Job Hunt, or Hunt for Love?

At a recent job fair, a guy was presenting and said, “You know, I have always noticed that job hunting is a lot like dating.”

It’s a fact that I have known for a long time, ever since I have been hunting for work. The fact of the matter is that job hunting is very much like dating. I didn’t need to see this guy to know that it was the truth.

Just think about it for a second. Here’s how it usually goes down:

First, there’s the responding to personal ads – or in this case, classified ads on the Internet. You sometimes need to create an ad for yourself, whether it’s through a blog or social networking. You’re putting it out there to the world that you’re ready to date, or in this case, work. Sometimes, you’re lucky in looking in that people will come and find you. There are even cases where your friends will set you up, i.e., “I know someone who is offering work.”

Then comes the response -- a company finds you attractive and wants to talk to you. They usually call, introducing themselves. You either make small talk or arrange to meet. Sometimes, you have a long conversation, or interview, over the phone. They’ll ask you about yourself and your past, occasionally testing you along the way. Then, if they really like you, then they will ask you out on a date – or an interview.

The interview is often the first date. You’ll dress up to the nines in your best outfit – in this case, a great suit or something along those lines. For the girls, you’ll put on your best face and pray for no pimples. For the guys, you’ll make sure you have your snazziest outfit as if to tell them you’re the only guy in the world.

You show up, you talk. Occasionally they’ll offer you something to drink, depending on the person. In the best of situations, if there’s great chemistry, you’ll start a fun conversation, complete with laughter and fun jokes. In the worst, they’re asking their formulated questions that they have asked a hundred more first dates, only to shunt you away for the next attractive person.

Sometimes you have to have multiple dates. They’ll introduce you to their “dads” or “moms” (read: executives). Occasionally, you’ll end up hanging by your phone, desperately waiting for them to call you about this-or-that.

And then, if you’re lucky, you’ll get the call: They want you. Only you. For the meantime, anyway: They usually give you a three-month trial to prove your worth, to see if you are really the one for them. It’s a trial thing. Then, after that, you enter into a committed relationship, complete with benefits that include extra money and health insurance.

There are bumps occasionally in this relationship, but there are quite a few that last a long time. Then, comes the breakup – the firing or the layoff. For the first, they kick you to the curb. For the latter, they give you the old excuse, “It’s not you, it’s me.” And then we’re back to the dating process yet again.

So to those of us who are currently going through the dating process, I say that we should start a club. It should be like “Sex in the City,” but with the opposite gender and plenty of wine to go around. And it better be good wine, because I won’t be drinking it otherwise. Or we should do things that will make us better people and forget the struggle. I think my theory before I started dating my husband holds true – don’t obsess over it, and it will come naturally.

In the meantime, let’s have a recipe! We should have a comfort recipe for all those serial job hunters out there. When it comes to me, nothing is more tasty or more comforting than a totally awesome burger. But if you’re not close enough to Jeff’s Gourmet, here’s an alternative.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGERS

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons Za’atar (optional)

2 tablespoons season salt

1 teaspoon pepper

In a bowl, mix the meat with the Za’atar and season salt. You’re going to have to use your hands for this one. Don’t forget to wash afterwards, or else bacteria could get everywhere.

Heat up a skillet to medium heat. Shape the burgers into patties that are 3-4 inches wide and about ¼ inch thick. (see quick tip 1). Place them on the skillet. A medium rare burger takes 4-5 minutes.

Turn over the burger. Cook the burger on the other side for about 4 minutes. Don’t worry if the burger is a little pink on the inside. Serve on a bun with your favorite condiments – or you can always take a page from In-and-Out and serve it in a lettuce leaf.

If you want to spice up your burger, here are some great ways to do it:

- Carmelized onions are a sweet compliment to any burger. I recommend making a whole bunch at a time so you can use them in different recipes.

- If you want to do a different type of burger, double the recipe, but add a pound of lamb instead of an extra pound of ground beef. People are going to wonder what you’ve done to make the burgers super-tasty.

- The last time I made burgers, I pan fried some pastrami to go on top. It may not be Jeff’s, but it is mouthwateringly good.

- I find guacamole to be a great compliment to the meatiness of any burger. If you want to make a super-messy Mexican burger, add some salsa with the guacamole, along with some lettuce and onion.

Quick Tip 1: If you like making burgers, I suggest purchasing a patty maker. They’re available at any home store and are around $3.

Quick Tip 2: I know that little home grills have gotten popularity over the years, and I loved mine in college. If you have one, I encourage you to use it for this recipe. It should be about 8 to 10 minutes if you have a grill that closes, or follow the instructions for the skillet and use an open-faced grill instead.