When Life Gives YOU Lemons...

Stop! Skip the lemonade and instead spring for a bottle of good bourbon or wine.  You can set the lemons aside in case you ever need them for a garnish...vinny

If a picture's worth a thousand words, what is that compromising 'selfie' saying about you?

Everyone you've ever met has interviewed you, or at least done a preliminary evaluation of you, and now...maybe so have people whom you've never met! Like it or not, plenty of them are prepared to make decisions about who they think you are, and without the benefit of face-to-face interaction, based solely on your social media footprint.

It used to be that we relied on paparazzi and purchased publications to see photos of people we recognized (usually celebrities) doing questionable things or caught in questionable situations. Now, we just log into any number of free accounts to see what people we recognize (usually NOT celebrities) are having for breakfast or how they spent their evenings, weekends or vacations; either in text or photos or both, if you add a caption to your photos.

That's the new way of life thanks largely to social media and its networking power. What isn't new is that you still never get a second chance to make a good first impression. So before you ask why your employees are staring at you, or hit 'send' on that resume submission for that perfect job, or approach your current supervisor/employer for a promotion, first ask yourself if there is anything on your Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. pages that could be misinterpreted or misconstrued and potentially cost you personal credibility , an interview, a job offer or a promotion.

The power of these social networking sites can definitely work for you but, as with most things, they also have an equal and potentially negative affect. Your friends and family are looking at your profile but, so are your employees, co-workers, maybe your boss as well as prospective employers. There's absolutely nothing wrong, in my opinion, about sharing photos or experiences you've had with the appropriate audience, but do set your privacy filters accordingly.

The humor points you may lose with your 'friends' and family, by exercising good judgement and NOT posting that photo to the whole world, or by having that un-expressed 140 character limit thought, may help promote, advance and enhance your personal brand.

We're considerably past 1984 but I assure you people are definitely watching how you go about claiming your 15 minutes...vinny

The opinions expressed above are exclusively my own, and are in no way representative of any employer past or present

Now that you've graduated, please DO color outside the lines...

Not likely something you heard from any of your educators at any stage of your academic development (unless maybe it was an art instructor) and still not something encouraged by all employers. but let's examine why it's relevant to your professional pursuits.

A recent article based on a study of preschoolers and pedagogy, and I'm paraphrasing loosely, has it that kids today have far more formal education starting much earlier than at any other time in history but with a lesser ability to problem-solve and learn new things unless directly being taught by someone through specific instruction. The article was in favor of removing the idea of curriculum and structure for preschoolers and giving kids the chance to experience the world and learn instead through play and interaction with other kids.  Those silly underachievers! ;)  Seriously though, the gist is we're more educated  than at any other time in history, but not necessarily  better educated; especially if you find value in perspectives other than those offered by professors/educators and textbooks.

No, I'm not suggesting skipping high school and college or even kindergarten!  I'm suggesting trying new things and exploring new approaches that interest you even if they don't come easy or aren't necessarily convenient.  I'm suggesting embracing life as a learning opportunity.  I'm saying, don't wait to be taught something new.  Reach out, stretch out if necessary, and learn something new if for no other reason than that it isn't something you already know!

Plenty of crossword puzzle finishers on this planet already.  Do yourself, mayhap your career, a favor and be the person with enough confidence in their problem-solving to actually start one...vinny

Which one are you?

I had an awesome candidate interviewing for a position, and they spec'd out on almost every technical detail imaginable.  I made sure that they were appropriately prepared: knew the name/title of the interviewer, had the job description, understood the position responsibilities and was monitoring interview feedback along the way.  All signs were positive...right up until I spoke with the hiring manager.  That might have even been positive if she had been able to answer her own, not my, question.

The candidate presented very well, sounded knowledgeable on all fronts, had a solid career trajectory, reputable employers, good tenure, etc.  So what went wrong you ask?  It came down to a lot of 'we',
'us', and 'our' terms when asked to describe 'his' individual contribution(s).

I know, it conveys a sense of collaboration and being part of a team.  What wasn't made clear to this particular hiring manager is what 'they' specifically did as part of said team.  In my hiring manager's words, "Everything about this candidate tech's out but I'm just not certain if they're a good team player or just a player on a good team.  The first I definitely need; the second...I have plenty of those already."

Do plug yourself into the equation and demonstrate through the use of words like 'we', 'us' and 'our' your team-player-ness,  but don't forget to share what your specific contributions are/were or you may leave a prospecive employer asking the same question...vinny

Being Eligible for Re-hire isn't the same as being Re-hired!

I recently heard  a colleague say this on their way to a new engagement, "I'm leaving on good terms and I'm eligible for re-hire".  As kindly as I knew how I suggested that being eligible to return doesn't a) guarantee that you'll be welcomed back because, and this is just a maybe, b) people might not be excited about what you consider to be 'good terms'.

A mentor of mine would phrase it this way, "what is, just is" meaning there isn't a lot you can do once you've driven the stake.  People (which is what your past, current and future employers/co-workers are) have opinions and you may not know how all/any of them may affect you until you try to return, and even then you may not know! What if you didn't actually do anything wrong during your tenure that would make you ineligible for re-hire, but because of 'who' you are, these same people weren't necessarily sad to see you go? What if they were initially sad but then afterward found that feeling replaced with anxiety or annoyance over a less than seamless transition?  Did you leave a mess in your haste to exit, did you exercise PTO to offset the notice you gave them, will those left behind be able to pick up where you left off?  These are questions you should try to get in front of!

Here are some basic suggestions that may help:
1) Give ample notice even if you assume you'll be 'walked out'
2) Create a transition plan for offloading your current workload including status updates
3) Draft a formal resignation letter expressing your appreciation for the people you worked with and the opportunities you were given
4) Don't look like you're dying to get out of there

Nope, none of these 4 things will guarantee a smooth road back but you'll at least know, and so will they, that you did what you could to remove some of the inconvenience associated with your leaving...vinny

Leaving "I" out of your interview is like leaving your name off of your resume!

Candidates have gotten so used to positioning themselves as good 'team' players that oftentimes, during an interview, they forget to include the all-important word 'I'.  "...so, tell me about your most recent project and describe for me some of the obstacles.  What was the scope, what were the deliverables and what was the actual vs. anticipated outcome?"  Questions like these are clearly geared toward learning about YOU and while it's important to convey that you're an excellent team player, you shouldn't shy away from describing your individual contribution(s). Maybe this,

"Interesting question Ms/Mr hiring authority. When I was with ABC company we faced a similar set of challenges/milestones/obstacles and the team and I collaborated in such a way that I was able to implement/sell/transform/deliver..."

or something along those lines. 

From my chair this answer sounds way better than blurting, "I'm a solid individual contributor and an excellent team player where we worked on blah, blah, blah and were responsible and/or recognized as a team for blah...."  Absolutely nothing wrong with describing team performance as long as you include the specifics of what you did so as to convey a sense of your impact/contributions.  To further demonstrate the importance of focusing on the 'I' as a good team player, I'll borrow the words of flight attendants during pre-flight when they suggest to, "first put the oxygen mask on yourself and then help those around you".  Years ago I was asked to define a good team player and I still maintain that what I believed then is true today and that the best team player is usually the strongest individual contributor(s) willing to work with other people toward a common objective.  Respectfully, if you aren't good at what you do and can't deliver results for yourself, how can you expect or be expected to deliver more than that for the team, any team?

Just a reminder as I wrap up this post; the interview is YOUR opportunity to sell yourself, so go ahead and ring your own bell a bit.  Obviously the goal here is to offer the interviewer reasons to hire YOU, not the team, so definitely share your accomplishments in a confident manner leaving your ego at the door.  Confidence is an asset, arrogance is usually deemed a liability, so confidently include what you did, the impact it had on the team/project/company, why it was significant, and what you learned from it that makes you an added value to future teams.

In closing, I was consulting with a hiring manager who was reviewing his interview notes on a candidate he'd recently interviewed but, when I asked him for his final assessment, he seemed uncertain.  I probed to see if I could figure out what his hesitation was and wound up with this pearl,  "...after an hour I still don't quite understand what this person's involvement was on any of their most recent projects even though they were all delivered successfully, on time and under budget."   What I did understand involved a whole lot of we, us, and the team, which leaves me to wonder whether they're a good team player or just a player on a good team.  I don't have a spot on my team for the latter"...vinny

De-mystifying the in-person interview

Occasionally, I'll talk to a candidate that does so well on the phone portion of the interviews that it's tempting to just schedule the face-to-face without any additional counseling because, c'mon, they got past me and  a technical interviewer, they should be ready.  Erring on the side of caution though, my approach has always been to figure out what the candidate needs to be comfortable and prepared for the meeting and then...I just give it to them!  Title, personality style, hot buttons, etc., I mean, what are we afraid of, that the interview will go so well that we'll have to put together that ratty new-hire paperwork and schedule a slot in new-employee orientation? :)

Years ago a colleague of mine chided me for what he considered my 'prepping' of a candidate and reminded me that as a corporate recruiter, my job was to 'interview' candidates not to prep them.  I thought about what he said and considered that I might be offering too much in what I was providing, but my closing ratios suggested otherwise.  I wasn't teaching my candidates to write algorithms or choose the appropriate data structure.  What I was doing was helping them navigate the interview process, so that what they were demonstrating, during the course of the interview, was their ability to do the job vs trying to figure out the magic answer to the tricky interview questions they were being asked.

I'll let you in on a little secret, if you rocked the phone portions of any interview, a lot of the grilling has already been done and what the company is looking to determine by having you in is how you present yourself and whether the team likes you.  Yes, it could be that they didn't fully vet you technically or intellectually but clearly, a lot of it's to determine if you fit.

Anyone that's read my previous stuff will recognize this suggestion: don't treat the interview as an interrogation or even an interview but instead plug yourself into the equation and pretend it's your first day on the job.  You've been consulting by phone and now's your chance to meet the rest of the team and show them why you're the smart hire.  I caution everyone, as much as anyone will listen, to be 'themselves' and will inevitably hear,  "but what if I don't get the offer?" The hard truth may be that it probably wasn't a great fit if they don't want to hire you for being you but let's come at this from a different angle.   What if instead of focusing solely on selling yourself you devoted some of your focus to learning more about the styles and preferences of the people you're hoping will soon be co-workers?  How might you mutually benefit by understanding and connecting your styles?

My oldest by a minute says to me, "the kids at my new school don't like me!" I ask him why and he says, "they don't like to run around and play Sonic (don't worry that you don't get the reference). "What do they like to play?" I ask.  "Football, soccer, tag, etc." he offers.  Me to him, "Not liking the game or style of game isn't the same as not liking the person. Did you ever think about playing the game they want to play until they get to know you better, and then maybe they'll like you so much they'll play whatever you choose?  In the meantime, the worst that can happen is you'll learn a lot of new games and a lot more about the people you're playing with while you're playing with them."
...vinny