job search

Steve’s Job Search 2012: Empathy

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(Steve’s seemingly never-ending series of what he learned in his last job search continues . . .)

On your job search, you’re dealing with people.  People like you one way or another.

I’ve always emphasized empathy towards people doing recruitment, but over the last year and over my job search I began to realize how often we don’t empathize with others in our job search.  What of the people in HR?  The people doing the interviews?  The people you’re talking to that you may be working with?  The poor folks applying that annoying online test?

They could use empathy too, just like anyone else.

I found that having more empathy for everyone in the job search was good for me as a person.  It’s so easy to view the search as a kind of hunt or challenge or gauntlet, when really it’s just a bunch of people like you.  Remember that, take the time to think how they feel, to relate, to understand.  You’ll save yourself a lot of bitterness, delusion, and being a jerk.

The job search – as inhuman as it can seem sometime – is all about people.

I think this increased empathy helped me a lot in the job search.  I got more interviews.  I felt more comfortable with people – and helped them feel more comfortable.  I understood their needs and helped communicate how I could fulfill them.  I had a better sense of what was really going on for recruiters, companies, and jobs.

Also, it was more relaxing.  When you remember people are people, it’s easier to work with them.

Oh and needless to say, i felt like I was being a better person.

Not sure you can feel empathy during all the chaos?  Take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of other people and ask how you can help them.  During an interview put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and ask what they feel and what they want.  Relate to them as people.

You’ll be surprised to find how easy it is to understand them just by taking a moment.  That moment may get you the job, save your sanity, or both.

Empathy.  It makes you a better person and helps you find a job.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

Steve’s Job Search 2012: Be Your (Best) Self

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So my job search series continues.  Honestly, I may wrap this up into a booklet.

Anyway, for those of you following along, I lost my job late May 2012.  I then went on an intense job search, trying all the techniques I knew.  I found a job in 3 weeks – and also learned quite a bit.  Now I’m writing all my findings up in what is proving to be a disturbingly long-winded series.

One lesson I’ve been realizing for awhile, but that became very apparent, is that you want to be yourself on the job search – your best self.

What I mean by being your best self is that on interviews and searches that you essentially are yourself, but bringing out the best qualities of yourself.  If you’re gregarious, go for it.  If you’re calm and methodical, don’t try to go gonzo and speed yourself up. Bring out your real strengths, and the ones you show when you’re truly being yourself.

As for your negatives?  Own them.  Admit to your mistakes and flaws – and show how your good traits make up for them.  Don’t wave them in people’s faces in some lame attempt at false honest, just admit to them and go on, or apologize if they come up.

Think of it as being the you you want to be able to be all the time – for your interviewers.

This has a lot of advantages:

  1. It’s honest, without falsehood or self-flagellation.
  2. You’ll quickly know if you fit in with the people you talk to – and find fits you may not have expected.
  3. You’ll be natural and people can really assess you.
  4. Interviewers are used to B.S.  They’ll be happy to see someone being real.

I noticed that when I just “was me” the amount of interviews I got and leads I got skyrocketed and many were high-powered.  I even had people who didn’t hire me call me back to help them with recruiting or ask advice.  I’d like to think it’s because I’m awesome, but also I’m sure some of it was that we found the right fit (a few people got disinterested fast), and some of it was they were relieved to not have someone drop a load of B.S. on them.

If you think about it, it makes sense.  If you can fake your way through an interview to get a job, are you really going to be the right person?  If you’re not being yourself, perhaps you come off as false and deceptive.

Be your best self.  It’s honest, productive – and frankly, easier.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

Steve’s Job Search 2012: A Blitz Works

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I lost my job right before a vacation.  I took some time to send out resumes before heading out to my suddenly-even-more deserved rest, then I hit the job search like the palm of a short but charismatic Lannister.

I hit all the job boards I could.  I burned hours upon hours telling everyone in my LinkedIn directory (who would want to know) about my job search.  I told my friends.  I rechecked my recruiter list.  I probably easily put 50 hours into the search or more in the first week alone.  Maybe more – I can’t honestly remember.

It worked.  I got an insane amount of resumes out as noted, and obviously got results.

A good blitz works for several reasons:

  1. It gets you out there pure and simple.  You might not sustain it, but it does saturate the market.
  2. It lets you evaluate your opportunities.  This is kind of like career echolocation, where you send out signals and see what happens.
  3. It gets some one-time or limited tasks just the heck out of the way so you can focus – like blitzing your contact network.
  4. It gets your name out there, so the chance for “pass alongs” increases with every contact you make.

#2 is one that’s not something I’ve heard people talk about much, so I want to emphasize it.  If you do a big, insane job search blitz, then at least you get a lot of signals back to evaluate your progress.

A blitz is also good as if you get good results then you get reinforced as well.  It’s a good way to keep yourself in good spirits.  If nothing else at least you can drown your panic in activity.

If you’re blitzing the job boards, do not just do the day you start or the last few days.  Go back as far as they can go so you catch up on any posts you can find.  It’s worth it – those positions are up there for a reason, and even if the job is filled, someone may still look at your resume!

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/