Roderick Lewis now blogs at http://voiceofthejobseeker.blogspot.com . Please subscribe to this address to receive the latest in career advice and employment value proposition strategies.
Best regards,
Roderick Lewis
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Hello! The Voice Of The Job Seeker has a new home.
Welcome to Voice Of The Job Seeker blog! The link is now moved to the following address: http://voiceofthejobseeker.blogspot.com/
Please go to that link to find the latest news and information about career management and employer branding.
Best regards,
Roderick Lewis
Please go to that link to find the latest news and information about career management and employer branding.
Best regards,
Roderick Lewis
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Would Mark Zuckerberg Apply For A Job Online?
I think we all know the answer to that question. Can any of the top global companies state without any doubt that their formal recruitment processes would have selected Mark Zuckerberg back in 2004 before he launched Facebook?
For someone so talented, it is a shame that the average large company would have probably screened him out with their automated selection tools and standard recruitment methods. It could be the résume that doesn't contain enough buzz words or the interview that goes wrong or the less-than-ideal test results of the aptitude test. There are as many ways for companies to prevent talent from entering their organizations as there are to select talent. Oftentimes this is a blessing in disguise because most large companies destroy an individual's creativity and innovation. Of course, they don't intend to do this but one has to realize that a company hires people for specific tasks and duties in order to produce consistent and reliable results. More often than not, companies want to hire more "doers" than "thinkers".
Do you think any company that would have hired Mark Zuckerberg 7 years ago would have allowed him to be as creative and innovative as he is? Probably not. Most large companies are still stuck in the old "seniority rules" model. Meaning that young employees will rarely have a major voice within the company - let alone the confidence of the senior leaders who make the business decisions. They will expect new employees to "pay their dues" and then after 5-10 years (assuming the new employees have played the corporate game successfully) they might be in a position to show some creativity and innovation. The only problem is that after playing the corporate game for so many years, employees tend to become good at doing the wrong thing righter. Those once creative employees are usually transformed into the average employees who seek to continue their mobility within the company by following the rules of the existing game versus breaking the rules altogether.
Let's all be thankful that Mark Zuckerberg decided to break the rules and become an Entrepreneur - not an Employee!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Are Employees Assets or Liabilities?
If you look at your company's Annual Report you'll find that the workforce is listed as a liability. That's the message that's sent to the company's largest shareholders. Of course internally, they tell you that all employees are an asset, and without you, the company could not go on. Sounds good in theory, but it's not true in practice. If you were a professional athlete or musician under contract then you could be viewed as an asset since a company can trade or sell you for the value of your services. But in the average company, employees are viewed as a cost to be managed versus an asset to be developed. You can be sure that someone at the top of the company is always looking for ways to reduce employee numbers while growing the business. Why do you think outsourcing, downsizing, and right-sizing are so popular? In truth, whether or not employees are viewed as assets or liabilities really depends on the philosophy of the Corporate Board and Executive Managers.
As an employee, should you be angry if you happen to be viewed as a liability? No!! You knew the deal when you took the job. And if you didn't, now you do. If your job is one that a company can put on the chopping block then it's up to you to take action to protect your professional livelihood. Don't blame the company - blame yourself! Since you didn't start the company, you really have no say in the high-level decisions that are made regarding your career. If the company's founders, board, management, and investors view employees as a cost, then you will be branded as a liability unless you get to the upper ranks of the company with a nice contract.
If your company views employees as an asset then you can expect to have great opportunities as long as you continue to bring value to the company. You'll get the necessary training, mentoring, and opportunities to do your job as well as advance your career if you so desire. The company will also use innovative and creative ways to ensure minimal job loss during tough economic times. So you rarely have to worry about unexpected unemployment. In the best case, the company will give you a great severance package and send you on your way. In the worse case, the company will temporarily freeze (or reduce) your salary for a specific time period until business conditions improve.
So which are you - asset or liability?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Do You Have A Lifetime Employment Contract? - Part 3 (The Finale)
The modern world is all about backup, contingency plans, and loss prevention. Without a backup (or parallel) income source you're basically at the mercy of your employer's unpredictable personnel decisions. It's one thing to be in the rat race, but entirely different to be a rat hanging on by a thread!
Yet you seem to believe that you can take on all the transactions of life with only one source of income. I guess your motto is, "one job, one employer". And that motto would be fine if you had a contract to support it. But since you probably don't, I believe you need to start planning for ways to minimize your risks of unexpected unemployment. In most of the developed world, the average employee lives beyond his means by debt-financing the lifestyle s/he desires to have. When there are shocks to the financial system followed by the inevitable disruptions in household incomes, the average employee who only has a single source of income will be the one to suffer the most. I continue to be amazed at how the average employee wades through life without any type of strategic safety net for their professional livelihood. Maybe being a trapeze artist isn't so risky after all.
Unless your strategy for sudden job loss is to have a fire-sale of all your household goods (and home if you're a buyer) and move back in with your parents, relatives, or friends; then I suggest you develop a sound contingency plan. If you want to escape the eventual fate of the masses without employment contracts, then you have three options:
If all of this is just too much for you to stomach, then consider the risks of inaction. At the very least you should pay for short-term and long-term disability insurance through your employer's benefits package (assuming your employer offers that!). While it's convenient to only think of losing your source of income, it is more important to protect your ability to earn any income at all. It won't matter if you have a second source of income if your ability to work becomes impaired due to a debilitating illness or accident.
Doing nothing is NOT a solution. Ignoring the problem is NOT a solution. Hoping to keep your single source of income is NOT a solution. Companies diversify their product and service offerings for a reason - to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities. How many grocery stores have you seen that only sale one item? Don't pay the high cost for being a well-trained, obedient employee who blindly relies on the patronage of his employer. I highly doubt that your employer was founded with the sole purpose of providing you with long-term employment.
Yet you seem to believe that you can take on all the transactions of life with only one source of income. I guess your motto is, "one job, one employer". And that motto would be fine if you had a contract to support it. But since you probably don't, I believe you need to start planning for ways to minimize your risks of unexpected unemployment. In most of the developed world, the average employee lives beyond his means by debt-financing the lifestyle s/he desires to have. When there are shocks to the financial system followed by the inevitable disruptions in household incomes, the average employee who only has a single source of income will be the one to suffer the most. I continue to be amazed at how the average employee wades through life without any type of strategic safety net for their professional livelihood. Maybe being a trapeze artist isn't so risky after all.
Unless your strategy for sudden job loss is to have a fire-sale of all your household goods (and home if you're a buyer) and move back in with your parents, relatives, or friends; then I suggest you develop a sound contingency plan. If you want to escape the eventual fate of the masses without employment contracts, then you have three options:
- Play the corporate game and get to the executive levels as quickly as possible.
- Stay at your same employee level and get a side job.
- Become a freelancer or consultant and get paid by the hour or by deliverable.
- One Single-Source Income Earner needs to find a second source of income. Say goodbye to your couch potato lifestyle and get a second job or create income from your hobbies. Whatever you decide to do, you'd better do it quickly. Be sure not to give in to the temptation of spending your extra money instead of saving it.
- Two Single-Source Income Earners need to become domestic partners or married. Two incomes are better than one and provide an in-house backup to one person's temporary income disruption. If one of you becomes unemployed, just be careful not to take too long in landing a new job because you were probably both living beyond your means. Nobody wants to pay your bills forever!
- Two Married (or Domestic Partners) Single-Source Income Earners need to have one spouse with a second source of income. Somebody has to have a normal day, so whoever draws the short stick can plan on working an extra 15-20 hours a week at the side gig. This scenario provides you the ability to save the vaunted "rainy day fund". The downside is that if your side gig is crap, you'll be more stressed out than the extra security is worth. So earn money from something you really enjoy!
- Two Married Single-Source Income Earners need to have both spouses with a second source of income. This is the maximum protection you can provide for yourself - though it comes at a high price due to the time you and your spouse have to spend working. Mitigate this by ensuring that both you and your partner take alternating breaks from your side gigs. Even though you'll have extra work on top of your primary job, it's far better to be a little stressed than unemployed without a backup. The peace of mind you'll have will more than compensate for missing your television shows now and then.
If all of this is just too much for you to stomach, then consider the risks of inaction. At the very least you should pay for short-term and long-term disability insurance through your employer's benefits package (assuming your employer offers that!). While it's convenient to only think of losing your source of income, it is more important to protect your ability to earn any income at all. It won't matter if you have a second source of income if your ability to work becomes impaired due to a debilitating illness or accident.
Doing nothing is NOT a solution. Ignoring the problem is NOT a solution. Hoping to keep your single source of income is NOT a solution. Companies diversify their product and service offerings for a reason - to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities. How many grocery stores have you seen that only sale one item? Don't pay the high cost for being a well-trained, obedient employee who blindly relies on the patronage of his employer. I highly doubt that your employer was founded with the sole purpose of providing you with long-term employment.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Do You Have A Lifetime Employment Contract? - Part 2
We can all agree that having a single source of income (a.k.a. "one employer", "one client", or "one anything" for that matter!) is probably not the best way to mitigate the risk of unexpected unemployment. Furthermore, I highly doubt that anyone has a written lifetime employment contract. And if they do, how enforceable and reliable is it if the company goes bankrupt or gets bought out altogether? The same holds true for the self-employed who solely rely on a single client for their income. I doubt that any client will sign a contract to be the lifetime purchaser of your goods and services.
If you've followed my blogs then you know I am a proponent of the "do as the leading companies do" model. That means you need to manage your career like a company manages its business. Virtually all major companies have signed and legally enforceable contracts with their suppliers, vendors, and distributors. Can you imagine a grocery store owner having to lose sleep each night worrying whether the supplier of milk and eggs will deliver the goods the next day? Can you imagine an automobile manufacturer not having defined-length contracts with its parts suppliers? Companies are keen on having contracts with all the entities that affect their ability to generate income. If they won't risk their sources of income on the whims of those upon which they rely, then why do you?
In America, if you are an "at-will employee", then your source of income is at risk each and everyday. Are you comfortable living like that? You may say to yourself that you've been served well by this model of employment and have suffered no adverse effects thus far. But that's like a race car driver saying he's never crashed out of a race. Or a homeowner saying he's never been burglarized. The fact that it hasn't happened yet is no excuse for you not to be worried or take precautions. According to the legal definitions of at-will employment you'll see that the only employees who have protection from unexpected job loss are union members and company executives. If you're not one of them, you're one of the masses who goes to work each day like an automated drone blindly believing that your office space is actually yours.
A. At-Will Defined
At-will means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, except an illegal one, or for no reason without incurring legal liability. Likewise, an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any or no reason with no adverse legal consequences.
At-will also means that an employer can change the terms of the employment relationship with no notice and no consequences. For example, an employer can alter wages, terminate benefits, or reduce paid time off. In its unadulterated form, the U.S. at-will rule leaves employees vulnerable to arbitrary and sudden dismissal, a limited or on-call work schedule depending on the employer’s needs, and unannounced cuts in pay and benefits.
B. Modification by Contract
The at-will presumption is a default rule that can be modified by contract. For example, a contract may provide for a specific term of employment or allow termination for cause only. Typically, U.S. companies negotiate individual employment agreements only with high-level employees. Collective bargaining agreements usually provide that represented employees may only be terminated for cause.
Cause generally includes reasons such as poor employee performance, employee misconduct, or economic necessity. An employment contract may specifically outline the situations or employee actions that would lead to termination for cause.
If you've followed my blogs then you know I am a proponent of the "do as the leading companies do" model. That means you need to manage your career like a company manages its business. Virtually all major companies have signed and legally enforceable contracts with their suppliers, vendors, and distributors. Can you imagine a grocery store owner having to lose sleep each night worrying whether the supplier of milk and eggs will deliver the goods the next day? Can you imagine an automobile manufacturer not having defined-length contracts with its parts suppliers? Companies are keen on having contracts with all the entities that affect their ability to generate income. If they won't risk their sources of income on the whims of those upon which they rely, then why do you?
In America, if you are an "at-will employee", then your source of income is at risk each and everyday. Are you comfortable living like that? You may say to yourself that you've been served well by this model of employment and have suffered no adverse effects thus far. But that's like a race car driver saying he's never crashed out of a race. Or a homeowner saying he's never been burglarized. The fact that it hasn't happened yet is no excuse for you not to be worried or take precautions. According to the legal definitions of at-will employment you'll see that the only employees who have protection from unexpected job loss are union members and company executives. If you're not one of them, you're one of the masses who goes to work each day like an automated drone blindly believing that your office space is actually yours.
A. At-Will Defined
At-will means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, except an illegal one, or for no reason without incurring legal liability. Likewise, an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any or no reason with no adverse legal consequences.
At-will also means that an employer can change the terms of the employment relationship with no notice and no consequences. For example, an employer can alter wages, terminate benefits, or reduce paid time off. In its unadulterated form, the U.S. at-will rule leaves employees vulnerable to arbitrary and sudden dismissal, a limited or on-call work schedule depending on the employer’s needs, and unannounced cuts in pay and benefits.
B. Modification by Contract
The at-will presumption is a default rule that can be modified by contract. For example, a contract may provide for a specific term of employment or allow termination for cause only. Typically, U.S. companies negotiate individual employment agreements only with high-level employees. Collective bargaining agreements usually provide that represented employees may only be terminated for cause.
Cause generally includes reasons such as poor employee performance, employee misconduct, or economic necessity. An employment contract may specifically outline the situations or employee actions that would lead to termination for cause.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Do You Have A Lifetime Employment Contract?
The mindset of the average employee is truly a case study in blind faith. In fact, if I google the words "blind faith" I fully expect to see YOUR picture at the top of the search page! Maybe you really do believe in the "Job Fairy" and the "Make A Wish Foundation". Maybe you do believe that lifetime employment with one company is a badge of honor. Or maybe you believe that it is your duty to stay with a company long after the relationship is over. Whatever the case, there is a name for you and your ilk - Professional Gamblers.
Forget having a lifetime employment contract - do you even have any type of signed contract stating the length of your employment and the conditions upon which you can be terminated? Does that contract have a buyout clause should you be terminated prematurely? If not, then I'm really concerned about you and would like to refer you to the nearest psychiatric ward! Because clearly you are living in a make-believe world of stable employment, trustworthy companies, and little green men flying around in spaceships.
But hey, what do I know. I'm just another blogger in cyberspace spreading the career management gospel. Who am I to try to unplug your mind from the Matrix feeding pod? Perhaps your mind is not ready for the real world. Perhaps you are fine with having a single source of income. Perhaps you are fine with having blind faith in your employer. Perhaps you were raised during a time when companies served as surrogate parents and were always there for you on your birthday and Christmas. You have every right to be a loyal subject unto your King Employer. And maybe, just maybe, the Employer will fulfill its unspoken (and unwritten!) promise to grant you lifetime employment. Imagine, such a gracious employer to allow you to stay among their ranks until YOU decide to call it a career. I tell you, they just don't make them like that anymore. Seriously, they don't!
Don't you find it odd that you mitigate risks in all other parts of your life except your employment? I mean, you have car insurance. You have medical insurance. You have home insurance. You have memory sticks to back up your work files. You have servers to back up your desktop files. You even carry two credit cards in your wallet! Would you put your money in a bank that had no deposit insurance? Probably not. How secure would you feel on an airplane with only one pilot? The higher the stakes, the greater the precautions people take to mitigate risks. For some reason, that line of reasoning doesn't translate to the average employee. But I guess you, with your ONE employer and lifetime employment contract, know something the rest of the world doesn't. Maybe we should all just ride around on unicycles.
Forget having a lifetime employment contract - do you even have any type of signed contract stating the length of your employment and the conditions upon which you can be terminated? Does that contract have a buyout clause should you be terminated prematurely? If not, then I'm really concerned about you and would like to refer you to the nearest psychiatric ward! Because clearly you are living in a make-believe world of stable employment, trustworthy companies, and little green men flying around in spaceships.
But hey, what do I know. I'm just another blogger in cyberspace spreading the career management gospel. Who am I to try to unplug your mind from the Matrix feeding pod? Perhaps your mind is not ready for the real world. Perhaps you are fine with having a single source of income. Perhaps you are fine with having blind faith in your employer. Perhaps you were raised during a time when companies served as surrogate parents and were always there for you on your birthday and Christmas. You have every right to be a loyal subject unto your King Employer. And maybe, just maybe, the Employer will fulfill its unspoken (and unwritten!) promise to grant you lifetime employment. Imagine, such a gracious employer to allow you to stay among their ranks until YOU decide to call it a career. I tell you, they just don't make them like that anymore. Seriously, they don't!
Don't you find it odd that you mitigate risks in all other parts of your life except your employment? I mean, you have car insurance. You have medical insurance. You have home insurance. You have memory sticks to back up your work files. You have servers to back up your desktop files. You even carry two credit cards in your wallet! Would you put your money in a bank that had no deposit insurance? Probably not. How secure would you feel on an airplane with only one pilot? The higher the stakes, the greater the precautions people take to mitigate risks. For some reason, that line of reasoning doesn't translate to the average employee. But I guess you, with your ONE employer and lifetime employment contract, know something the rest of the world doesn't. Maybe we should all just ride around on unicycles.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Introducing...The Mobile Job Seeker!
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog entry about career management. I’m currently on sabbatical and replenishing my energies through the pursuit of my personal hobbies and passions. I will continue to update this blog but I also invite you to follow me on twitter and read my new comic strip, “The Mobile Job Seeker”. In this strip, I give a humorous take on the challenges faced by job seekers, recruiters, and employees. I tweet new episodes 2-3 times a month so stay tuned and “retweet” the stories you like!
Twitter account: www.twitter.com/lewisrod
This Week’s episode of The Mobile Job Seeker: http://Pixton.com/ic:1mcb1zql
Below you will find an excerpt from the book I am currently writing on the corporate recruitment process. This book represents my 15+ years experience as a job seeker, employee, career consultant, and recruiter. It will be a few months before it is completed but I promise it will be worth the wait!
Only Dummies Apply Online: The Rants, Raves, and Ramblings of Job Searching (book excerpt)
"I think it’s safe to say that blindly sending résumés to online job postings is an exercise in futility – or foolishness. And though you see all the advertisements from online job sites like Career Builder and Monster begging you to find your “dream job” on their sites, the actual number of people who get jobs using those sites is quite small in comparison to the number of people who apply. If you’re one of the lucky few to actually make it past the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that companies have ubiquitously deployed for the express purpose of “bagging and tagging” your résumé, then it probably means any one of the following:
- The Job Seeker applied to a high turnover position.
- The Job Seeker submitted the perfect résumé and application.
- The Job Seeker applied to a job for which there were few applicants.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
NET-working vs. NOT-working
If you are not networking to find a job or networking in your current job, then you are NOT-working! Unless you are so good and so well-known that the world beats a path to your doorstep, you will need to have a healthy online and face-to-face networking strategy. No matter your career stage, YOU MUST establish an online identity and commit to building your brand so that you are found by employers as well as those seeking advice and referrals. Networking is to the Job Seeker what Business Development is to the Company. For a short introduction on setting up your job search strategy on the popular social media sites, click here.
There is so much free information online about how to use social media tools to advance your career on the job as well as in your job search. Job seekers today are expected to be able to educate themselves on the latest career tools. This means that employers will expect you to follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, as well as other social media. Companies have invested so much time and money in using these tools to connect to current employees, customers, clients, and potential employees. If it's important to them then it should be to you. Using these tools will show your career management savvy and ability to get ahead of your competition.
You should constantly be communicating with key people in your network who can contribute to your professional success. Otherwise, you are NOT-working. How long would Mckinsey & Company stay in business if they stopped doing business development? Even with their status, could they really afford to stop talking to potential clients and engaging existing ones? If they can't do it, then what makes you think that you can? Is your current job so secure and guaranteed that you don't have to continue building and engaging your professional network? Is your job search so easy that you don't have to ask for advice or assistance from your network - let alone invest in building your network?
I personally don't know of any business that can survive without some form of business development. Consumer tastes change much too rapidly and are a factor of not only local factors, but increasingly global factors. You think the little Mom & Pop store doesn't think about how to retain its loyal customers in the shadow of global behemoths like Wal-Mart and Carrefour? So remember, the next time you are just sitting around with nothing to do, try engaging someone in your network. Especially if you are job seeking! There really is no excuse for a job seeker to not be in constant communications with their existing network. And as a job seeker, you should not solely focus on what you can take from your networking activities but on what you can give - professional organizations, clubs, conferences, volunteer activities, etc.
-- Bob Burg, Author and Speaker
"The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work."
-- Robert T. Kiyosaki
Sunday, August 8, 2010
I HATE (bad) Recruiters!!
Did I grab your attention? I sure hope so because I really do hate bad recruiters! And you should too! Bad recruiters are the wolfsbane of talent acquisition. We really should call them talent prevention agents because that's what most seem to specialize in. Instead of trying to develop practices to "screen" talent in, they tend to relish in the art of "screening" talent out! And a company entrusts these bad recruiters to source their future talent?? Would a music company trust someone who has no experience in the music industry to go out and screen new talented singers? NO! Would a theater trust someone who has no experience in the performing arts to go out and screen new talented actors? NO!
Finding talented people is one thing, but screening them for consideration in your company is a totally different proposition. And that is the problem with bad recruiters! They know where to find talent but they are terrible at screening that talent for the company's benefit. Why? Because many of them don't have a clue of how the company's business is run. They are just purely focused on the process of recruiting versus the purpose of recruiting - which is to find the candidate who can bring the best value to the firm both personally and professionally.
Bad recruiters don't look at your résumé and cover letter and try to visualize how someone with your experience could be a real addition to the company. They solely rely on key word searches to find your résumé in their database or they rely on the résumé that most closely matches the job description. Well, I can assure you that a well-written résumé does not always equal a good candidate! Most companies with the best advertising campaigns have the worst products! Plenty of cool commercials and even more crappier products.
Bad recruiters ask dumb questions that have nothing to do with the job you would be performing. Their intention is to screen you out before anyone of substance can talk to you. They enjoy being the Gatekeepers and in their minds they truly believe that they are adding value to their company. So below I've listed the top 3 questions that bad recruiters utilize most to improve their performance at talent prevention.
Talent Prevention Question #1 - Bad Recruiter: Please tell me your salary history? Applicant Response: Uh, no! What does that have to do with whether or not I'm the right person for the job? So your perception of what I was paid in the past is a predictor of my success in the future? I didn't know that was a behavioral interview question. How about you just be transparent and tell me what the salary range is for the job. Or are you hoping to low-ball me if my current/prior salary is significantly lower than the bottom of the salary range you have budgeted for the job? Or are you just asking for my salary history as a cheap way to do a salary benchmark on applicants for the job? Mmm, I think I'll pass on that question. Next!
Talent Prevention Question #2 - Bad Recruiter: What are your salary expectations? Applicant Response: Uh, is this the game where if I pick the right number then I'm still in the running and if I pick the wrong number I'm either low-balled or eliminated from the process? Sorry, I don't like this game. How about you just forward me along to the hiring manager and she and I can have a real discussion about my fit on the team and the value I'd bring. If our salary expectations are not aligned then I'd much rather be talking to the hiring manager so that we could both discuss how to reach some common ground on a total compensation package. I want to work for the hiring manager, not you - Mr. Bad Recruiter!
Talent Prevention Question #3 - Bad Recruiter: How long would you stay with our company? Applicant Response: Uh, you mean you're handing out lifelong employment contracts? Or is this the game where your company has a crystal ball and can foresee the future? Mr. Bad Recruiter, I'll stay with your company for as long as we are both mutually benefiting from each other. Do you really want me to say that I'd stay with your company my entire professional career? That would assume we both had crystal balls! Or do you expect me to hang myself by saying that I'm only planning to stay for a year until I pay off some long overdue debts? Shame on you for asking me that question, Mr. Bad Recruiter!
To all the job seekers who are both employed and unemployed, please beware the Bad Recruiters because they are indeed the Talent Prevention Agents! To paraphrase a quote from Morpheus in the movie, The Matrix, "They are the gatekeepers. They are guarding all the doors, they are holding all the keys. Which means that sooner or later, someone is going to have to fight them."
Finding talented people is one thing, but screening them for consideration in your company is a totally different proposition. And that is the problem with bad recruiters! They know where to find talent but they are terrible at screening that talent for the company's benefit. Why? Because many of them don't have a clue of how the company's business is run. They are just purely focused on the process of recruiting versus the purpose of recruiting - which is to find the candidate who can bring the best value to the firm both personally and professionally.
Bad recruiters don't look at your résumé and cover letter and try to visualize how someone with your experience could be a real addition to the company. They solely rely on key word searches to find your résumé in their database or they rely on the résumé that most closely matches the job description. Well, I can assure you that a well-written résumé does not always equal a good candidate! Most companies with the best advertising campaigns have the worst products! Plenty of cool commercials and even more crappier products.
Bad recruiters ask dumb questions that have nothing to do with the job you would be performing. Their intention is to screen you out before anyone of substance can talk to you. They enjoy being the Gatekeepers and in their minds they truly believe that they are adding value to their company. So below I've listed the top 3 questions that bad recruiters utilize most to improve their performance at talent prevention.
Talent Prevention Question #1 - Bad Recruiter: Please tell me your salary history? Applicant Response: Uh, no! What does that have to do with whether or not I'm the right person for the job? So your perception of what I was paid in the past is a predictor of my success in the future? I didn't know that was a behavioral interview question. How about you just be transparent and tell me what the salary range is for the job. Or are you hoping to low-ball me if my current/prior salary is significantly lower than the bottom of the salary range you have budgeted for the job? Or are you just asking for my salary history as a cheap way to do a salary benchmark on applicants for the job? Mmm, I think I'll pass on that question. Next!
Talent Prevention Question #2 - Bad Recruiter: What are your salary expectations? Applicant Response: Uh, is this the game where if I pick the right number then I'm still in the running and if I pick the wrong number I'm either low-balled or eliminated from the process? Sorry, I don't like this game. How about you just forward me along to the hiring manager and she and I can have a real discussion about my fit on the team and the value I'd bring. If our salary expectations are not aligned then I'd much rather be talking to the hiring manager so that we could both discuss how to reach some common ground on a total compensation package. I want to work for the hiring manager, not you - Mr. Bad Recruiter!
Talent Prevention Question #3 - Bad Recruiter: How long would you stay with our company? Applicant Response: Uh, you mean you're handing out lifelong employment contracts? Or is this the game where your company has a crystal ball and can foresee the future? Mr. Bad Recruiter, I'll stay with your company for as long as we are both mutually benefiting from each other. Do you really want me to say that I'd stay with your company my entire professional career? That would assume we both had crystal balls! Or do you expect me to hang myself by saying that I'm only planning to stay for a year until I pay off some long overdue debts? Shame on you for asking me that question, Mr. Bad Recruiter!
To all the job seekers who are both employed and unemployed, please beware the Bad Recruiters because they are indeed the Talent Prevention Agents! To paraphrase a quote from Morpheus in the movie, The Matrix, "They are the gatekeepers. They are guarding all the doors, they are holding all the keys. Which means that sooner or later, someone is going to have to fight them."
Monday, July 26, 2010
Confessions of a Recruiter - Part 1
Some time ago I attempted to shed a little light on what goes on in the murky world of recruitment. In talking with job seekers - both employed and unemployed - I realize that many are frustrated and angry at a number of things involving the opaqueness of the recruitment process. More often than not, these cases are limited to people who spend the majority of their time applying to jobs online. The main frustrations I hear are:
1. Why didn't the company acknowledge receipt of my application materials?
2. Why didn't the company respond quickly to tell me if I'll be interviewed or not?
3. Why didn't the company contact me for an interview?
All very valid questions. And in a perfect world we would all receive prompt replies to our job applications with a box of chocolates hand delivered to us the next day. But let's be clear on one thing. The recruitment process was not designed to build your self-esteem or quench your ego's thirst. It was designed by the company to hire the best (or most available) applicant. Of course, one could argue (and rightfully so), that a company's recruitment process should be designed to make sure that even rejected applicants are treated with a modicum of dignity and respect. After all, one could argue that rejected candidates are still viable consumers of the company's products or services; as well as potential brand advocates.
Confession #1: Recruiters DO NOT care about your job-search anxiety.
A harsh, but true confession. But if you really think about it, why should they care? They don't even know you! It's like asking Mick Jaggger to personally answer your fanmail. Sorry, not gonna happen. You'll be lucky to receive a copy of an autographed photo of him if he has a good public relations office. And your average company definitely doesn't treat their job applicants like rockstar fans. Your average company does not place any value on contacting every applicant that applies to a job. They only place a value on contacting the ones they want to interview! Your job-search is on your own timetable, not the company's. They didn't open a recruitment process just for you.
One of the reasons for the disappointment job-seekers feel is that many don't understand what the recruitment process is about. Let's break down what "recruitment" is - and what it isn't. According to businessdictionary.com, recruitment is the process of identifying and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job vacancy, in a most timely and cost effective manner. Definitions for recruitment will vary but from my own personal experience in recruiting and from talking with other recruiters this definition is very accurate.
Now, let's talk about what "recruitment" is not. Recruitment is not a hard science. Nor is it a liberal art. To my knowledge, there is no Newton's Law of Recruitment. There is no formula that exists where you can plug in the characteristics of a potential employee and predict their work success with 100% accuracy. Universities don't offer Bachelors or Master's degrees in Recruitment. So I'm pretty sure you won't meet anyone who tells you that he has just completed his Doctoral degree in Recruitment. And you definitely don't need a professional license to be a recruiter. In reality, the recruiter can be anyone, and no one.
What does all this mean? Well, it means that there is a lot of variance in recruitment practices from person to person, company to company, industry to industry, country to country, etc. Some people have extensive training and experience in recruitment while others don't. Some people involved in the recruitment process have various university degrees and work experience while others hold no degrees or special training at all. Some companies have dedicated recruiters and defined processes while many others have no recruiters at all - not to mention processes! When you submit your résumé online to a job posting or send an unsolicited résumé by email, then there is no way for you to verify who is going to actually read it - if anyone!
Confession #2: Recruiters DO NOT read every résumé they receive.
But surely you already knew that, right? Surely you didn't think a recruiter's favorite hobby was to kick back in his favorite chair and read your résumé line by line like a best-selling novel. I know it's harsh, but believe me it is true. What recruiters like to do is "scan" résumés in as little time as possible to see if anything is there worth following up on. Recruiters are in constant search for "The One" - the candidate whose résumé is the proverbial needle in a haystack. Every recruiter has his own "scanning" style but I can guarantee you that for the experienced recruiters it's less than 20 seconds! So if you have a poorly written résumé, you actually would be better off if a non-experienced recruiter received it.
In this three-part blog series, I promise to reveal the hidden - and often misunderstood - lifestyle of the professional recruiter. It's not as glamorous as lifestyles of the rich and famous and you won't envy the recruiter's professional lifestyle in any way. Hopefully after reading the entire series of confessions you will be better prepared to conduct your job search campaign. But before I write the next blog in this series, I'll leave you with one more little confession...
Confession #3: Recruiters' lives DO NOT revolve around the job posting you applied to.
1. Why didn't the company acknowledge receipt of my application materials?
2. Why didn't the company respond quickly to tell me if I'll be interviewed or not?
3. Why didn't the company contact me for an interview?
All very valid questions. And in a perfect world we would all receive prompt replies to our job applications with a box of chocolates hand delivered to us the next day. But let's be clear on one thing. The recruitment process was not designed to build your self-esteem or quench your ego's thirst. It was designed by the company to hire the best (or most available) applicant. Of course, one could argue (and rightfully so), that a company's recruitment process should be designed to make sure that even rejected applicants are treated with a modicum of dignity and respect. After all, one could argue that rejected candidates are still viable consumers of the company's products or services; as well as potential brand advocates.
Confession #1: Recruiters DO NOT care about your job-search anxiety.
A harsh, but true confession. But if you really think about it, why should they care? They don't even know you! It's like asking Mick Jaggger to personally answer your fanmail. Sorry, not gonna happen. You'll be lucky to receive a copy of an autographed photo of him if he has a good public relations office. And your average company definitely doesn't treat their job applicants like rockstar fans. Your average company does not place any value on contacting every applicant that applies to a job. They only place a value on contacting the ones they want to interview! Your job-search is on your own timetable, not the company's. They didn't open a recruitment process just for you.
One of the reasons for the disappointment job-seekers feel is that many don't understand what the recruitment process is about. Let's break down what "recruitment" is - and what it isn't. According to businessdictionary.com, recruitment is the process of identifying and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job vacancy, in a most timely and cost effective manner. Definitions for recruitment will vary but from my own personal experience in recruiting and from talking with other recruiters this definition is very accurate.
Now, let's talk about what "recruitment" is not. Recruitment is not a hard science. Nor is it a liberal art. To my knowledge, there is no Newton's Law of Recruitment. There is no formula that exists where you can plug in the characteristics of a potential employee and predict their work success with 100% accuracy. Universities don't offer Bachelors or Master's degrees in Recruitment. So I'm pretty sure you won't meet anyone who tells you that he has just completed his Doctoral degree in Recruitment. And you definitely don't need a professional license to be a recruiter. In reality, the recruiter can be anyone, and no one.
What does all this mean? Well, it means that there is a lot of variance in recruitment practices from person to person, company to company, industry to industry, country to country, etc. Some people have extensive training and experience in recruitment while others don't. Some people involved in the recruitment process have various university degrees and work experience while others hold no degrees or special training at all. Some companies have dedicated recruiters and defined processes while many others have no recruiters at all - not to mention processes! When you submit your résumé online to a job posting or send an unsolicited résumé by email, then there is no way for you to verify who is going to actually read it - if anyone!
Confession #2: Recruiters DO NOT read every résumé they receive.
But surely you already knew that, right? Surely you didn't think a recruiter's favorite hobby was to kick back in his favorite chair and read your résumé line by line like a best-selling novel. I know it's harsh, but believe me it is true. What recruiters like to do is "scan" résumés in as little time as possible to see if anything is there worth following up on. Recruiters are in constant search for "The One" - the candidate whose résumé is the proverbial needle in a haystack. Every recruiter has his own "scanning" style but I can guarantee you that for the experienced recruiters it's less than 20 seconds! So if you have a poorly written résumé, you actually would be better off if a non-experienced recruiter received it.
In this three-part blog series, I promise to reveal the hidden - and often misunderstood - lifestyle of the professional recruiter. It's not as glamorous as lifestyles of the rich and famous and you won't envy the recruiter's professional lifestyle in any way. Hopefully after reading the entire series of confessions you will be better prepared to conduct your job search campaign. But before I write the next blog in this series, I'll leave you with one more little confession...
Confession #3: Recruiters' lives DO NOT revolve around the job posting you applied to.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Beyond the Glory...of Your Last Job!
There was a popular series in the USA called Beyond the Glory that chronicled the lives of legendary sports superstars. Many of these athletes made significant contributions to their respective sports. But at the same time, some stayed in the game well past their prime. Some of the best athletes in the world knew when to leave the game and adapt their skills and experiences to a new career. While others stayed in too long and suffered irreparable damage to their bodies...and personal brand.
How is this relevant for Job Seekers? Whether you are currently employed or not, you need to know when to leave the game. Always doing what made you successful is not a formula for continued success. The world changes too quickly to simply try to "copy and paste" your skills into a new job. You'll need much more flexibility than that my dear job seekers. It can be a humbling experience to know that the very skills you built your career on are no longer valued by the market. But don't despair! Adapt!! Who says you have to be a dinosaur? At a minimum, follow the three easy steps below to get yourself back on the road to success.
Step 1: Go back to the drawing board and realign your passions and know-how with the new realities of the job market. This may require some additional formal training but oftentimes it only requires that you "self-educate" by joining professional associations, reading industry/skill-specific materials, and spending some time discussing your career options with trusted friends/family. Notice, I said realign your "passions" and not "experiences". Sometimes you can't realign your work experiences to the market but passion have no such boundaries. Discover your true passion and find out how to channel that energy into your career choice. Understand the motivating factors behind your passion and the feelings they give you. And then look for ways that you can use the skills that motivate you and ignite your passion to meet job market demands."Know thyself" first and you'll have a much easier time in getting others to know how you can be an asset to them.
Step 2: Target the customers/clients (employers) who are most likely to value someone with your unique abilities. This will definitely require some work but it is worth it! Think about extending the personal brand you've built in your past experiences into other venues. Companies do this all the time. Apple didn't start out as a mobile phone company. But they sure are making a lot of money in that business! They were able to extend the brand they built over the years as an innovative company into multiple areas. How do you do this? Market research. You have to get out there and find people similar to you who have repositioned themselves into new careers. This can be done very easily via LinkedIn or any social networking website that allows you to do keyword searches on their members. Once you find people with backgrounds similar to yours who have repositioned their careers, reach out to them and learn from them. And then you can start building your own path.
Step 3: Give it away, give it away, give it away now! Like the popular song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers says. But in this third step, I mean for you to give away your passion for free. That's right, I said free! Think of it as the free product/service samples that companies give to prospective consumers. Sometimes people need a little taste of the goods before they commit to a purchase. Don't be afraid to offer your services for "free" BEFORE you can offer them for a "fee". Volunteering your time and services to an organization that will put you in front of prospective clients/employers would be very smart and will pay dividends down the road. Many professionals get their lucky break when doing something for free. Just make sure that your volunteer work is aligned with your passion so that it is truly a part of your core. People will quickly take notice and you'll find that many doors will be opened to your new career path!
So there you have it. Three steps to put you on your career path beyond the glory. So what are you waiting for? Get started today! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
How is this relevant for Job Seekers? Whether you are currently employed or not, you need to know when to leave the game. Always doing what made you successful is not a formula for continued success. The world changes too quickly to simply try to "copy and paste" your skills into a new job. You'll need much more flexibility than that my dear job seekers. It can be a humbling experience to know that the very skills you built your career on are no longer valued by the market. But don't despair! Adapt!! Who says you have to be a dinosaur? At a minimum, follow the three easy steps below to get yourself back on the road to success.
Step 1: Go back to the drawing board and realign your passions and know-how with the new realities of the job market. This may require some additional formal training but oftentimes it only requires that you "self-educate" by joining professional associations, reading industry/skill-specific materials, and spending some time discussing your career options with trusted friends/family. Notice, I said realign your "passions" and not "experiences". Sometimes you can't realign your work experiences to the market but passion have no such boundaries. Discover your true passion and find out how to channel that energy into your career choice. Understand the motivating factors behind your passion and the feelings they give you. And then look for ways that you can use the skills that motivate you and ignite your passion to meet job market demands."Know thyself" first and you'll have a much easier time in getting others to know how you can be an asset to them.
Step 2: Target the customers/clients (employers) who are most likely to value someone with your unique abilities. This will definitely require some work but it is worth it! Think about extending the personal brand you've built in your past experiences into other venues. Companies do this all the time. Apple didn't start out as a mobile phone company. But they sure are making a lot of money in that business! They were able to extend the brand they built over the years as an innovative company into multiple areas. How do you do this? Market research. You have to get out there and find people similar to you who have repositioned themselves into new careers. This can be done very easily via LinkedIn or any social networking website that allows you to do keyword searches on their members. Once you find people with backgrounds similar to yours who have repositioned their careers, reach out to them and learn from them. And then you can start building your own path.
Step 3: Give it away, give it away, give it away now! Like the popular song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers says. But in this third step, I mean for you to give away your passion for free. That's right, I said free! Think of it as the free product/service samples that companies give to prospective consumers. Sometimes people need a little taste of the goods before they commit to a purchase. Don't be afraid to offer your services for "free" BEFORE you can offer them for a "fee". Volunteering your time and services to an organization that will put you in front of prospective clients/employers would be very smart and will pay dividends down the road. Many professionals get their lucky break when doing something for free. Just make sure that your volunteer work is aligned with your passion so that it is truly a part of your core. People will quickly take notice and you'll find that many doors will be opened to your new career path!
So there you have it. Three steps to put you on your career path beyond the glory. So what are you waiting for? Get started today! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Beware Job Complacency! - Introduction
My dear job seekers and employed professionals, your career is but one important part of your life. And that part of your life should be in harmony with the other important aspects of your life. The goal is, and should always be, to constantly seek sustainable ways to integrate these aspects so that each one gives strength and momentum to the other. But all too often, we sometimes find ourselves stuck in an incongruous loop of complacency. There is the complacency of success, the complacency of failure, and the complacency of mediocrity. And in the stories that follow in this series, I will delve deeply into each form of complacency and how it relates to your career.
The corporate world was divided up quite nicely back in the early 1980's - in the US anyway. There were, I shall call them, Imperial Companies who ruled the roost. And each of them ruled over their corresponding fiefdoms. They controlled everything from supply to distribution to point of sale! And even resale sometimes! In the US market, AT&T ruled over all that was voice telecommunications. IBM ruled over all that was computing and hardware. And Nintendo ruled over all that was videogame consoles and game software.
Nintendo is a company that I admire greatly and have followed since I was 14 years old - as a customer and aficionado. It's a company that represents well the message I want to share with you in this series. While I could speak all day to anyone who would listen about my connection to Nintendo, I'd much rather talk to you about the corporate mindset of Nintendo and how it had to rise from the ashes like the mythical Phoenix. In the gaming industry, life is short and the rewards are fleeting for companies who are not quick and nimble enough to respond to the ever-changing advances in technology and consumer desires.
Videogame console and software companies such as Atari, Commodore, Coleco, Sega, and, of course, the great video arcade rooms themselves; were no match for Nintendo when it made its US debut in 1985. I should digress a bit and tell you that the most tragic corporate story in the gaming industry is Atari. Don't worry, I'll tell you more about them later as they truly represent everything in life you don't want to be! But in the 1980's, Nintendo was a cut above the rest in every way that you could possibly think of. Imagine a company that sat atop the heap of videogame consoles and gaming software companies without a major competitive threat in sight! In fact, you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who did not possess (or want) the Nintendo Entertainment System. Yes folks, Nintendo was just that good and popular. So much so that they became the de facto standard for videogame consoles. Indeed, Nintendo was the Google of its day!
Do you know what you're good at? Do other people know what you're good at? Do you know the reason why people call you? Do you know the reason why people don't call you? Do people come to you when they need an answer or opinion for something of substance? These are quite humbling questions for individuals because oftentimes you find that you don't have clear, or readily available, answers. And so you begin to look inside yourself and delve deep into the abyss of your mind; probing your past experiences, education, activities, and recollected conversations with friends/family/co-workers/acquaintances, etc. For some, the answers come quick...for others, they come slowly...if at all.
The corporate world was divided up quite nicely back in the early 1980's - in the US anyway. There were, I shall call them, Imperial Companies who ruled the roost. And each of them ruled over their corresponding fiefdoms. They controlled everything from supply to distribution to point of sale! And even resale sometimes! In the US market, AT&T ruled over all that was voice telecommunications. IBM ruled over all that was computing and hardware. And Nintendo ruled over all that was videogame consoles and game software.
Nintendo is a company that I admire greatly and have followed since I was 14 years old - as a customer and aficionado. It's a company that represents well the message I want to share with you in this series. While I could speak all day to anyone who would listen about my connection to Nintendo, I'd much rather talk to you about the corporate mindset of Nintendo and how it had to rise from the ashes like the mythical Phoenix. In the gaming industry, life is short and the rewards are fleeting for companies who are not quick and nimble enough to respond to the ever-changing advances in technology and consumer desires.
Videogame console and software companies such as Atari, Commodore, Coleco, Sega, and, of course, the great video arcade rooms themselves; were no match for Nintendo when it made its US debut in 1985. I should digress a bit and tell you that the most tragic corporate story in the gaming industry is Atari. Don't worry, I'll tell you more about them later as they truly represent everything in life you don't want to be! But in the 1980's, Nintendo was a cut above the rest in every way that you could possibly think of. Imagine a company that sat atop the heap of videogame consoles and gaming software companies without a major competitive threat in sight! In fact, you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who did not possess (or want) the Nintendo Entertainment System. Yes folks, Nintendo was just that good and popular. So much so that they became the de facto standard for videogame consoles. Indeed, Nintendo was the Google of its day!
Do you know what you're good at? Do other people know what you're good at? Do you know the reason why people call you? Do you know the reason why people don't call you? Do people come to you when they need an answer or opinion for something of substance? These are quite humbling questions for individuals because oftentimes you find that you don't have clear, or readily available, answers. And so you begin to look inside yourself and delve deep into the abyss of your mind; probing your past experiences, education, activities, and recollected conversations with friends/family/co-workers/acquaintances, etc. For some, the answers come quick...for others, they come slowly...if at all.
Average companies rarely, if at all, ask themselves these questions. The good companies do it on a somewhat scheduled basis - and ad-hoc even! But the great ones have it systematized throughout their corporate DNA, thus compelling each individual employee to constantly ask themselves probing questions about the value of their jobs and contributions to the overall corporate vision and mission. This concept is captured very well in Jim Collins' classic book, "Good to Great". If you have not read it I implore you to do so before I publish my next post in this series. It is one of those rare books that really induces a mental-shift within its readers. What does all of this have to do with Job Complacency you ask? Stay tuned for Part 1 of this series...
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Beware the Job Description! – Part 3 (The Finale)
It's a new day. Time to adapt to the new reality of job searching. Time to emerge from your cocoon and leave the old shell of yourself behind. Time to teach yourself some new tricks and emerge as a winner in this new job market. Leave your old ways of job searching in the past. Even if those ways worked before, there is no guarantee that they will continue to work. Challenge yourself to innovate and create - not stagnate. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Oftentimes the biggest barrier to your job search is YOU.
Let's look at three types of Job Seekers: The Baby Birds, The Vultures, and The Eagles. I'd like to tell you a story about how each of them conduct their job search campaigns. On the African plains you will find shrinking water holes that were once large enough to support an entire population of various animals. Predators and prey all drank from the same watering hole when resources were aplenty. But times have changed and the watering hole has shrunk so that only the strong (or the brave) are able to get their share of water. Territories that were once the domain of a feared predator are now taken over by weaker species who have formed alliances. These are survival strategies that we see played out in the corporate world under the guise of Mergers & Acquisitions. In Shakespeare's play, 'The Tempest', Trinculo said, "misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows." Yes folks, this is the new reality in the job market. A reality that is no longer blurred by national borders and restricted jobs. If you want the challenging jobs that will satisfy your career goals and allow you to grow and prosper professionally, you'll need to present yourself as a person of "value" - and you'll need to form strategic alliances.
The Baby Birds
There are so many job descriptions posted online/print. Job seekers have become dependent on what I call the "baby bird" syndrome. This is where the mother bird flies from the nest each day to go find worms and bugs to bring back to the nest to feed the little baby bird hatchlings. Those little birds become dependent on the mother bird until she kicks them out of the nest. And then for the first time in their lives, they actually have to compete for food on the open market. And there are plenty of predators in the open market! Job descriptions lull job seekers to sleep and into a helpless trance of "apply and wait". Networking is so overused now that the very word has lost some of its efficacy. But in fact it has always been the key to employment - even in ancient times! Word of mouth is how many people differentiated themselves, their handy crafts, their services, their labor, etc. But somewhere along the way, along with all the advances in technology, people forgot to spend more time talking (and listening!) to other people than sending job applications into cyberspace. Technology is meant to make our lives easier and to facilitate once burdensome tasks. But technology has also made it convenient for people to minimize face to face communications. Technology has made people dependent on job postings just like the little baby birds are dependent on the mother bird for food. Do you really want to be the job seeker that sits around in misery because companies are not posting the jobs that YOU want?
The Vultures
These job seekers are the most frightening of all! They are the first to apply to any new job posting in cyberspace. They will hover around the same job boards and apply to the same companies over and over and over. They don't just apply and wait. They apply and hover over a job posting until it withers away and dies. Long after the job has been filled, they will continue to harass the company in hopes of getting lucky. They are well-known in cyberspace and already have multiple warrants out for their capture and dismissal from the résumé database! They are the "me too" job seekers who have nothing of value to offer a company. They will pounce on any company's job board and will use résumé blasting services to send their applications to thousands of employers. They don't even remember (or care) who they apply to. They just want a job - and any job will do! They can no longer discern a good job from a bad job. They wake up each morning like mindless zombies on a singular mission - find new job postings! Indeed, after their long search and feasting on the carcasses of long discarded job postings, they will eventually get hired. And they will bring great misery and heartache to the poor company that does hire them! These job seekers specialize in finding companies with poor selection and interviewing processes. Do you really want to conduct a job search where only the most desperate of companies will hire you?
The Eagles
These are the job seekers who could care less about what job postings are listed online/print. In fact, they rarely use job boards to conduct their search. They are soaring high in the sky and always looking out for opportunities. They have excellent vision and can see possibilities where others see doubt. They operate with precision and accuracy and do not waste their energy on foolish endeavors. They are fierce competitors and do not easily give up at the first sign of difficulty. They have confidence and skills that attract employers to them. They are the object of many a company's desire and companies will go to great lengths to find them! They are in the best position to negotiate the type of job they want as well as the compensation package. These job seekers are also job creators. If they don't see something that appeals to them, they will study the market and find a niche that they can uniquely fill. They seek to leverage their strengths to present a value proposition to prospective employers/clients. These job seekers are highly evolved and sit at the apex of the job seekers' food chain. They are few in number and never have to worry about the competing job seekers on the lower rungs of the food chain. These job seekers usually become the future Aliko Dangote, Steve Jobs, Lakshmi Mittal, Carlos Slim, and other exceptional leaders in the world.
Final Words
Now you know what you have to do in order to be a successful job seeker. Put your strategy together, develop sound tactics, and implement! Work in teams to be more successful. Job searching is not a solitary activity. The team approach will yield quicker and better results. Look at your job search as a team project where each team member's success has a multiplicative effect on the entire group. Your job search really doesn't have to be complicated. Once you discover who you are and what value you bring to the professional world, you'll be much more empowered to convince a hiring manager (or potential client) that your "brand" is indeed the brand to select! And finally, out-read the other job seeker. This may sound basic but many people don't take the time to educate themselves on the latest job search strategies and tactics. And even less people take the time to read deeply about their chosen job function, company, or industry. The more you know about your career goals and the companies/markets you want to serve, the more credible you will sound when you do get your chance to speak to someone who can make a decision regarding your career. Don't let the lack of knowing a minor detail be the nail in your career coffin! Many career opportunities have been lost...all for the want of a nail.
Let's look at three types of Job Seekers: The Baby Birds, The Vultures, and The Eagles. I'd like to tell you a story about how each of them conduct their job search campaigns. On the African plains you will find shrinking water holes that were once large enough to support an entire population of various animals. Predators and prey all drank from the same watering hole when resources were aplenty. But times have changed and the watering hole has shrunk so that only the strong (or the brave) are able to get their share of water. Territories that were once the domain of a feared predator are now taken over by weaker species who have formed alliances. These are survival strategies that we see played out in the corporate world under the guise of Mergers & Acquisitions. In Shakespeare's play, 'The Tempest', Trinculo said, "misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows." Yes folks, this is the new reality in the job market. A reality that is no longer blurred by national borders and restricted jobs. If you want the challenging jobs that will satisfy your career goals and allow you to grow and prosper professionally, you'll need to present yourself as a person of "value" - and you'll need to form strategic alliances.
The Baby Birds
There are so many job descriptions posted online/print. Job seekers have become dependent on what I call the "baby bird" syndrome. This is where the mother bird flies from the nest each day to go find worms and bugs to bring back to the nest to feed the little baby bird hatchlings. Those little birds become dependent on the mother bird until she kicks them out of the nest. And then for the first time in their lives, they actually have to compete for food on the open market. And there are plenty of predators in the open market! Job descriptions lull job seekers to sleep and into a helpless trance of "apply and wait". Networking is so overused now that the very word has lost some of its efficacy. But in fact it has always been the key to employment - even in ancient times! Word of mouth is how many people differentiated themselves, their handy crafts, their services, their labor, etc. But somewhere along the way, along with all the advances in technology, people forgot to spend more time talking (and listening!) to other people than sending job applications into cyberspace. Technology is meant to make our lives easier and to facilitate once burdensome tasks. But technology has also made it convenient for people to minimize face to face communications. Technology has made people dependent on job postings just like the little baby birds are dependent on the mother bird for food. Do you really want to be the job seeker that sits around in misery because companies are not posting the jobs that YOU want?
The Vultures
These job seekers are the most frightening of all! They are the first to apply to any new job posting in cyberspace. They will hover around the same job boards and apply to the same companies over and over and over. They don't just apply and wait. They apply and hover over a job posting until it withers away and dies. Long after the job has been filled, they will continue to harass the company in hopes of getting lucky. They are well-known in cyberspace and already have multiple warrants out for their capture and dismissal from the résumé database! They are the "me too" job seekers who have nothing of value to offer a company. They will pounce on any company's job board and will use résumé blasting services to send their applications to thousands of employers. They don't even remember (or care) who they apply to. They just want a job - and any job will do! They can no longer discern a good job from a bad job. They wake up each morning like mindless zombies on a singular mission - find new job postings! Indeed, after their long search and feasting on the carcasses of long discarded job postings, they will eventually get hired. And they will bring great misery and heartache to the poor company that does hire them! These job seekers specialize in finding companies with poor selection and interviewing processes. Do you really want to conduct a job search where only the most desperate of companies will hire you?
The Eagles
These are the job seekers who could care less about what job postings are listed online/print. In fact, they rarely use job boards to conduct their search. They are soaring high in the sky and always looking out for opportunities. They have excellent vision and can see possibilities where others see doubt. They operate with precision and accuracy and do not waste their energy on foolish endeavors. They are fierce competitors and do not easily give up at the first sign of difficulty. They have confidence and skills that attract employers to them. They are the object of many a company's desire and companies will go to great lengths to find them! They are in the best position to negotiate the type of job they want as well as the compensation package. These job seekers are also job creators. If they don't see something that appeals to them, they will study the market and find a niche that they can uniquely fill. They seek to leverage their strengths to present a value proposition to prospective employers/clients. These job seekers are highly evolved and sit at the apex of the job seekers' food chain. They are few in number and never have to worry about the competing job seekers on the lower rungs of the food chain. These job seekers usually become the future Aliko Dangote, Steve Jobs, Lakshmi Mittal, Carlos Slim, and other exceptional leaders in the world.
Final Words
Now you know what you have to do in order to be a successful job seeker. Put your strategy together, develop sound tactics, and implement! Work in teams to be more successful. Job searching is not a solitary activity. The team approach will yield quicker and better results. Look at your job search as a team project where each team member's success has a multiplicative effect on the entire group. Your job search really doesn't have to be complicated. Once you discover who you are and what value you bring to the professional world, you'll be much more empowered to convince a hiring manager (or potential client) that your "brand" is indeed the brand to select! And finally, out-read the other job seeker. This may sound basic but many people don't take the time to educate themselves on the latest job search strategies and tactics. And even less people take the time to read deeply about their chosen job function, company, or industry. The more you know about your career goals and the companies/markets you want to serve, the more credible you will sound when you do get your chance to speak to someone who can make a decision regarding your career. Don't let the lack of knowing a minor detail be the nail in your career coffin! Many career opportunities have been lost...all for the want of a nail.
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Beware the Job Description! – Part 2
So here we are again. You've waited patiently for the second part of this blog. You identified with something I said in Part 1 and realized that you should be on trial for cruel and unusual punishment - for the torture of your résumé! I truly believe that my mission in life is to help people realize their value-added to themselves and to others - and how to skillfully communicate that to potential employers/clients. And if you still think that just sitting back in the comfort of your home and diligently applying to online jobs is actually being productive, then let me correct you right now. I believe in the spam reduction act. And if you have engaged in any (or all) of the activities outlined in my last blog, you are in violation of this act to the highest order!
Now, I'm not saying that you should abandon the online/print job search. But it is a very passive method because all you're doing is waiting for someone to post a job that you feel you can do. Did it ever occur to you to create your own job description? Did it ever occur to you to network and build relationships with like-minded professionals in your chosen career path? Did it ever occur to you to do in-depth research on your target companies? Did it ever occur to you to spend the necessary time discovering who you are and what benefits you bring? Did it ever occur to you to recognize and improve your career limiting personality traits that people have pointed out to you time and again? Do you really want to sit around job searching and complaining that there are no jobs out there? I mean, is that really a valid excuse? Just because you don't see job postings then you equate that to there being no jobs? Do me a favor and just think about that last question.
Wouldn't you like to know what goes on in the minds of employers before they write a job description? By understanding the mentality of employers, you will understand yourself and what you need to be doing to position yourself for success. First, let me be sure that you understand that businesses don't hire people out of charity. That is to say, that the decision to hire you won't be because an employer wants to make a charitable contribution to society. Yes folks, you will be hired because there is actually an expectation that you will produce. There are too many reasons to name as to why employers actively seek someone to hire so I won't name them here because you can google it. However, I will clarify some job seeker myths and fantasies so that you do not fall victim to the "Job Seeker in Wonderland" story.
The Make A Wish Foundation
Your job search is not the "The Make A Wish Foundation". No business is spending its days and nights trying to grant your final career wish to save you from your self-inflicted, demented job search. It's not about you and what you wish for. It's about what you can contribute and how you can help an organization grow and prosper. I wish that I could work part-time and make a million dollars a year. I wish that I could go to work and leave work as I please and still get paid a top salary. I wish that I could work for Apple or Google. I wish, I wish, I wish! Everyone is just wishing for a job without thinking about what they actually have to offer. It is not the Company's job to find you a job! It is not the Company's job to design the perfect job for you! It is not the Company's job to manage your career path! My dear job seeker, these things must be done by YOU.
The Job Search Fairy
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just find a job online, print it out, put it under our pillow, fall asleep, and then wake up to an email in our inbox inviting us for an interview for that very same job? It can happen if you believe in the Job Search Fairy! The Job Search Fairy does not ask you tough questions about your motivation and raison d'être. The Job Search Fairy does not make you do a deep introspection to determine who you really are, what you can really do, what you are capable of doing, and what you want to do. The Job Search Fairy will do all the work for you so that you never have to prove to yourself or to an employer that you actually bring something of value to the table. But there is one small detail that you might find important. The Job Search Fairy can only get you an interview with any job posting you find. But YOU still have to convince the employer to hire you. So sorry my dear job seeker...it always comes back to YOU.
So are you ready to awake from the long slumber of your nightmarish job search? Are you ready to try something new, something different, something proven? Are you ready to stop being a passive job seeker who sits around each day waiting for that new job posting? Trust me, by now the cyberworld knows you by name. You're the talk of the virtual town! Indeed, you've become quite popular. Only you don't get invited to the exclusive parties. No, your name is not (and will never be) on the guest list. In fact, if your résumé shows up at the virtual door unannounced, it will be summarily executed! All the cyber gates that say "help wanted" are programmed to say "no vacancies" when they see your résumé. To add insult to injury, the only people who do want you (and who are desperately seeking you) are the cyber trash bins - because they want to delete you from the résumé database!
But wait, the story doesn't have to end in a Greek tragedy. Have I convinced you of the need to make a mental shift? Well, if not, there is a final chapter to this series. Stay tuned for part 3 of this blog!
Now, I'm not saying that you should abandon the online/print job search. But it is a very passive method because all you're doing is waiting for someone to post a job that you feel you can do. Did it ever occur to you to create your own job description? Did it ever occur to you to network and build relationships with like-minded professionals in your chosen career path? Did it ever occur to you to do in-depth research on your target companies? Did it ever occur to you to spend the necessary time discovering who you are and what benefits you bring? Did it ever occur to you to recognize and improve your career limiting personality traits that people have pointed out to you time and again? Do you really want to sit around job searching and complaining that there are no jobs out there? I mean, is that really a valid excuse? Just because you don't see job postings then you equate that to there being no jobs? Do me a favor and just think about that last question.
Wouldn't you like to know what goes on in the minds of employers before they write a job description? By understanding the mentality of employers, you will understand yourself and what you need to be doing to position yourself for success. First, let me be sure that you understand that businesses don't hire people out of charity. That is to say, that the decision to hire you won't be because an employer wants to make a charitable contribution to society. Yes folks, you will be hired because there is actually an expectation that you will produce. There are too many reasons to name as to why employers actively seek someone to hire so I won't name them here because you can google it. However, I will clarify some job seeker myths and fantasies so that you do not fall victim to the "Job Seeker in Wonderland" story.
The Make A Wish Foundation
Your job search is not the "The Make A Wish Foundation". No business is spending its days and nights trying to grant your final career wish to save you from your self-inflicted, demented job search. It's not about you and what you wish for. It's about what you can contribute and how you can help an organization grow and prosper. I wish that I could work part-time and make a million dollars a year. I wish that I could go to work and leave work as I please and still get paid a top salary. I wish that I could work for Apple or Google. I wish, I wish, I wish! Everyone is just wishing for a job without thinking about what they actually have to offer. It is not the Company's job to find you a job! It is not the Company's job to design the perfect job for you! It is not the Company's job to manage your career path! My dear job seeker, these things must be done by YOU.
The Job Search Fairy
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just find a job online, print it out, put it under our pillow, fall asleep, and then wake up to an email in our inbox inviting us for an interview for that very same job? It can happen if you believe in the Job Search Fairy! The Job Search Fairy does not ask you tough questions about your motivation and raison d'être. The Job Search Fairy does not make you do a deep introspection to determine who you really are, what you can really do, what you are capable of doing, and what you want to do. The Job Search Fairy will do all the work for you so that you never have to prove to yourself or to an employer that you actually bring something of value to the table. But there is one small detail that you might find important. The Job Search Fairy can only get you an interview with any job posting you find. But YOU still have to convince the employer to hire you. So sorry my dear job seeker...it always comes back to YOU.
So are you ready to awake from the long slumber of your nightmarish job search? Are you ready to try something new, something different, something proven? Are you ready to stop being a passive job seeker who sits around each day waiting for that new job posting? Trust me, by now the cyberworld knows you by name. You're the talk of the virtual town! Indeed, you've become quite popular. Only you don't get invited to the exclusive parties. No, your name is not (and will never be) on the guest list. In fact, if your résumé shows up at the virtual door unannounced, it will be summarily executed! All the cyber gates that say "help wanted" are programmed to say "no vacancies" when they see your résumé. To add insult to injury, the only people who do want you (and who are desperately seeking you) are the cyber trash bins - because they want to delete you from the résumé database!
But wait, the story doesn't have to end in a Greek tragedy. Have I convinced you of the need to make a mental shift? Well, if not, there is a final chapter to this series. Stay tuned for part 3 of this blog!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Beware the Job Description! – Part 1
How many people do you know who are (or were) unhappy with their job? Well, starting with yourself, you know at least one! No job is designed to bring you 100% happiness. It’s not like the Job Gods are sitting around planning the perfect job description with you in mind. It’s not like they want to talk with you first, learn all about your motivations, and then customize the job just to suit your specific needs. The job description is Employer-focused, not YOU-focused!
So what's a poor job-seeker to do? You’ve been trained all of your professional life to search for job descriptions. And what a frustrating search it can be during these times of slow market growth. You’ve been told by companies to just go online and see what openings they have. You’ve been told by employers that they are not hiring. You have browsed job description after job description only to find a precious few that you met most of the requirements for. You’ve even applied to jobs that you were obviously underqualified for, and even overqualified for – just hoping that someone, anyone, would have mercy upon your poor little résumé…
At this point, you have no shame – you just want a job! And in your desperation, you become more anxious, more frustrated, and eventually more negative. But still, like an old failing company that refuses to change tactics, you search the Matrix of job boards for the ONE. You know it is out there just waiting for you to stumble upon it like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And so, on and on you go finding job description after job description and tirelessly sending your worn-out application materials to each one. If your résumé had feet, they would be gnarled and lumpy like the roots of an ancient sequoia tree!
So stop!! Stop I say!! For the sake of your poor little résumé who wishes not to be sent out on these foolish quests to search for El Dorado – the lost city of gold. Mindlessly sending your résumé into cyberspace is like spamming! And pretty soon the constantly evolving online system will either filter you into the spam folder, or store you in the holding bin of a company’s applicant tracking system...sadly awaiting a death row march towards the electronic trash bin.
I will leave you with something to think about. Would you rather spend your time chasing jobs, or would you rather have jobs chasing you? Daniel Porot (www.porot.com) coined the terms "job beggar" versus "resource person" to describe this dichotomy. Think about the mental shift there and stay tuned for part 2 of this blog!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Recharge YOUR Career Satisfaction for 2010
2010 is here and it's time to start thinking about implementing all of those career resolutions you made. And if you didn't make resolutions then now is the time to start recharging your career batteries. Many of you are in careers that don't challenge you or that don't take advantage of your unique gifts and talents. Many of you may have become disengaged employees who are "physically present" at the office but "productively absent".
It's not too late to have a happy ending! Take charge of your career satisfaction today. I've often said that if you are coachable, teachable, and humble then you will always find people who are willing to assist you. Reach out to your network of personal and professional peers and ask for advice on how you can improve your career satisfaction.
Career satisfaction can be found through connecting with people. Never forget that and never think that it is an individual journey. Our success is connected to the success of others. I'll share a few things you can do immediately to begin improving your career satisfaction.
1. Start writing your own blog about your hobbies or professional interest. There is no better way to stay motivated and engaged than when you write about things of interest to you. You will be amazed at how engaged you can become in your company/industry/job when you begin to connect to others who share your same interests.
2. Start helping your co-workers with their projects. Being available to your co-workers will allow you to exercise different skills and abilities that you may not use in your current job. In addition, it is a great way to bond with your co-workers and learn how their jobs impact your own as well as the overall goals of the organization. Working in silos can be lonely but working in teams can be quite energizing!
3. Start mentoring people who could benefit from your life experiences. Mentoring benefits you as much as it benefits the mentee. When you set an example for someone else you improve your professional skills and thus, your value to your organization. Think of someone who is experiencing some professional difficulty and reach out to them today.
These are just a few tips for recharging your career satisfaction in 2010. Continue to strive to be the best professional you can be and constantly seek ways to improve your value added. Surround yourself with positive people who you admire and you will find your attitude will change for the better. Adopt a "no excuses policy" and take responsibility for your career management. All of the tools you need to enjoy a high level of career satisfaction are available to you. You only need to be humble enough to ask for advice...
It's not too late to have a happy ending! Take charge of your career satisfaction today. I've often said that if you are coachable, teachable, and humble then you will always find people who are willing to assist you. Reach out to your network of personal and professional peers and ask for advice on how you can improve your career satisfaction.
Career satisfaction can be found through connecting with people. Never forget that and never think that it is an individual journey. Our success is connected to the success of others. I'll share a few things you can do immediately to begin improving your career satisfaction.
1. Start writing your own blog about your hobbies or professional interest. There is no better way to stay motivated and engaged than when you write about things of interest to you. You will be amazed at how engaged you can become in your company/industry/job when you begin to connect to others who share your same interests.
2. Start helping your co-workers with their projects. Being available to your co-workers will allow you to exercise different skills and abilities that you may not use in your current job. In addition, it is a great way to bond with your co-workers and learn how their jobs impact your own as well as the overall goals of the organization. Working in silos can be lonely but working in teams can be quite energizing!
3. Start mentoring people who could benefit from your life experiences. Mentoring benefits you as much as it benefits the mentee. When you set an example for someone else you improve your professional skills and thus, your value to your organization. Think of someone who is experiencing some professional difficulty and reach out to them today.
These are just a few tips for recharging your career satisfaction in 2010. Continue to strive to be the best professional you can be and constantly seek ways to improve your value added. Surround yourself with positive people who you admire and you will find your attitude will change for the better. Adopt a "no excuses policy" and take responsibility for your career management. All of the tools you need to enjoy a high level of career satisfaction are available to you. You only need to be humble enough to ask for advice...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Career Reflections for 2009
Today I was thinking about how nice it is to spend time with friends, family, and loved ones during the holiday season. It's a time when I am really relaxed and just happy to see everyone and hear what's happening in their lives. Regardless of your current employment status or level of job satisfaction, be sure to bring a positive attitude to your social gatherings. Sulking and being negative certainly won't encourage anyone to enjoy your company. Let everyone see you at your best!
Take this time to also reflect on your career choices and objectives for 2009. Did you complete the career goals you set out to complete this year? Did you give your best effort in pursuing your career goals? Did you take on any new challenges? Did you maximize your skills to the benefit of you, your clients, and/or your employer? Did you listen to your manager and peers during your performance reviews and make adjustments for the better? Did you help someone in your peer group with a personal/professional challenge?
When you think about yourself as a professional, what comes to mind? It's important to know how you see yourself as well as how others see you. Think about the things you do in your professional life that add value to those around you. Do you offer to help co-workers on difficult projects? Do you seek ways to improve the business you are in? Do you seek ways to constantly improve yourself through self-education and training? Do you give more than you take? What would your three closest co-workers say about you professionally? What would your boss say about you? Are you someone that everyone recognizes as a key stakeholder? Do people seek your opinion or input on major issues?
I could go on and on but the purpose of this article is to help you to reflect on your 2009 professional career. Do a deep introspection and identify the areas that you need to improve. Seek the advice of your trusted peers and allies on how you can be better. Be sure to start 2010 with a defined purpose and each day will be a step towards satisfying that purpose. You can be better and you will be better if you set objectives and use your support team to help you meet those objectives. Best of luck to you and best wishes for the New Year!
Take this time to also reflect on your career choices and objectives for 2009. Did you complete the career goals you set out to complete this year? Did you give your best effort in pursuing your career goals? Did you take on any new challenges? Did you maximize your skills to the benefit of you, your clients, and/or your employer? Did you listen to your manager and peers during your performance reviews and make adjustments for the better? Did you help someone in your peer group with a personal/professional challenge?
When you think about yourself as a professional, what comes to mind? It's important to know how you see yourself as well as how others see you. Think about the things you do in your professional life that add value to those around you. Do you offer to help co-workers on difficult projects? Do you seek ways to improve the business you are in? Do you seek ways to constantly improve yourself through self-education and training? Do you give more than you take? What would your three closest co-workers say about you professionally? What would your boss say about you? Are you someone that everyone recognizes as a key stakeholder? Do people seek your opinion or input on major issues?
I could go on and on but the purpose of this article is to help you to reflect on your 2009 professional career. Do a deep introspection and identify the areas that you need to improve. Seek the advice of your trusted peers and allies on how you can be better. Be sure to start 2010 with a defined purpose and each day will be a step towards satisfying that purpose. You can be better and you will be better if you set objectives and use your support team to help you meet those objectives. Best of luck to you and best wishes for the New Year!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Mental-Shifting: As Ye Thinketh so Shall Ye Be'eth
Okay, maybe the title is a little strange but I assure you this posting is not. Because if there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that your thoughts most certainly shape who you are and what you will become. If you focus on all that is wrong in the world then you leave little room to focus on what is right. If you dwell on the ills that plague your personal life then you leave little room to dwell on the growth you gain from those tough times. If you highlight all the negative parts of your professional life then you overlook the value you could create for yourself. Don't become a victim of negative thoughts (yours or others). Be a victim of positive thoughts! You'll always have both but better to be a victim of the latter.
The best thing about our minds is that we have the power to control what we think about the most. To my knowledge, I don't think there exists a "Thought Demon" who forces us against our will to concentrate on negativity, past transgressions, and current frustrations. But hey, I could be wrong. But in the slight chance that I'm not, let's try to do something different. Let's take a cue from the technology industry. Like I always say, take your cue from the innovative individuals and companies of the world. Let's look at Tivo (www.tivo.com) and Slingmedia (www.slingmedia.com). In a nutshell Tivo is a "time-shifting" technology that allows you to record and watch a television program at a time that is convenient to you. Slingmedia is a "place-shifting" technology that allows you to watch your cable programming on any internet-connected device anywhere in the world. So cool those technologies are!
Why do I reference those technologies? Well, someone surely was frustrated at not being able to watch his favorite shows at a time and place of his choosing. And out of that frustration grew the creativity and innovation to bring to market something for the masses to enjoy. The people that created those technologies could have easily just lamented what they didn't have and couldn't do to see their beloved television programs. It really takes no effort to be negative and to focus on negative thoughts. Quite draining it is though. And I don't recommend it. But the "mental-shift" that preceded the creation of those technologies is what fascinates me most!
So what is Mental-Shifting? It's the ability to turn your negative thoughts and situations into positive, value-adding constructs. It's the ability to spend more time thinking about things that motivate you and bring you pleasure. It's the ability to not get bogged down in the trenches when negative things strike you down. Life is full of positives and negatives but the difference in those that find a modicum of happiness is the ability to transform the way they view the things that negatively impact them. Like the football coaches say, it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up. You can find a positive in every negative situation if you just look for it. The trick is to just look for it! I will never forget during the 2006 NBA playoffs when the Detroit Pistons played the Cleveland Cavaliers. It must have been game 2 and Detroit was leading the series 1-0 in a best of 7 series. I remember that the Pistons had a huge lead on Cleveland in the second half of that game and were on their way to winning. And then inexplicably, Coach Flip Saunders of Detroit took out most of the starters and inserted the scrubs. Well, Cleveland made a huge run and made the game very close and competitive. In the end, the Pistons won that game and went up 2-0. But the mental-shift had already taken place and now Cleveland believed they could beat the Pistons. Instead of focusing on losing the game, they focused on how they were able to come back from a huge deficit and make Detroit fight for the win. What they did next was nothing short of amazing in pushing the series to a decisive game 7 in which they eventually lost. But in the ensuing years, they never lost to the Pistons in the playoffs again. That is mental-shifting and I implore you to use it in your everyday life. It will energize you and give you a reason to walk with a bounce in your step. Why? Because you will understand that there simply is no personal or professional advantage to dwelling on the negative. It's actually depressing at best and debilitating at worse.
You say you just got fired? Well, you told me that you hated the job anyway so now is the opportunity to reposition yourself for the career that best suits you. You say your car engine just burned out? Well, now you can finally get that "environmentally-conscious" car you always wanted. You say you just did horrible in your interview? Well, you told me that company didn't value what you do best so now you can focus on the companies that do. You say your job is boring but you love your company? Well, you can assess how to improve your job role in a way that adds value to the company and maximizes your skills.
The best thing about our minds is that we have the power to control what we think about the most. To my knowledge, I don't think there exists a "Thought Demon" who forces us against our will to concentrate on negativity, past transgressions, and current frustrations. But hey, I could be wrong. But in the slight chance that I'm not, let's try to do something different. Let's take a cue from the technology industry. Like I always say, take your cue from the innovative individuals and companies of the world. Let's look at Tivo (www.tivo.com) and Slingmedia (www.slingmedia.com). In a nutshell Tivo is a "time-shifting" technology that allows you to record and watch a television program at a time that is convenient to you. Slingmedia is a "place-shifting" technology that allows you to watch your cable programming on any internet-connected device anywhere in the world. So cool those technologies are!
Why do I reference those technologies? Well, someone surely was frustrated at not being able to watch his favorite shows at a time and place of his choosing. And out of that frustration grew the creativity and innovation to bring to market something for the masses to enjoy. The people that created those technologies could have easily just lamented what they didn't have and couldn't do to see their beloved television programs. It really takes no effort to be negative and to focus on negative thoughts. Quite draining it is though. And I don't recommend it. But the "mental-shift" that preceded the creation of those technologies is what fascinates me most!
So what is Mental-Shifting? It's the ability to turn your negative thoughts and situations into positive, value-adding constructs. It's the ability to spend more time thinking about things that motivate you and bring you pleasure. It's the ability to not get bogged down in the trenches when negative things strike you down. Life is full of positives and negatives but the difference in those that find a modicum of happiness is the ability to transform the way they view the things that negatively impact them. Like the football coaches say, it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up. You can find a positive in every negative situation if you just look for it. The trick is to just look for it! I will never forget during the 2006 NBA playoffs when the Detroit Pistons played the Cleveland Cavaliers. It must have been game 2 and Detroit was leading the series 1-0 in a best of 7 series. I remember that the Pistons had a huge lead on Cleveland in the second half of that game and were on their way to winning. And then inexplicably, Coach Flip Saunders of Detroit took out most of the starters and inserted the scrubs. Well, Cleveland made a huge run and made the game very close and competitive. In the end, the Pistons won that game and went up 2-0. But the mental-shift had already taken place and now Cleveland believed they could beat the Pistons. Instead of focusing on losing the game, they focused on how they were able to come back from a huge deficit and make Detroit fight for the win. What they did next was nothing short of amazing in pushing the series to a decisive game 7 in which they eventually lost. But in the ensuing years, they never lost to the Pistons in the playoffs again. That is mental-shifting and I implore you to use it in your everyday life. It will energize you and give you a reason to walk with a bounce in your step. Why? Because you will understand that there simply is no personal or professional advantage to dwelling on the negative. It's actually depressing at best and debilitating at worse.
You say you just got fired? Well, you told me that you hated the job anyway so now is the opportunity to reposition yourself for the career that best suits you. You say your car engine just burned out? Well, now you can finally get that "environmentally-conscious" car you always wanted. You say you just did horrible in your interview? Well, you told me that company didn't value what you do best so now you can focus on the companies that do. You say your job is boring but you love your company? Well, you can assess how to improve your job role in a way that adds value to the company and maximizes your skills.
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