The Career Encouragement Blog

Job Search Rule #7 - Avoid Sweeping Generalizations about Gender (Part II)

This is a direct quote from a candidate cover letter that I received today:

"Dear Sirs, I read with interest your posting for a Director of Sales..."

Circular file.  Enough said.

(See Part I to learn more about this rule.)

Lessons from Soccer (continued)

This continuation of the series on lessons from the pitch will focus on rules #3 and #4 for fair play.

#3 - Be Graceful When you Lose

When you lose in sports it's hard to be graceful.  It's easy to blame the referee for missing calls, or attribute the game to luck. It takes character and courage to congratulate your opponent on a game well played and to admire their skill and try to learn from it.  At work sometimes it's tempting to assume that the reason someone else gets the promotion or gets assigned to a plum project is because of politics.  It takes more grace to acknowledge that your co-worker has a better grasp of the business needs or perhaps has simply worked harder than you. 

I'm not saying that sometimes unfair things don't happen at work.  But just as in sports any mis-calls by the referees tend to even out over time, unfair promotions at work also even out over time and true talent always has it's day eventually.  But the thing is, if we cannot acknowledge the talents and skills of our co-workers, it is unlikely that we can grow or display those skills ourselves.  Therefore, the best tactic when you feel like you've "lost" at work, is to figure out what your colleague (or "opponent") did right, and then try to learn from it!

#4 - Be Fair Always No Matter What the Cost

I've written about politics at work before and how they are a normal part of how things get done in the corporate world.  There is nothing wrong with using your skill and your commitment to the success of the business to move ahead of those around you who don't have the same drive to develop themselves and make a contribution.  As you work to advance yourself it's possible that some folks around you won't be able to be graceful about it (see rule #3). 

When I first started my career I was the secretary in the HR department of a large company.  About a year later, there was an opening for an HR Program Manager in the department.  I applied, but a  secretary from another department - a woman who hadn't even worked in an HR department - got the job.  Katy had long blond curls, a perky laugh, and a great wardrobe.  I naturally assumed she got the job on her looks and expressed this opinion to my boss. 

He quickly set me back in my place by 1) pointing out that my comments disrespected him as a professional by assuming he would hire a candidate based on looks; 2) pointing out that I was disrespecting Katy, a new co-worker in my department, by suggesting that she used her looks to get ahead; and 2) explaining point by point how the other woman had prepared for and conducted her campaign to win the job.  Turns out Katy had conducted informational interviews with almost every HR Vice President in the company, read several recent issues of HR Magazine, researched our business unit's goals, and was prepared to discuss how she could help the department achieve it's goals.  Unfortunately I had assumed I would get the the job because I was already working in the department.  Bad assumption, obviously.

Even though I wanted to blame Katy's success on unfair strategies, I had to conclude that she had fairly earned the job.  And more than that, I was the one being unfair by talking about Katy as someone who didn't deserve her success.  I learned a big lesson from this event - that you can be unfair whether you are on the winning or losing end of a deal.  And sometimes it costs you more personally to be fair when you don't get the outcome you want!

Lessons from Soccer (continued)

This continuation of my post on Career Lessons from Soccer will focus on rules #1 and #2 for fair play:

#1 - Play the Game for the Game's Sake

Fabio Cannavaro was Captain of the Italian national soccer team when they won the World Cup last summer.  He is famous for his skill, his stamina, and his smile.  It's fun to watch him play because he clearly loves the game so much. When a Soccer player enjoys the elements of the game - the feel of the ball, calculating angles to get to the goal, driving passes through the defenders to teammate, etc. -  scoring goals becomes secondary (and probably inevitable). 

Success in your career comes the same way.  If you enjoy your profession and take pride in developing and contributing your skill, you may have occasional set-backs, but ultimately you will score.  The key is not to get caught up in the goal (be it a promotion or a new job) and instead execute on the basics with consistency.

I was once in a situation where I worked with a boss who micro-managed me, changed decisions we had agreed to as soon as I left the room, and essentially disrespected by work history and experiences by assigning me to putzy and irrelevant tasks.  At the time I was not in a position to change jobs.  The particular work situation had hours and pay that made it possible for me to continue my career as a new working mother. 

I grumbled for a bit about my situation (okay - a lot).  But finally a good colleague said to me, "You know, if you can learn to work with this boss, and do good HR work under his management, you can probably work with anyone.  It could be a good lesson to learn."  Bingo!  Just like that my attitude changed. I realized that what I wanted was to be a good HR professional - that regardless of what was going on around me, or whether I seemed to be "winning" or not, I just wanted to be good at my job.  I'd like to say that things changed overnight.  Actually I ended up reporting to this person for 2 more long and challenging years.  But by learning to do good HR for HR's sake (and not just because I had a good boss) I definitely ended up being a better HR professional as a result of the experience, and now I am able to be much more empathetic and helpful when clients tell me they have a bad boss situation.

#2 - Be Generous When You Win

In soccer, you can't win a game if the other team doesn't show up to play.  Thats why the teams line up after the game to shake hands.  We do it not only to recognize our opponent's accomplishments, but also their presence!  It's the same at work.  If our ideas and projects are accomplished alone in a vacuum, they wouldn't mean a thing.  Context is crucial - and at work, it's your co-workers who create your context. 

There will be times in your career when things go your way and you end up on top.  Maybe your budget requests go through at the expense of your annoying colleague's budget requests.  Perhaps your idea for a project is praised while a peer's suggestion is ignored.  At times like this it is a good idea to remember what got you there.  If others gave suggestions or said things that sparked important ideas for you, be sure to praise their contributions.  If a colleague is hurting because his contributions were left out, find a way to pull him into a project and use his skills. 

Bottom line - at work it's a good idea to try to be like a bank...give credit!

More Career Lessons from Soccer

I have said before that we can learn good lessons from soccer that can help us in our career.  Recently my daughter got her league membership card for the new season.  On the back are the FIFA rules for fair play.  I think they can be as useful in the workplace as they are on the pitch:

1. Play the game for the game's sake.
2. Be generous when you win.
3. Be graceful when you lose.
4. Be fair always no matter what the cost.
5. Obey the laws of the game.
6. Work for the good of your team.
7. Accept the decisions of the officials with good grace.
8. Believe in the honestly of your opponents.
9. Conduct yourself with honor and dignity.

Over the next couple of days I will expound on each of these and offer some examples. 

Happy kicking!

Reflecting on Lessons Learned

The most challenging manager I ever worked with was an individual who was controlling, aggressive and demanding.  He was a smart individual with a lot to contribute, but he left a wake of human carnage behind him after every meeting or project.  He received feedback on his behavior from multiple sources on multiple occasions, but he seemed to lack the ability to receive and reflect on the messages he was hearing.  Ultimately, his career was derailed as a result. 

Reflecting on our own behavior, the results, and the lessons learned can be a daunting task.  First of all, it's hard to just sit still.  One of my favorite quotes is by Blaise Pascal:

"Most of the trouble in the world comes from man's inability to sit quietly in a room by himself."

That's pretty deep when you think about it!

I encourage you to take some time to reflect on what is going on in your career these days.  Do you feel on track?  Do you feel tense?  What are some signals you are getting about how you are operating?  What do you want to do more of? Less of? 

This doesn't have to be an arduous and painful task.  It doesn't require you to make major, life-altering changes.  The key is to just stop and think and see where you feel encouraged to make some modifications.  By inserting a pause into your work, you can create space to collect your thoughts and move forward more productively.

Job Search Rule #13 - Part II

Yesterday I wrote about resumes and said that Hiring Managers and Recruiters "simply what to know if you can do the job."   I quoted Penelope Trunk on the topic.  Since she has additional words on resumes today, I thought I'd share those as well.   In The 9 Biggest Myths of the Workplace she writes:

Myth #6 - You need a good resume.

Only ten percent of jobs come from sending a blind resume. Most people get jobs by leveraging their network. Once you have a connection, the person looks at your resume to make sure there are no red flags. So you need a competent resume and an excellent network. This means you should stop stressing about which verb to use on the second line of your third job. Go talk to someone instead. (emphasis added)

Well said.  You can read her entire post here.

Job Search Rule #13 - It's not about you!

I posted a job for a client last week and this week I am flooded with resumes.  One of them caught my eye - a 16 page powerpoint presentation that had 4 different photos of the candidate in various executive-type poses. It began with the sentence, "I require a position which provides..."   I stopped reading and put it in the "no go" pile. Why?

The #1 rule of a resume or a cover letter is it's not about you!  Cover letters and resumes are all about the person who is receiving them.  Whether you are sending to HR or to the Hiring Manager, it's important that you understand the perspective of the reader.  They are usually:

• Overworked.  If it's the hiring manager, she's got a department to run and goals to meet.  Filling a position is an add-on assignment that she needs to get done with quickly.  If it's the HR rep or a recruiter, they typically operate with a lean staff and are trying to fill more positions that they can handle.  Either way, they don't have time for glitz and shenanigans. They simply want to know if you can do the job.

They are also often:

• Bored.  After 30 minutes of reviewing resumes most people go glassy eyed.  Every candidate is hardworking, intelligent and enthusiastic it seems.  Most write with very long sentences and have spelling errors too. 

The fact is, most hiring managers are looking for the easy way out.  Hiring people is painful.  So the key for you - the would be job seeker - is the be the easiest candidate to hire.  You start this process by having a crisp, readable cover letter and resume that flow nicely and fit the needs of the employer.  Don't know those needs?  Then you may want to stop and think before applying. 

I like Penelope Trunk's career guidance, especially #8:

Question: What’s the ideal length of a resume in a world where every resume is electronic and not viewed printed out on paper?

Answer: A page. Still. Your resume is a marketing document, not a summary of your life, so every line should be about an accomplishment. The more amazing your accomplishments, the fewer you need to list. For example, if you can write “Evangelized Macintosh and made it one of the most beloved brands in the world,” then you don’t need any other sales and marketing bullets on your resume.

If you have totally lost perspective, and you think you have two page’s worth of incredible and relevant achievements, consider that hiring managers spend ten seconds evaluating a resume, and a scanner looks for ten keywords, which certainly fit on one page.

When you write this great cover letter and resume and it lands you an interview, be sure to read Penelope's advice in #9 so that you are well prepared!

Good luck!

Can you walk a mile in those moccasins...or heels?

When I go to see a certain downtown client I always park at the hotel parking lot next door. Then I take a short cut through the lobby on my way to my meeting.  It’s nice hotel with a variety of clients and it’s always interesting to people watch a bit and see whose coming and going.

The other day I noticed a woman in a red suit sitting in a chair. She was erect and alert in her seat – obviously waiting for someone.  She had “job candidate” written all over her.  Sure enough, a man in a business suit walked towards her and reached out his hand.  I heard him say, “Lisa?  Hi, I’m Bob.  Thanks for making time to meet with us today.” 

(Situations like this always intrigue me because as someone who has done a lot of recruiting, I have had hundreds and hundreds of occasions to walk into the lobby to greet a candidate.  Each time I think, “Please let them live up to their resume/phone screen!”

I watched her stand to greet him.  I admired her great haircut – a sleek black bob that complimented her bone structure and skin.  It was professional and attractive on her.  She wore a white stand up collar blouse with her suit.  The suit itself was the perfect shade of red – not too bright and not too dull.  It attracted attention without stealing the show.  She had an expensive looking black leather attaché over her shoulder, and did not clutter her look with an additional purse.  Well done!  I love seeking a candidate pulled together like that!

But as I watched her get up and follow him to the meeting, my heart sank for her.  Why?  Because Miss Lovely Suit was mincing after Bob in a pair of pointy-toed mules with kitten heels.  Ack!  Why do I consider this choice of footwear a disaster for Lisa? 

1.       It is impossible, I repeat, impossible, for any woman to walk with confidence and energy in this particular style of shoe.  When you are on a job interview, you want to exude confidence and energy.  But every woman will walk with either the mincing tip-toe or a form of lazy shuffle when wearing teeny-heeled mules. 

2.       The mules contradicted the classic suit and chic attaché that Lisa was carrying – she sent mixed signals about whether she intended to be professional or playful. That may be an okay persona at happy hour after work.  It’s probably not the best strategy in a job interview.

3.       They were too obvious.  The “barely there” shoes stood out as a deliberate attempt at fashion tacked onto an otherwise basic professional look – by default they became the (unfortunate) highlight of her outfit.

4.       They were distracting – to Lisa and to Bob.  Lisa was obviously concerned with keeping her shoes on her feet and not wobbling too much when she walked.  Bob apparently realized that Lisa was having trouble keeping up on the slippery lobby floor because he distinctly slowed his pace to match hers.  I am willing to bet that at this point he was now thinking about her shoes and not about her resume.

Bottom line:  Lisa’s footwear demonstrated lack of judgment. This is not a good image to exude on a job interview.

Lesson:  Wear sensible shoes on job interviews because you never know how far (and on what terrain) you will be walking. 

Does this mean that I am against fashionable footwear?  Absolutely not!  I’m not saying you need to wear hiking boots to work.  But the last thing you want is to be so consumed with thinking about how you are walking that you can’t focus on the conversation.  Therefore, any footwear worn to work must meet the tests of being professional, and providing a stable platform for walking.   (Note: flip flops do NOT meet these tests!) 

Consider my friend Sarah for example.   Sarah is chief legal counsel for a large corporation.  She is petite with long, curly red hair and freckles.  She loves to dress fashionably and is partial to wild print blouses and Paris Hilton style sunglasses.  She is also one of the smartest, most professional women I know.   When I met with her the other day she was wearing a cream colored pantsuit with a black, cream and red shirt.  As she sat down I saw the shoes – gorgeous red patent leather sling backs with a 3” modified chunky heel.  Fabulous! 

But why do fashionable shoes work for Sarah and not for Lisa? 

1.       Sarah’s shoes had a back on them which kept them on her feet when she walked.

2.       Her shoes also had straight (vs. kitten) heels so Sarah didn’t wobble when she walked.

3.       Because she was wearing a pantsuit, the shoes were not the highlight of the outfit – instead they were a pleasant accessory, noticed only by those close to her when she was seated. Knowing Sarah, my guess is that she will not wear them with skirts.

In short, Sarah’s shoes met the tests of being professional and providing a stable platform for walking. Again I say, fabulous!

So before you leave for that job interview, ask yourself, “Can I walk a mile in these moccasins (or heels!)?

Q&A: Should I accept this interview?

Got an interesting question from a reader today...

Dear Career Encourager:

So a guy tells me yesterday he knows of someone who might want to hire me. Okay, I say: tell me more. So he tells me a little more, but mostly says he's not entirely sure himself what his friend needs. I give the guy my contact info to pass on to his friend. Who doesn't call. Instead, today, I get a call from the HR guy in a company I've never heard of who wants to schedule an interview, and wonders if I've sent them my resume yet?

Whoa. I'm as adventurous as the next guy, but clearly I've missed a few steps here. I don't even know the name of the "friend" at the company who is my supposed contact there. Pumping the poor HR guy too much didn't seem likely to help much, either. Nor do any of the jobs advertised on their website (which I peruse AFTER the phone call, once I knew the company's name.)

The obvious thing is to get a little more info (like a NAME?!) from the guy I spoke to yesterday, but I can't get hold of him, and the interview is, like, tomorrow. Can I call them back and ask who I'll be talking to, and what about? (how stupid does THAT sound!) Or do I show up, treat it as an informational interview, and see what happens?

Thanks,

Emily

___________

Dear Emily –

Interesting situation. A question back at you:

What is the role of the person who called you to set up the interview?

You referred to him as “the HR guy.” Most HR professionals I know work as business partners within their organization and are focused on the structures, systems and processes that help people perform well. With regard to hiring, this means that the true HR professional is going to be concerned with:

• Helping define jobs (duties, skills, and compensation) that fit logically into the organizations structure and will boost company performance
• Sourcing candidates likely to be a good match for the position, company culture, and work team
• Attracting top tier candidates via a high quality recruiting processes – e.g., a professional phone screen, a well run interview, good follow-up, etc.

The fact that “the poor HR guy” you spoke to was so vague makes me wonder if he is:

1. A scheduler for one of those headhunting firms who place candidates for a fee. If so, stay away – you never want a job that you have to pay to get.
2. A scheduler for a large recruiting department in a sales firm that has high churn among their employees.
3. A “poor HR guy” in a poorly run, or start-up firm without professional HR processes in place.

Obviously, situations #1 and #2 probably don’t appeal to you. Situation #3 could mean opportunity, but you’d probably want to know a bit more before going in for the interview. If you cannot reach your original contact to find out what is going on, I would call “poor HR guy” back and say something like: “I’d like to do some prep work for our meeting tomorrow and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions? Since I didn’t send in a resume or apply for a specific position, I was wondering if you could tell me about the position I am interviewing for? What is the title? Do you have a job description you can e-mail to me? Who does it report to? Etc.”

If he can’t answer these very basic questions, I would start to get suspicious whether you are talking to a professional HR person. At a minimum, he should be able to refer you to someone who can answer them.

If his answer is, “Just come in and we will tell you all about it…” It’s up to you whether or not to go and check it out. Personally, I wouldn’t. It’s simply not a respectful, professional way to treat a candidate. The good firms would never do it that way. There are too many good opportunities in good, professional firms for a positive, contributing professional like yourself to waste time in a confusing mess like that.

Situations like this are so interesting. Please do let me know what you find out and what happens!

~ The Career Encourager

Update on the rosebush....

For readers who have been with me since the inception of this blog, I thought you'd appreciate an update on the "Hope for Humanity" rosebush ....despite lack of a guarantee from the nursery, it did indeed survive the winter.  Leaves are bursting out in profusion and I have hope of beautiful roses appearing soon!