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.

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...

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.

“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.”

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!

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!

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...

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!

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.