On May 6th 2004, over 56 million people tuned in to say goodbye to Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Joey and Phoebe. After 10 seasons and countless laughs, the NBC sitcom Friends aired its final episode. Being a HUGE Friends fan, I thought it would be fitting to share what we can learn from each character about searching for a job.
Rachel – Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Season 1, episode 1 starts with Rachel running into Central Perk in her wedding dress. She left behind the life she knew in search of something different. She was told that she was a shoe her whole life, and she just wanted to be a hat! Through the years, Rachel has been a waitress, a fashion merchandiser and she even accepted a job in Paris with Louis Vuitton.
Yes, she got off the plane, BUT she was not afraid to stick her neck out and try something new. During the job search process, we shouldn’t be afraid to go a little outside of our comfort zones to find what is perfect for us.
Ross – Become an expert in your field.
Dr. Ross Geller, the geeky, lovable paleontologist of the group teaches at NYU. Throughout the show we see clips of Ross teaching his students about the wonders of paleontology.
Ross was such an expert in his field, he was offered tenure from NYU and was asked to be the key note speaker at a paleontology conference in the Bahamas. What we can learn from Ross is that becoming an expert in your field will not only help you land a great job but, it will help launch your career.
Monica – Organization is key.
We can learn a lot from the over competitive and OCD character that is Monica “Felula” Geller-Bing. Do you know how many categories she separates her towels in? Eleven. That’s right, eleven. While we don’t have to get that out of hand when we are searching for a job, a little organization never hurts.
At one point during the series, she helps Chandler look for a job and neatly organizes a binder for him. She separates the binder into different tabbed sections based on interests, job he’s qualified for, etc. We should all strive to have an organization system like Monica.
Chandler – Find the humor in it.
Chandler Muriel Bing or Miss Chanandler Bong (TV Guide subscription label) always seems to find the humor in any and every situation. Whether he is joking about his job or making an uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable, Chandler is always there to provide a laugh.
During our job search, we need to take the good and the bad and make the most of it. Keeping everything light-hearted and having a sense of humor will help you remain positive during your job search.
Joey – Be able to adapt.
Joey Tribbiani is best known on screen for the role of Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days Of Our Lives. He has played a lot of roles during the Friends series. From being on the small stage to infomercials to being a “butt double” for Al Pachino, Joey has had to be able to adapt to the various roles he’s cast in.
This is an extremely important lesson for us as job seekers. We should be able to convey to the hiring manager that we can wear multiple hats and share past experiences to help convey our adaptability.
Phoebe – Don’t hold back being yourself.
Phoebe Buffay is not afraid to express herself. Whether she is deciding on what to change her name to or writing the next installment of Smelly Cat, she puts herself in everything she does.
While I don’t recommend introducing yourself to future employers as Regina Phalange or Princess Consuela Bananahammock, I would recommend that you be yourself during your job search. Let your light shine through and don’t be afraid to show who you are.