Autumn Marathon
Contact Jason
Following:
Posts tagged "jobhunt"
Wednesday, Apr 8th, 2009 ↓Shangri-La
One of the great things about meeting with a lot of different businesses is the insight you get into management styles and business culture. A few weeks ago I met with a fantastic company. Extremely well-funded, its mission is as much humanitarian as it is profit-making. Highly technological, the people who work there all graduated with sciences degrees from top universities and are extremely polished and polite. They also have beautiful offices and seem to really enjoy what they do. This was one of the rare instances where researching the company and interviewing for a position was enjoyable in and of itself. At the time of the interview, I felt as though I found a common language with the folks there i.e., that we hit it off. I was wrong - not only did I not get the job, but I did not even make it to the next interview round.
Had I been looking for them, there definitely were warning signs that the fit was not there. For instance, when I asked questions about the function of the role I was pursuing; or why the organization had pursued strategy “x” rather than strategy “y” with its flagship product; or why it had been decided to organize as a “for-profit” rather than a non-profit - the answers were polite, but rapidly became more guarded. “David,” the head of the organization and its sole investor, had made the decision and the interviewer “couldn’t really say why.” And the while the educational credentials and level of the folks who were interviewing me were unquestionably extremely high, it was also clear that their backgrounds were pretty homogeneous (and different from my own). My own philosophy is that a heterogeneous workforce and a tolerance for internal disagreement are important ingredients for successful businesses. While I certainly wish this group well and hope to read about their successes in the future, I wonder whether the absence of these qualities will prevent it from reaching full potential.
Handling Rejection
Handling rejection constructively is one of the most important parts of prospecting for jobs or business. It is part of the job hunt exactly like it is part of any other activity with a long sales cycle. My reaction to rejection is a “work in progress” - it isn’t an aspect of business that comes very naturally for me. Yesterday, I received an email from a senior executive at one of my primary target firms. His response to my earlier message was polite and informative: it also made it clear that he did not believe there was a fit with his firm either now or when the economy improves. At the top level, I appreciate his candor and some of the specific information in his message. Just getting someone at his level in this kind of company to respond to me was a kind of triumph - I had worked my network hard to get a personal introduction. But on a gut level, I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. Though I am not a sales professional, over the years I have learned basic sales skills from experience and reading. Still, there is a big difference between understanding something and living the life. Any tips out there from job hunters or entrepreneurs about handling rejection?
Career Change: Then and Now
For the second time in my career, I find myself engaged in an extended career transition (first time was in 1996-7) and I will address a few posts about how the experience has changed over the past 12 years.
The circumstances are different now:
- In 1996, I voluntarily left a secure government position because I wanted to work in a more dynamic field where my work would have more impact. Last summer, my position was restructured out of existence and I joined the 2 million other Americans whose jobs were lost in 2008.
- In 1996, I had been in the workforce for only five years and while no longer “entry level” was at the beginning of my business career. In 2008, I have been working for nearly 20 years and am in mid-life and mid-career. That fact significantly affects the way that potential employers will view me and how I must present myself to them.
- The most important circumstantial difference is that in 1996-97 (the year of President Bill Clinton’s reelection), the economy was growing at nearly 4% per year. In early 2009, as we prepare to begin the “age of Obama,” the severest financial crisis of our lifetimes has led to a deep recession. The national economy is shrinking.
Nevertheless, there are elements of continuity. In both cases:
- I have spent my transitional time in New York City; a town I know intimately, but where I have never worked happily.
- I derived considerable satisfaction from redirecting energy from a career focus to a family one. Key difference - my 1997 toddlers have grown in millenial teenagers. And don’t misunderstand - I need to get back to work for a variety of reasons.
That’s the context. In subsequent posts, I’ll discuss how the business environment has changed for job hunters. Notwithstanding the ill condition of the economy, I believe technology has enabled significant opportunities that were not feasible as recently as the late ’90s.
