Nice guys don’t get hired.

Pardon the poor grammar of the blog title. The proper “Nice guys are not hired” or “Nobody hires nice guys” sounded too soft. I want to relay the harshness of the reality with language just as harsh. Being proper does not always get the job done, just as nice guys don’t always get hired. It confuses most people.

I had a client Josh, who was a nice guy. Everybody thought Josh should be able to get a job because he is a really nice guy. He has such a wide variety of skills one would think he would be hired quickly. When he came to me he said “I don’t understand why nobody wants to hire me? I’ve been unemployed for 18 months and have almost landed 4 jobs, but it seems I’m always the runner up. I do a good job and don’t ask for much. ”

I replied, “There is your problem. You are not asking for anything. You are too nice. You are probably not telling people what you want to do and what you are good at.” Josh looked at me as if I was asking him to be immoral, as if I was asking him to ask for more than his fair share and to brag. That is not nice behavior for most people.

To many men this seems greedy and counterproductive. Years of modern social conditioning have led us to believe if you are nice and not pushy, you will be rewarded. In kindergarten if we were quiet and patient while waiting in line we were rewarded with praises and prizes. Parents often did the same. The pushy braggers were sent to the back of the line or pointed out to us as spoiled children. Advance 20 or 30 years and most men are still living by grade school ethics. (This is true for most areas of men’s lives.)

Most of us expect our bosses, superiors and hiring managers as well as spouses to naturally see the best in us and reward us for waiting our turn. This is what nice guys do. Rather think of what a hiring manager wants to hear. They want you to make it easy for them. Explain to them what you can do, why you are good at it and why it would be beneficial to hire you. When you do this well, you can ask for much because you ARE worth it and you have just proved it

So what became of Josh? In our first meeting I showed him how to see value in himself mainly through the DISC profile. Then we discussed how to communicate his value and patterns of success in terms an employer wants to hear. We just barely touched on the importance of being assertive (at the right time) in asking for fair compensation before our time was up. This was all he needed. In a brief email Josh thanked me for my coaching and apologized for not getting back to me sooner. The week after we met he started a series of interviews and was hired. He admitted it was hard to brag of his ability, but was thankful for the result.

Most people do not truly understand their value and are run over by life. They do not know they are being run over because they are unaware their value is being trampled on. They just think, “Guess it is not my turn yet. I’ll be nice and wait my turn.” Stop being nice. Start understanding yourself and the value you have to give. Start earning what you deserve.

Do monsters talk to you at work? If not, you are in trouble.

(This is the first of a 3 part series)

I used to think monsters were only make believe and for children, but they are real and they exist at your work.

I’m on a plane bound for Dallas Texas to visit a friend and mentor.  Enter Lewis Gordon, size 50 shoulders, full, thick beard with strands of curly silver woven within.  The plane is nearly full and he eyes the open middle seat next to me.  He then perceives all 6 foot 5 of me.

A look flashes in his eyes, acknowledging it would take a crowbar to wedge our larger-than-average frames together.  He politely suggests he will find a more comfortable spot, but as he looks around, every seat as been filled by impatient travelers.

As Mr. Gordon sits, he offers up a verbal shoehorn to help ease both of us into the tight fit. Pointing at the book in my hand, he asks, “What are you reading?”
“’Masterful Coaching’. It’s something for my business.  What do you have there?”  I asked as I reciprocated the pointing.
“Oh something I wrote. It is on how humanity no longer listens to monsters and the monsters have lost their voice.”

“What?!”, I thought to myself.  “ Did we once hear monsters, and why does it matter?”  Lewis insists it does matter, and it matters more we no longer are paying attention.  Monsters are an actual warning.

He begins to lay out the facts:  The word “monster” comes from the Latin root “monere”, which means a warning or omen.  In antiquity (roman and Greek stories) monsters were a warning to humanity that some disaster was about to occur unless humans did something quickly to change their ways.  Through stories, monsters represented real world issues.

By now I have learned Mr. Gordon is actually Dr. Gordon of Temple University, Brown University and the University of West Indies in Jamaica.  He received his doctorate of philosophy from Yale at age 31.  Atypical of some heady philosophers, when we are talking, I’m not talked down to.  Nor does he expect me to “know” his world of academics, and he easily explains a term or concept unfamiliar to me.

At one point, Dr. Gordon states, “Disasters are the fault of humans, because they don’t listen to the warnings.”  I was perplexed at how this man could make a broad, flippant remark, so I asked for an example and he referred to Haiti.  “The same (magnitude) earthquake happened in San Francisco, and it had little impact.”  I objected to his example saying a “natural disaster” was out of the realm human influence.  That is where he had me.  Dr. Gordon pointed out “natural events” humans can not control, but “natural disasters” are indeed our fault.  Going back to Haiti. “Pressures were placed on Haitians to cut corners, to have few options but to have a near nonexistent infrastructure through which, as in San Francisco, they are able to have quakes without fatalities.”   It would not have been a disaster had people lived by a higher moral standard.  (My comment) If you are thinking poverty prevented them from resources, ponder which came first, corruption or poverty?  Then ponder what we are headed towards in America.

This brought him to his point of why monsters have lost their voice: The world is saying intellect is more important than morals.  (I will write on this in in the next postings).  People would rather been seen as smart than moral.  Monsters are a symbol of immorality, and when people are looking to be more intelligent, they are not listening to the language monsters speak.

Monsters are not immoral in of themselves; they are a symptom of things gone badly.  Some come to right wrongs, and others are the direct product of destructive behavior.  Again, they are a warning life is out of balance.

Dr. Gordon never spoke of Judeo-Christian values directly, nor said the Haitian’s suffered because of their own corruptness alone (like some TV evangelists).  His message is more global and broad.  We, as a whole, are responsible to care for those around us by doing what is right, not what is only smart.  Being smart is not always right.  Hedging bets at the possible expense of others… covering your back… watching out for your career by positioning another person out… squeezing out every drop of profit… “I should do this even if I don’t want to because it is the smart, socially acceptable move”.  These are all examples of what is smart, but is not always right.

My mind easily turned to the work place.  When I talk to people about the discontent they have feel about work, they are unknowingly talking about monsters.  Huge looming issues and concerns that do not go away. The trouble is most discontent workers are trying to out think the symptoms and missing the message of what needs to be done to do right.  Instead of listening, they react by thinking a better position, more money, extra time off, or a new company will make the pain go away.  Then disaster strikes.  Sometimes they are laid off or fired.  It can be as simple as being passed over for promotion.  Sometimes divorce transpires from the imbalance between home and work life.  They missed the warning and are now stunned at how it could have all happened.

Here are the two messages I know to be missed the most often:

1. There is something wrong with the way the company and I fit.
2. There is something wrong with the way I fit in my position.

Each requires a different solution and often the solutions are mixed up.  Yes, the answers have a moral core.  Before reacting, listen to which monster is calling your name.  It could be both.  Even when you know which one it is, seek to know why.  The why is always more important than the what.

In part 2 we will look at your moral obligation to follow your heart at work.

~cb

Dr. Lewis Gordon was a high school teacher in NYC where he founded the Second Chance program.   Started grad school at 28 to explore the problem of human potential.  Written 11 books and is the Director of the Institute for the Study of Race and Social Thought at Temple University.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Gordon you can visit his Temple University website page.

Career Advice: Be successful like Toyota and stop working.

What does Toyota’s halting of sales and production of cars in the US have anything to do for anybody in career transition and seeking a job? Everything if you are trying to chase dollars and jobs at the expense of career longevity. Toyota North America decided to halt manufacturing and sales in the US today because they were “chasing numbers” and “grasping for salvation” according to New York Time’s Hiroko Tabuchi today. The recent recalls on the popular models signaled they are not working for the right reasons. Some are saying the drastic move will hurt Japanese automaker by shaking the confidence of consumers.

Pish-posh is what I say. Toyota will come out better because they are returning to their core values. Toyota has an industry unique manufacturing process. Anybody on the manufacturing line has the power to stop everything at anytime for any reason. One lowly worker putting on the Toyota decal can shut down the plant if the decal has a defect by pulling the Andon cord. The decal is not a critical part of the car, but it represents quality, a core value of Toyota.

Here is Toyota’s reason for giving so much power to someone in a lowly position. Taiichi Ohno created the Toyota Production System and had a great ha-ah moment in his career. Give workers the ability to take control and the factory stops producing unnecessary items. Before workers where told “just do this job, and focus on productivity.” But what they produced was lots of unwanted products.

I’ve seen a lot of job hunters strive for productivity (money) and end up making themselves into a product nobody wants to buy. “ I don’t need to worry about what I do, I must just do a job.” Even in their job search they will take quantity (any job) over quality (a fitting job). The reason for falling into this trap is they have lost touch with their core values, or possibly never knew what they were.

How do you get back to quality? Pull the Andon Cord in your life and stop everything. Stop trying to grasp for salvation and the instant fix by chasing numbers. Ignore the experts who say stopping and changing directions is a fatal drastic move. Remember and/or find out what you do best and return to it. If you don’t know start by taking the DISC profile test (ask me) and get a copy of Strengths Finder 2.0 from Amazon.   Ask your friends, past colleagues and family what you do best. You might be surprised to hear what you are good at seems almost common place to you. We often overlook our best gifting. Then start doing again what you do best.

Give yourself the power to control the assembly line of your life and say I’ve got a problem here and I can’t go forward until it is fixed.

Toyota is doing what they do best, stopping everything until it is fixed. This time it is the whole US division. Here is an interesting fact: each year when the North America Toyota plant’s quality dropped to the bronze level as judged by JD Power Awards, the next award Toyota received  improved to gold. In 2009 they received only bronze. Want to take a bet on what award they will earn in 2010?

Now, go do like wise.

Media Scrub: Before you search for job on the net, search yourself.

The Internet is a powerful source of information on just about everything, including on you. Several HR heads have secretly told me they do an Internet search on the names of employee candidates. I like anybody in touch with employment legal trends said, “Isn’t that illegal?” They shrug their shoulder and explain the law is gray in this area. But more importantly they have a pile of 200 resumes all with similar stats applying for the same job and HR will take any extra help in finding “the one”.

Sometimes finding the one is a process of elimination. Companies are looking for anything that will differentiate you from the rest including ‘dirt’ on you. Before getting upset with HR tactics remember they are taking a big risk on you. It costs medium to large companies in the neighborhood of $10,000 – $50,000 just to find a right person. Even then they have no guaranteed it will work out. Instead of getting upset, help the HR people out by doing a media scrub on yourself.  Here are 3 steps to make yourself look better.

1. Linked-in:
   Have a Linked In profile and make sure it is uniform with your resume.  Something even as small as inconsistent dates of employment between your resume and linked in profile can send up a red flag.   Most HR departments are not going to round file your resume on that alone, but you don’t want to build up points against you.  Recommendations: These are your best friends, literally.   Have your colleges vow for you.  You never know who might know who.  Your reference might know the hiring HR staff personally.
2. Facebook:
   Do not assume they can not see your profile (if you have one.)  Again you never know who knows who.  A friend of a friend can still look at your profile.  Look for any photos which are unprofessional and simply de-tag yourself.   It seems like it should go without saying but watch out for ill-humor comments on your page.  You control your presents always.
3. A general search on your name:
   Search to see what they will see.  Notice what results are you and NOT you.  It is hard to remove anything from the web you do not control.  If you come across an item which does not put you in the best light you can try to have it removed.   Even then there can be evidence it once existed in search caches.

   It is better to know it is there and should it come up in an interview acknowledge its existence  give a brief explanation and let it rest.  Honesty is always the best policy.  Now if the interviewer asks an unrelated question which seems to come out of the blue, you will know it is in reference to the other Jeff Smith who shares your name.  The importance is to know what other might know about you and to not surprise you in the interview.

A little prevention and foreknowledge will put you on top of the rest of the candidates.  In this market you have to do all you can to become ‘the one.’

~Christopher

The 5 worst ways to search for a job.

Here is some sad news for job hunters. You probably are doing the exact opposite of what you need to do to land a job. Even more sad, many career ‘experts’ are fueling the misconceptions of what effective job hunting strategies are. When you compound it with the information age you find a whole lot of people doing what they think is productive work and getting nothing in return. I daily come across people who are frustrated at the lack of success

Once a job hunter finds out I’m a career coach I’m soon asked, “What is the best way to land a job?” If they have not asked it by their 3rd question I usually see in their face they would like to ask, or something similar. The look is more of a general asking of how do they as quick as possible end the current period of unknowns and instability. What they want is the easy one-stop shopping panacea to their troubles. And why wouldn’t they. Being without a job is a tough place to be. It can lead to sleepless nights and call to question self worth. The disheartening truth is the very actions job seekers take to alleviate their stress actually make it worse.

Let’s take a look at the 5 least productive job hunting techniques and understand why they are ineffective.

Top 5 worst ways to spend your time looking for a job.

1. Using the internet to search for work: 4% success
2. Mailing resumes to employers at random: 7% success
3. Answering ads in trade journals: 7% success
4. Answering newspaper ads: 5-24% success (less success for higher salaries)
5. Using employment agencies or search firms: 5-28% (higher salary, less successful) (With one exception I will tell you later about)

Job hunting like many things in life is counter intuitive until you understand the deeper meaning. Moving backwards through the list let’s start with number 5.

Using employment agencies:
First I don’t have a blanket policy against employment agencies. In fact for some career paths I highly encourage clients to use an employment agencies I know are well run. The problem with some agencies is they are more like resume sweat shops than helpful partners. If you are partnered with a less than reputable agency it will be worse than if you never contacted them.
Many large companies (here we are talking about those with job you want to work at) have a policy where your resume can only be put in once and that is it. More than once and you are black listed. If you are applied to a job you are not qualified for, you are black listed. The less than desired search agencies send your resume out like a shot gun blast, indiscriminate of who gets it or how many times. In an upcoming article we will look at how to interview an employment agency to find the right one.

Answering newspaper advertisements:
The short answer is by time the ad has been placed and you see it you are most likely too late. Some jobs, particularly those oversaw by government contracts, are required to be posted in the newspaper. This is largely a necessary formality and somebody has already been selected and the company is waiting for the seasoning period to end. Even when the position is still open, your resume is lost in the process requested by the company. The better solution is to use the back door, which I will cover in a later posting.

Answering ads in trade journals.
This solution has the same faulty reasons as newspaper advertisements, except they are MORE dated. Most trade journals are monthly and require at least 2 weeks prep time. At the very least you are looking at a 2 week old position. Then add to that time whatever time it takes to send in your resume, be opened, passed to the right person and finally looked at. Once again the back door is your best method.

Mailing resumes to employers at random.
This is a desperation tactic used by people close to the end of their rope. They think the ‘concentrated’ effort they have used has failed and the opposite and more broad approach will garnish better results. However what they need to do is become more concentrated and focused rather than less. If you send your resume to a company that is not accepting positions you have wasted two peoples time, your and theirs. The time you lost would have been better sending it a company who had an open position. How do you find out if they have an open position? Call. Yes it is that simple. Many of the best jobs are never posted on large job boards. Mid and small companies will not post their positions on job boards. But if call or better yet drop they will tell you. Sure it takes some extra work. But what would you rather do send 20 resumes out and wonder if you will ever get a response or call 10 companies and find 2 job leads with the name’s of supervisors you can directly mail your resume to. (Notice I did not say email)

Using the internet to look for work.
This is a big shock to most people. Yes the worst way you can spend your time looking for a job is looking on the internet, at the wrong places. The internet is a very very useful tool to aid in your search. However it is rare to find a solid job lead you can be in control of. Job boards are filled with recruiters masking themselves. Most companies have their own application system on their websites and no longer need the use of job boards.
Then there is a more insidious problem of being on the net. You simply get lost and lose focus. Many of my clients admit loosing track of time by being carried away to a place they never intended to go. There is away to defang the ‘monster’ of time loss on the Internet. Set up job searching goals and stick with them. And yes that also will be an upcoming topic I will write on.

~Pirate