Stop Trying to Be Wanted. Start Being Needed.

“When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay.
When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.” — Nanny McPhee

I’ve been thinking about this line in a career context.

Because most professionals build their CV around what they want to be seen as.

But hiring decisions are made around what employers need solved.

And those are not the same thing.

You might want:
• A bigger title
• A more strategic role
• To be seen as visionary
• To pivot into a new sector

Completely fair. Ambition is healthy.

But the buyer is thinking:

• We need this revenue gap closed
• We need this team stabilised
• We need this production delivered on time and on budget
• We need someone who won’t create more noise

Organisations sometimes hire for want / aspiration.
A big, flashy name.
A signal to the market.

But more often, they hire to solve a problem.

They hire reduction of risk.
They hire deliverers of outcomes.
They hire stability, clarity and commercial return.

If you position yourself purely around what you want next, without translating it into what they need fixed, built, protected or grown, your positioning may not land effectively.

And busy buyers default to safe decisions.

This is where career confidence becomes commercial intelligence.

Instead of asking:

“How do I get them to want me?”

Ask:
“What do they need right now, and can I clearly articulate how I help create that?”

That shift changes interviews.
It changes LinkedIn profiles.
It changes how you speak in rooms.

Being wanted is flattering.
Being needed is powerful.

If you’re considering your next move, ask yourself this:

Are you presenting ambition…
or are you presenting a solution?

Most employers are hiring for solutions.

And the most confident professionals understand the buyer’s lens.

Drop me a line if you need help ‘landing your message’

Tracy