Dive 106: Should you Hunt or Gather?
On getting what you want
Hey, it’s Alvin!
Wanna get what you want? Who doesn’t? It turns out our hunter-gatherer ancestors can still teach us how to land our dream jobs and even soulmates. But let’s talk about lunch for a moment…
Imagine you had to work in an office building in the middle of a quiet, tree-lined residential neighbourhood. Unless you brought lunch, your only food option is a small restaurant in the lobby of your building. Let’s call this, “Building A.”
Now imagine working in a city’s downtown commercial district. Restaurants line the streets. And you work in a tall office building where the first few floors make up a mall with an entire food court. Let’s call this, “Building B.”
Which do you like more?
I used to work for a company with an office in Building A. Then I left for another company with an office in Building B. And I remember my friends and relatives were like, “that’s great! You have more food options.”
True. But there’s a reason I liked Building A more.
Imagine the small restaurant in Building A is your absolute favourite restaurant in the world.
Imagine all the restaurants in and around Building B are mediocre fast-food joints.
Does that change your position?
More importantly, what does this have to do with landing your dream job or finding your soulmate?
Strategy.
If there’s something you want, is it better to seek as many opportunities as possible? Or is it better to focus your search?
The answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might think.
Job Searching
I struggled to find jobs early in my career. So, I sought help. Many career advisors suggested I apply to as many job postings as possible.
They told me to create a generic résumé and cover letter. Then tweak them a bit to better match the requirements of each job posting. I uploaded my tweaked documents to dozens of applicant tracking systems for many years, with no response from the vast majority of companies.
I landed a handful of interviews. But I never landed a job with this scattershot strategy.
But I worked for a software consulting firm that contracted my services to other companies. So by the time I was a senior software developer, I had worked on enough different teams to know the kinds of people, teams and cultures I thrive with. And which I don’t. Suddenly, the scattershot strategy made no sense for me.
People have asked why I don’t apply to the big 5 tech companies (e.g. Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google). Because I know that’s not what I want. I have also experienced enough to know I rarely thrive in startups. Knowing all this, I focused my job searches on companies with which I felt I had the best chance of success. How did I do that?
I started keeping a profile on LinkedIn for visibility, tailored for the jobs I wanted. As I gained experience, recruiters began approaching me. I didn’t need to be as active in my search.
Eventually, a recruiter reached out to me with a mid-sized company looking for a backend developer. I could also tell my would-be manager and team lead held themselves to high standards. So, I knew I’d learn and grow a lot with them. Exactly what I was looking for. The day after the interview, they gave me an offer.
I couldn’t refuse.
Focusing my search for jobs I wanted got me a position with one of the best teams I ever worked with. That said, there is a benefit to the scattershot strategy.
Hunting and Gathering
The focused approach is what some might call hunting. Hunting works better when you know what you want. Because effective hunters tailor their techniques and tactics to the prey they’re catching. Then, they focus their efforts on capturing a specific prey.
The scattershot approach is what some might call gathering. Gathering works better when you need a resource, but don’t have a specific target. Because gatherers want to stockpile as much food as possible to enhance their group’s survival. So, they indiscriminately gather whatever is edible.
That’s why gathering works better for beginners. If you’re new to an industry, you may be better off applying to many different postings and taking what you can get. Switching to companies of different sizes, types, and even industries gives you a sense of what’s out there and how you fit in various environments. Like a chef developing a sense of taste. Or palate.
Once you know what you want, it makes more sense to switch to hunting. That way, you improve the odds of winning the opportunity you want. And you waste less time and effort chasing positions you’ll want to leave as soon as you’re hired.
This goes well beyond job seeking.
Dating
One of the most common pieces of advice I see online is that if you want to find a girlfriend or boyfriend, you need to dress well, stay fit, and be confident. Just take good care of yourself. So far, so good.
Then we’re told we need to go where lots of people hang out and connect with as many people as possible. Like a bar. Or a club. You may hear the phrase, “it’s a numbers game.” You’ll be told you need to meet as many people as possible to find your soulmate. This is gathering.
There’s nothing wrong with gathering if you don’t know what you’re looking for in a partner. It’s a fine way to figure that out. But if you know what you’re looking for, you may be better off with a more focused approach.
If you don’t care for alcohol or dancing, then a bar or a club may not be the best places to find the one you’re looking for. If you value fitness, you may have more luck joining a recreational sports team, for example.
You don’t have to connect with everybody. You could commit to a few people you get along with most. That way, you won’t waste time forcing a relationship that just won’t work. So…
Should you hunt or gather?
There’s no shame in either. The best strategy depends on your situation.
You want to hunt when you know what you want.
You want to gather when you don’t know what you want.
Reply to belowthesurfacetop@gmail.com or click “Message Alvin” below if you have questions or comments. Let me know:
What are your experiences with hunting and gathering like?
What are some pros and cons you encountered?
What was the greatest reward you gained from refining your strategy?
Thank you for reading. Happy hunting and gathering. And I’ll see you in the next one.