Thank you to everyone who has been reading this blog this year. While there is a lot of job search information on the web, most of it seems to fit squarely in the Sales Mindset camp – believers that if you want to find a new job you need to get out there and “sell yourself.”

This blog is different – I believe selling yourself is demoralizing and dehumanizing and I’ve been critiquing that Sales Mindset approach to job search, and exploring alternative ways of thinking. In addition to the publication of my first book, Not for Sale! Why we need a new job search mindset, some of the things that I looked at in 2009 in the blog were:

• The energy of authenticity – a conversation between two people can be so energizing when you are both bringing “you” to the discussion.
• It’s not about the packaging – the huge success of Susan Boyle (first during the Britain’s Got Talent competition and now her CD that’s flying off shelves) is a great story about getting past how someone is “packaged” and looking for the talent and life within.
• Sizzle vs steak – too much job search time is spent polishing the sizzle, too little time is spent discussing the steak. We live in a time when people are desperate for meaning and connection – and that’s what we can be emphasizing not just in our broader lives, but in our job searches as well.
•  Inauthentic networking – too often networking is uncomfortable and disingenuous. It needn’t be that way. We can look for alternatives to a “one-size-fits-all” approach and try connecting with people based on genuine interest. 

It has been a pleasure to explore these topics. Thank you to everyone who has responded with their own thoughts (over email, phone, or in person). Let’s keep this discussion going!

On that note, I just realized recently that my blog was set to only allow comments if you are logged in. I figured out how to turn off this – so you can now more easily post your own thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you and getting your reactions and ideas. 

Happy Holidays to everyone! I’ll be back in 2010 with more thoughts on job searching with integrity

Job search as sales & marketing, Networking, Packaging, Uncategorized job search as sales and marketing, Networking

I just heard about a new product in the world of sales and marketing – the “Super Sales tag”. Have you heard about these? Instead of just the standard “Hi my name is ….” nametags which may do the job, but apparently waste prime advertising potential, this new name tag is a wearable media player. According to the director of the company who produces them, they’re a “mini-TV that you wear on your chest.”   

Also according to said director, these chest TV’s will be the next big thing. As he argues, why waste valuable time when a customer is waiting for the cashier to check out their items? Instead this customer can be captivated by watching videos (ie advertisements) on the cashier’s nametag. No more boring static nametags with just names. Imagine the potential.

Since a lot of the new things that sweep the world of sales and marketing later end up in job search advice, I wonder, will this one? Imagine going to networking events, and instead of just wearing the apparently boring “Hi my name is…” tags, everyone has one of these flashy video name tags. Short on conversation topics? Just watch the video. Uncomfortable with eye contact and talking about yourself? Hit the play button.

Instead of just taking your elevator pitch and a strong handshake to networking events, you’ll also need an actual infomercial. And it better be flashy and eye-catching or your viewers will switch to another channel.

Instead of having conversations with people, why not just wander around the room watching videos? We could make job search even more impersonal, emphasize sizzle and sales over steak and substance even more than they are already, and just forget about old-fashioned talking.

Luckily we are not there yet, and I hope we never will be. While good old-fashioned talking has its ups and downs (downs like uncomfortable moments when you forget someone’s name and awkward pauses when you’re not sure where the conversation should go next), the ups (like meeting someone who is also fascinated by the same oddball things that fascinate you) outweigh the downs.

Let’s not let this sales gimmick creep into job search.

(Never mind it sounds like a lot of staring at people’s chests - usually frowned on in networking situations)

Job search as sales & marketing, Packaging, Uncategorized

Wow - if there was ever a better example of how we need to get past judging the packaging and looking instead to what lies beneath, I’ve never come across one.

You have probably seen this already (given that it is everywhere!) but if you haven’t, take a look at Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent (clip from YouTube).

And if you’re anything like me, be prepared for tears (good ones).

Inspiration, Packaging