You are going to be tempted to stray from your infomercial when a job comes along that’s partly right for you. Maybe it uses some of your skills but not all of them. Maybe the people in the organization are not exactly the kind you like to work with. But the job sounds good. It pays well. It comes with a nice title.
This is when you’ll be tempted to shelve your infomercial. Don’t. You can’t make it right. It will only be a partial fit. How happy do you think you’ll be?
Most people consider a job or an opportunity for all sorts of reasons, most of them wrong: it’s a promotion, which comes with more money, more prestige, or both. Some might be swayed by simple things. A feeling of “I deserve it,” of “It’s my turn,” of “I’ve been here a long time” or “I’m better than the person who’s currently doing it.” I’ve even known individuals who would rather get picked for the wrong job, just to have the option of turning it down.
Thoughts like these can easily pull people away from their true fit. The job looks good, so they grab it, if only to make sure the person next door doesn’t get it and move ahead. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with pouncing on an opportunity. But it has got to be a true fit. Otherwise, you’re headed for a disaster that will waste your time and undermine your brand in the process.
Why do people find it so hard to resist the urge to compete for the wrong job? I think it’s because they’re afraid to stand up for themselves—for who they really are. I see this in my coaching practice almost every day. They are afraid that if they are themselves, and if they say who they are, they will miss opportunities. And they think that if they miss opportunities, they won’t get any more. No more jobs, no more clients, no more business offers.
That’s the fear I sense lurking under the surface when I ask my clients why they felt the need to take the wrong job or pick the wrong client. Does it make sense? Of course not! These people are successful. But they’re still scared they’ll miss the boat unless they say yes. That’s why they are willing to try to turn themselves into someone else.
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Your Personal Bandwidth
Before you start looking for work, it’s important that you understand your personality bandwidth. Personality bandwidth is a little different from the “Who do you like to work with?” question we explored in the previous chapter. It measures your tolerance of different personalities. The range of personalities you can work with helps determine your personality bandwidth. If someone gets along with everyone and everyone loves them back, then they have a wide personality bandwidth. If someone is only comfortable with certain kinds of personalities, and only certain kinds of people are comfortable with them, then they have a narrow personality bandwidth.
I was interviewing an individual for a marketing job in Canada. He was anxious to get the job and told me all the reasons he would be suited to the role based on his CV and past experience. So I asked him, “What’s the worst thing anyone has ever said about you?” He replied without hesitation, “I don’t suffer fools very well. Most people piss me off.”
The candidate’s answer told me that he might have a very narrow personality bandwidth—and therefore be entirely unsuited for this particular job. Like others with a narrow personality band- width, he had strong sense of the personalities he wanted to be around and those he wanted to avoid. This gave him an approach that could rub others the wrong way. It’s okay for him to be bespoken in this way, but he needed to under- stand how narrow his world was. He would work best in a place where his work spoke for itself and he didn’t have to interact a lot with people. As a marketer for products, he would have to work with every level in the organization; in this kind of sales-generation role, he’d be a disaster.
A broad personality bandwidth, on the other hand, is like being able to speak numerous lan- guages. Typically, people with a broad bandwidth have jobs in customer service, client relationships, and sales. They don’t care if someone is difficult or overbearing because by their very nature—their personality bandwidth—they get along with everyone. They can communicate with a wider variety of personalities; clients and friends are one and the same. They find it easy to be empathetic and can almost instantly connect on some level with everyone.
Those with broad personality bandwidths can tolerate a diverse range of personality types, and they see the best in all they meet. Those with narrow bandwidths have to choose their clients or employer more carefully. For that marketing job, I knew the company needed someone who loves everyone because that’s what makes for a great salesperson, not someone who finds most personalities difficult to deal with.
I was interviewing an individual for a marketing job in Canada. He was anxious to get the job and told me all the reasons he would be suited to the role based on his CV and past experience. So I asked him, “What’s the worst thing anyone has ever said about you?” He replied without hesitation, “I don’t suffer fools very well. Most people piss me off.”
The candidate’s answer told me that he might have a very narrow personality bandwidth—and therefore be entirely unsuited for this particular job. Like others with a narrow personality band- width, he had strong sense of the personalities he wanted to be around and those he wanted to avoid. This gave him an approach that could rub others the wrong way. It’s okay for him to be bespoken in this way, but he needed to under- stand how narrow his world was. He would work best in a place where his work spoke for itself and he didn’t have to interact a lot with people. As a marketer for products, he would have to work with every level in the organization; in this kind of sales-generation role, he’d be a disaster.
A broad personality bandwidth, on the other hand, is like being able to speak numerous lan- guages. Typically, people with a broad bandwidth have jobs in customer service, client relationships, and sales. They don’t care if someone is difficult or overbearing because by their very nature—their personality bandwidth—they get along with everyone. They can communicate with a wider variety of personalities; clients and friends are one and the same. They find it easy to be empathetic and can almost instantly connect on some level with everyone.
Those with broad personality bandwidths can tolerate a diverse range of personality types, and they see the best in all they meet. Those with narrow bandwidths have to choose their clients or employer more carefully. For that marketing job, I knew the company needed someone who loves everyone because that’s what makes for a great salesperson, not someone who finds most personalities difficult to deal with.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
What Should Someone Pay Me For?
John had a long and successful career as a financial planner and then as a politician. He was a cabinet minister until 2011, when he lost his seat in a tight election. After being rejected by the voters, he had to figure out what to do.
John realized that the first hurdle was to come to terms with the loss. “No one wants to date someone who isn’t over his or her ‘ex,’” he joked. “I had to first ‘get over the girl.’” He also took some time off to figure out what he wanted to do next. “I knew what I had to do to be successful in business,” he said. “I knew what I had to do to be successful in politics. Now all of a sudden, I was on my own.”
Job offers came in, but none of them felt right. “People would come to me and say I’m a fit for their agenda,” he said. But it was their agenda, not his. “I remember telling my wife, I can do this as long as I turn myself into a pretzel that someone else wanted. But I’m not going to be successful and happy unless I’m doing something I enjoy doing.” Like most of my clients, John had to answer the universal question of life: “What should someone pay me for today?” What was his real value proposition to an employer or client? It would not be easy to answer that question, especially for a former politician.
The best way I know to figure out your true value proposition is to create what I call an infomercial. You might have seen them on The Shopping Channel—the infomercials hawking the wonder wallet, the fake jewellery, and the magic mop. Infomercials are corny and tacky, to be sure, but the great thing about the modern infomercial is that it explains the direct relationship between my dollar and what I get when I buy the item. It says exactly what is for sale. You either need it or you don’t. If you need it, you’ll likely buy it. If you don’t need it, you’ll pass.
The universal question of life: “What should someone pay me for today?”
John realized that the first hurdle was to come to terms with the loss. “No one wants to date someone who isn’t over his or her ‘ex,’” he joked. “I had to first ‘get over the girl.’” He also took some time off to figure out what he wanted to do next. “I knew what I had to do to be successful in business,” he said. “I knew what I had to do to be successful in politics. Now all of a sudden, I was on my own.”
Job offers came in, but none of them felt right. “People would come to me and say I’m a fit for their agenda,” he said. But it was their agenda, not his. “I remember telling my wife, I can do this as long as I turn myself into a pretzel that someone else wanted. But I’m not going to be successful and happy unless I’m doing something I enjoy doing.” Like most of my clients, John had to answer the universal question of life: “What should someone pay me for today?” What was his real value proposition to an employer or client? It would not be easy to answer that question, especially for a former politician.
The best way I know to figure out your true value proposition is to create what I call an infomercial. You might have seen them on The Shopping Channel—the infomercials hawking the wonder wallet, the fake jewellery, and the magic mop. Infomercials are corny and tacky, to be sure, but the great thing about the modern infomercial is that it explains the direct relationship between my dollar and what I get when I buy the item. It says exactly what is for sale. You either need it or you don’t. If you need it, you’ll likely buy it. If you don’t need it, you’ll pass.
The universal question of life: “What should someone pay me for today?”
Monday, November 10, 2014
Tell Me About Yourself
"So tell me about yourself" These five simple words
that have the capability of messing up your interview right from the start.
This one question strikes fear, dry mouth, increased heart palpitations and not
to mention unsightly sweat in all the wrong places in even the most capable
applicants.
Where do you start? Do you go back to the early days? Are they really interested in “…it all started in a small town just outside of Waco Texas” or the more boring “I don't think you can read my resume so let me repeat everything that is written on it”. Which is akin to reading every slide in a presentation in case people can’t see or read. The third alternative is to just rattle on and on about how “I am the greatest thing since sliced bread and any company would be lucky to have me” speech.
Well I know there is a much better alternative to the painful suggestions made by most recruiters. You see, when someone asks you tell them about yourself what they are really trying to do is answer a very simple set of questions in their mind:"What's in it for me to hire you?’ ‘What should I pay you for that will make me more money?’ And lastly, ‘Do I need your skills and if I so, do I like you enough to believe that you will be a good fit with everyone else that works here?"
You see I believe that before you can answer any of these questions you need to be comfortable enough to understand exactly what are you good at, and what skills you possess that someone should pay you for. As you prepare for an interview ask yourself what kind of people you work best with and do they exist where you are applying? Secondly, is your conflict resolution style compatible with the firm you are hoping to be hired by? And lastly, if you could describe the perfect day of activities that you will be required to do does it match the job description? Seems simple enough, yes? Write it down, it will provide clarity. I have received countless feedback from those that I mentor despite how simple these questions seem they provide great clarity.
Far too many people fall into the trap of describing themselves in terms of their CV or Resume, which in my opinion is nothing more than a trip itinerary of jobs. Seriously I always ask my clients and those I mentor, "Is that the single best document to describe who you are, what you are good at and why someone should hire you?" I sincerely doubt it and in all my years of asking the question nobody has ever said yes it is! But we still use the conventional resume...well I have a different I idea for you in how to revamp your resume and how to answer the dreaded question.
In my book, "How to hire the perfect Employer", I outline how you can go about building your own infomercial so that when asked the question "Tell me about yourself" you will have rock solid pitch that will ensure that the employer will be able to figure out whether they need your skills and want you as in your personality and character. So, for those that have not read the book, what does an infomercial look like? Let me share my infomercial with you, the one that I use every time I go on a pitch for new business.
When asked the dreaded questions, I start by saying; "I am trusted advisor to CEOs, Department heads and managers of financial services organizations. I work with them in helping execute their plans by doing recruiting, consulting and coaching"I then continue to tell them that throughout my career I have hired over 900 people while I was at CIBC and BMO. I was responsible for numerous strategic initiatives both in their creation and execution. Lastly, I have mentored and coached numerous people that have gone on to great heights. I am collaborative in my conflict resolution style and the perfect day for me is doing all three of the above mentioned in my infomercial, working on finding good people, advising clients on how to improve their businesses and lastly but most importantly coaching people into finding the perfect fit in employment for them.
The perfect employer for me is someone who is first and foremost seeking a trusted advisor with my background and experience. IF they are just looking for a Head Hunter to show them CV's then I direct them to the many other firms that do that for a living the way the client wants it done.With this clear understanding of my strengths and what I offer to each client I work with, I approach the dreaded ‘Tell me about yourself’ question with ease….
‘Let me tell you about myself, I am a trusted advisor to CEOs….”
Where do you start? Do you go back to the early days? Are they really interested in “…it all started in a small town just outside of Waco Texas” or the more boring “I don't think you can read my resume so let me repeat everything that is written on it”. Which is akin to reading every slide in a presentation in case people can’t see or read. The third alternative is to just rattle on and on about how “I am the greatest thing since sliced bread and any company would be lucky to have me” speech.
Well I know there is a much better alternative to the painful suggestions made by most recruiters. You see, when someone asks you tell them about yourself what they are really trying to do is answer a very simple set of questions in their mind:"What's in it for me to hire you?’ ‘What should I pay you for that will make me more money?’ And lastly, ‘Do I need your skills and if I so, do I like you enough to believe that you will be a good fit with everyone else that works here?"
You see I believe that before you can answer any of these questions you need to be comfortable enough to understand exactly what are you good at, and what skills you possess that someone should pay you for. As you prepare for an interview ask yourself what kind of people you work best with and do they exist where you are applying? Secondly, is your conflict resolution style compatible with the firm you are hoping to be hired by? And lastly, if you could describe the perfect day of activities that you will be required to do does it match the job description? Seems simple enough, yes? Write it down, it will provide clarity. I have received countless feedback from those that I mentor despite how simple these questions seem they provide great clarity.
Far too many people fall into the trap of describing themselves in terms of their CV or Resume, which in my opinion is nothing more than a trip itinerary of jobs. Seriously I always ask my clients and those I mentor, "Is that the single best document to describe who you are, what you are good at and why someone should hire you?" I sincerely doubt it and in all my years of asking the question nobody has ever said yes it is! But we still use the conventional resume...well I have a different I idea for you in how to revamp your resume and how to answer the dreaded question.
In my book, "How to hire the perfect Employer", I outline how you can go about building your own infomercial so that when asked the question "Tell me about yourself" you will have rock solid pitch that will ensure that the employer will be able to figure out whether they need your skills and want you as in your personality and character. So, for those that have not read the book, what does an infomercial look like? Let me share my infomercial with you, the one that I use every time I go on a pitch for new business.
When asked the dreaded questions, I start by saying; "I am trusted advisor to CEOs, Department heads and managers of financial services organizations. I work with them in helping execute their plans by doing recruiting, consulting and coaching"I then continue to tell them that throughout my career I have hired over 900 people while I was at CIBC and BMO. I was responsible for numerous strategic initiatives both in their creation and execution. Lastly, I have mentored and coached numerous people that have gone on to great heights. I am collaborative in my conflict resolution style and the perfect day for me is doing all three of the above mentioned in my infomercial, working on finding good people, advising clients on how to improve their businesses and lastly but most importantly coaching people into finding the perfect fit in employment for them.
The perfect employer for me is someone who is first and foremost seeking a trusted advisor with my background and experience. IF they are just looking for a Head Hunter to show them CV's then I direct them to the many other firms that do that for a living the way the client wants it done.With this clear understanding of my strengths and what I offer to each client I work with, I approach the dreaded ‘Tell me about yourself’ question with ease….
‘Let me tell you about myself, I am a trusted advisor to CEOs….”
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Why Finding Your Target Rich Environment Will Land You the Right Job
“Do not labor with bigger nets, fish where the fish are.” -- Greek fisherman’s proverb.
A key component in my approach to helping people to find careers that fit them is showing them that rather than looking in more places, they need to start looking in the right places.
I call those places you should be looking for career fit your Target Rich Environment™. I introduced you to the concept of a Target Rich Environment in this post, but now I want to take that introduction a bit deeper.
So what is a Target Rich Environment, and how does it apply to your job search?
Well, your Target Rich Environment is made up of the type of work, people, company, and industry where you fit. Your TRE is the environment in which you have the highest probability of finding an employer that fits you. To refer back to the Greek fisherman’s proverb -- it’s where all the fish are waiting to be caught.
How do you find your Target Rich Environment?
The key is first to acquire a thorough knowledge of yourself – that is, your own commercial value, your skills, what you can offer an employer, who you work best with, and what kind of work culture you thrive in. This is a process I take my clients through at length. Once they are there, they use their newly gathered knowledge of themselves to pinpoint companies that fit them. My book takes readers through this same process, one step at a time (click here to read an excerpt).
What might your Target Rich Environment look like?
One defining characteristic of companies and organizations in your TRE is that they both need you and your skills and want you and your skills.
They will be companies that:
- -- have the same philosophy, and culture as you
- -- are staffed by people likely to be compatible with you
- -- have a conflict resolution process that fits your natural conflict resolution style
- -- meet your criteria regarding size, growth, and opportunity
It’s time for you to start work on mapping out your own Target Rich Environment.
If you don’t know where you stand on these criteria, now’s the time to figure it out -- you can’t expect anyone else to give you the answers.
Sure, it takes a bit of introspection and some hard work, but once you have a clear grasp of who you are, and which companies are in your Target Rich Environment, you’ll be in a much stronger position to start applying for the right jobs the right way.
For more detailed information on how to find Career Fit check out my book How to Hire the Perfect Employer.
Photo credit: viZZZual.com
Thursday, February 3, 2011
What’s the Best Way to Find the Right Job?
The tried and true method of finding a job has always been to send you resume to as many places as humanly possible while contacting as many people as possible, either directly, or through other contacts.
I like to call this approach the “let's throw as much bleep at the wall as possible and see if it sticks” approach. Tried and true? I’m not so sure about the true part.
In effect many people say “I’ll just let everyone else figure out what I am good at, how I might fit, and what I can do for an employer just by glancing at my résumé.” Then, if that’s not enough, they move on to plan B, which is “I’ll get my past employers or references to weigh in with their own descriptions of me and why they think I should be hired.”
I don't know about you but if I’m the employer doing the hiring, this approach doesn’t say to me that you’re taking responsibility for you own job search, or that you’re making sure that you’re being properly represented as a person, and an employee.
What that says to me is that you’re on a wing and a prayer. There must be a better way.
In fact, there is a better way, and the first step is to decide that you are going to be responsible for how the world sees you, how the world understands you, and where you’re going to look for a job.
You’re probably asking, “OK wise guy, how do I change how I do things?”
Well, first of all stop thinking about “looking for a job” and start thinking about finding the right match for you. Stop thinking about winning the job that happens to be in front of you, or figuring out how to answer the interview questions correctly.
Instead of relying on sending out résumés I recommend that you create your own “infomercial" -- an infomercial that really is about helping you find the right fit for you.
You see a résumé is really nothing more than a trip itinerary showing where you have been. It does a bad job of distinguishing you as a person and an employee.
As if that’s not enough of a problem, there’s the fact that there is no standardization with résumés. Each one looks and sounds unlike the next one, leaving the reader to try and interpret exactly what it tells them about the applicant -- other than where they have worked in the past.
Lastly, I have never known anyone to “under-fluff” their resume. Interviewers know this and they will usually take what's in there with a very large grain of salt.
Apart from all of these drawbacks the résumé is a pretty useful document!
So, back to the infomercial.
Your personal infomercial™ addresses the need to create a crystal-clear understanding of who you are. It summarises what you are good at, what types of people you work best with, and it makes it completely clear what you want to be doing everyday of your working life.
It’s so simple and so unambiguous that the interviewer is able to say whether or not you have the skills they need, and whether or not you are the type of person they want. There’s just no need to wade through all the other crap.
Clear and succinct. Easy to understand.
You’re thinking “OK, Jim, so how do I create my infomercial?”
Well, probably the best way (shameless plug here) is to pick up a copy of my book "How to Hire the Perfect Employer." Alternatively you can subscribe on the right hand side of the page to take advantage of the many free tips I’ll be giving you right here on my blog in the coming months.
Just promise me one thing -- that you’ll stop throwing stuff at the wall hoping for some of it to stick, and that you’ll start to think long and hard about the process of actually finding the right fit for you.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Changing Jobs in 2011? Think About Career Fit Before Making a Career Move
The fact is that in North America there is a high level of job dissatisfaction and that means it’s likely that you are, or soon will be, looking for new opportunities yourself.
But before you update that resume and start applying for jobs, let me ask you an important question.
Are you thinking about career fit?
An astounding number of people let their past job titles direct their career paths rather than factors that really matter. Maybe you’ve been reasonably successful in sales, or marketing, or accounts -- but that doesn’t mean those job titles should define you.
So what criteria should you use to direct your career path? Well, there are a number of important factors that I explore with my clients. Here are some questions you can start with:
-- Why are you unhappy or unsatisfied in your current position?
-- What is it about your work that gives you satisfaction and what makes you unhappy?
-- What are things you really enjoy and what do you dread doing each day?
-- Who do you work well with and who do you dislike working with and why?
Make a note of your answers now and start to create your Personal Balance Sheet™ as you consider what your next career move might be.
At the risk of over-simplifying things, you need to find a job that involves doing the things you enjoy (by the way these are almost invariably the things you are good at) and does not involve doing the things you dislike.
It makes sense to take the time to know how you are wired. This might seem like a no-brainer but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve encountered who have allowed other factors to direct their career paths without questioning them.
If you’ve been unhappy in a previous position it’s vital to work out exactly why you were unhappy. Was it the people you worked with? Were you in the wrong field? Were you in the right field but the wrong company?
Figure these things out and you’re in a much better position to start looking for a job and employer that will fit. And you’ll be in a much better position to find happiness at work.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Do You Really Want the Jobs You’re Interviewing For?
There is a standard approach to searching for and interviewing for a new job. It goes something like this:
You browse a number of job listings, selecting several on the basis of a short blurb and/or the advertised salary. You then passively send out a résumé to selected companies. You proceed to wait by your mailbox for an unlikely acceptance letter.
Let’s say you get an interview and you find yourself sitting there under the microscope trying to convince your interviewer that you are perfect for a company you know almost nothing about. Even if you get the job, the question is do you really want it?
It may be a couple of years or (as in my case) decades before it becomes apparent to you that you’re in entirely the wrong job. Only then will you realize that what you did in your interview was convince yourself and your employer that you (a square peg) were a perfect fit for the position (a round hole.)
I have news for you -- there is a much much better way.
Imagine a different scenario. You’re considering interviewing for a list of companies, but this time, as you’re looking at each company on your list, you’re thinking:
- Why should I apply for this job?
- Will it give me the opportunity to use and add value with my skill set?
- Will this organization’s work environment fit with my personality type?
- Will this employer fit me and my goals?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then -- let me be clear -- you shouldn’t be interviewing for the job. Square peg. Round hole. It’s time to reconfigure and begin looking for a job that fits who you are.
That’s what my approach (and this blog) is all about -- understanding the importance of the Fit Factor™. It’s about knowing who you are and what you have to offer. It’s about understanding why you and a particular company are a good fit.
Thinking of a career change? Does your thinking need to change first?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
