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How Employers Choose From Among Many Great Candidates
Tweet Share on Facebook September 14, 2009 Comment (11)I wrote recently about the fact that lots of great job candidates are getting rejected these days because there are more good candidates than there are jobs available in this job market. When I have tons of great candidates and only one slot to fill, it's a certainty that lots are going to get rejected. My point was that job seekers shouldn't beat themselves up because it's (probably) not them—it's the market.
In response, a few people asked how employers do make a decision when they have so many great candidates to choose from. Is it random selection?
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When Sensitivity Training Makes Us Too Sensitive
Tweet Share on Facebook September 11, 2009 CommentDiversity training workshops often emphasize the importance of being sensitive to the subtle messages sent by others. All of those non-verbals and sub-verbals are supposed to be grasped along with the body language and whatever cultural differences that may come into play—lest one wind up on a witness stand.
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How to Make a Bad Job Less Bad
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2009 Comment (2)So many working people out there feel frustrated and stuck in their careers. They feel trapped in jobs that don’t fit, unable to make a change. Eventually, a negative perspective starts to permeate everything.
I see that a lot. By the time people come to me their frustration has often reached a boiling point. They typically want change yesterday and are up to their eyeballs in bad attitude. They need to improve their current situation while they lay the groundwork for something new.
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When You're Looking for a Paycheck, Not Personal Fulfillment
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2009 Comment (6)Is "getting paid" a good enough reason to want to work somewhere? Personally, I'm not looking for much in an employer beyond a regular paycheck and health insurance; any sort of personal fulfillment I want in life I seek in my personal time. To me, a job is nothing more than a means to an end. I struggle in interviews with the "why do you want to work here?" question because the true answer (that they are hiring for a job I am capable of performing, offering pay suitable for my financial needs, and are geographically close to where I live) is generally considered to be the worst answer one can give. Do I need to pretend to care about the company itself, or that I have personal goals that incorporate a career somehow? If so, why?
Here's the secret: When someone asks the "Why do you want to work here" question, what they really want to know is, "If I hire you, are you going to be here in a few years, or is this just a job and you'll keep looking for something better?"
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How to Stay Positive During a Long Job Search
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2009 Comment (6)With a tough summer of job hunting behind you, you may be dreading the prospect of a tough autumn of job hunting ahead of you.
If so, you could not be blamed. It’s hard to keep banging away at something that doesn’t show results. Even worse, the hopelessness, anger, and depression you may be feeling can actually be harmful. Potential employers can smell desperation a mile away. It is, sorry to say, a turnoff.
[See 7 reasons you're not finding a job.]
So, right now your biggest problem may be staying positive. Try this:
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The School Speech You Didn't Hear From Obama
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2009 Comment (2)Some of you may have heard President Obama's school speech. Others passed. That's OK. It's a free country. But since many of us have very short attention spans, I would like to give you my own school speech--a briefer and blunter version.
As you grow up, remember these things:
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How to Give Coworkers Advice Without Annoying Them
Tweet Share on Facebook September 7, 2009 Comment (2)Have you ever looked at another area of your company and thought, "They'd get better results if they did it this way instead?" If so, have you ever been tempted to tell them?
This is a sticky area. Even when your input is fantastic, if you don't present it in the right way, you can make people defensive and irritated.
[See what to do when you're frustrated at work.]
Some people handle this by never making suggestions to others at all, sacrificing the possibility of giving input that might really be appreciated. Others handle it by plunging right in, repeatedly, and over time end up alienating their colleagues.
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21 Ways Coworkers Make Your Job Harder
Tweet Share on Facebook September 4, 2009 Comment (2)Office wars may be waged in indirect ways that allow for deniability. It helps to know the multitude of snares that are out there.
Here are 21 tactics others can easily adopt to make your work life much more difficult:
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It's Your Career: Take Control of It
Tweet Share on Facebook September 3, 2009 Comment (3)Can you tell me what you think of the Strong Interest Inventory [a career test]? This summer I was talking to an acquaintance who recommended Strong to me. ... I respect his opinion personally and professionally. My own "Evil HR Lady" tells me that our company does not have a policy of paying for this test, so if I want it paid for I will have to talk to my manager. Here is where I get nervous. My direct manager, I feel, manages by default; if I ask him about this test he will tell me to ask HR, and then to stick with whatever they say. But his manager, who I used to report to directly, I think tries to make the system work for his people rather than his people for the system, and would probably okay the relatively small test expense.
Our organization is not too rigid. My former manager will still call me directly on occasion (I work remotely from both of the managers mentioned). But I know you tell people to expect nothing good to happen if they go behind their manager's back. So, I should talk to my manager; but if he doesn't approve it, should I talk to his manager or pay for it myself? What is your opinion of this career guidance tool?
I can sum up what I think about the Strong Interest Inventory in one word: Nothing. I have never used or taken the test and so am unqualified to give any opinion as to its benefit to you or your company.
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Have You Been Experimenting Enough?
Tweet Share on Facebook September 3, 2009 Comment (2)If I could share only one word to help you turn your dreams into reality, it would be this:
Experiment!
Far too often, people limit themselves with the sense that they have to have it all figured out before they take any action. They need to feel certain that the outcome of whatever they try is going to be successful. The idea that whatever they do might not turn out holds them back and limits their potential.
