Career Talk JDR

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Many truly great Technology Leaders and Executives find themselves in the job market unexpectedly and sometimes, have not actively sought a position in a long time.  However, getting interviewed and hired is all about distinguishing oneself and engaging the audience.  If you become downsized and unexpectedly find yourself “in transition” and looking for a new opportunity, it is time to reverse the interview process and become an interviewee!

Most interviewers hiring for permanent positions have a series of questions designed to hear how you present yourself and how you would be perceived by executives and peers in their organization.  Here are some of the basic questions we see most often:

Give me a brief overview of yourself and why we should hire you and/or tell me about yourself:

Being “downsized” and facing the prospect of unemployment can be both a personal and a professional strain. It is important to stay positive and focused.  Keep 9am-4pm hours on weekdays, working on structured tasks that are aimed toward getting a job.  Then, relax and have fun in the evenings and on weekends!

Do’s and Don’ts to finding a technical job:

Don’t spend time on job sites; it will only lead to frustration.  Today it’s highly unlikely that an employer will hire someone they don’t already know, or someone that is not represented by a reputable recruiting firm with existing relationships and success within their organization.

Top 10 Technical Resume Mistakes

This is a short post just to highlight the Top 10 on JDR’s list of resume mistakes.  The resume will not get you a job…however, it is a powerful tool that should be carefully put together

Top 10 Technical Resume mistakes:

1.     lacks clearly demonstrated experience with required skills

2.     objective does not match the position you apply for- better to leave it off if it doesn’t match

3.     complete dates and type of experience per position are not clearly defined- chronological is usually best & clearly show what you’ve done, where & when

Remember from Part 1, that an ideal job- IJ, is a position working for a company that you believe in.  In order to really believe in a company, you must believe in their products, the people they employ and also, their ethics…among other things.

If you show up each day and do just enough to get a paycheck you will ultimately lose that job. If you complain how hard everything is or how wrong things are, you not only bring yourself down but you will also be let go.  If you love your job and feel you are in an IJ now but need to make more money, do not ask for a raise.  Instead do the following:

Companies run on people; people create processes to make work efficient and profitable.  Put yourself in a position to help your company make money (sell more product or service); or reduce cost (lower expense equals higher net profit).  All companies expect you to bring in 5x your salary – make sure you far exceed that to keep employed. 

Work only for a company that you believe in.  Their products, the people they choose to employ and their ethics must all align with your beliefs.  We will call this your IJ-ideal job.

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