Getting to know you

There was a really interesting article the June issue of Fast Company Magazine titled “Hold the Interview: Why it may be wiser to hire people without meeting them”.  Now, that got my attention!

The authors, Dan Heath and Chip Heath (of Made to Stick) report that interviews are “less predictive of job performance than work samples, job-knowledge tests, and peer ratings of past job performance.  Even a simple intelligence test is dramatically more useful”.

So what would that mean to you, the career or job seeker?

You may be asked to “perform” on the spot.  Instead of (or maybe even in addition to) simply showing off your interviewing finesse be ready for peer interviews, job-knowledge tests, and a request to show your work in a relevant and applicable manner.  For instance, if you’re applying for an executive position, be ready to show your “100 Day Plan of Action”.  If you’re applying for an office administration position, you may be asked to take a seat at the switch board and field a few calls in what is called a “working interview”.

Think this won’t happen to you?  Don’t be so sure.  With more candidates to see for every open position, more and more prospective employers are seeking to enhance the value of an interview process by using non-traditional methods of figuring out if the candidate can actually do the job.

What does this all mean?  Well, I think it levels the playing field a bit for those who interview poorly.  Now, such people may actually get hired because they managed to demonstrate their ability to do the job they are applying for rather than simply tell a good story.

Get Unstuck

Not knowing can invoke fear and panic – sometimes to the point of paralyzing you from making a decision on what to do next.  You become stuck. 

Ask yourself these two questions:

1.  What do you want?

2.  What is the immediate problem that prevents you from getting what you want?

Get unstuck and find a way through.   Explore choices, options, and what-if scenarios.  Brainstorm with friends, colleagues, and confidants.

Get yourself a mentor, a coach, and a personal advisory group.  Your mentor will help show you the “way”, your coach will give you objective no-nonsense feedback and guidance, and your personal advisers will share their knowledge and expertise with you.  And, remember – - your advisers can pull strings for you if necessary – after all, they want to see you succeed, too!

But, everything starts with you.  Getting unstuck is not a science, it’s an art.  It relies on gumption, gut instinct, and a willingness to move on.  Nothing changes until you take the first step – - your best resource is YOU!

Plan to be surprised!

I believe there are some people who are meant to take up space and maybe find a way to leave a legacy that may or may not be meaningful to anyone of consequence – - and then there are others  who are meant to create space and actually live a legacy during the process.  Which one are you?

 

I occassionally look back on my previous career as a Fortune 100 IT executive and wonder if I should have stayed on that path rather than pick the transitional “road less traveled”.  I was successful and happy.  I inspired others to succeed and be their best – - but I knew it was time for me to take a new direction.  The question was, “now what?”

Here are some other questions I asked myself:

“What am I good at?”

“What am I passionate about?”

“What do I believe?”

“What am I meant to do?”

All interesting questions – - but what the heck are the answers?!

So, I turned to my family.  Not for answers but for understanding.  I looked to “see” where I had come from in order to envision where I might be headed.  “Wanderlust” runs in my family – - it’s “who” my family is – - it’s who I am - – so why would I deny being the person I am meant to be? 

 

I was destined to be a servant leader, a caretaker of those in pain, and a positive source of energy for those who have lost their way.  To be mobile and fluid, to evolve and grow, to be fearless – - to step up when others backed away.  None of this makes me “special”, it simply makes me “me”.  And so, this is how I choose to live a life as my authentic self.  Did I know this was where I would end up?  Not in a million years.

 

I’ll go even further by saying that I also believe the perfect career or job is not necessarily the one we start out with – - i.e. a career does not need to be totally planned out.  I think what is meaningful is living the art of agility and surprise.  Plan to be surprised most of your life (and I mean the ups and downs) – - and I know the footprint you leave behind will be one that inspires others down the road!

  

Be thoughtful in your process to discover what is next in your career life.  But, rather than try to answer all the questions about what that would look like – - why not focus on continually developing better questions that help both you and others find their way?

Remaining relevant at the speed of light.

With business moving at the speed of light, the question becomes “how do I remain relevant in today’s competitive market?”  If you’re not asking yourself this question then 1) you are totally outside of your mind, or 2) you are an amazing role model for the rest of us.

The world is just on the other side of that portal.

Whether you’re a job searcher, an internal or external consultant, a business owner, a teacher or educator, an entrepreneur, writer, reporter, whoever – - if your success relies on your ability to remain current and relevant, then here are just a few ideas for you:

- Alltop.com - an “on-line magazine rack” of popular topics that are categorized for easy access, you can also create your own custom magazine rack with MyAlltop.com.

- Social Networking – LinkedIn forums offer an opportunity to share your expertise by answering questions posed by others in your functional area. Twittergives you the most current snippet of what’s going on, just follow those sources you share common interests with.  Read the book “Twitter Means Business” to get yourself up to speed on how businesses are utilizing Twitter successfully as a marketing and business development strategy.

- Volunteering on Advisory Boards – Actively participating on an advisory board where you can lend your functional expertise gives you access to a dynamic knowledge and experience base where you are solving real problems in real time.  Interaction in this venue will provide you with feedback about your intent and ability to remain relevant in your chosen field of expertise.

What are some other ways you are remaining professionally relevant?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Your Career Journey Begins

Welcome to my new blog called the “Career Continuum” blog.  I look forward to a valuable exchange of thoughts and ideas with you regarding the different phases of your career.   No matter where you are in your career, I’m hoping you will find something of interest in my writings on the topic.

Let’s get started . . .

The winding road begins at the start of your journey.

Your career journey begins on the very first day of your very first job.  Maybe your first job was baby-sitting your younger siblings or the neighbor’s kids so that you could raise extra money for that special something you wanted to buy.  Maybe it was your part-time job at a fast food restaurant in high school.  Or, maybe it was your first job out of school.  Whatever it was, your first job is where your career journey begins.

My first job was a part-time job as a sales clerk with a Hawaiian Clothing Shop at the Cinerama Reef Hotel on Waikiki Beach.  It was a really fun job because it gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  And being such a shy person myself, it actually helped me to come out of my “shell” because I saw my job as a service to others.

That was a long time ago and where I am today in my career is a far cry from where I started.  You could say I took the long and winding road to where I am today.  A career is more than a single career path.  That’s why I like to think of a career as a series of unfolding views, each holding something new and exciting just around the corner.

The long view is a beautiful vista.

As you venture with the next step in your career, I encourage you to explore the possibilities with your eyes wide open.  If you fully engage yourself in this adventure, you will surely make the best decision in “what to do next”.  Now, it’s your turn.  I would love to hear about your career journey – - feel free to share a story about your first job with me!