More on job searches - helping people help us

David Stone, a VP at DEC, once said, "Let' make new mistakes." The idea is that we should have already learned what we can from our old mistakes and now it's time to take new risks, some of which will certainly generate a fresh crop of, um, fine learning experiences.
So, it was quite humbling when I read a transcript of discussion between a job-seeker and an executive who was offering help and guidance.
When asked what she was looking for in a job, the job-seeker replied, "Anything, really. I just want it to be a good a fit."
Urp.
A week before, I wrote the following in an email to a friend who was helping me make contact with a company, "Regarding your question about what I'd ideally like to do - I want to be useful."
This is a noble aspirations that does little to help the other person be helpful.
There are times and places to let your thoughts wander over rolling vistas that your life has been and will be. This wasn't one of them.

When someone is offering help with a job search, give them something they can work with.