Job Hacking

How would a great recruiter find their next job?

Every endeavor has a crowd, and a few who are way out there ahead of everyone else. There are Developers who design/write operating systems, and then there's Linus Torvalds. There are photographers, and then there's Annie Leibovitz. There are fighter pilots, and then there's John Boyd.

There are a number of really outstanding recruiters in the U.S. today, and Jim Stroud is one of them. I'll let you discover why ;-).

Recently, he wrote three posts about how to find a job. He's written these pieces from a very interesting perspective, and he gives a little hint into the world of on-line sourcing. I'm sending this your way because he has some great recommendations of activities you can do that might just help you find a role, and which are probably nothing like what you're doing right now:

How to Find a Job (when the economy sucks) Part 1 of 3
How to Find a Job (when the economy sucks) Part 2 of 3
How to Find a Job (when the economy sucks) Part 3 of 3

P.S. Almost forgot to add that the orientation is all about recruiters looking for work. For you Developer-types, you're going to need to modify the search strings a bit, but you'll pick it up quick because you learn fast... ;-)

For all you first-timers out there... pursuing your passion

When I was in High School, I discovered that I liked programming. No, I mean REALLY enjoyed it. And this was on TRS_80s, so we all know how wacked that was! In fact, I was so passionate about it to the point of doing a year of independent study on it.

Then, I went to a liberal-arts college that really didn't have a computer science program. I lost interest, sorta. But it always seemed that I was getting pulled into doing various creative things using computers.

After I started in the work-a-day world, I programmed my HP-17B to help me with my inventory duties. And then, I did some spreadsheet work on a Micro-Vax. This stuff was fun! And this lead me to the conclusion that maybe I was in the wrong career. My passion was not centered on my then current work, it was really centered on doing something with computers.

And so it came to pass, after several years of course work that I ended up w/my first role at a Software Company, which was way too cool, and made me very, very happy.

The moral of this story is that neglecting our passions is a great way to find unhappiness. We can be convinced to do some mighty stupid things. So, pay attention to your feelings, particularly when you're working. Notice those times that you're really excited and interested in what you're doing. Chances are, that's a good direction for you.

And for all you first-timers out there...

One of my loyal readers recommended that I speak to the special needs that 1st-time technical job-hunters have. He thought I might have seen some things that would be helpful as you begin the process of figuring out what you want to do to make money.

This is a surprisingly difficult request!

Why?

Because the notion of a 'career' where one gradually moves up the rungs is almost silly (hence, Job Hacking). Because the demand for some roles, like Developers, far outstrips the supply, whereas the demand for other roles, like Directors of Development, does not come close to meeting the supply. Because it's almost impossible to describe to a job-hunter what it's like to be in the shoes of the hiring manager. Because my assumptions about any one job hunter are almost certainly to be incorrect.

Still, it's an interesting request, and it has all sorts of great things to consider.

With that, we're off to the races...

Are you 'them'?

Today, I heard someone use the word 'them'/'those people' in a way which makes me cringe on several levels. You know, like one of these:

• Why does the U.S. always help those people?
• Why can't they just get a job?
• Why do you always see those people on the street corners?
• Why can't I ever find one of those people when I need them?

This mental framework is very common; I think we all use it one time or another. But, it is severely limiting when you actually need to accomplish something.

In recruiting, there are a couple of really common turns on this framework. One is, "Where is my passive candidate? I need a really spot-on passive candidate for this role." Another is, "Why can't I seem to get past the recruiter. They are in my way of getting that job at that company."

Here's the problem: We are all individuals. As soon as you start classifying someone as part of a larger group, you remove key attributes that are the ones you really do need to use to connect with them.

"Oh, I'm such a big fan of yours..."

Over the course of my career, and more so now that I'm a third-party recruiter, I've had the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of really amazing people. Even a few who are famous or well-known in their sphere of work.

Thing is, if you're a Software Dev candidate (I'm including test and systems in this), sooner or later you're going to run into someone who is well-known in your world, or who you've read, or who created something amazing. And, since you're a human, there's some chance that your behavior will devolve to that of fan-boy or fan-girl. The important thing to remember is that this person across the table from you is a human, too. And though they are well-known, they still face-down the same problems you do: What do I wear today, why can't I lose that fat around my belly, I need to fire my cleaner, my car needs an oil change, jr is spending too much time in front of the Xbox this summer, etc., etc.

Pamela Slim has a great post today on fan behavior, and how to identify it in yourself. It's a great read if you're out doing interviews, just so you have a measure to check against.

Oh, and for you hiring managers out there, remember this applies to you, too. You know, when you meet Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki, Elon Musk, Burt Rutan, Brad Silverberg, Linus Torvalds, Fred Brooks, Patrick Naughton, Bill Joy, Patrick Naughton, Marc Andreeson, David Heinemeier Hansson, etc, etc.

How do you know when you've found it?

Let's say you're a hiring manager, and you've figured you need to add a new member to your staff. Let's also say that you're pretty savvy on the recruitment process, you've done your research and you know what this person will do (you even wrote up MBOs), and you have a spiffy, new job description. You KNOW what you want.

Flip this around.

Now, let's say you're in job-hunt mode. Yesterday, you came to the conclusion that you've had enough, or that you want to do something new, or a combination of the two. Have you written up what you want to do next?

Most candidates don't take the time to do the write-up. If you don't know what you want to do next, how do you know which job offer to accept?

re: The deluge strategy

"Deluge strategy"

"Shotgunning my resume"

"Applying for everything in sight"

Candidates, particularly if they are getting desperate for a new role, sometimes resort to a mass communication strategy.

Does it work? Sometimes.

But consider all the outcomes:

• You send out a lot of resumes, which requires a lot of time and effort on your part.
• You see a few responses, and fewer interviews.
• You get depressed.
• You repeat the cycle.

See where this leads?

A better strategy is to be targeted in your search. There are two good ways to spend/invest your time:

1. Re-energize your network. There's nothing quite so satisfying as inviting at least one (or two or three or ...) former colleague to coffee or lunch per week. Yes, they actually do want to see you again and catch up!
   
2. Respond only to those roles that are a close match to what you want to be doing next, or for those roles which have responsibilities that you are passionate about.

About that layoff prediction...

Yup, we're seeing some companies laying off staff in the Greater Seattle area.

What to do if you're one of the group has been let go?

Check this post over at Career Hub, good advice.

What to do if you're one of the 'lucky' who made it? Might be time to dust off the ol' resume and think about what you might want to be doing next. There ARE other companies out there that are going to weather this economic shift very nicely.

Top 10 Tips for Handling Counter-Offers

Read a pretty good post at 6 figure Career Management about how to handle a counter-offer, and for those so fortunate as to find themselves in this position, a great list of tips.

Back when I worked for someone else, I held the view that counter-offers were almost offensive: If your boss really thought you were worth the counter, why didn't he/she come up with it earlier? I've since softened my view on this a little because there are situations where the boss has bad data, or has been given bad direction, or the market is moving faster than they recognized. Hey, things change, and we're all busy. In light of this, it's probably not a bad idea to give the counter due consideration.

Going from "Could" to "Knocking it out of the park"

Tell me if you've ever heard these words escape your mouth, "I could do that job..."

Hiring Managers know that almost anyone could do the job if. What they want is someone who can knock it out of the park.

As a candidate, going from "Could" to "Knocking it out of the park" is simple. Show them that you've done the work in the past, and that you've succeeded time and time again at projects you've set your mind to. Show them that you know how to anticipate their needs.

Look at the beginning of these two stories:
"Yes, I've a background as a Program Manager, but I could do the work of a Product Manager because..."

"Let me tell you about how I increased our wildly happy customer satisfaction score without releasing a new version of the product..."

Which one is more compelling to you?

If you find yourself saying, "I could do that..." for almost every job you're looking at, you might need to sit down and re-think what you're looking to land. The more you understand what you want and what it looks like in high-relief detail, the easier it will be for you to find it because you won't be wasting your time on a bunch of roles that aren't really you.