The job market is improving. There is absolutely no doubt about it. However, given the fluctuations of available jobs and the regions of the country in which jobs are even available, not to mention the required skills set, one must ask …are you a fit for the job?
Over the years, and most especially in IT, there
have been loud arguments about time wasted on interviews. There have been discussions about jobs being
specifically tailored for certain people, especially people who are here on
temporary work visas, known as H1B visas.
The concern is that Americans are being
marginalized in favor of foreign workers.
However, we cannot forget that we are also still in a skills dearth in
the United States. Companies in some
instances can only find qualified workers on foreign shores. No matter what you might think, in many
instances this is the unfortunate truth.
We need a firm commitment to STEM education in order to rebuild our
nation’s skills bench.
Now, of course many Americans say this is
rubbish. The truth gets lost in the
emotion of need. Still, our technical
markets are to some degree being flooded by workers from overseas. However, if you think this does not apply to
you personally and you know deep down that you have the skills to do the job,
then perhaps you are a fit. For you, the
fact that America has a technical skills gap might not be an issue. You may have the skills necessary to make you
qualified for the job. If you do have the
skills, you then must think about why you have not Locked The Job.
As ever, we can apply critical consideration to the
activity. Most certainly if you know
that you are qualified, then don’t consider an interview a waste of time. Don’t consider sending in your resume a waste
of time. Don’t look at a company and say
they are only hiring foreigners and that approaching them is a waste of time.
You must live what you believe and know in no
uncertain terms that you ARE A FIT FOR THE JOB!
What does this mean and how can we make the
statement truly effective? It goes back
to your brand. And in maximizing your
brand we can lean on 3FE and the Lock The Job process.
We’ve talked about building a network, leveraging
your network, and creating an opportunity.
This blog has been all about thinking critically and building your
brand. We’ve talked about turning your boring
resume into a 3FE masterpiece based on the Red Resume model. We’ve talked about these things with one goal
in mind, getting you placed, LOCKING THE JOB.
You cannot lose sight of that goal, and with that understanding in mind
you must think critically about the job you want, the position that is open,
the company that is offering it, and whether or not you actually fit.
Do the necessary work and determine if the job is for
you. Do you truly satisfy the skills
requirements? Do you understand as best as
you are able what type of organization it is from a cultural standpoint? Will you be happy there? And no, the need to just make money does not
trump your need to be happy. The economic
environment is improving and you do not have to compromise your happiness in
order to earn a dollar. Work to determine the truth of whether you are or are
not a fit for the job.
If you find through your research that you are a fit
for a job then go for it with everything you can bring to bear. However, remember that as an aspiring critical
thinker on the hunt for a great job you are going for the position far from the
norm, away from the traditional mode. You
are your brand and you are putting your brand to work for you. You have written a new courageous resume, a
Red Resume that tells the story of why you are the right person for the
job. You are connecting to others at the
company through networking events and local organizations. On your LinkedIn profile you’ve even added a
Visual Resume through SlideShare that shows just how dynamic you truly
are. You are prepped and ready for the
interview, and when you do show up you have more than just your resume. You have artifacts that detail your work, and
at the right moment you will direct them to your website, where you showcase
all your talent. You are a fit for the
job, and in doing what I’ve detailed here, you will most certainly Lock The Job
The Aspiring Critical Thinker,
D.S. Brown
Hello D.S. Brown, thank for the article.
ReplyDelete"If you find through your research that you are a fit for a job then go for it with everything you can bring to bear."
That is hard to do if not impossible to do as a applicant.
Only the employer is in a position to know if a job applicant will be successful if hired (successful means that the job is done well and the new hire enjoys doing the job and will do it for a long time). For example, is assertiveness a job strength or a job weakness and how would a job applicant know? The applicant could ask a current employee but is that reliable? If the employee is more assertive than the job requires and is not rewarded for his assertiveness, the applicant may presume that assertiveness is a job weakness.Without knowing the job's talent requirement the applicant cannot know if his level of assertiveness is a job strength or a job weakness.
The best an applicant can do is know himself well and where he is on the continuum from super assertive to non-assertive and then ask questions that will uncover the job's talent requirements.
My nephew Paul, his experience was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, applied for a job at a well known company. One of his older brothers told him to see his Uncle Bob. I prepared Paul for his interview the following day. I told him that he would be shown around the company, where he would be working, with whom he would be working, and what he would be doing. I also told him that at the end of the day the interviewer would ask "Do you have any questions?"
As it turned out the interviewer was the position’s manager. Paul then said “You have told me all about the job, where I will be working, who I will be working with and what I need to do to be successful. What type of person do I need to be in order to be successful in the job?” The manager replied, “I never thought of that, let me think.” He then said “You need to be diplomatic since our clients are all over the world and they call in quite angry when our systems fail so you can’t make matter worse by insensitive comments. You’ll also need to be spontaneous since you will be jumping all over our product line and solving problems all over the world. And this is a high pressure job so you need to be calm stable and relaxed under pressure. Does that help Paul?” Paul replied, “I am more diplomatic than 70% of the population, more spontaneous than 97% of the population and more calm stable and relaxed under pressure than 85% of the population. I’m your guy.” The manager asked him how he knew and Paul showed him the report. Paul took the time to answer the 300+ questions. He was hired and has been successful for the last 17 years.
Only the employer is in a position to know if an applicant will be successful, but applicants can be better prepared.
Hi Bob, and thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my article.
DeleteAllow me to provide some clarity on the subject. When I state, ""If you find through your research that you are a fit for a job then go for it with everything you can bring to bear," I am talking about exactly some of what you state your nephew Paul did. Clearly in his research he determined that the job was a fit for him. In order to go for it with all he had he was instructed to bolster his chances on locking the job by getting some sage advice from his Uncle Bob.
Uncle Bob in turn prepared him as best as he could for whatever he might encounter during the interview. This was Paul's research. This was Paul's work in order to get ready to lock the job.
As I continue to state throughout this blog you have to be in the business of selling your brand, differentiating yourself, making sure you're as prepared as possible for the moment you meet the arbiters of your fate at the company with which you seek employment. Paul differentiated himself most effectively by asking a question the hiring manager had not heard. More importantly he was able to back up his claims with an artificat that validated his assertion.
Only the employer will know if he/she will hire the applicant. They are taking a risk on that applicant being successful through the vetting process. However, it is the purview of the applicant to do their research and determine whether they know deep down they are a fit for the job before they walk throuh the door. Their state of mind is critical. If they are appopriately prepared, if their brand is the right brand to the best of their ability given the prevailing known variables, then the odds of them locking the job may very well outstrip the chances of other applicants. Such an activity may be hard, but it is far from impossible. Paul did it.