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Job search lessons from The Brady Bunch

career lessons from The Brady Bunch
Though our best memories of The Brady Bunch may be Marcia’s nose taking the brunt of a football or Jan wearing that ridiculous black wig, it also taught us enduring lessons about searching for a job.  

Here are WiserUTip’s top five episodes to help you through a tough job search.  

Stay focused


When Greg lands a job at Mike’s architectural firm in Call Me Irresponsible, he is thrilled. He is saving up for his first car and is eager to earn his own money. However, when asked to deliver blueprints on his bike, he stops to look at car magazines — losing the drawings and nearly his job. 

THE LESSON: Greg was so fixated on his long-term goal of buying a car that he neglected the immediate work required to earn the car. Likewise, as you seek your dream job, carefully tend to each step required to earn the position. Study the requirements of the job. If you are weak in any areas, strengthen your abilities and then add your new skills to your resume and LinkedIn profile. Also talk about your strengths in your cover letter and in your interview(s) to let the employer know that you are completely qualified for the job. 

Get creative when dealing with conflicts of interest

The Bradys are determined to rescue their local park when a new courthouse is to be built on the property in Double Parked. The family spearheads the “Save Woodland Park” campaign, but Mike is torn. His architectural firm has been contracted to design the new building! His boss threatens to fire him if the Bradys don’t end their campaign, yet Mike knows he can’t betray his beliefs. Thinking outside the box, Mike figures out a way to build the courthouse in a less disruptive part of town saving the park and even some money for his firm.

THE LESSON: If a company expects you to go against your personal interests, look for ways to satisfy the employer AND yourself. For example, if a company holds public political beliefs that differ from your own, state that you never let politics interfere with your ability to complete you work if asked to give an opinion. If you are given an assignment that you disagree with, look for possible solutions or talk with your employer about a compromise. 


Greg Brady as Johnny Bravo
Greg Brady as "Johnny Bravo"
Choose a company that wants you for the right reasons

Greg Brady, AKA the short-lived pop sensation Johnny Bravo, learns the hard way that employers may hire you without caring about your personal well-being or career goals. In Adios, Johnny Bravo, Greg is ecstatic to land a solo recording contract, but his family becomes suspicious when the job requires him to postpone his college plans, desert his siblings and change his name to “Johnny Bravo.” After the record company redubs his singing, Greg realizes that his talents are being wasted and that he was only hired because of his good looks. 

THE LESSON: Learn what you’re getting into before accepting the job. Read reviews of potential employers on sites like Glassdoor.com to learn if workers enjoy working there. If current and previous employees express dissatisfaction, take a lesson from Johnny Bravo and say “Adios.”

Maintain your self-confidence

The Brady boys tease Marcia when she declares that girls should have the same opportunities as boys. To prove that she is as capable as her brothers, she joins the Frontier Scouts (a play on the Boy Scouts). Greg, Peter and Bobby are adamant that Marcia won’t make it through the rigorous field initiation test. She begins to doubt herself when the test is tougher than she expected, but ultimately she perseveres and passes the test (with time to spare!). 

THE LESSON: While the workforce may not be as openly discriminatory as it was when The Brady Bunch first aired, you may still face inequity or other obstacles. Learn to speak confidently about your experience and qualifications. Consider taking Toastmasters classes or other public speaking programs. Finding a job is never easy, but with confidence like Marcia’s, you can and will succeed.   

Be yourself

When a hip director sees the Bradys at the supermarket in And Now, a Word from Our Sponsor, he casts them in a detergent commercial due to their natural familial charm. The family is enthralled by the opportunity to become famous television stars (oh, the irony). However, they worry that they aren’t good enough actors to make the commercial sound believable. The family takes acting classes from a zany local actress, but she teaches them to overact so much that they lose their natural appeal (and the commercial, too). 

THE LESSON: You may worry that you are not qualified or unique enough to land the job of your dreams. Do what you can to improve your abilities, but always be yourself. If a company wants you to change everything about yourself to land a job, the job isn’t for you. 

Post by MacKenzie Bernard

The Brady Bunch was created by Sherwood Schwartz. DVD rights to the show are owned by CBS. WiserUTips does not claim to own or be affiliated with The Brady Bunch, Paramount Television or CBS Television Distribution. This article is purely educational. 

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