Bring Yourself to a Job

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2018

Images from the Internet

For most people, employment is a job: something to do to get money to pay for the things one likes to do in the personal sphere; unlike the “Seinfeld” episode, world do not collide. This, of course, can be a mistake in the larger picture.

The more of yourself one bring to a job, not only the more experience be more enjoyable, but the more enthusiasm and positivity the employers will see in you. Here are some examples from my own life.

In just about every job I’ve had, I have managed to bring along my photography with me, though it’s never been part of my job description. Company functions such as big and small events and parties, be it for the whole organization or just for the Department, are the perfect places to take some pictures of your co-workers having fun. The trick is to share it with the group on the company’s intranet. This is especially easy now with digital pictures.

Have them posted on a bulletin board somewhere, put them into a collage or PowerPoint slide show, or merely put the photos in a folder to which everyone has access, and you’ll find yourself possibly invited to events outside your own group. Everyone in the company knows who I am, and sees me in a positive light, especially the management.  I started doing this as a tool to help me remember everybody, but it has definitely blossomed. Again, it’s never been part of my position’s job description, but it certainly gets mentioned as a plus on nearly every performance evaluation.

Another example is my experience in PowerPoint. I worked for a major corporation for many years designing slideshows for presentations. When I started working at another position, I noticed that the new company’s informational program slides were inconsistent or not appealing to the eye (too much text, not big enough, inconsistences in style). I pointed this out to my supervisor a few times in a very gentle way, and over time, more slideshows started pass through my hands before reaching the public. Again, these program slides are not in my job purview, but they are in my knowledge wheelhouse, as it were. Now I have made myself more valuable to the company. Yes, it’s a bit more work that I have made for myself, but the outcome is extremely positive to the job, and my evaluations.

When I was hired for a particular position, I volunteered to supply a blog once a month to the local corporate website that relies more on what the company does as a whole, rather than just what my job entails. Most blogs, especially ones for a major company, tend not to be more than 100 words, which is just a few paragraphs. About three times a year, I wrote four at a time, and then posted them on the company blogsite with a time setting. Again, this is not something that is on my job description, and it also makes a bit more work for me, but I truly enjoy it and I’m getting paid to do research on the Internet about topics that I find interesting.

Even my love of obscure music has made its presence felt in a positive light. For example, at one place I worked they had an annual Christmas party, and somewhere during the event there was a contest: people were broken into groups and then a supervisor in another department would play a Christmas song, and whichever group knew who had performed it, they won points. I helped the person in charge organize his song list by providing some material he was unfamiliar with, such as the Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” and Jona Lewie’s “Stop the Cavalry.” This made my co-worker’s life easier, and he spoke positively about me to my own supervisor. Also, it was fun for me, and again, raised my value in the corporate management side of the company beyond my own section.

                                                                 

The point is, I have taken steps to make myself more valuable to a company by expanding my role beyond what is expected of me, which fits into the “Going Beyond” section of yearly evaluations, but I’m also doing something that I find fun, which does nothing but add value. By doing this extra work beyond my scope, it also keeps the job from becoming stale and feeling like I’m in a rut.  It’s a definite win-win situation for all involved.

Four Job Searching Hints You May Not Have Heard Before

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2018

Images from the Internet

When searching for a job it’s good to realize that the way forward is not black and white, nor one sided. There are many ways to look at your approach, and further steps. To paraphrase what they say in Twelve Step programs, not all of it is in your power, which leads me to my first point:

1.

When you go on a job interview, and the person behind the desk seems a bit tense, if they answer the phone in the middle of your speaking, or you feel like they are trying to rush you, do not take that personally. Odds are, as they probably manage a department or section, they are also under a lot of stress and probably have meetings to attend or need to get immediate business done. This does not include if you are asked something inappropriate, such as age, religion, orientation, etc.; I’m referring more towards mood. During one interview I had, the person doing the hiring was unconsciously moving their finger in a circular pattern, as if to say, “Move it along.” Some might have felt they did not care about me and wanted me out of there to get to the next candidate. Well, I was hired at that company.

For another, more recent interview, it was for a large financial firm. The conference felt like it was going great: I was there for half an hour, and we were smiling and it seemed very positive. Then I was asked where I saw myself in five years. My answer was, “It would be nice to move up at some point,” indicating I am a hard worker and intend to stay at the job rather than move on. The response I received from one of the two people in the room doing the interviewing was, “The only place to move up is my job.” Two more quick questions and I was out the door.

After that, I took a couple of computer classes to update my skills, and towards the end of the second and final course, the instructor asked everyone what their plans were for their new-found skills. When it was my turn, I responded, “I’ve worked in an office for most of my life, and I assume I’ll continue to do that, but I think teaching a class like this would be fun.” Two days later I was given the opportunity to be the instructor for a three-hours-a-week night class for by that instructor. Having never taught before, I naturally said, “Yes.” I received decent evaluations from the class, so I was given all the night classes for three months. Then the instructor left, and I applied for the job. Being the inside candidate, I was hired on permanently.

In both cases, of the financial firm and the computer class, I pretty much gave the same answer, but the responses were polar opposites: one received my comment as a threat, the other as an opportunity. As all things are subjective, this was how they heard it, which had little to do with me. Therefore, it is pointless to take it personally.

2.

When talking about part-time, temporary or casual positions, most people do not take them seriously. I find this to be a mistake. Nearly all the employment I have had in my life had started out that way. I maintain that working hard at these kinds of positions are important and can lead to much better things for a few reasons.

In today’s work culture, it’s getting harder to find full-time jobs that are permanent right from the start. When a worker is hired as a part-time, temp or casual, it gives the employer a chance to see what kind of worker you are, which can lead to something more permanent. For example, I once worked for a media company where I was hired for one week as a temp. For those 5 days, all I did was call radio stations across the United States and asked them if they covered medical topic stories, checking yes or no on a spreadsheet. A silly job, but I worked hard at it, and a couple of months afterwards, I was called by the company and offered a position as a Data Processer, because they were happy with what I did with the radio stations.

Just because you are hired as a part-time, temp or casual for a certain position, does not mean that is where you will end up. You have heard about the Hidden Job Market? Those are jobs that never make it to the public sphere, and are usually filled internally. When you work as a part-time, temp or casual, you still have access to the internal listings, and if you make a good impression, that puts you in a good position as the inside candidate.

3.

When you look at a job listing, it may be quite long. Do not panic; do not get discouraged. Other than certifications (e.g., a truck driver’s license, Food Safety, Fall Protection), it is important to think of the ad as a wish list. The longer the notification, the better the odds are that anyone applying will not have all of the requirements requested. In fact, if there are ten items listed and you can do the core three, they will probably take you over the person who has only the other seven.

For example, let’s say the ad requires knowledge of Word, Excel and Access. Odds are they will hire someone who knows Word and Excel over someone who knows Word and Access. It all comes down to the needs of the company, and since that probably will not be known beforehand, you have nothing to lose by trying. Another example is if the ad states “five years’ experience.” If you have a good record of keeping jobs for long periods, there is a good chance they will take you with three years’ experience over someone with five years’, but had seven jobs over that time period.

This is also a good time to look at transferable skills. For instance, if the ad states the candidate must organize events, you may think, “I’ve never done that.” However, if you have put together a wedding, a child’s birthday, a parent’s anniversary, then you have probably worked harder organizing an event than the company will require, since those who came before you will have already set up the procedures. All you would be required is to fill in the blanks. They probably reuse the same hall, the same caterer, etc., so you will have all the contacts pre-set.

4.

If you come across any company that offers to find you a job for a fee, tread carefully and think before you respond. The standard is that fees are paid by an employer, not the employee. As an example, there is a company, whose name I will not mention because they are just one of many, who offer to help you find employment in a particular field for $75. If you send them the money, they send you a list of companies in that line of work, which you can get online for free. Period. They have technically aided your search as promised so they have met their bare legal obligation, but it is still a rip-off.

* * *

Searching for a job is time consuming, and it is a job in itself, but there are ways to look at it that can increase your odds, lower your anxiety level, and help you keep a cool perspective. Thinking outside the box is not just a commonly used phrase; it can aid you in securing employment.

Applying for Jobs by Computer or by Mobile.

Text (c) Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2017

Image from the Internet

It is bound to come, where applying for jobs by cell phone will be the common procedure. The level of technology at present day, however, makes that possible, but is it the most efficient?

Of course, the biggest attraction to using the mobile over the desktop or laptop is ease, and yes, being able to blast out your information to a large number of companies covers more ground. Having your resume and/or cover letter in your email and forwarding it is a snap. Even with that, there are more functional and possibly successful ways to proceed in your job applications.

When you send your resume and cover letter to a prospective employer, the email will indicate that it was sent from a mobile device. This tells the Hiring Manager some assumptive information. For example, it says that you are sending out resumes that are not directed to the company’s individual needs, but as a “pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey,” cover-all template.  They want to know you are willing to put in the work and research before you apply, and that you are self-motivated and proactive. If you want to stand out, it is better to individualize your resume and cover letter rather than sending a come one-come all version.

This is especially true for cover letters. Some people will type in a version of a cover letter into the actual email, but this is not as efficient in attracting positive attention as attaching a document that is easy to print out.

A proper cover letter should be dated, addressed to the company connected to the advertisement even if you have to look up the actual physical address in a search engine, and mention the position exactly as it is mentioned in the ad, including competition number if one is attached. Sending out a cover letter that is undated and unaddressed does not garner as much attention as one that is directed to the person and company requesting your information.

Many companies also have online applications, where the person looking for a job needs to attach a resume after you create a sign-in with that website. These cannot be sent from an email as of yet, so there is still a need for the physical presence rather than just a click on a phone.

Microsoft Word or other word processing software are not easily navigated on a mobile device, so it is better at this stage of the technology development to actually work on the application on a desktop or laptop.