The Problems with Definitive Job Search Advice

The Problems with Definitive Job Search Advice I saw reference to this article on Business Insider: Heres The Best Way To Answer Whats Your Greatest Weakness?  Of course, the best way to answer this is to ditch the longstanding advice of taking a strength, then making it your faux weakness, then showing that its really a strength again.  Like: Im really bad at not finishing work until the job is done right.  Sometimes this means I have to stay late, or come in early, or work at home.  But in the end, I know that the job is done right the first time and wont have to be done over by someone else. Wow, if your greatest weakness is that, and youll save me money and frustration, why shouldnt I hire you, right? But the BI article says that is NOT the right answer.  The right answer is to be honest about what you need to work on. Better yet, describe how youve already begun to address the issue. Heres the problem with this best way, which sounds like it is definitive.  And therein lies the problem. See, you can have a best way for some things, but when human nature is involved, all bets are off.  Maybe this is the best way for the person giving advice (he is a senior level HR person), but what if the hiring manager doesnt want to really hear about your weaknesses, and he only asked the question because he googled how to interview a job candidate and found that question, which seems a little stupid to begin with?  He hasnt been a part of this dumb game before, and your honest might shock him. Well, this is kind of embarrassing.  Im a kleptomaniac, and usually take office supplies from the desks of people I work with.  I am getting treatment though, and going to group therapy every Thursday night. So maybe the seasoned interview veterans are ready for a change all 30 of them, but pretty much every other human being that does a hiring interview isnt emotionally ready to handle your weakness, or they dont know that they are really supposed to want to know your honest issues. Well, I have this problem Id rather not discuss.  It is illegal, and I dont want to put you in a position where you might need to report me.  But next week Im going to get the help I need.  Dont worry, it has nothing to do with my ability to do this job. Are you, Mr. Interviewer, ready for that? See, the problem I had with interviewing was that I went through an interviewing workshop.  After the workshop I had a chance to try out the tactics they explained and found that I was grossly overtrained for the interview.  The interviewers were not prepared, or trained, and didnt know what they were doing.  This was for a mid-level project manager job at a well-funded start-up (that eventually failed).  The main interviewer was an absolute butt-head egotistical and probably narcissist from Microsoft.  He flaunted the I worked at Microsoft so Im way more awesome than youll ever be attitude.  He was also a liar.  He interviewed me, and he had two other project managers interview me.  When I asked them questions about the job they said we didnt even know there was an open position  Turns out, there wasnt. Like I said, maybe this new-fangled advice of just be honest and lay it all out is right for about a dozen people.  But for the most part, because of the nuances of human beings doing the interviews, I would say there is not one best answer.  The best answer will vary based on type of organization (stuffed-shirt corporate vs. high-tech flip-flop-wearing casual), the person (traditional vs. millenial), the industry (government vs. automotive vs. chemicals), your level (executive vs. front-line burger flipper), etc. This concept applies to a lot of things in the job search how to network, how long your resume should be, how to use LinkedIn, how to create a killer 30 second elevator pitch, etc.  There are many clever pieces of advice out there, but you have to consider who you are and who your audience is before you take one tactic and apply it to everything.  Thats one reason why youll see resume writers and career coaches who specialize in a certain industry or with a certain client.  They know their stuff works for that industry or client, but not necessarily for other industries or clients. And, in light of all that, maybe my advice above doesnt apply to you :p The Problems with Definitive Job Search Advice I saw reference to this article on Business Insider: Heres The Best Way To Answer Whats Your Greatest Weakness?  Of course, the best way to answer this is to ditch the longstanding advice of taking a strength, then making it your faux weakness, then showing that its really a strength again.  Like: Im really bad at not finishing work until the job is done right.  Sometimes this means I have to stay late, or come in early, or work at home.  But in the end, I know that the job is done right the first time and wont have to be done over by someone else. Wow, if your greatest weakness is that, and youll save me money and frustration, why shouldnt I hire you, right? But the BI article says that is NOT the right answer.  The right answer is to be honest about what you need to work on. Better yet, describe how youve already begun to address the issue. Heres the problem with this best way, which sounds like it is definitive.  And therein lies the problem. See, you can have a best way for some things, but when human nature is involved, all bets are off.  Maybe this is the best way for the person giving advice (he is a senior level HR person), but what if the hiring manager doesnt want to really hear about your weaknesses, and he only asked the question because he googled how to interview a job candidate and found that question, which seems a little stupid to begin with?  He hasnt been a part of this dumb game before, and your honest might shock him. Well, this is kind of embarrassing.  Im a kleptomaniac, and usually take office supplies from the desks of people I work with.  I am getting treatment though, and going to group therapy every Thursday night. So maybe the seasoned interview veterans are ready for a change all 30 of them, but pretty much every other human being that does a hiring interview isnt emotionally ready to handle your weakness, or they dont know that they are really supposed to want to know your honest issues. Well, I have this problem Id rather not discuss.  It is illegal, and I dont want to put you in a position where you might need to report me.  But next week Im going to get the help I need.  Dont worry, it has nothing to do with my ability to do this job. Are you, Mr. Interviewer, ready for that? See, the problem I had with interviewing was that I went through an interviewing workshop.  After the workshop I had a chance to try out the tactics they explained and found that I was grossly overtrained for the interview.  The interviewers were not prepared, or trained, and didnt know what they were doing.  This was for a mid-level project manager job at a well-funded start-up (that eventually failed).  The main interviewer was an absolute butt-head egotistical and probably narcissist from Microsoft.  He flaunted the I worked at Microsoft so Im way more awesome than youll ever be attitude.  He was also a liar.  He interviewed me, and he had two other project managers interview me.  When I asked them questions about the job they said we didnt even know there was an open position  Turns out, there wasnt. Like I said, maybe this new-fangled advice of just be honest and lay it all out is right for about a dozen people.  But for the most part, because of the nuances of human beings doing the interviews, I would say there is not one best answer.  The best answer will vary based on type of organization (stuffed-shirt corporate vs. high-tech flip-flop-wearing casual), the person (traditional vs. millenial), the industry (government vs. automotive vs. chemicals), your level (executive vs. front-line burger flipper), etc. This concept applies to a lot of things in the job search how to network, how long your resume should be, how to use LinkedIn, how to create a killer 30 second elevator pitch, etc.  There are many clever pieces of advice out there, but you have to consider who you are and who your audience is before you take one tactic and apply it to everything.  Thats one reason why youll see resume writers and career coaches who specialize in a certain industry or with a certain client.  They know their stuff works for that industry or client, but not necessarily for other industries or clients. And, in light of all that, maybe my advice above doesnt apply to you :p

5 Branding Moves To Turn Your Co-Workers Against You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Branding Moves To Turn Your Co-Workers Against You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career With employees spending more time in the workplace than ever before, functioning with co-workers has become essential. It’s easy to find some annoyances when spending so much time with a group of people, but what if you’re doing something that’s secretly turning your teammates against you? Self-assessment is a crucial part of maintaining your personal brand. You may not be the office gossip, but your constant dodging of team activities might be driving your co-workers crazy. Understanding what you’re doing and where you can improve has many benefits. Aside from a happier work environment for those who have to spend their days with you, it also contributes to increased efficiency and effectiveness at your company. Do your personal brand, co-workers, and your company a favor and avoid these eight annoying branding moves: 1. You’re a self-promoter. Is it all about you all the time? If so, your co-workers and managers are certain to notice. When the only information you have to share at work revolves around your personal successes or input into projects, expect a few eye rolls. It’s important to go above and beyond in every aspect of your position within the company, but remaining humble is key to gaining respect. Learn to honor and reward the acts of others, and spend more time learning about the personal branding success of your co-workers. 2. You exude negativity. If there’s a black cloud following you wherever you go, it’s time to make a few adjustments. Critical feedback has an important place in the work environment, but constant complaining and negativity is exhausting. Your negativity is likely to follow you throughout your career and tarnish your personal brand. Take steps toward viewing the glass as half full and your co-workers will be certain to thank you. 3. You avoid teamwork. Lacking the ability to be a team player can cause issues in many different parts of your career. Not only will your co-workers begin to dislike you, you’re likely to end up losing your job. Repeatedly dodging out on your set contributions to projects doesn’t go unnoticed. And even if you’re doing what you’re asked of as a team member, you should still be helping your co-workers whenever they ask. Lending a hand doesn’t just help a co-worker, it benefits the entire company. 4. You’re an inconsistent communicator. One day you’re chatting up the whole office, the next you can hardly look a co-worker in the eye. Sometimes you’re quick to jump on tasks, while other times you sit quiet and complacently in meetings. Everyone has their off days, but consistency is important when it comes to communication in the workplace, and in your personal brand. Finding a happy medium and stick with it. 5. You only focus on your personal agenda. Building your career off of your personal brand has some amazing benefits. When you’re focused on maintaining your brand, distractions are likely to come up when you’re working for a company. Whether your personal agenda happens to be getting a promotion or rubbing elbows with executives to solidify a speaking engagement, your co-workers are likely to notice. Handle your personal agenda tactfully in the workplace, as to not rub your co-workers the wrong way. Maintaining positive relationships with co-workers is beneficial to your career. Evaluate your day-to-day actions to find out whether it’s time to rebrand your workplace habits. How have you handled an annoying co-worker? Author: Heather R. Huhman  is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of  Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies. She is also the instructor of  Find Me A Job: How To Score A Job Before Your Friends, author of  Lies, Damned Lies Internships  (2011) and  #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle  (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for  numerous outlets.