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Relationships (From the Vault)
December 23, 1999
There isn't anything magical about the Web, contrary to all the hype.
Basically it is just information going to and fro at a faster pace and in a better form. The first major technological innovation for quickly transferring information is arguably the Telegraph, which was substantially in place by the 1850's. Phone lines have criss-crossed the country for the better part of the last seventy-five years, about the same time that the rural electrification program was in full swing.
The Web uses phone lines and electricity to make connections, so the technology is relatively ancient. Considering all the hullabaloo about true videophones and accessing the Net from your cell phone or hand held device, it's easy to forget that these innovations are really arriving more than fifty years after the general population anticipated them. Dick Tracy's two-way visual wristwatch seemed to be an imminent product development well before our parents were born.
What is magical about the sending higher quality information a lot faster is the possibility in establishing better relationships between people who could only have hooked up together through Herculean efforts. If you have a particular interest (say pet ferrets), you can now easily communicate with ferret owners from the US and all over the world. And this interconnection of specific interest groups is only going to accelerate dramatically in the next few years.
What matters is the quality of the relationships you make. Your career and Job satisfaction will depend on how well you interconnect with like-minded individuals with a passion for similar interests. The Internet is less about finding a Job, and more about creating a Job by sharing your deeper interests with others. There are tons of Employers desperately searching for motivated, quick learning individuals pursuing what they love.
They are less interested in self-serving resumes that only show you want a Job, any Job.
Acquisition Costs (From the Vault)
December 22, 1999
You've heard this dozens of times before, but it's worth thinking about why it's true. It has to do with the nature of work, which is grounded in the relationship between Employer and Employee. And this working relationship is based on Trust.
Employees are entrusting you with the very survival of their company. As an Employee you are all that stands between customers (acquired at considerable cost) and their first (and lasting) impression of the company. Employees that don't treat customers with respect and in a competent manner are less than an asset - they are a liability.
Employers will be counting on you to show up on time, open their stores, total the receipts, protect company assets (both physical and proprietary), and lock everything up at night. More importantly, Employees are the human face of the company. Their attitude towards customers can make or break profits and the company, as well. For every $10 spent on getting new customers it only costs $1 to get a current customer to buy again.
Despite the billions of dollars spent on branding and name recognition (and marginal differences in quality), customers return to buy again because they felt welcomed on their original visit. We prefer to deal with someone we already know. The first time you meet someone you have to 'break the ice.' Afterwards you have the right to impose because you've been properly introduced. In effect, you have an accepted social 'relationship'.
And this is a very valuable commodity. Through our network of contacts at work we habitually impose ourselves on people we've never met, establishing relationships. These acquaintances all have their own network of relationships that you can tap into when you're looking for a Job. The same 10-1 ratio applies - it will take only one-tenth the effort to get referenced in to the person with the authority to hire you if you use the relationships you've already created rather than continually starting from scratch, expecting people who don't know you to help.
Sometimes you need to take less than your 'Dream Job' to build the relationships and experiences necessary to work your connections to their fullest extent.
The Screen Game (From the Vault)
December 21, 1999
Jobhunting feels like a game of you against the world. Hundreds of other hopeful Job applicants are vying for the same Job that you covet, and Hiring Managers (or their applicant software program) will discard you and your resume in less than thirty seconds if you are missing a particularly desirable skill, degree, keyword, or extra year of experience.
You'll need to fight back aggressively, understanding the system and proacting accordingly. While HR Managers will cringe and moan about the ethical questions, resumes are merely a tool to market yourself. As such they should be used to sell a company on your best qualities and skill set. Negative information should be left out - let your new Employers find out what your flaws are after you have the Job and they are more willing to work with you. And puffing your skills somewhat is a common and generally acceptable practice.
Companies do not have the resources to effectively verify all the information in your resume - if you sound legitimate during the Interview, they figure they'll take their chances by hiring you. So tailor your resumes to the specific Job you're applying for, adjusting your skill set and experience marginally to increase your chances of actually getting to the Interview stage.
If the Job calls for three years experience and you've got two, input 'three yrs exp' on the application form. Remember the year of experience you got consulting on the side? Or add the experience you got in a somewhat similar Job function from a previous Employer. Employees learn on the Job, so once you get the Job you'll have that extra year under your belt in no time flat - so don't fret small discrepancies between what the Job 'requires' and what your resume 'offers'.
Too many candidates get screened out from Jobs they are perfectly capable of performing because they don't understand how to play the 'screen game'. Don't let arbitrary standards keep you from the Job you want, need, and can perform as well as other Job candidates.
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Materials written by John Sumser © TwoColorHat. All Rights Reserved.