Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

Why Aren't We Geeking The Job Search?

Let's be honest here, my progeek kin (Progeekin?), the job search is a nightmare.  if you have your own business, the search for clients is probably somewhat saner, but I'm not ready to reach that conclusion because I'll probably get a good talking-to from people with their own businesses.

But anyway, it stands, the job search is crazy.  HR is ossified, overstressed, or both.  Recruiters slog through insanity for us, but need our help.  The resume and cover letter are a pain.  Job search sites are sometimes not helpful, and the more they experiment, the worse it gets.  The interview process is . . . well, you get the idea.

OK we know it's awful.  Part of what I post here is how to deal with the job search, along with my usual random complaints and charmingly witty observations.

But I just want to post a question here for us to think of - what are we doing to change this?

Giving Them What They Want: A Fizzy, Chocolaty Tale

If you were on a diet, and someone promised you a beverage that tasted just as good as what the people not on diets were drinking . . . would you believe them? Probably not. But if someone actually delivered on that promise, and then some, would you remember their brand next time you went to the grocery store? Oh, yes - because the company delivered exactly what you wanted.

There was a company that did this, and created a genuine cult soda. And believe it or not, there's a lesson in this fizzy tale that can help you on your job search.

Ask Steve: Insane Lists of Job Requirements And You

Thanks to our own Tamara Hecht for noting a need for this post - and it's a chance for me to launch an experimental "Ask A Progeek" section (thinking of having it organized both for individuals and in general).

So it happened.  You found your perfect job, or come to think of it in this economy, any job.  Anyway, you look at the list of requirements, which almost inevitably is some kind of insane wish list, and you realize you don't meet them.  Yet, you still want that job and indeed can do it.

What do you do? 

First, let me put your mind at ease - if you think that that entire list has to be fulfilled perfectly, you're almost inevitably wrong.  Except in the case of certain scientific, engineering, and legal requirements, you don't have to fill the list out perfectly.  Chances are that list has been through so many hands no one actually cares that much.

Keeping that in mind, there's three things to do:

Scary Logos, and the Importance of Hitting Your Target Audience

Let me tell you a story about . . . TV corporate logos. You know, those short little bursts of sight and sound at the end of a television show, telling you what studio produced them? Short, forgettable little things, right?

Wrong. From the '60s to the '90s, a bunch of TV logos were produced, and in wide circulation, that literally scared children. To this day, people tremble in fear at the memory of them. They were an example of something with good intentions that went horribly wrong.

They also provide a valuable lesson to all of us in the importance of knowing and catering to your target audience - say, for instance, a potential employer looking at your resume.

The Painless Cover Letter

Following our last survey, I saw how many of us hate writing cover letters.  However, there is a relatively painless way to get the words out onto the page.  If you follow these seven steps, you can write a cover letter that will stand out (and won’t fling you into the depths of writer’s block).

If it’s a cold mailing, then you can start writing right away.  Alternately, if you’re responding to a job ad, start by perusing the ad and highlighting all the things they’re looking for.  This could be certain qualities they want in an employee (so make sure you emphasize those that apply to you) or it could be requests (such as “please indicate hours of availability”).  Generally, these answers will fit into the second paragraph.

Okay, deep breath.  Let’s get started.

Survey Sunday Roundup: The Job Search And What We Hate

So my progeeks, we focused on what you hate in the job search last week!

Survey Sunday: The Job Search And What We Hate

OK folks, we don't always like the job search, so what do you hate - and where can we progeeks do best?

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7KXTJP2

- Steven Savage

The Job Search: Start Judging Yourself

Lately, when I talk to people about their job searches, it seems that a lot of them are worried they're being labeled in their job searches by recruiters.  They worry these labels are at best limiting, and at worst, detrimental.  With so much labeling, there's honest fear the judgements being passed are harmful.

Here's my take: yes, you're being labeled.

Resumes Of Fury: How Your Job Search Is Like A Fighting Game

The job search is like a fighting game.  Yes, I dare compare the noble endeavor of sending out endless streams of resumes to Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, Knights of Smash-Face, and whatever else is out there where buttons are mashed and pain is delivered.

Think about it.  You seek victory, while pursuing vague and at times poorly-worded motivations. You travel to strange locations, wear outfits you never would normally, and engage assorted people in what feels like sparring matches The only difference is you usually don't get two chances per encounter to win, you get one.  Also giant lizard ninjas don't spit poison on you as much.

Fighting Games teach us important truths about the job search.  Yes, without the benefit of alcohol that you can prove, I'm saying victory in the job search is like victory in a fighting game - you want to call on specific moves to win.

Vocabulary and Professional Geekery

Vocabulary And Professional Geekery

Ah, the age of Geek Chic.  People are talking wireless and LOLCats, all our base does belong to someone, everything is 20% cooler, and bandwidth is something we all complain about.  Our language is hip, people, and we're cutting-edge.

When we go on the job search, we're even armed with the culture, memeage, and vocabulary to impress people with our geeky cred.  We're ready to go and impress clients and employers with the right phrases and references.

The only problem is that, even in an age of Geek Chic, you have to check your vocabulary:

1. Your audience might be behind the curve, and what would impress some may just confuse or annoy them.  You might have to back your geek vocab back a few years in interviews - or drop it or translate it.
2. Your interviewers or clients may be hip and up to date - in a different area of knowledge.  You might find that you're both up to date- and living in different worlds.
3. Your interviewer may actually be ahead of the game.  Think you're up to date?  Think again.

It's easy to think people think like us or use the same language and culture references.  It's easy to miss the many ways we can be wrong about this; or we only see one or two ways we can be in error.

So if you're going to leverage your Geek Chic - and you're going to, I'm sure, consciously or not - ask yourself about your audience and think ahead.  You'll communicate better and avoid embarrassment - and leverage what makes you special: being a fan, geek, otaku, an enthusiast.

- Steven Savage