Words many job hunters fear. Usually accompanied by at least _ years, (usually at least two). My problem with this word, and it has always been my problem, is... where does one get the years experience required to do a job if everyone is asking for x or y years of experience? Being one of the persons unfortunate enough (maybe not) to have graduated in the midst of a global recession, I met these words countless times. There were (and still are) jobs that I could do and would qualify for save for the fact that I may not have experience in said industry.
This ponders the question of organisation's willingness to train. I am forced to wonder if by requiring a certain amount of years of experience for a job the company is saying (in less words) we don't train, you're on your own? It is understandable that training staff does require time and money but wouldn't any new entrant (with or without) into the company need some amount of orientation being that no two organisations are the same? I do agree that with years of experience it is possible to cut orientation time significantly but who determines whether the x years that one has accrued are a good marker of what value he or she will deliver? The human resources department, usually the first department to interact with the applicant, acts as a talent scout (so to speak). This should mean that it is HR's responsibility to develop or at least enforce more definitive markers to determine one's aptitude during an interview.
Clearly there are usually other variables at play, but as a once frustrated job seeker, I wish more could be done to assist persons entering the working world. Many times the industry persons do get work in is worlds away from the one they hoped to enter when in school. This sometimes is a blessing in disguise. Everyone couldn't have attended an Ivy League University or graduated with highest honours from their school, but I believe everyone who is able to work hard enough to get a college degree deserves at least a fighting chance SOMEWHERE.
We all have some value to add and it is important we never lose sight of this!
Valuably thoughtful,
SB
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
...billboards and the one word resume.
Earlier today a friend of mine challenged me to think up a one word resume for myself. The only think I could think of at the time was available, this given that from about 2 pm the previous day I had been in dialogue with my classmates about some paperwork for an event we happened to be planning. While I do not mind the constant feedback that comes with planning programmes and the like, I began to wonder if I was really being of assistance or just filling a space because the persons who had the job originally were otherwise occupied?
I then thought of another word, adaptable, this word is especially important in doing group work (fortunately I learned this from very early on). Adaptable within reason. Yes it's more than one word, but the within reason ensures some amount of stability. Back to group work; when placed in a group with other persons there is bound to be some difference in opinion about one aspect or another of the project. However natural going with gut feelings may be, in group work, gut feelings alone won't get you far. There comes a time when each person's input has to be taken, molded and reformed into a unified presentation. The trick to successfully doing this is knowing when to yield to every suggestion and when to say enough.... in other words how to adapt.
In an era where innovation driven by globalization has forced many companies to adapt, that word (adapt) seems to resonate with me as a marker of interest. Not only does the word bring to mind other words like change, innovate, create, agree. Businesses, in order to be truly competitive forces, tend to find themselves adapting to the needs of a specific customer, adapting to the schedule of a supplier, adapting to the economic environment in which the business exists. All within reason of course.
So now for the billboards. The resume, in my opinion, is like a sign that says: Hey i'm here! Hire me! Usually; it precedes the applicant and tells the prospective employer what he/she should expect; much like a billboard advertising good food, good books a place to rest and the like. They really do perform a similar function albeit to totally different audiences (unless you are bold and cashy enough to place your resume on an actual billboard).
That being said, if I had a one word resume (billboard) what would it read?
Just as I said before:
Adaptable
but I wouldn't leave it there; just as on many billboards there's a little section that says *conditions apply, I think the same wording is applicable.
What will your one word resume say?
Adaptably yours,
SB
I then thought of another word, adaptable, this word is especially important in doing group work (fortunately I learned this from very early on). Adaptable within reason. Yes it's more than one word, but the within reason ensures some amount of stability. Back to group work; when placed in a group with other persons there is bound to be some difference in opinion about one aspect or another of the project. However natural going with gut feelings may be, in group work, gut feelings alone won't get you far. There comes a time when each person's input has to be taken, molded and reformed into a unified presentation. The trick to successfully doing this is knowing when to yield to every suggestion and when to say enough.... in other words how to adapt.
In an era where innovation driven by globalization has forced many companies to adapt, that word (adapt) seems to resonate with me as a marker of interest. Not only does the word bring to mind other words like change, innovate, create, agree. Businesses, in order to be truly competitive forces, tend to find themselves adapting to the needs of a specific customer, adapting to the schedule of a supplier, adapting to the economic environment in which the business exists. All within reason of course.
So now for the billboards. The resume, in my opinion, is like a sign that says: Hey i'm here! Hire me! Usually; it precedes the applicant and tells the prospective employer what he/she should expect; much like a billboard advertising good food, good books a place to rest and the like. They really do perform a similar function albeit to totally different audiences (unless you are bold and cashy enough to place your resume on an actual billboard).
That being said, if I had a one word resume (billboard) what would it read?
Just as I said before:
Adaptable
but I wouldn't leave it there; just as on many billboards there's a little section that says *conditions apply, I think the same wording is applicable.
What will your one word resume say?
Adaptably yours,
SB
Monday, April 11, 2011
...an F word
:) no no not the curse word...
Failure used to be the worst F word (in my opinion). Loved by few, feared by most, experienced by all at one point or another. Recently it seems that I'm seeing this F word more frequently in many blogs and business articles, it has even been emphasised in course content. Even more shocking is that sometimes this F word is viewed as good! *clutches chest* Failure?!?!? Good?!?!?!? SHOCK!!! (not really).
It seems that this very feared and once widely avoided and villianised concept of failure is not the beast we need to avoid; instead, what we need to avoid is maintaining the mindset that caused the failure in the first place. Failure may be regarded as a concept because it takes the shape of each situation; there is no black and white criteria for it (even with grades). The newer school of thought has identified failure as not such a bad thing. Many times it is from close calls with failure, fear of failure, other person's failures, personal failures that our greatest successes become realised. I think of it as the cocoon that the caterpillar has to go into before it becomes the beautiful butterfly.
It seems that change is inevitable, we are faced with many different challenges on a daily basis and as the world has gotten smaller the driver (change) has begun to force many persons out of the all inclusive "comfort zone" mindset. The road tends to have many potholes (failures) and although these are to be avoided for obvious reasons; damage to finances, family life and other things, when it does happen, failure is to be regarded with great care, pulled apart and examined so we learn and grow. It appears that failure can be a good thing after all! This is not to say we should aim to fail, quite the opposite, but if we do fail or we seem near to fail we should stop, examine and learn from said situation, solicit the advice of others and bloom!
SB
Failure used to be the worst F word (in my opinion). Loved by few, feared by most, experienced by all at one point or another. Recently it seems that I'm seeing this F word more frequently in many blogs and business articles, it has even been emphasised in course content. Even more shocking is that sometimes this F word is viewed as good! *clutches chest* Failure?!?!? Good?!?!?!? SHOCK!!! (not really).
It seems that this very feared and once widely avoided and villianised concept of failure is not the beast we need to avoid; instead, what we need to avoid is maintaining the mindset that caused the failure in the first place. Failure may be regarded as a concept because it takes the shape of each situation; there is no black and white criteria for it (even with grades). The newer school of thought has identified failure as not such a bad thing. Many times it is from close calls with failure, fear of failure, other person's failures, personal failures that our greatest successes become realised. I think of it as the cocoon that the caterpillar has to go into before it becomes the beautiful butterfly.
It seems that change is inevitable, we are faced with many different challenges on a daily basis and as the world has gotten smaller the driver (change) has begun to force many persons out of the all inclusive "comfort zone" mindset. The road tends to have many potholes (failures) and although these are to be avoided for obvious reasons; damage to finances, family life and other things, when it does happen, failure is to be regarded with great care, pulled apart and examined so we learn and grow. It appears that failure can be a good thing after all! This is not to say we should aim to fail, quite the opposite, but if we do fail or we seem near to fail we should stop, examine and learn from said situation, solicit the advice of others and bloom!
SB
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