Professional Development

Weekly Challenge: Your Hidden Army

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We all have people we can call on – friends, family, co-workers, fans, and more.  It's easy to forget it – especially when we're having a bad day – but there's a good chance you have people that you can call on when it's needed.

The problem is that we forget this – ad we don't know when to reach out and bring people together.  This week's exercise is about both of these factors.

Here are the two parts of the challenge:

  1. List all of the people – and organizations/fandoms/communities – you can call on when needed.  This may not be due to a crisis – this could be to achieve something – and of course different groups and people may have different abilities that can help.
  2. Ask how you'd bring these people together when needed.  Are you a leader already, a moral center, a manager of ideas, etc.  How do you bring people together.

Now knowing these things:

  1. Does anything surprise you?
  2. Do you see any gaps in your life you need to fix.

You probably have an entire army to call on in life.  You just may not realize it – or realize how you can do so.

– Steven Savage

Frustration Friday: The Best Isn’t The Best – Again

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OK, let me go and say something I've been telling people for awhile.

Your competency at a profession is not based on any one skill.  It is based on if you have the skills that SUPPORT that skill so you can use it, and thus have a job and a career.

  • If you're the world's greatest artist and have no social skills, you're probably not going to get hired, or even let people be aware of your talent.
  • If you're the world's greatest writer and you're disorganized and ever complete anything, that legion of half-finished novels will never see an audience.
  • If you are a brilliant programmer and don't know the industry you're in, then you will not be able to deal with clients, make plans, and get the job done.

For that matter if you're a brilliant ANYTHING and can't do a job search, network, and market yourself you're probably in trouble anyway.

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Thank a Recruiter

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Take a moment to thank a recruiter.

Recruiters don't have an easy time in this tough economy.  Many people are suffering unemployment and underemployment – and the same happens to recruiters.  Their goal after all is to place people in jobs and no jobs means no placement.

Recruiters face the depressing facts of the economy day in and day out.  It's there in status reports, in interviews, in every customer that withdraws a request, in every potential recruit who is told no.  Recruiters face every facet of the Great Recession as part of their job; that has to be depressing.

Recruiters have to move with the times in technology, knowledge, and understanding professions.  A person may need to understand their job and career, but a recruiter needs to stay on top of many professions.  They need to stay on top of this news even in a troubled economy because . . . well it may just be important.

Once, a recruiter called me to see if I knew someone for a programming position that involved more Java experience than was possible.  When I told them that, frankly, the client didn't know what he was talking about, the recruiter said that's why he called.  He wanted his fear confirmed – and to blow off a bit of stream with a friendly voice.

Take a moment to remember the recruiters.  It's not just good networking – it's a sign of respect and empathy to people who probably need it.

– Steven Savage