by Karen P. Katz on September 10, 2009
A chain of posts through the Net Impact LinkedIn group led me to rant again about the disparity between the innovation that is taught in “better” business schools and the conformity that is foisted-upon new graduates.
Ivy League universities hire distinguished faculty to teach classes in “innovation;” these same professors rally around the need for change to compete in the global marketplace. Yet as students approach graduation and complete their exams, theses, and dissertations, it seems they are ushered into the back room to have the creativity beaten out of them. The Biz School back-room “whoopin” leaves new graduates wondering about their considerable investment of time, money, and faith.
Resumes must conform to a specific style to earn a place in the recruitment “book; ” cover letters may as well be automated, and networking is almost incestuous (maybe due to over-reliance on alumni). I shouldn’t complain, as many students seek the services of experienced career professionals to flesh-out their personal brand and manage their job search campaigns. (Look for CAN and other career strategists at the Sept. 17th PA Governor’s Conference for Women, as well as several MBA Career Expos and the November Net Impact Conference.)
The NetImpact group discussion led me to a related post by Matt Madden, a Presidio School of Management student who is writing a book tentatively titled Status Quo Values. The purpose of this project is to explore status quo value systems – economic, political and social values – and discuss the role these values play in our society’s aversion to change. The goal of the work is to define status quo values, discuss the historical roots of our institutional embrace of status quo values, examine the role our institutions play in promoting these values to individuals and investigate examples of institutions and individuals adhering to alternative value systems. Sounds like a continuation of the dialog started by Robert Reich in his Fast Company issue, Your Job Is Change. I’ll be looking for the book, Matt…
by Karen P. Katz on December 9, 2008
I'm very impressed with at least one of the new applications that are in BETA form on LinkedIn. This one allows users to scroll over the company name listed by your connections or prospective connections – if the company is part of the LinkedIn/Business Week/S&P database, vast amounts of information will be revealed!
These Company Profiles offer a veritable feast of data that career changers and job seekers need to know and use to prepare their "mini business plan," for example:
- Company headquarters mailing address and contact information
- Link to website
- Common job titles
- Top schools from which employees are recruited
- Median age of employees
- Gender breakdown
- Recent jobs posted on LinkedIn
- NYSE information
From the social media folks at LinkedIn, you'll find a list of employees, new hires, and those recently promoted who are LinkedIn. Useful data that is consolidated and easy to access can be surprisingly hard to find in this Internet-Age. See this example from Shopzilla
by Karen P. Katz on November 1, 2008
Studs Terkel died in Chicago yesterday at age 96. He enjoyed a full life to be sure, with the possible loss of an opportunity to cast his ballot for a fellow community organizer, Barack Obama. Click here to read an excerpt from an October 23rd interview with Studs about Election 2008.
As one whose first "professional" job was with a community-based employment development agency... …with two sons who work to repair the earth, one through higher education and another via social entrepreneurship/BOP…whose family has walked the talk, I join Studs Terkel and Barack Obama in celebrating the value proposition that "community organizers" can bring to the workplace.
Some may scoff or snarl at the idea that "do-gooders" offer value to the traditional world of employment (e.g. Rudolph Guiliani at the Republican National Convention), but with the perspective of an interviewer like Studs Terkel, let's look at what a hiring manager may find:
- Excellent interpersonal skills – listen twice as much as they talk to people who are not often heard
- Needs assessment ability – understand the needs that are underneath the expressed frustrations
- Problem solving/Resourcefulness – able to identify needed resources and people
- Project/Program management – ability to keep a lot of balls in the air, all headed for home-plate
- Sales/Marketing ability - accountable for outcomes; identify continued and new funding sources
- Communication tools – written, verbal, print, visual, audio, Web 2.0, and in several languages
The service that community organizers perform is as valuable as that offered by our military, our teachers, our police officers and fire-fighters, and by journalists, broadcasters, and interviewers like Studs Terkel, who respectfully chronicled American workers since 1957.
by Karen P. Katz on October 25, 2008
As a career professional and a political aficionado, I've been carrying this post around in my head for quite awhile; time to put these thoughts out-there for your consideration… I'm intrigued by the lessons we can learn from this election – the "national interview" that the voters and media are conducting with John McCain and Barack Obama.
If related experience and traditional credentials could win the job, John McCain should be in a better position two weeks prior to Election Day. Instead it is Obama, with training as a lawyer, and limited and varied experience as a community organizer, teacher, and legislator who is most likely to be offered the job. How has that
happened? Why has
someone who lacks compelling experience in the 3 major areas of traditional work
(business/industry, military, government) been able to win the confidence of millions of potential voters? Why has experience not
sealed the deal?
I think the answer lies outside the box – in the transferable skills and personal qualities that are the elephant in the interview.
- Too many candidates conduct their job search campaigns in the McCain model: they respond to the explicit requirements of the job, e.g. 25 years in Senate; military service; and a conservative centrist philosophy in-keeping with that of most Americans. As if faced with a case study or behavioral question, McCain's suspension of his campaign appears to have weakened his presentation in the opinion of the interviewers. He acted unilaterally, and was unable to gain the support of colleagues during the discussion of the $700 billion bailout plan. While McCain has the credentials and experience most sought-after, he did not demonstrate the requisite transferable skills and personal qualities to handle this economic crisis.
- Obama's success in the polls suggests that candidates may be more successful by intuiting the personal qualities needed to meet the job requirements. Obama's presentation reflects his analysis of what the interviewers are looking for – beyond the requirements. Obama has presented himself as calm and thoughtful in response to the $700 billion bail-out plan; he has left himself some wiggle-room in the event he actually inherits is crisis. He appeals to an unstated desire to lower the heat on our discourse and become more unified and accepting in our interpersonal (and global) relations. While Obama's political philosophy may be somewhat to the left of most Americans, he is winning voters over with transferable skills that demonstrate an ability to listen and collaborate before responding to challenges.
Let's relate this thesis to the situation faced by a recent business school graduate. Here's a posted job requirement: 3-5 years brand management experience in a consumer products environment. Suppose you are a candidate with 2-3 years experience as a blogger for a professional association? What are the transferable skills that you gained as a result of this paid or unpaid experience? What are the personal qualities that you can claim as a result of your successful contribution to the exponential growth of the association-its growth in membership, recognition in its space, increased revenue, etc?
- A blogger must design communication that specifically supports a brand, in this case, the niche carved-out by a professional association.
- Your experience required a great deal of collaboration between staff, current members, and the public, including potential members. You've come to understand the perspective of these disparate groups and understand what they need from the association, the brand called…
- You have an impressive portfolio of Web 2.0 and traditional marketing pieces that have been targeted to a niche market. You have conducted competitive analysis in the association's space. Again, this directly transferable to brand management.
- You cultivated relationships with association members who work for consumer products companies; they know you, respect you, and will advocate for you.
So, do you get the interview? If so, can you win the job? Invoke the lessons of the national interview. For more on this topic, listen to Blogtalkradio.com on October 30, 2008 – Noon – <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jibberjobber> The podcast will be available for download later…
by Karen P. Katz on July 31, 2008
A client has maintained a constant training regimen
to scale her brick wall: technology is sending her job to the scrap-yard.
She is an incredibly positive and tenacious
person. The transition/training process has required nearly 6 months of
patience and focus; now she is close to realizing her goal. One door may be closing, but a window is
opening…
Her recent e-mail referenced this excerpt from the
last lecture of Professor Randy Pausch, who offered a legacy talk shortly
before his struggle with cancer ended with his death. Perhaps these words will inspire
those who are trying to scale their own walls
The brick walls are there
for a reason.
The brick walls are not
there to keep us out;
the brick walls are there
to give us a chance
to show how badly we want
something.
The brick walls are there to stop the people
who don’t want it badly
enough.
They are there to stop the
OTHER people!
-
Download randy_pausch.m2YH4U3WTBO0QA.htm
Randy Pausch
