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It's South by Southwest time here in Austin, and I'm always inspired to write a post related to movies, metaphors, and careers. (Here's my post from last year.)
A constant question from reporters these days is whether I'm seeing any change in the job market-- is anything opening up? And I talk about the increasing number of internships, part-time opportunities and entry-level positions I've noticed lately. Yes, they'll say, but are any real jobs opening up? Because the jobs I'm describing aren't perfect by any means: they might pay less than what someone was earning before, they might not be in the exact field they're seeking, and they might not even be full-time. I know they're not perfect-- but they just might be a MacGuffin.
Alfred Hitchcock coined the term MacGuffin (also spelled "McGuffin") to describe a story element in a movie that seems important at the time, but ultimately isn't. It exists solely to move the plot along. The MacGuffin story, which Hitchcock said was Scottish in origin, begins with two gentleman riding on a train. One of them asks the other:
"What's in the box?" (Referring to a large box on the rack above the gentleman's head.)
"A Macguffin," replies the rider.
"What's a Macguffin?"
"It's something used to kill mountain lions in Scotland."
"But there aren't any mountain lions in Scotland!"
"Oh, then I guess it's not a MacGuffin."
The MacGuffin is a plot element that is initially important, but is generally forgotten by the end of the story. The MacGuffin in Hitchcock's film, Psycho, for example, is the money. Janet Leigh steals $40,000 from her employer at the beginning of the film and has to leave town quickly. Once on the highway a series of incidents lands her at the Bates Motel. Within a few minutes we are so drawn into Norman Bates' weird world we have long forgotten about the money. It just doesn't matter.
But on the other hand, it IS important because without the theft of the money, there would be no story. Other MacGuffins include the statue in The Maltese Falcon, the formula in The Spanish Prisoner, and the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
So what does this have to do with careers? "MacGuffin" jobs are common for career changers or recent graduates. They are jobs that aren't ultimately important in the long run, and may only last a short time, but can play a key role in shaping a career.
I recently spoke with a mid-career changer who left her full-time job to pursue the career of her dreams, a consulting practice. She had a reasonable amount of cash on hand, created a website, trademarked her business name, printed business cards, and started presenting her concept at local Chamber of Commerce meetings. In other words, she did everything right about starting a business. But, unfortunately, the business didn't take off. She found it hard to explain her consulting concept to potential customers and she was constantly bumping into other consultants doing similar projects. And to her great surprise, she had trouble feeling energetic about her business: it just wasn't that interesting to her.
So she analyzed what was working and what wasn't, she talked with clients, looked at her pattern of strengths, and ultimately made a decision: she shut down the website, threw out the cards, and closed the business. She took a few weeks off to think through her options and then created a completely new business which took off instantly. With almost no effort, she acquired more clients in one month in her new business than she had in the 6 months she ran her other business.
I asked her if she regretted all the time and money she had put into her first business. Not at all, was the reply-- because she realized that the first business was a MacGuffin: it was designed to move her to the next more successful opportunity. The first business got her to leave her 9-to-5 job and take a chance on an entrepreneurial opportunity. She learned the ins-and-outs of managing a business from financial planning to partnerships to legal issues, etc., so that when she started her second business she didn't have to start from scratch. She also designed a stronger business concept grounded in a dual focus of her strengths and customer needs.
And that's why those seemingly undesirable MacGuffin jobs are important: it's not what they are, it's where they lead. So if you're looking to transition into a new career or seeking your first job out of college don't dismiss the not-so-perfect job. It might just be a MacGuffin that will propel you to a new act or chapter in your life.
College seniors entering the job market tend to assume that the first job after graduation is crucial: that if they make a "mistake" in selecting their first job, their career path is doomed. If the first job isn't perfect it makes them question their time in college. What they don't understand is that the first job is often a MacGuffin-- simultaneously important and unimportant.
My first job out of college was in retail merchandising. In 20+ years of a professional career, that one-year merchandising job is a blip on the radar screen, but it's a blip that made all the difference in where I went afterward. I never returned to the business world, but I learned a lot about business, human resources, labor/management issues-- knowledge that has come in handy at different times in my different jobs and careers. More than anything it was a MacGuffin: it propelled me toward what I really wanted to do.
So if you're a college senior getting ready to enter the job market, a mid-career changer, or even a participant in this week's South-by-Southwest hoping to move into a career in film, music, or high tech entrepreneurship, don't dismiss the MacGuffin opportunity that might come your way-- the job or experience that will give you a chance to learn more about yourself, move you forward, and potentially place you where you will meet the right people. Jobs in popular fields like film-making, music and the arts are so competitive it's practically assumed you'll spend some time in a MacGuffin job. Your MacGuffin job might just change your life.
