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The magic formula

This step reveals whether there is a magical formula for getting a job and how to better understand how employers rank candidates.
© Luleå University of Technology

Most job seekers think that there is the magic formula for getting a job.

Something that looks like this.

Yellow cloud with the formula E+E=O (Education + Experience = Opportunity)

People think that if you have an education and some work experience, that you will automatically get a job (or get the opportunity).

That seems right, doesn’t it?

If you have completed higher education and you have a bit of work experience, you should be able to get a job, right?

But that’s not the whole story.

The formula that a lot of employers use when they are ranking candidates looks more like this:

Yellow cloud with the formula Mx(E+E)=O (Motivation x (Education + Experience) = Opportunity

Motivation times education plus experience will give you the opportunity.

What do I mean by that?

Well, if your motivation is high, then you are more likely to get a job.

Let’s say that applicants are given a value from 1–10 on each of these criteria: Education, Experience and Motivation.

Compare:

M x (E+E) = ?

2 x (10+10) = 40

2 x 20 = 40

vs.

M x (E+E) = ?

10 x (5+2) = 70

10 x 7 = 70

As you can see, when the motivation is high, the overall score is higher and that is because their score gets multiplied by their level of motivation. So if their motivation is high, they will get a much higher overall score than if their motivation is low.

You might be wondering why motivation is that important.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re passionate about something, you can spend hours and hours doing it, and even if you’re tired, you’re still excited to continue?

Employers want to hire people who are motivated because they want people who are excited about the work they do. When people are motivated, passionate, and excited about their work, they will be more engaged and more invested in coming up with solutions and better ways of working.

And that’s what employers need!

© Luleå University of Technology
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