Let’s say you don’t know how to network… December 29, 2009
Posted by hardly Career Development
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One of the so-called truisms about technologists is that we have weak social skills. This could be true. It could also be true that technologists self-select into a world where truth is either 1 or 0, as opposed to how well you spin a tale. Or, it could be that someone missed the social skills class in college.
If you are in the later, take a look at this post by Matt about Networking Gifts. If you think you aren't Networking enough, you are probably right, and if you think you don't know how to Network, you are probably right again. Do something about it, read Matt's post, and then commit to doing at least one a week if you are employed, and more if you are not.
But everyone says that… December 23, 2009
Posted by hardly economics
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There is a line of economic and political thought that goes like this: Gross Domestic Product is tied to Energy consumption. The more energy used in the pursuit of economic improvement, the higher Gross Domestic Product.
Then, I read this, "since 1990, Denmark has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent. Over the same time frame, Danish energy consumption has stayed constant and Denmark’s gross domestic product has grown by more than 40 percent."
First, this is an amazing statement, and an even more amazing accomplishment. Second, it makes me want to go visit Denmark, the country of my Grandfather, even more. And third, it's a great example of how wrong commonly accepted wisdom can be.
Question commonly accepted wisdom. Your job hunt, your recruiting work, and indeed, your business need you to think differently than those who have gone before, more now than any other time in in the last 6 decades.
BTW, the source of this quote is The Copenhagen That Matters, and thank you once again Mr. Friedman!
But everyone says that… December 23, 2009
Posted by hardly economics
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There is a line of economic and political thought that goes like this: Gross Domestic Product is tied to Energy consumption. The more energy used in the pursuit of economic improvement, the higher Gross Domestic Product.
Then, I read this, "since 1990, Denmark has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent. Over the same time frame, Danish energy consumption has stayed constant and Denmark’s gross domestic product has grown by more than 40 percent."
First, this is an amazing statement, and an even more amazing accomplishment. Second, it makes me want to go visit Denmark, the country of my Grandfather, even more. And third, it's a great example of how wrong commonly accepted wisdom can be.
Question commonly accepted wisdom. Your job hunt, your recruiting work, and indeed, your business need you to think differently than those who have gone before, more now than any other time in in the last 6 decades.
BTW, the source of this quote is The Copenhagen That Matters, and thank you once again Mr. Friedman!
On being lost December 22, 2009
Posted by hardly Career Development
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This last weekend, I took the Boy Scout Troop to an orienteering event.
Orienteering is a sport where you run a course of a set length with a number of control points you have to find. It is one of those things that sounds easy, but is decidedly not. Because sometimes the course creators hide a control in the shallows of a lake. Out of sight. And yes, you gotta wade out there and hit the control point.
Before we started the course, I asked the Scouts, "How do you know when you are lost?" The 2nd best answer was, "When you don't know where you are." The real answer is, "When you are panicking about not knowing where you are."
Which brings us to this post by Penelope Trunk, How to hit a wall at work, with grace. Because the feeling of being lost is not unique to knowing where you are physically. It also applies to other aspects of your life.
The answer to being lost is STOP. Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
Thing is, at the end of what is probably the worst 12 - 18 months economically of our working lives, there are a lot of folks who are lost in their jobs, their careers, their unemployment.
STOPing. It works when you are charting your course, no matter how you define "Out There".
On being lost December 22, 2009
Posted by hardly Career Development
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This last weekend, I took the Boy Scout Troop to an orienteering event.
Orienteering is a sport where you run a course of a set length with a number of control points you have to find. It is one of those things that sounds easy, but is decidedly not. Because sometimes the course creators hide a control in the shallows of a lake. Out of sight. And yes, you gotta wade out there and hit the control point.
Before we started the course, I asked the Scouts, "How do you know when you are lost?" The 2nd best answer was, "When you don't know where you are." The real answer is, "When you are panicking about not knowing where you are."
Which brings us to this post by Penelope Trunk, How to hit a wall at work, with grace. Because the feeling of being lost is not unique to knowing where you are physically. It also applies to other aspects of your life.
The answer to being lost is STOP. Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
Thing is, at the end of what is probably the worst 12 - 18 months economically of our working lives, there are a lot of folks who are lost in their jobs, their careers, their unemployment.
STOPing. It works when you are charting your course, no matter how you define "Out There".
Interview training is good, right? December 14, 2009
Posted by hardly Interview Process
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Heard a great story the other day.
The team was interviewing a key candidate for a very important creative role. The candidate was truly of the 1% of 1% type, with major awards that almost anyone could name to his credit (Oscars, Emmys, Tonys etc). In other words, you don't see this one every day, let alone more than a handful of times in a career.
The team had all gone through behavioral interviewing training a couple weeks back. So, they were all eager to put their learning to good use. And they did.
The team leader was the last of the team to interview, and the first thing he asked the candidate was how the interviews had gone. And the candidate let him have it with both barrels. He had politely answered the EXACT SAME questions that the prior four interviewers had asked with EXACTLY THE SAME answers. The candidate felt that the whole process had been a gigantic waste of time, and he was done with the interview. Fortunately, the team leader was able to calm the candidate down, re-engage him, and long story short, they ended up hiring this amazing candidate.
Would you have walked out of the interview under the same circumstances?
Interview training is good, right? December 14, 2009
Posted by hardly Interview Process
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Heard a great story the other day.
The team was interviewing a key candidate for a very important creative role. The candidate was truly of the 1% of 1% type, with major awards that almost anyone could name to his credit (Oscars, Emmys, Tonys etc). In other words, you don't see this one every day, let alone more than a handful of times in a career.
The team had all gone through behavioral interviewing training a couple weeks back. So, they were all eager to put their learning to good use. And they did.
The team leader was the last of the team to interview, and the first thing he asked the candidate was how the interviews had gone. And the candidate let him have it with both barrels. He had politely answered the EXACT SAME questions that the prior four interviewers had asked with EXACTLY THE SAME answers. The candidate felt that the whole process had been a gigantic waste of time, and he was done with the interview. Fortunately, the team leader was able to calm the candidate down, re-engage him, and long story short, they ended up hiring this amazing candidate.
Would you have walked out of the interview under the same circumstances?
I bet a a baker’s dozen Krispy Kreme’s that your writing sucks! December 10, 2009
Posted by hardly Online Presence
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There's this job. It's THE BEST FRICKIN' JOB IN THE WHOLE WORLD! You were born, bred and trained to do it. And there it is, it's open, it's yours. You know it in your soul of souls.
Then, you have to apply. Time to re-write your resume. A little doubt creeps in. Your hands start to sweat. You try to re-write the resume. Ugh. You aren't certain. You take another pass. And another. Will this get the call to happen?
As much as the HR and Recruiting pundits talk about new technologies changing the recruiting process, or how video resumes will alter things, the reality is that there is a lot of writing involved in both sides of recruiting. Job ads are written. Your linkedin profile is written. Except for your picture. Your resume is written. Your email to the recruiter is written.
So, can you write?
Chances are, your writing skills are not up to the task. And, even if they are pretty good, you could probably use some 'sharpening of the saw' from time to time.
With this in mind, check out this post by Jeff Sexton on Copyblogger.
After reading this, are you wondering how to improve the Summary section of your LinkedIn profile? Your resume?
I bet a a baker’s dozen Krispy Kremes that your writing sucks! December 10, 2009
Posted by hardly Online Presence
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There's this job. It's THE BEST FRICKIN' JOB IN THE WHOLE WORLD! You were born, bred and trained to do it. And there it is, it's open, it's yours. You know it in your soul of souls.
Then, you have to apply. Time to re-write your resume. A little doubt creeps in. Your hands start to sweat. You try to re-write the resume. Ugh. You aren't certain. You take another pass. And another. Will this get the call to happen?
As much as the HR and Recruiting pundits talk about new technologies changing the recruiting process, or how video resumes will alter things, the reality is that there is a lot of writing involved in both sides of recruiting. Job ads are written. Your linkedin profile is written. Except for your picture. Your resume is written. Your email to the recruiter is written.
So, can you write?
Chances are, your writing skills are not up to the task. And, even if they are pretty good, you could probably use some 'sharpening of the saw' from time to time.
With this in mind, check out this post by Jeff Sexton on Copyblogger.
After reading this, are you wondering how to improve the Summary section of your LinkedIn profile? Your resume?
What is advertising? December 8, 2009
Posted by hardly Job Hunt Process
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Matt has a good entry post into a hot topic: If you are out of work, do you state clearly for all on linkedin that you are out of work and looking for a job?
My gut says no. It reduces your chances of getting work because it makes you, as a product, overly available and very generic. Scarcity drives up demand and price for a given item.
You are an item, aren't you?
Further, I'd also wager that if you are looking to be found by someone looking for your talents, you should use the space to tell them about those talents (at least you are getting more keywords in there for their search to find).
But, I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise with data that says one gets work faster by stating that they are looking for work. The problem with the issue as stated is that unless we do some social statistical work, we won't know this answer.
Anybody run the spreadsheets on this one?
