Write Your Ideal Job Description
Draft your “missing piece” in six parts:
- Job Title (or Titles): What would this role be called?
- Responsibilities: What are you doing day-to-day that energizes you?
- Skills in Use: Which of your strengths are front and center?
- Values in Action: How does this role align with what matters most to you?
- Impact: What difference are you making—for the team, company, or industry?
- Non-Negotiables: What conditions must this job meet (salary, flexibility, growth)?
Here’s a downloadable worksheet to support you in this step.
Why This Works
When you know the shape of your “puzzle piece”:
- You stop wasting energy forcing a fit.
- You can explain your goals clearly in networking and interviews.
- You open the door to roles that may not exist yet—but could be created around your unique strengths.
Keep Shaping Your Search
Check the Kelley Alumni Career Services site for tools to refine your career story and connect with alumni who’ve designed their own paths.
Next in the 30-Day Job Search
Read Day 12 → Building a Target Company List That Actually Inspires You
Because once you know the piece you bring, it’s time to find the puzzles where you belong.
