The 80/20 Rule in Job Search and Job Satisfaction
If you are thinking about going after your dream job, you should keep the 80/20 rule very much in mind.
The 80/20 rule applies from two perspectives – your job search campaign and your new job once you obtain it.
So what is the 80/20 rule? In business, the 80/20 rule means that 80% of income often comes from 20% of clients. It also means that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. In geology, it means that 80% of the rocks in the Earth’s crust come from 20% of the most common minerals. You get the idea.
In relationships, the 80/20 rule means that you can only expect your partner to fulfill about 80% of your wants and needs, and 20% of those needs are not going to be met.
It is the same with jobs. As a nearly lifelong student of job search, I believe that there are many parallels between relationships and careers. They are both marriages.
When I embark on a career transition program with a client, our goal is to find a career path and a job the client loves. Not likes. Loves. But this doesn’t mean they will love every minute of their jobs, or every aspect of their duties and responsibilities.
The 80/20 Rule in Job Search
There are two aspects of the 80/20 rule in a job search campaign. One is that most do-it-yourself job seekers follow what I call The Traditional Triad of job search: They rely on classifieds, recruiters and old fashioned networking. These activities take up 80% of their job search time but only produce results 20% of the time. It’s bad math and bad business. A job seeker should be spending 80% of their efforts on using innovative and proactive job search techniques, not the old tried-and-true reactive ones, which take forever to produce results.
If you don’t know any innovative techniques, email me at info@careerstrategiesgroup.com and I will send you a free copy of my 36-page Guide to Alternative Legal Careers and Job Search Methods. I am currently updating it, but it will be ready in about two weeks. Did I mention it was absolutely free?
My free guide will show you how to spend 80% of your job search time on productive methods, rather than wasting time on methods that are just that — a waste of time.
While one aspect of the 80/20 rule relates to job search methods, the other aspect relates to where the jobs can be found.
By now, my readers know that almost every study ever done since WWII has found that classifieds and recruiters together only represent 20% of the executive & professional jobs that are available. This means that 80% of the available positions are not found online or with recruiters. It’s like an iceberg. The 20% showing above the waterline is dwarfed by the 80% below the surface. To be effective in finding a new position, you need to do a dive below the waterline.
Why intelligent professionals think they are doing effective job search campaigns focusing on the jobs they can see, rather than the huge number of jobs in the so-called Hidden Job Market, is a mystery to me.
The 80/20 Rule in Job Satisfaction
When considering jobs that are more satisfying and fulfilling, there are a few considerations that, if attended to, will result in a career – and by extension, life — you can truly enjoy.
1) Manage Your Expectations
Even in a dream job, not every moment is wonderful. A general expectation in career coaching is to help clients find a role that provides 80% of the satisfaction and fulfillment they are seeking, and to understand the reality that the remaining 20% will be filled with tasks that don’t ring your bells. Expecting 100% perfection will lead to dissatisfaction – a 100% wonderful job does not exist. I love what I do, but there are some functions that I don’t look forward to handling.
Along with updating my job search guidebook, I am in the process of creating a comprehensive self-help course on how you can identify your realistic career options – what you would love to do, have the skills to do, can be hired to do, and be paid well to do. In my private coaching practice, I help people make this determination all the time, but I am now developing a way for people to do this on their own. One of the aspects of the course that I devote time to is helping my students understand what having a job you love really means. It’s like a marriage – you love your spouse, but they are not perfect. (Except mine is, right dear? Dear?)
2) Seek the “Missing” 20% Outside of Work
If your job satisfies 80% of your core requirements but leaves out a specific passion (e.g., creativity, public speaking, or deep technical problem-solving), the 80/20 rule suggests you should seek that final 20% outside of your work. Pursuing side projects, hobbies, volunteering, or signing up for continuous education courses can provide the well-rounded fulfillment you are not getting from your regular job.
If you learn how to do a productive, efficient job search, look into the high number of jobs that are not readily visible but can be found, then have realistic expectations about what job happiness really means, you can achieve and maintain a career that on most days of the week, you feel very good about having.
PS – Don’t forget to email me for an absolutely free and very informative job search guide.
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Bruce Blackwell has been named at the top of the 2026 list of “The 10 Best Career Coaches in New York City” by Digital Reference, and has been called a “Dean of Career Counselors for Lawyers” by the New York State Bar Association.
If you are an attorney or executive and have been thinking about “what else is out there?” get in touch for a virtual cup of coffee. In a confidential, no-cost call, you can discuss your situation and get expert career advice. To schedule a call, click here: https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell
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