Job Hacking

Job Search Basics

There's a point when playing the game where you start thinking real hard about what the other side is up to. What is your counterpart, your competition, thinking? What strategies and tactics will they employ? How can you get ahead of them, anticipate their moves, take advantage of what they will do next?

For some on both sides of the recruiting equation, that's where their heads are at. How do I get this candidate? Where does he go after work for a beer? Conversely, what tools do these recruiters use, how can I attract their attention?

And so, I was highly intrigued by this article on Fistful of Talent. Great title, catchy, makes you think, "Ah, this is how I can beat those silly recruiters!" 

But then they lay it on the line and walk you through how to really get noticed. Without search strings. 

If you're looking for a job, check it out. And while you're at it, read through Fistful of Talent, just to get a bead on those folks who may, or may not, be looking for someone just like you!

re: The limits of evidenced-based marketing

I was reading this post by Seth Godin, and it occurred to me that as much as this is applicable to big stories, it's also applicable to your job hunt, your resume, and interviews to come.

Here's how this plays out. 

First, your resume should have bullet points for each job that directly address how you helped improve revenue, reduced costs, or improved profit. For example:

• Designed a feature based on customer feedback, and working with Program Management, implemented it in 8 weeks. This feature secured two more contracts worth $2M.

So, this is interesting, but it's all evidence, with little story. To create the story, you need an amusing story for the interview that speaks to how you came to realize this feature was important, how you overcame institutional push-back, and how the sales people used the feature to win the contracts. It's even better if this story emphasizes the top aspects of your brand. To cap it all off, you also need references which speak to this win.

Yes, you need evidence of greatness. And yes, you need stories where the evidence can live.

re: 8 Personal Branding Tips by Maren Finzer

I read through this post by Matt several times and thought it was a great point to begin thinking about one's future career possibilities. 

This type of excercise can drive people a little nutty, and a recommendation if this is you. When asked about your Vision, Values & Passions, Strengths & Skills, the best place to turn is your past. Starting at about the age of 13 or so, look at each segment of your life and remember those times you enjoyed the most, those things you easily accomplished, stuff that others noted about you which resonnated fully with your being, as well as those things that are the opposite. Write them down, with one column being "This is Me", and the other being "Stuff that's not Me". Or maybe, "Things I love to do" and "Things I hate to do". Again, break them down by time segment, e.g. Jr. High, High School, College, 1st Job, 2nd Job, Grad School, etc.

The outcomes from this should help you to craft your story, and assist you in answering the tough questions that come up when people ask you about what you're doing, or what you've done, and what you want to do next.

 

 

 

Are you ready to answer?

Matt's post Career Poll: Biggest Silver Lining of Job Market? is a great read for anyone who is about to interview for a role.

Why?

Because you are undoubtedly going to have to answer all 5 of these questions, or variations, in any reasonably good interview process. And probably more than once.

Regardless of whether you love them or hate them, start prepping your answers now!

Do you know where you should work next?

Two words for you: Size and Awards.

First, Size. Seth talks about the Atomic Theory of Business Size. The Organizational Behaviorist in me likes this theory, it explains a lot about why a business is the size it is, and helps leadership to plan for business growth (or resizing). It also helps candidates sort out where they ought to go next. For example, I'm not good in big companies, but I am good in smaller, rapidly growing firms. If you've had experience in both places, think hard about which size companies you've worked at and been the happiest and done your best. My guess is that one of the commonalities will be the size of the organization.

Second, Awards. Industry awards are actually a pretty good indicator of which companies are succeeding. The people who vote on these awards are either industry insiders or journalists with deep background covering the industry. They know the real thing when they see it. 

Take a look at this list from last night's WTIA's Industry Achievement Awards:

• Commercial Product or Service of the Year: Isilon and Docusign (tie)
• Consumer Product or Service of the Year: Swype
• Service Provider of the Year: HasOffers
• Best Early-Stage Company of the Year: Ground Truth
• Best Seed-Stage Company of the Year: SPARQcode
• Innovative Manufactured Product of the Year: DarkStar
• Best Use of Technology in Government, Non-profit or Educational: Open Data Kit

All of these award winners have a great product. And, my guess is that they are all looking for people to join their teams, most certainly Software Engineers. At minimum, I can vouch for one on this list. Swype is looking for Mobile Software Engineers who are pretty darned good with C++.

But here's the thing, these companies are all in different stages of growth, different sizes. You might be great at a firm like Isilon that's around 400 FTE, but miserable at Swype, which is around 65. Or maybe the reverse is true! 

Check for Size and Awards as you look for your new role. They'll help you make the right career step.

Want a job at a startup?

I've been recruiting for several roles of late (C++ Mobile Software Developer, Build Engineer, System Admin, Release Project Manager, etc.), and every resume seems to hold some surprise or nugget of truth that all job-hunters should know about. While some of these nuggets are really cool, amazing ideas, the majority are not. 

I was thinking about these things when I ran across a pretty darned good blog post today, How to Land Your First Startup Job and Leave Corporate Life Behind. Written from the perspective of several hiring managers, and geared specifically towards technical-types, it's a wealth of good ideas and tips to help you land that role. I would call it a must-read for people looking for a role at a startup.

One quibble with the title of this article: Very few hiring managers at a rapidly growing startup want candidates from large-scale companies, especially candidates whose resumes show a 'fat-dumb-and-unhappy' look to them. One key red flag is the candidate who has been at a large company in only one role for more than 5 years. That person is, at first glance, probably not growing their career. Revise your resume to suit, or kick yourself in your ass and turn your career around!

re: The best way to deal with getting fired

Penelope said it, just read it!

Politics, and I don’t mean the Tea Party kind…

I was having dinner the other night with a buddy of mine who is a Data Architect for a mid-sized firm, and he made a great workplace observation: The more political a company is, the less time they have to focus on growing the business.

Duh, you say.

Turns out this is important as maybe you fit in a political environment, or maybe you don’t. 

My observation is that startups are not so political as most of the staff is completely engrossed in creating the business. And businesses with a high percentage of supervisors to staff are very political. Of course, all businesses have a political dimension to them, starting with the board’s relationship with the executive team.

So, think hard about joining that company which may have a political dimension unlike yours. Generally, it’s a bad match if you are a doer and you end up in a company where political intrigue rules the day.

Don't call us, we'll call you

I've been talking recently with a number of folks about their job searches, and there's one interesting thread in all of these conversations: They never get a call about their status after an interview. Or rather, they never get a call call unless it's to move the recruiting process forward.

Actually, it's worse. Not only do they not call, they don't get email, either.

Who's they? HR Pros, Recruiters, Hiring Managers, Execs, CxOs. Everyone.

I can think of a number of reasons for this shift in behavior, but it sure seems like it's rampant to the point of acceptable practice by virtually every business.

Consider this the way the game is played from now on (but this does not let you off the hook for writing your thank-you notes). Accept it as part of Egoless Job Hunting.

 

You really think that Recruiter doesn't know what they are doing?

There are a lot of myths in the business world. One is that recruiters exist to screen you out, and hurt your job search.

With this in mind, ponder HR Capitalist's post, What Would an HR Capitalist Do? She Would Not Talk About Fight Club..., and particularly the second to last paragraph.

So, the next time you think some crusty recruiter is standing in your way of your job, take a day or two, or maybe a week and think a bit more about all that this person has seen in their job, then figure out how you can help them. When the real deal shows up at the door of an HR Pro, they remember, just as they remember the really bad stuff.