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First published in Polish by Małgorzata Rosalska

From a career counsellor's point of view, looking for a job is part of implementing a well-thought-out and elaborated career plan. It is not about 'getting' a job. The use of the word 'get' is deliberate here. Many people still believe that you get a job and it is the employer's goodwill (grace?). Fortunately, this way of thinking is becoming increasingly rare, especially among the younger generation. There are many reasons for this - low unemployment, a greater awareness of your goals and priorities, and a focus on balancing work and personal life.

People looking for the right job have many adventures along the way. Some are positive and build a sense of agency, influence and competence. Others are challenging and associated with failure, defeat, rejection and a sense of loss. It is a mixture of many emotions. This is why it is worthwhile to look at these emotions and experiences in counselling job seekers and what can be learnt from them. Here, I want to warn you about a trap: the idea is not to reflect on what one did wrong and that a job has been given to someone else. This logic puts all the responsibility for the situation on the candidate. Still, not everything in the process is under their control, and many decisions are independent of their qualifications, competencies and other career resources.

It seems to me that job interviews are particularly stressful. There are many situations in which candidates feel exposed and judged. My guess is that most of us don't like that. If you were invited to interview, you could assume you met basic requirements. So, if you tick all the boxes, what is wrong with you if someone else gets the job? Thinking like this seriously undermines self-esteem. The 'clipped wings' theme is common in counselling sessions after interviews that end in such a 'failure'. The counselling aims to help the client regain the proper perspective and analyse the situation.

Meredith Belbin, who defined two separate elements in the recruitment and selection process: 'eligibility' and 'suitability', can be helpful here. The two are great tools for both employers when developing a job candidate profile and for candidates analysing the selection procedure results. Eligibility includes skills and qualifications, diplomas, relevant experience, and references. Conversely, suitability includes personality traits, working style, talents, views and beliefs, and preferred team roles.

Imagine you have four candidates for a job:

1. One who is eligible and suitable (ideal fit)
2. One who is eligible but not suitable (poor fit)
3. One who is not eligible but suitable (surprise fit)
4. One who is neither eligible nor suitable (total misfit)

Who would you hire?

The last candidate will be eliminated immediately. But beyond that, the answer is not so obvious. I suppose most people will point to the first one. This person is an ideal fit. However, Belbin points out a caveat here. A candidate who is a perfect fit may have little motivation to work and develop. They have no prospect of learning new things. Because they fit so well, they probably know and can do it all. And that means not getting challenged. There is a risk that they will soon be looking for a new job.

So we have two candidates left: one who is eligible but not suitable and the other who is not eligible but suitable. Who will you give a chance? Belbin advises hiring a candidate who is a surprise fit. A lack of formal qualifications can be a challenge rather than an obstacle. They have room for learning and progress. The opportunity to develop, the feeling that someone has given them a chance, and the prospect of gaining qualifications are the factors that not only motivate but also create loyalty to the person who offered it.

Not only Belbin but also common sense and life experience suggest that hiring someone eligible but not suitable can lead to trouble. Formally, everything is how it should be, but somehow, it is impossible to work together. I am convinced that teaching someone how to do a job correctly is easier than changing their behaviour or attitude to work. Courses, training and learning from colleagues can enhance eligibility. Working on suitability is definitely more difficult. Therefore - as Belbin suggests - it is better to hire someone who is not eligible than someone who is not suitable.

What are the lessons for guidance practitioners working with adults? Firstly, it is worth pointing out to the people you are working with the difference between eligibility and suitability. Eligibility is under your control. You can strengthen, nurture and correct it. Suitability is a category that refers to the statement, "show me what kind of person you are, and I will guess what kind of employee you will be". And this is where the area beyond your control comes in. You don't know who the employer is looking for; you don't know what qualities of the candidate will complement the characteristics of the team in which they will be working. The counsellor should warn the people he/she is working with not to replicate the popular narrative in various self-help books: 'I am creative, resourceful, highly motivated, dynamic, proactive, a good team player, I can resolve conflicts, and I am results-oriented'. It is not worth pretending to be someone you are not. Especially as the employer may already have too many dynamic and enterprising team players and is looking for someone who is calm, detail-oriented and cares about team relations. And most importantly, just because someone wasn't the right person for the job, it's not a sign that they weren't good enough. This could mean that a candidate with a different fit profile was sought. Knowing this would reduce damaging thinking about one's own inadequate career resources.

I highly recommend reading Belbin's book^[1]. The typology of roles and their complementarity and interrelationship are very inspiring from a counselling perspective. Finally, I would like to offer some thoughts that might help those looking for the right job to reduce the stress of getting interviewed.

1. During a job interview, you are not the only person being assessed. Your employer will also be under scrutiny. If interviewers behave inappropriately, ask yourself: Do I really want to work for them?
2. Your worth is not determined by whether someone hires you or not.
3. Keep in mind that you don't have all the information. You don't know who they're looking for. You don't know about the people who are part of the team. The fact that you have not been hired may indicate that you are not suitable, even though you are eligible.
4. Think of an interview (whatever its outcome) as an opportunity to learn about yourself—your feelings, fears, resources, and reactions.