Over the last few months of my active job search, I’ve been labeled a “non-traditional candidate.”

At first, this was driving me crazy.

I cringed when I would hear the recruiters and interviewers say it. They’d say things like:

“Dana, you have a lot of great experience, but we would classify you as a non-traditional candidate for this position.”

So I’d ask for a definition, and hear the following:

“Well, you haven’t actually had experience with business-to-business.”

Hmmm. Business-to-business, also called B-to-B or B2B, is a type of transaction that exists between businesses, such as one involving a manufacturer and wholesaler and a retailer.

So I supposed that in some worlds, I don’t look like a B2B employee.

But instead of worrying that I was a “non-traditional candidate” with no B2B experience, I decided to own the phrase. Continue reading Own It: Why I’m Glad I’m A Non-Traditional Candidate