Ask A Progeek

Ask A Progeek: My future or current job?

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And our “Ask A Progeek Question” today is . . .

In filling out an online profile (such as on Linked In), what should you list as your job; the one you have or the one you want?

First, kudos on using online profiles.  They’re pretty much indispensable to the job search.  This has been my normal, pathetic, pimping of LinkedIn.

Now beyond that, what do you do?

First, you put the job you’re actually doing in there.  People aren’t looking for your hopes and dreams (in most cases) and putting something else in there that you’re not can look awful deceptive.

But  . . . you do need to communicate your hopes, skills, and dreams.  So let’s look at ways to do that.

Summary: Many profiles (LinkedIn included) have a summary section.  You can put your hopes/dreams/ambitions in there.

Skills: If you have skills relevant to your ambitions (but not your current job), put them in any skills profiles.

Jobs: If you have a hobby that’s also joblike, you may want to put it in your profile so people can see what you do – and so you can get recommendations.  This is a bit of a fine line as it may make you look like you’re disloyal or splint in your ambitions – or it may make you look ambitious and forward thinking.

This is something I do even though I have a job and a career – I have an entry for my side hobbies so people can learn more about me.  Since it walks the line between hobby and job, I like to include it.

Other Areas: Listings of publications, hobbies, associations, etc. also lets you communicate your interests and ambitions.  If you don’t work in gaming, but belong to the IGDA, that says something.

As always, the goal is to communicate who you are.  You don’t want to say the wrong thing in the wrong place, but you do want to say the right things.

– Steven Savage

Ask A Progeek: What DO I bring to the position?

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What’s our question this week?

How do you answer “What do you bring to the position” in a job interview without reciting the job posting OR going too off track?  What’s the right balance of requirements and outside details?

I don’t know anyone that really enjoys answering this question (OK, I kind of do, but I like a challenge).  The problem with saying “what do I bring to the position?” is that we’re not sure if we’re answering the question, or answering the question for the person asking it, or . . . well, you get an idea.

Really, we don’t know what kind of questions we’re answering or who we’re answering them for.  We’ve just been asked “what do we bring” after filling out a lot of forms and reading a laundry list of requirements (or, just as bad, no list).

The first thing to do is to realize that the question is coming and prepare.  If you’re shocked this comes up, then you’re not ready.

The second thing is to review the position – not just the requirements, not just what people said it is, but what it really is.  Do your research, read up, etc.  If you’ve been in a profession for awhile you probably know it pretty intimately.

With this review, then compose your answers for “what do you bring to this position?” ahead of time.  Make sure it answers what you can really do for the real position.  Feel free to work in a few bullet points or catchphrases if you think it’s needed, but make sure it’s a real answer – a real in-context answer.

Third, prepare to be pre-emptive on this question.  If an opportunity comes up to show what you can do, use it – just don’t blatantly spit out a bunch of catchphrases or prepared statements.  If someone asks about specific experience, focus on the stuff you’ve done and know relevant to the job – in context (as I always say).  Make sure you’re answering the question ahead of time.

If you do it right, you’ll possibly spare your poor interviewer from having to ask “what do you bring to the position,” because they’re probably tired of asking it and getting a verbal tsunami of an answer (or blank looks).

Fourth, work this into your personal branding – very big for us professional geeks.  Is there a chance to show that what you bring to the position is, well, you?  Can you use your meekness as an edge in answering (or preemptively answering) that question.

So the question’s coming.  Be ready.

– Steven Savage

Ask A Progeek – When Do Skills Not Go On A Resume?

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And our question today . . .

Are there some skills that are considered too common (like Word) or too bland (like people skills) to be worth mentioning?

In an age of overloaded resumes it’s actually an interesting question to ask – what do we leave out?

The answer, of course, is that there’s no simple yes/no rule.  No, that’s not a cop-out, because the question itself is actually the wrong question.

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